
Thai Flags on Procession
Every year, on the eve of Vesak Bucha Day*, thousands of Thais make a 13km trek to the top of Doi Suthep (Suthep Mountain), the tallest mountain in the general vicinity of Chiang Mai, arriving at Wat Prathat Doi Suthep to pay respects to the relic of the Buddha housed there, and to circumabulate the chedi three times and make merit for their families and friends. Established over 700 years ago, the temple is one of the holiest and revered Buddhist temples in all of Thailand. Also tied up in this tradition is a procession honoring the great Kruba Sriwichai, a monk who, over 70 years ago, traveled on foot all over Northern Thailand refurbishing temples and breathing new life to Buddhism in Lanna.
The last couple of months have been strange in Thailand, due to peaceful protests turned violent in Bangkok, the imminent dispersal of the protesters by the Thai army, and the resulting backlash in northern provinces, as unsettled UDD supporters set fire to tires and government buildings and closed off public areas. These retaliatory protests lasted no longer than one day, and soon a curfew was instituted to prevent large gatherings of people in public. As I write, we are still under a limited curfew, 12am-4am, but it should soon be lifted.
Last week, Brooke and I were told by friends that the annual pilgrimage up Doi Suthep was planned for Thursday evening, May 27th, and would last all through the night. After a period of uncertainty due to the curfew, we learned that the government removed the curfew for that night to allow the tradition to proceed. So Brooke and I invited several people to join us, but for various reasons (work, other obligations, dislike of walking) it turned out to be just the two of us as we set our sights on reaching the top.

Pants Rolled Up with No Shame
9pm. After over an hour sitting in traffic and trying to find parking, we started our walk from the Dunkin’ Donuts on Canal Road, about 3km from the official starting point just next to the Chiang Mai Zoo. We set off wearing our white pilgrim’s clothes and sandals, Brooke having convinced me that the Thai people would not be donning their cross-trainers and dri-fit t-shirts. She was absolutely right. The crowd was an eclectic mix of young and old, some small children with their families, women who appeared to be in their 70s and 80s, young women wearing heels and skirts, monks, and the largest group: university freshmen, for whom this journey is a rite of passage, complete with hazing. Most people wore only flip-flops or sandals, while others sported Converse, Vans, or other non-support fashion shoes. It was rare indeed to see a proper pair of walking or hiking shoes.
What began years ago, I assume, as a quiet affair on the trails of the mountain, has turned into a veritable circus extending the distance of the main paved road, winding it’s way to the near-summit of Doi Suthep. The sides of the road, for many kilometers, are lined with food and drink stalls, selling pad thai, meats, sweets, and lots and lots of cold water. Being a Buddhist holiday, beer and whiskey drinking is not promoted, but we were told that if you asked the drink vendors for beer, you’d receive it. While some college kids were drinking, and some were even drunk, most people stuck to water, because after all, it’s a steep, long hike in the dark, and the temperature at the base of the mountain was over 90 degrees with a lovely stickiness in the air. We began our journey with some egg and rice, pad thai, and plenty of water, eating and drinking as we walked. Our intention was to make the summit, but at the onset we were both tired already.

Pilgrims and a Songthaew
We walked. And walked. And walked. Some people passed us, but mostly we did the passing. We slowed when we tired, and sped up to get away from the groups of freshman boys chanting high-octane military-style songs at top volume. Throughout the trip there were times when we had to weave in and out of stopped traffic, as red songthaews took groups of people to the top or others back down, people on motorbikes sped through pedestrians, and the procession honoring Kruba Sriwichai, complete with several people carrying candles, musicians, flag bearers, trucks with speakers, and the statue of Kruba himself slowly snaked up the hill. There were also periodic stopping points, at roadside temples and scenic viewpoints, where monks were giving dhamma talks, and later in the night people were sleeping on mats there, tucked in for the night. We didn’t stop at any of these places.

Kruba Sriwichai Procession
It was amazing to see how quickly we seemed to rise above the city, as just after 90 minutes or so it seemed that we were incredibly high up, and we could clearly make out the entire outline of the old city moat and the ring roads surrounding the city. About 2 hours in we passed a sign that read “Wat Prathat Doi Suthep: 9km.” Not bad, I thought. Less than 6 miles to go. We walked awhile longer, and at one point we saw what looked like the temple, although it seemed impossible to reach. Soon after this, a fellow walker said we had 2km to go. Our hopes were lifted for a short time, but after 40 more minutes, we approached a sign that said 3km. I guess his estimate was off. Regardless, we trudged on, and the road became steeper. We approached a false ending, an area dedicated to Kruba, where many pilgrims were posing for pictures. No stopping! Brooke was thinking her legs might break in half if she were to stop walking.
12:45am. After 3 hours and 45 minutes, we made it to the base of the infamous 300 steps to the top of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep and the famous golden chedi.

The crowd at the top.
We began the last ascent, shoulder to shoulder and one slow step at a time. As we peered into the rising crowd, the bobbing of heads from left to right and up and down was a bit too much for us to handle, so we opted to turn back, heading instead directly to the nearest foot massage chair, as there were hundreds. I’ve never had a better foot massage than this 1am, one hour long affair that allowed me to drift in and out of sleep as I watched thousands of people pass by in both directions. I briefly thought I might attempt to make the summit once again, but instead I remembered how we had walked those 300 steps at least once per day for 10 days during our summer 2009 meditation retreat. I wasn’t missing anything except a large crowd and possibly some claustrophobia.

The much-needed foot massage!
2am. The next portion of our trip, the descent, began as an uncertain walk, not knowing whether we’d be able to find a ride. I was determined to get into a song thaew, but if that didn’t happen I was ready to ask any passing pickup truck if they had room for two more. After about 30 minutes, we were able to step onto the back of a packed song thaew; I stood on the back, holding on to the rail, while a nice college boy gave up his seat on the bench for Brooke. There were 12 people inside, 2 of us on the back, and 2 more sitting on the luggage rack up top. This turned out to be a slow, car exhaust filled affair, but it was better than walking. After passing the last trickles of groups still climbing, resting groups smoking on the guardrails, and monks and laypeople alike sleeping under the stars, we were dropped in front of the Kruba temple. We walked another 15 minutes to the car, arriving home at 4am, finishing our 8 hour religious work day. Two days later, we think our legs have recovered, but we are both glad to have had the experience.
It turns out a couple of our friends made the climb too, but we never saw them. My deepest congratulations go out to all who made the journey, especially those who went on foot, including several hundred monks. I also send out my best wishes for those on the cleanup crew, as I’ve never seen so many discarded plastic bottles in my life.
*Vesak Bucha Day (Visakha Bucha in Thai) is the date of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha, said to have happened all on the same date. It is celebrated on the full moon night in May.