Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

309 steps to heaven! The most elaborate temples.  This is still a working Wat, meaning there are monks that continue their service here.  I wonder at their ability to tune out all the visitors.  After visiting the floating houses we still had the motos and drove up the mountain to this Wat on the mountain.  After many cut back and an accident with a bus and another foreigner on a moto....we made it safely.  Mandy wasn't too sure about me on the back and I really tried to lean correctly as I could feel the gentle movements making an immense difference in the balance of the thing!

People walked around the Wat ringing bells, hitting gones and walking the huge gold monument with prayers.  Such a mixture, tourists and prayers.

Getting ready to go up the steps

prayer bells

prayer gongs

My pretty daughter being silly

prayer bells are each rung with a prayer

amazing drums 

I love elephants! and Ty has his back to me

We each took off our shoes before entering the Wat

Crowds walked around this gold dome reciting prayers

flaking gold caught my attention

Jack fruit in the trees

Time to decent the mountain  309 steps down

Hazy outlook of Chiang Mai from the mountain