Mae Hong Son Loop - Part 2

I was instantly taken with Mae Hong Son.  The town is spread around a pretty little man made lake with another Burmese influenced wat gracing one side. 

We found a nice guest house right on the lake from which my second story room had a a lovely view across the lake to the wat.  

Every night there's a street market that sets up around the wat side of the lake and there were festivities of some sort going on in the temple with musicians and women dancing and monks lecturing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kUVOWGIogg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lntGAue4cOI

After watching some of the festivities going on there, we checked out the market where there was the usual array of hill hill tribe crafts and food stalls.  

Early the next morning, before deciding on the day's activity, I made the trek up the many hundreds of stairs to a wat high up overlooking the town and surrounding valley.  

These trees with orange cloth tied around them can be found everywhere I've been, particularly around wats.  I'm told the cloth is tied on by monks to protect the trees.



The temple is accessible by car, of course, so there were already people up there though the mountains were still socked in by clouds.  As the clouds parted, there were lovely views as the town and surroundings were revealed and obscurred by the clouds; a strip tease show.

I also noticed a honking big PA system up there about which I'd learn more later.......