Up before dawn to witness the monks receiving the hospitality of those who filled their food bowls and who in turn received a chanted blessing. We were struck by the humility of the monks and the respect of those who cared for them.

Then we drove up the mountain to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep theravada temple in Chiang Mai province. We relished the stillness of the early morning before many people arrived to visit and to pray.