With only two nights left on our visas, we had to make the most of our limited time in Chiang Rai. The artistic little city turned out to be a lot of fun, weighing in somewhere between touristy Pai and busy but culturally-rich Chiang Mai. We were sad to have to skip through it so quickly.

For both nights we waltzed around the night bazaar, enjoying the free traditional dancing and music on offer. We felt rather embarrassed that it took us until our final moments in the country to watch some of Thailand's well-known dancing. As well as all of the touristy trinkets, the bazaar was full of all sorts of amazing food. We happily stumbled across our first good hot pot since China! Refreshingly, the market was mostly full of local artists and University students, and had a very youthful and relaxed vibe.

We made time for an afternoon at the Hill Tribe Museum and Education Centre, run by the not-for-profit Population and Community Development Association. The Centre is very ethically run, and designed to provide aid to the various local hill tribes, as well as raising awareness and support among tourists. We learnt all about the ten major hill tribes around Northern Thailand and pondered over an amazing display of the various customs and clothing worn by each of them. The museum also confirmed the rumours we'd heard regarding the popular Karen 'Long Neck' hill tribe villages being a sham. Apparently a lot of the Long Neck Karen people were trafficked over from Myanmar and placed in fake villages. These 'villages' charge an entrance fee to tour groups, and there is controversy regarding where this money ends up. We were glad of our decision to stay with a Lisu family instead.

The absolute highlight of Chiang Rai was the Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, about 20km outside the city. This temple, designed by local artist Ajarn Chalermchai, was designed with the intention of one day becoming a world heritage listed sight. Started in 1997, Ajarn aims to have the temple completed by 2070, and is currently training a team of keen young artists and architects to carry on with the construction after his death. Seemingly with only good intentions, there is no entry fee and the entire project is apparantly funded by the profits he's made from his uniquely impressive paintings. The entire temple is white, representing purity, with small mirrors representing 'the wisdom of Buddha shining through the universe'.

As we entered the main building we were faced with another typical golden Buddha statue, but as we turned around to leave we had to stop to take a breath. The mural covering the back wall is comparable to a modern day Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. At first glimpse, we were amazed by images of Darth Vader, Spiderman, Kung Fu Panda and other famous heroes and villains. Taking a step back to admire the whole artwork, we recognised that the entire back wall was painted with the face of a huge and terrifying demon, and the various tiny characters were actually cascading around the demons mouth, teeth and gums. Most interesting were the images of George Bush and Osama Bin Laden riding a bomb together inside the demon's eyes. Later we realised that these modern images are meant to demonstrate that in reality, there are no heroes and only through self awareness, unmaterialistic values and peaceful aspirations, will you find the way to Nirvana.

The temple and surrounding garden was absolutely stunning, and apparently even more impressive by moonlight. It was a refreshing change to visit such an ethically sound modern masterpiece, after visiting so many ancient temples in Chiang Mai. The sight really encapsulates all the Buddhist ideals within a modern world.

More than satisfied with our visit to Chiang Rai and Thailand generally, we are on board our last Thai bus for at least a few months as we make our way towards the border crossing into Laos, which happens to be the one and only Mekong River!