airport hotels san jose costa rica 23/01/2010Chiang Mai. Golden BuddhaSophisticated Russian

airport hotels san jose costa rica

23/03/2010

Chiang Mai. Golden Buddha

Sophisticated Russian tourist, who was already pall everything, including warm sea with corals and bars Go-Go, with a timid hope asks: "And for something special, why not try, no?" "Very well, - meet him with a constant smile, welcoming the Council on Tourism

We just then in store for you to Chiang Mai - north of the country with mountains, jungles, elephants and exotic local tribes! "

Before Chiang Mai 700 km as from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and the heavenly trafik is such that it takes me to a crowded giant humpbacked "Jumbo" Boeing-747, were not designed to take off and landing, and on transcontinental flights.

Polutoramillionny Chiang Mai is located in the foothills, and therefore much easier to breathe here than in the sultry humid Bangkok. With 22 floors the hotel Centara entire city in full view, and a lot of spikes and pagodas among the green trees beckon on walking tour of the city, promising a lot of discoveries. But one of the principal and most revered temples here - Wat Phrathat - ctoit on a high hill outside the city, and from my windows overlook a bright spot, lost in a haze of green areas of the hill. Way - the machine, and then the funicular.

"I respect your traditions and customs, I respect your culture and admire the architecture and art" - with such thoughts, I turned to a large gilded Buddha in the main temple, clasping his hands on his chest as a sign of respect. And multimeter huge Naga serpent with emerald eyes the size of a saucer graciously admitted me into the mysterious world of ancient pagodas, sculptures, bas-reliefs and colorful paper lanterns.

On the map the old city has the correct form of the square. In the countryside, he is framed channel and fragments of ancient brick wall with the main gate Thapae. The space in front of the gate from the inside was completely covered with garlands of paper lanterns, and below them in the morning began to gather traders, setting rows of stalls. In short, I found there is much more authentic world of ancient Thailand, without contradictions surging in the postindustrial future of rapid Bangkok with its five-storied connections. However, here is the aspiration of the nation into the future, too, could be felt in everything: in the construction of buildings and roads, by magnificent public parks with the exhibition complex, but simply in the appearance of people - neatly and tastefully dressed, with a meaning individuals and well-groomed children, and most importantly - without the familiar uncertainty and suspense in his eyes.

In the Old City of countless temples, I went around one day about a dozen of the most interesting and well-known, fully sated my fotograficheskuyuyu passion with countless variations of the architectural lines of stone gods and elephants, genre scenes from the life of the monks. The most surprising in that the assembly of deities and animals were Donald Duck and plaster life-size giraffes, established, among other figures before ... Buddhist temple. Many children in the temple courtyard suggested the kindergarten, but then walked and monks in orange tunics. The National Cultural Center "- I read the sign on the gate. How it fit into Aboriginal African savannah and Disney character, remained a mystery.

The wonderful example of how the ancient architectural and cultural traditions live in harmony with the high demands of the day there is a crucial is built in the spirit of the ancient palaces Dhara Dhevi hotel chain known luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental. It opened in 2006, but if you do not know this, it easily can be taken as found in the jungle, a monument to the era of the kingdom of Lanna. When I rode in his carriage at the gate, swept past, ahead of my horse, "Mercedes cars with flashing lights, just like anywhere on Kutuzov Avenue. I asked the manager, not a Russian businessman in a hurry to massage. It was found in expensive hotels that something said local police leadership. Corporate spirit - the holy cause!

And the most striking blend of antiquity and novelty symbolic presented itself in the newly constructed and the sun shining on the pagoda with the straightforward title Sareerikkatartsirirak. Near the pagoda, I photographed the stele, on which engraved in gold on black, that called the statue himself, His Majesty King Bhumipol June 9, 2550! So thats it - Thais live on your calendar ahead of us all for half a millennium, and they have no choice but to push forward, leaving us with our road to Sheremetyevo and other realities in the deep Middle Ages.

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