The Marvel of Faith: Wat Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchawaramahawihan

Day 3 of our 3-day, 2-night trip to Chiang Mai and Lampang. Our destination for today is Wat Chalermprakiet Phra Chomklao Rachanusorn in Lampang Province, which we saw many beautiful reviews of and have been dreaming of visiting for a long time.

(Over the past two days, we visited Mae Kampong Village and Jae Sorn Hot Spring. You can read our reviews here.)

We have arrived at the transfer point to go up the mountain. We have to take the temple's car because the way up requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. The road is very steep and there are some points where cars cannot pass each other. At some points, the car needs to accelerate and decelerate, so only experienced drivers can drive. It's quite scary and dangerous.

And those little white dots are the mountain peaks we're going to climb. Wayyyyy over there.

Hold on tight, because some parts of the road are very steep and you might fall out of the car. The car slowly climbs up and down, like riding a roller coaster. It's actually kind of fun.

We're halfway there. The car can only take us this far. The rest of the way, we have to climb the stairs to the top of the mountain ourselves.

Before climbing the mountain, stop by to pay respects to the Buddha's footprint. It's a light warm-up.

Hiking up the mountain for another 800 meters was so tiring that I could barely lift my camera to take pictures. I was so out of breath that I felt like I was going to die, even though I was walking slowly.

We stopped to rest and admire the view for a bit, but at that time I wasn't really in the mood to appreciate it.

I climbed so high that I saw the sign "Almost there". I thought to myself, "Are you kidding me?" I'm so tired, so so tired. My face is red, my nose is flared, and I can't breathe. It's more tiring than I thought. Because it's so high, I have to climb stairs all the time. There's almost no flat ground. But the stairs are safe, don't worry.

And finally, the temple has a sign that says "The temple does not guarantee the structure of the building." So please be careful.

Banggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my, it's beautiful. The photos don't do it justice. Seeing such a beautiful view makes you forget your tiredness for a moment (but I'm still tired, my face is red and my nose is still flared, haha).

I don't know how they managed to put that small pagoda there. It's surrounded by steep hills.

Be careful on the stairs, it's a downhill section. Once you reach the bottom, climb again to reach the viewpoint on the other side. There is a pavilion with a Buddha statue where you can pray for good fortune.

The view from this side shows many pagodas on the mountain tops. How much effort must the builders have put in to create these pagodas? They are truly beautiful.

The downhill life is really good, believe me. When you go down and meet people who are walking up, you understand how tired they are because you have been through that point. You can only encourage them, "Just a little more, you'll be there soon," and smile comfortingly, just like we received from the people who walked down when we were climbing up. The climb up was so tiring that we couldn't even lift the camera to take pictures, so there are no pictures of the climb up. We climbed these stairs for a long way, and it was really steep.

After arriving, we continued our journey back to Chiang Mai city. We rode along, enjoying the scenery along the way. When it rained, we stopped to put on our raincoats. When the sun came out, we continued on our way, as we had already allowed for extra time. We held on tight to the seat with our legs and took photos along the way. The beautiful views were worth the effort, the fatigue, and the hardship of facing the sun and rain.

One of the surprises on our way back to Chiang Mai was encountering a thick fog. It was like driving into a dense cloud of mist, and it was absolutely breathtaking. It's hard to describe the beauty of it. Riding a motorcycle and feeling the air around us, we were completely immersed in the moment. That stretch of the road was pure bliss.

I took a lot of pictures, but they're not very clear. Haha! Oh well!

And then set out for prosperity when arriving in Chiang Mai. The sun was setting just in time. Take a 4pm flight back to Bangkok.

Trip closing picture

The hardships and inconveniences create more vivid memories than comfortable trips. The reason is that our bodies remember the fatigue more clearly.

This trip was only 3 days long, and it's been almost a year since it happened, but I still remember every scene and every moment. This gang still rides their motorcycles whenever they have some money in their pockets.

Riding a motorcycle is an amazing experience. It's a journey without the need to rush, where you can stop and admire the beautiful scenery or take a break whenever you feel tired. It's not as difficult as many people think, and it turns out to be a trip where you feel like you're constantly on vacation, not just stopping at the various points you've planned. If you have the opportunity and the energy, try it out for a trip. Rent a motorcycle, drive carefully, take your time, and you'll experience a whole new level of enjoyment. Give it a try!

Stay tuned for our next adventure. We'll keep you updated as long as we have the energy to ride.