Chiang Mai Biking Club tour of the city

Well finally I went out with the Chiang Mai biking club. I have been wanting to join this group for some time as I have heard from many that it is a nice biking group of all levels.



Most Sundays the ride is about 40-90 Kms (25-60 mi) but on the last Sunday of each month a history professor gives a cultural tour of some sites in and around Chiang Mai. As you can see we didn't go far! They always meet at Tapae gate at 8am (read: 8:30isam Thai time) which is the east gate of the old city. I live about 1/2 mile from the northwest corner of the moat and old walls.

Today is Magha Puja Day which is a major Buddhist religious holiday to celebrate the full moon day of the third lunar month when 1,250 disciples gathered to hear the Lord
Buddha’s teachings (called Dharma).

We visited 5 old Chedi's some I have seen before and had no idea why they where there etc and 2 temples. Most of the Chedis are parts of old temples that have disappeared. The are shaped like upside down ice cream cones. Three of the Chedis were hidden down very narrow alleys and 2 were in private yards. Most were 500-700 years old and made of exposed brick. When they were new the brick was covered with plaster and other decorations. Here are some pictures of the ride:



The last temple we visited was Wat Nanatharam and there was a temple fair going on. Lots of people, great free food and chanting.....and I thought I was going to shed some pounds biking !?!?




Living here is a constant reminder of the old and the new, both with respect to the Thais, their physical surroundings, and the clash of their culture and the west. I am sure many don't see it as a clash but I do. I am not saying either culture is better but because there are so many big differences it is much more apparent than say the difference between France and the US for example. For example before we started the bike ride the professor talked about the Buddhist holiday and what it celebrates, and then we jumped on our multi-gear alloy bikes and rode to the closest gas station to buy western junk food. The Thais adopt many western material things but still maintain much of their culture - thank goodness. As the towns get bigger etc I do see a weakening of their culture of politeness due to what I call "lack of social accountability'. Road rage is unheard of here, but now and again we have heard of some drivers who are starting to use their horns and/or shout at each other. In some ways it's big news because it is so rare, but I am afraid it will only get worse as the towns get bigger and they watch too many foreign tough guy films etc. All cultures change over time due to external influences and today those influences are from many other cultures that are quite different. I suspect in ancient times before planes, films, TV and the Internet the changes came from not so distant countries and not such different cultures. Their physical proximity made them less different. (Tom's theory !)

So Sunday evening I was invited to a music event at Payap U to hear some senior music students play - hence the contrasts.... Then I walked home past ancient Buddhist temples with a monk teaching and people walking around them holding candles to celebrate the holiday....