#HakkaLimsRnRInThailand2017 - Day 4

Day 4 itinerary:

5.15am - leave hotel 

6am - Sunrise at Wat Phra That Dou Suthep Temple

9am - Breakfast at local eatery

Rest of day - Free and Easy

6pm - Khantoke Dinner and Northern Style Dancing Show

Sunrise-Posing for IG-kind-of photo

Most of us would had watch sunrise elsewhere before this trip.  I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, but the fun and refreshing part was doing it with this "new" group.

We arrived at the location at the foot of the temple at about 6am.  From here, we can opt to either take the cable car up or climb a fleet of 300 odd steps of stairs to the temple.     

6:08 am - start of climb

We gathered at a open terrace, which had the view of the city and the brightening eastern horizons.  I bought a lotus flower along the way up (for presenting at the temple), and used it to take some shots.  

6:17 - 6:21

6:24 - 6:31

From 6.15 to 6.45, we took various photos while waiting.  At 6.46, we finally see that it's happening.

6:32 ; 6:46

Clockwise from TopRight: 6:46 - 6:47 - 6:49 - 6:50

In less than 10 mins, the sun was up and sitting nicely on the horizon.
6:51 - 6:54

Time to let our creativity flow!
6:55

Hah, this was the fun part.   The 3 of us had done jump shots at 2 locations already, so this time around, we decided to do the back view.  Suddenly Uncle Sk stepped in without saying anything.  We were able to get a rather nice shot (the one in the middle) of the 4 of us in the air.  After the shots, we were all exclaiming, that he must had been itching to join in for long liao, hoping that we will invite him to, but when we still didn't "zi-dong", he decided to just crashed the party!

7O'clock

After this, we toured the temple.  Tourists and locals who visit the temple will buy vegetarian food from outside and give alms to the monks here.  When the locals do this, they kneel to the monks.    We (the tourists) do so standing.  Still, most of us felt weird-out!

We left before it was even 8am.  See photo of the steps that we climbed up at 6am, looking so pretty in colours.

7:45

We requested that the guide recommend a local breakfast place.  She took us to this very crowded place call Joke Sompet Restaurant that served very good porridge.  There were both locals and tourists at this place.  It was so popular that their dim sum were all sold out by 9am!

Hot afternoon in Chiangmai

It was "free and easy" day after breakfast.  All of us rested in the hotel until lunch time.  As we didn't plan for any whole-group activity, the 3 of us went for lunch at the nearby IT mall.  While browsing at the mall, I casually mentioned that we could look for photo printing service to give a few hard copy print out to the old folks more traditional folks, like my mum and Uncle SK; I think they like memorabilia.   We found one such shop, which require us to upload the photos to their website.  Here, WK and Lynn connected their phone to the mall's free WIFI via their Facebook account.  The uploading was problematic, but eventually we manage to print quite a few pieces.  

While connected and accessible to WhatsApp, we realised that some of them at the hotel were going for massage, so we headed back to join them.  But we missed them, and thus decide to join WS, who was out checking out trendy cafes.  She read up recommendations before the trip, and choose to visit one which was a 10mins walk from our hotel.  She took a video of it (the deco) to send to us (below).  It was a hot afternoon, and the walk took us about 15mins.  I find the coffee so-so, but maybe I was feeling too hot from the walk.  And it was warm in the cafe.  Maybe it was a Tuesday afternoon and we were the only customers, so the shop was saving electricity bills?

Hacked!:

We went back to the hotel close to 5pm, to freshen up and prepare to go for dinner-cum-performance.    At the hotel, Wk noticed something amiss with his FB account.  Turned out that his account had been hacked, when logging into the free WIFI at the mall!  He went to the hotel lobby to get the guys there to do some translation for him, and took back control by getting his password changed.  Then he checked Lynn's FB, which sure enough was hacked too.  We were late going to dinner, but both of them managed to have their problem resolved successfully.  

The next day in the van, we all shared experiences of hacks and security setting.  I joked with them that I'm the only "smart" one who had never been hacked before.  At the mall, I didn't want to use my FB account to get access to free WIFI, so I gave the excuse (to WK and Lynn) that I don't remember my password.  Truth was while I know my password, I don't remember my log in email/user, haha!  I resist using FB to register for other stuff, not because I know the danger of being hacked, but due to other inconveniences, like receiving advertisements, notifications, updates and recommendation.  I practice good security by not linking FB with IG or blog.  

Cultural performance for the family:

I remember that years ago, when I was still rather young (secondary school maybe?), I watched a cabaret show during a Thailand trip with mum and grandma.  Grandma didn't understand why everyone seemed so keen to take photo with the performers.  Although pretty, they were not international stars, she said.  I had to explain to her that these really beautiful "girls" were males.  

Anyway, I don't know how or why (i didn't ask), this trip there's no Ah-Kuah show.  Maybe it's not popular in Chiangmai or maybe it was not recommended for family?

This night we wore casual smart, to a Khantoke Dinner with cultural dance performances.   Khantoke dinner is the customary northern Thai style of eating food served in large platters at low tables while being seated on mats on the floor.  

The food was good, the place and setting and performances up to expectation too.  This was WL's last activity with us on this trip, as he would be heading for the airport the next morning.  I had enjoyed the trip tremendously up to this point, probably due to the company I was with :).