Surprised!

I have done a fair bit of traveling. And when you go to countries like India, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, you see a fair amount of temples. Most of them are beautiful and full of intricate, delicate designs and paintings... but after a while, they start to blend together and you're no longer sure which one is which... 

However, today I was in for a surprise. 

Around Chiang Rai there are a lot of places to see, waterfalls, temples, villages... but they're spread out a few kilometers in every direction, so I rented a motorbike (ok, it's a scooter!), looked up some maps, and started off. 

After a few kilometers, there was a sign and I turned right off the highway: immediately, I saw the temple and couldn't believe my eyes. 

It's incredible. It is simply incredible. All white with delicate designs made with tiny mirror squares that make it shimmer with the light, and it just took me by surprise... 

There are also some creepy details, like the sea of hands from the underworld reaching out to you as you cross the bridge onto the temple: 

A bottle of whisky on top of a very scary sculpture: 

Or heads hanging from trees with weeds growing out of them: 

But back to the temple: 

Definitely one that will stick in my memory and will not blend in with the others... 

Wat Rong Khun, or simply: The White Temple