Big nose boo-boo and embarrassing temple desecration aside, I continued my exciting trot around Thailand solo. The next day would be full of even more Chiang Mai temple hopping and mouthwatering Northern Thai food.

• Part 1: My First 24 Hours
• Part 2: Couchsurfing & Temple Desecration (eek)
• Part 2b: Blacking out on Top of a Market Bridge (ehe..!)

Chiang Mai Temple Hopping and Foodie Crawl

As my delicious Northern Thai food guide shows, I had an incredibly tasty time this day. What I haven’t shared with you yet though are the details of the beautiful Chiang Mai temples that were mixed in with that equally-beautiful food.

I always get insanely lost (how do I manage to travel the world, I wonder?!), so I was a good 40 minutes early (so I didn’t get lost this time! yay!). Which, would prove to be, the best thing to kick off my day:

A Thai Temple all to myself, except for a monk or 2.

Wat Chiang Man temple was relatively small, but intricately decorated. The golden adornments shone brightly against the sun–and the carpet inside seemed to have absorbed an intense amount of holiness from the many prayers to have been lifted from it.

It was, really, inexplicable magic.

The magic spell was broken by a couple of scantily-clad travelers breaking into the silence. With their uncovered spaghetti straps and loud conversation, I bounced.

Right on time to meet two other travelers and our guide!

This, by the way, was a last-minute arrangement. I decided to go on it and luckily they had space. There were only 3 of us. I love the low season.

As previously mentioned, we proceeded to devour Chiang Mai’s best foods:

We walked and walked. We also hailed a red cab or 2 for longer jaunts. The most enjoyable way to go Chiang Mai temple hopping–all while learning about the history of Northern Thai food and the city.

We visited local shops while stopping by some of the most popular temples on the way–and also discovering other tiny ones, hidden among the maze of alleyways that I didn’t even know crisscrossed the Old City.

My second favorite moment, though, was having a few seconds with 2 monks and myself at Wat Chedi Luang:

Those are some of my favorite photos from my entire trip to Thailand.

Oh & this colorful Asian-but-Spanish-Conquistador-looking door. And altar.

But THEN! Then…

Tea time at the Makka Hotel’s mini library, the last stop of our cultural foodie crawl, was just as holy and memorable:

Then, I spent 3 hours after everyone left on my own, in that very library, reading books about Buddhism and their Enlightened authors.

I had an epiphany or 2. Some life lessons learned.

Among one of the quietest, most delicious afternoons of my entire life.

And yet, all alone.

Really.

It is in the so-called “void” that we sometimes find the most enjoyment.

Coming from me, you must be sure by now that this is a very, very special place.

Read part 4 of my solo adventures in Thailand by clicking here!