The air hung in an eerie calm, as if even the forest around us knew better than to make a sound. As we approach the top of the staircase, I begin to understand why monks are so calm; they're too exhausted to be anything but. Achy knees be damned, we approach the temple.

The Golden Buddha

I guess this must be the famous Buddha. Approaching the door, we notice a sign, instructing patrons to remove their shoes so as to avoid scuffling the floor. Leaning our heads in through the door, we sneak a peek at devoted worshippers praying to the golden idol. A monk utters his baritone chant in the background, and I stop to wonder what it could mean. To avoid disturbing the worshipers (and so we can stop acting like out-of-place tourists), we move on to see what else this holy place has to offer.

WOW

It's hard to get across just how imposing this Buddha is up close. It's a little like taking a picture of a breathtaking full moon, only to look at the photo and see an overly exposed dot. As hard as it was to get here, I can say with absolute certainty that the journey was worth it. The air has never seemed so fresh, and the mountains never so tall.