With about 300 steps to the top, Doi Suthep’s Wat Phrathat is apparently the must-do thing in Chiang Mai. Not only is it a big, beautiful Buddhist temple, but it also boasts some of the best views of the city.
Riding up to the base of the steps on a minibus, I got to know a Thai girl who was visiting Chiang Mai for work. Talking with her about where I was staying and how much I’d paid for my room and other things around Chiang Mai, I realized that I am way too paranoid about being taken advantage of or being seen as a moneybags tourist. The prices she was told or was paying was sometimes more or the same as I’d been paying. Then I felt like a poophead and realized I’d probably been seen as a cheapskate or cheating tourist. I’m pretty sure that’s worse.
I think when I go back to Wat Phrathat I should ask one of the monks how they feel about money, profits, and bargaining.
