Wat Doi Kong Mu

Yesterday, I had a Very Nice Day. This is not a particularly rare occurrence here in Thailand-- I still love the place. But yesterday I had one of those days that reminds me why exactly I love the place.

The day didn't start out too nice. I woke up nursing a slight hangover from the previous night when we went to town to have a small three person goodbye party for one of the volunteers, Jennifer. Jennifer was a photographer who stayed for two weeks. Since there wasn't exactly a bar in Nai Soi we settled for buying cokes and whiskey and sitting next to a rice paddy hiding from the students. Anyway, the next morning (a Saturday) one of the students decided that it was a good idea to belt out a few Thai pop songs at the top of his breath while playing the guitar at eight in the morning.

I was unhungover by around one I left around two o'clock to do some shopping in town and meet some friends. My shopping was done in about two hours and I had five hours to kill. I decided to spend the time visiting one of my favorite places-- Wat Doi Kong Mu. This is a temple that sits atop of one of the mountains that surrounds Mae Hong Son, and is a devilish hike but a beautiful place to visit. I try to make a point of climbing up every time that I go to Mae Hong Son.

I was very proud because I only needed to rest four times on my way up. The climb only takes about a half hour to forty-five minutes, but it's a very strenuous climb. You can get about halfway up via a steep staircase that starts the pilgrimage. There is a temple at the base of the hill that is connected to the Was Doi Kong Mu, and the minute you enter the grounds it slopes upwards so by the time you even get to the first step of the stairs you are slightly out of breath. By the time you pass the second set of guardian dragons, unless you are in very good shape, you are generally starting to huff and puff and you wonder why they even bothered putting up guardians. The climb alone should be enough to deter any evil spirit.

The mountain steepens about halfway up and the stairs give way to a switchbacking path that heads up at about a thirty degree angle. There are little resting houses over now and then, and the first time I made use of each and every one of them. Before this path, there is a little shrine where you can take a look around and decide if it's really worth going on. The first time I was there, there was a group of novice monks who kindly showed me that I should hai at the statue and demonstrated. (Hai is when you put your hands together in greeting.) After I mimicked they hopped up again and indicated that I should now offer money to the metal statue, demonstrating this with a twenty-baht bill that they undoubtedly got from the last tourist that came this way. I declined, having a feeling that the money was more likely to go to sweets in town.

The kid monks (novices) at this temple are a trip. There are four in particular that I have gotten used to seeing. Three of them are skinny little Thai kids and the fourth is a fat little buddha who gives a clue to why the other three are so skinny. When I first saw the kids (how I wish I had had my camera) they were playing a game of tug-of-war. The three skinny kids were on one side of the rope, pulling with all their might, and the fat monk was standing on the other side holding the rope with one hand and looking bored.

Anyway, after a rest I headed up to the switchbacking path for the final push. It's a lovely path, and generally deserted. The first time I was huffing and puffing it and thinking how couragous I was to be doing what so few dared to do when the little monks dashed past me, running and laughing and generally killing the mood. After about ten to twenty minutes on this path, you finally get to the stairs that go to the top.

So why do I force myself to do this every week? Well, the reasons are fourfold. The first is the view. You can see all of Mae Hong Son like you are in an airplane, spotting the roads that brought you here and the different temples and shop that you frequent. If you are lucky, you can see an airplane land or take off at Mae Hong Son airport, cruising in many feet below you.

The second reason is that it is my opinion that the only feeling rivaling that of an orgasm is the feeling of Not Climbing after one has been climbing strenuously for the last half hour. I dragged myself over the final step and landed with a thump at a local bench, fanning myself with my wide Thai-style woven hat. The first time that I came up I was embarrassed to see a gaggle of tourists wandering around without an ounce of sweat snapping pictures and wondering why they weren't as tired as I was. I did a quick walk and discovered that they hadn't walked up-- there is a road leading up the back of the mountain, and everyone other then me had driven. Which leads to the third reason-- I get to sit around smugly sneering at the pristine tourists and think to myself no one (other then the monks) has more of a right to be here then me.

Finally, this is my favorite temple because in addition to the view I think that it is the nicest temple that I have found. Unlike the birdshitty temples in Mae Sot, this one is kept up and the shrines and Buddha images are lovely. There's a nice market around the back and an ice cream vendor who is starting to know me by sight. Also, this temple seems to draw more then it's share of actual worshipers rather then tourists. At any time there are people circumnavigating the two chedis (towers) and meditating in the main temple building containing the principle Buddha image. I think that they easily outnumber the tourists. Very much worth the climb.

A Very Nice Day Indeed.