Morning contemplation

This shot (and a few to either side in my stream)was taken during an early visit to Wat Doi Kong Mu in Mae Hong Son.
I usually wander up to the smaller temple with the standing Buddha, and as I did so I noticed a new Buddha figure [www.flickr.com/photos/geoff_b/4036664372/] , so I took a look . . . .

They are constructing a new viewing platform, and this young monk was quietly gazing out towards the cloud-swathed hills.

Taken on: 20th October, 2009. Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License - See Geoff_B's page of Flickr

Read more about Mae Hong Son

Remote Mae Hong Son town, provincial capital of the remote eponymous province, is just a few kilometres from the Burmese border in Thailand's far northwest. The town is barely larger than Pai, thanks to the tourism boom there, and Mae Hong Son certainly has far fewer foreign tourists. A few more government buildings may be around and more cars zip along the roads, but Mae Hong Son has an even more laid back feel to it than its busier neighbour down the road. (On the surprisingly accurate Travelfish 7-Eleven scale of importance, both are mere two outlet towns!)

Whether you go for bustle or laid back, Mae Hong Son is definitely a more attractive town than Pai. The valley is much narrower, with barely enough room for the town and its airport as steep forested hills crowd in from every direction. The lake is an attractive feature in the centre of town and makes for a good evening ... Read our complete Mae Hong Son travel guide

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