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\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div> \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nA cozy, all in flowering trees, highway No. 1001 leads here from Chiang Mai. Shortly after the waterfall, having crossed low hills (usually separating the valleys from each other, and at the same time serving as the borders of the districts), the highway descends into the Phrao Valley. It is much smaller than Chiang Mai: standing on any of the surrounding slopes, it is easy to take in the whole view. The usual northern Thai valley, of which there are dozens. Surrounded by mountains (somewhere higher, some lower), filled with rice fields, gardens and villages. The skates of temples stick out from everywhere, however, they are not particularly remarkable and rather new.<\/p>\n
The highway ends directly in the central square of the town of Phrao – the local “capital”. It is exactly 100 km from Chiang Mai. The town is also typical of the north – tiny, very quiet and incredibly clean. However, its small “business” part has everything: a full-fledged and very cheap market, a couple of banks, “7\/11” and “Mini Tesco”, several quite decent “food” and even a couple of cafeterias with simple pastries. The town seemed to me more “colorful” than others. In general, the Phrao Valley was remembered for its bright and deep colors – both nature and even the coloring of funny local trucks and combines working in the fields. Perpendicular to 1001, having become the main street for a while, another highway passes through the town. It crosses the valley from west to east, leading in one direction to Chiang Dao, and in the other to the Chiang Rai valley.<\/p>\n
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At the northwestern end of the valley, on a hill, stands a strange desert temple complex with outlandish round houses – either monastic kuti, or meditation rooms. When I got there, there was only one woman doing housework and a bunch of beautiful cats. Apparently, this is a kind of meditation center, either half-abandoned, or unfinished yet. It offers an elegiac view of the valley. But there were also several Christian churches in the valley. Most often, Christianity is professed precisely by “non-indigenous” mountain peoples – the Hmong, Karen and others.<\/p>\n
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