PHOTOGRAPHY
CHIANG MAI
My “gift” for Bud’s 80th birthday, 17 June 2009, was to raise enough money to build three tennis courts for the Prince Royal’s College, the school founded by his grandparents, David and Ada Collins in 1877. It took three years of effort to collect the necessary funds. Our friends all over the world contributed to the project and in 2009 we had the ground breaking.
Built in honor of Bud’s 80th birthday, the courts were made possible by the generous contributions from numerous friends across the world.
Due to problems with construction, we had a Ground Breaking 13 February 2009 with the Bud Collins Tennis Courts built and dedicated the following year, 5 February 2010. Bud played the first points with, son, Rob Lacy.
Prince Royal’s College was founded 19 March 1887 by Bud’s grandparents, a young missionary couple from Ohio, David Ghormley and Ada Pinkerton Collins.
The “Chiang Mai Boys School,” with twelve boys, was the first boys’ school in Northern Thailand. It is now co-ed and has 6,000 students from kindergarden through twelfth grade.
On January 2, 1906, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Maha Vajiravudh came to the school and laid the corner stone for the first classroom building. He changed the name to: The Prince Royal’s College, and gave the school his royal colors, white and blue.
The Buddhist temple of Wat Phrathat doi Suthep is one of the most important temples is Chiang Mai and indeed is revered among all Thais. It was built at the end of the 14th century, around 1383 when the first chedi was built. To reach the temple from the road, built only in 1935, one can climb the 309 steps of the naga stairway, the longest in Tailand, or take a cable car. It is located 13 kms from the city, atop 5,500′ Mt. Doi Suthep.
WAT SUAN DOK
Wat Suan Dok (Flower Temple) located outside the western wall of Chiang Mai was founded in 1371. It is a Royal Temple of the third class. There is a relic of the Buddha housed in its golden chedi.
White washed mausoleums, which house the cremation ashes of members of the royal family of Chiang Mai, are located in the NW quarter of the temple grounds. The Chiang Mai campus of the Buddhist Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University is housed within the temple compound. I loved this temple with its beautiful grounds and, because it is off the beaten path, NO tourists!
Established in 1976 by Choochart Kalmapijit, Maesa Elephant Camp is set amid a rushing stream is a tropical forest twenty minutes from downtown Chiang Mai. The founder understood the intelligence of elephants and set about creating a healthful, caring environment for the approximately 78 elephants who live there currently. The six tons of grass, sugar cane and bananas eaten daily by the elephants are grown by the camp.
We visited the camp in 2007-09-10, each time being dazzled by the amazing elephants. Some are talented painters, they play soccer, they are wonderful to ride. Watching their bath time in the river is a treat. In 2010 we were enchanted by a four day old baby elephant!! It is one of our favorite places to visit in Thailand.
Architect Kerry Hill’s four-story bamboo-clad wall of the Chedi Hotel is a striking modern compound offering an oasis of calm after touring in the hustle and bustle of Chiang Mai. Located on the Mae Ping, fishing boats float past the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors of all eighty-four zen guest rooms. We loved the integration of the 1913 British Consulate into the plan of the hotel. It serves as the restaurant and bar area. The pool is inviting and beautiful. Location and service are perfect. This collection of photos dates from our four visits, February 2007-08-09-10
One of great treats in Chiang Mai is the yearly Flower Festival held in February. There are countless amazing floats, beautiful women, villagers in their native costumes, acrobats, drummers, school bands, including that of Prince Royal’s College, fire eaters, dancers. Great attention is paid to detail with animals and geometric designs created from flowers.
After my CM SMART COOK cooking class in Chiang Mai, I wandered across the street to Wat Dokaueng. Around a corner, under a stairway, I found a monk feeding rice to his dogs, one of whom was lame. He was feeding her by hand… What a lovely place ….. Visited February 10-11, 2010
COLLECTION OF TEMPLES
Chiang Mai is a city filled with temples, more than 300 Buddhist temples, large and small, restored and those not. One year I had a “Temple Day” and visited TEN temples in one day ….. In each of the four years we were there, I explored on my own, in and out of temples large and small. It was wonderful. The 14 are listed in the order in which they appear: Wats Chetupon Suksa, Chiang Mun, Chedi Luang Varaviharn, Pung Tao gong Temple, Mahawan Temple, Wats Pouckchang, Chaisripoom, Phan On, Buppharam, Mornthean Temple, Wats Lok Molee, Chai Mongkol
A Thai cooking class … what could be more fun? It included riding in the back of a pick up truck to the country village, Pa Soa, where it took place, visiting a garlic farming operation, riding a bicycle through the farming area where herbs and various kinds of basil were growing and being picked. Then taking a train back to Chiang Mai. It was a great experience! The Smart Cook cooking class……