2002-02-04

At the pinnacle of Thailand

Today I visited Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak at 8,514 feet. There is a good road all the way to the summit. People come from all over Thailand to visit the two chedis built to honor the king and queen.

It had been warm at the foot of the mountain and the temperature dropped rapidly as I made my way to the summit. I passed cars and vans struggling to climb up hill but the little Yamaha took it all in stride.

One of the chedis with a Buddhist monk at the base of the steps.

The chedis are surrounded by tiled, relief murals. Here is a detail from one depicting a board game.

Arrows are launched at the Buddha but they can not strike him.

Vivid, horrific images of hell.

I lingered and explored some dirt roads around the mountain. This one went to a hill tribe community. About this point the Yamaha's LCD display that shows the digital speedometer and odometer gave out. Everything else was still working so I kept on.

A hill tribe girl. There are seven major hill tribes and each one has their own language, customs and manner of dress. They keep their culture alive and mingle as little as possible with the more modern world of the cities and villages. It is estimated that half a million people live in hill tribes in Thailand and of course there are many more in the surrounding countries.

Wachirathan waterfall on Doi Inthanon is more beautiful than this picture can convey. The waterfall makes a gentle roar and leaves a fine, cooling mist in the air. You can even even see a rainbow in the mist.