An Image a Day - Thailand - Chiang Mai: The Jungle by the Side of the Road

One of my favorite day-trips while visiting Chiang Mai was hiking to the top of Doi Suthep mountain to visit the legendary Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple. I'm going to share some pics and impressions of that amazing temple tomorrow. But for now, here are some pictures of 'the jungle by the side of the road' as I wandered the final 5 miles up the side of the mountain after leaving the outskirts of the city.

I love the jungle in the tropics. The smell of the vegetation is palpable, life thrums through the air with the beat of each breath and the hum of background insect. This walk was strenuous but a good workout after my morning 'all you can eat' buffet breakfast and iced coffee.

The hike from the hostel I was staying at just outside the old city walls to the top of Doi Suthep was around 12 kilometers . I can't tell you how many times I had tuk tuk drivers, buses, taxis stop and try to convince me to pay for a ride. The Thai people are an industrious lot, and seemed to think I was a crazy person for making that walk. To be honest, it was a great way to see the city and get some exercise.

The road up the mountain winds up and through the jungle. At times there are paths you can take to short cut large sections of the road, but as I found these are quite hard going steep climbs. It's worth it though to get away from the traffic noise and wander through the mingled cadence of insect hum and bird call.

Near to the end of the hike - and conveniently just before the long climb up the stairs to the temple complex - there is a waterfall (captured in the title picture). This makes for the perfect stop to refresh yourself, dunk your head, take a breath and steel yourself for the final climb 😉

In honor of the fact that Steemfest 4 will be held in Bangkok Thailand this autumn, this series will share a collection of images from my adventures travelling 'the land of smiles' over 8 years ago. Each post will be accompanied by a short description of that place, kind of like a post card or recommendation for anyone who is planning on backpacking around Thailand while visiting for the annual conference of all things steem. I'm still unsure if I will make it to Steemfest 4 tbh, I hope I can.

As some of you may be aware, I plan on finally getting started writing a trilogy of books that have been in the planning stages for nearly a decade. This unfortunately means I can't spend the time I would like to dedicated to steem. This photographic series is my way to continue posting and contributing to steem while I work on my first novel. These shorter posts will hopefully allow me to keep in touch with all the friends I have made here. I hope that everyone understands 🙂

Check out previous posts in this series:

An Image a Day - Thailand - Chiang Mai Twilight Temples (Build Up for Steemfest 4)

If you have enjoyed this photography/travel post, you can check out my homepage @raj808 for similar content. Thanks again.

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