Warily, we hired a driver that didn't speak a word of English to drive us out of Bangkok to several sites over an entire day. I had the hotel concierge write out names of five places in Thai for us to show the driver. Clearly having never been there, he had a difficult time finding Wat Tham Mongkorn Thong Buddhist Compound, but I was determined to find the "Floating Nun" I'd read about. We were met at the entrance to the compound by a (thankfully) tethered elephant, a Thai symbol of good luck. With no one on the complex speaking English, we were set into motion on a wild goose chase in search of this "Floating Nun". First we were sent up steep mountain stairs, which afforded a beautiful view of the brightly colored compound below. Next we were sent into a cave laden with candles & Buddha statues. Throughout Thailand, caves are imbued with spiritual significance. We crawled through cautiously, thinking if something happened to these silly tourists in a cave high up in the hills in a remote Buddhist Compound that no one would even know where to begin to look. Though others must certainly come in search of a blessing by this "Floating Nun", we certainly saw no tourists there that day. We climbed up a ladder out into a bright, clear day. We then were guided to descend the mountain where we wandered aimlessly about the compound, watching the Buddhist monks go about their daily chores of tending gardens, etc. We were eventually graced with the presence of the "Floating Nun", also known as Mai Chi Loy Nam. She wasn't at the top of those steep stairs, she wasn't up on the mountain, she wasn't in the cave, she wasn't in the building with the dragon staircase, she wasn't in the temple, but she did come (for a bit of money) to "float" for us. The "Floating Nun" meditates while floating in a pool of water while you sit silently by, feeling like an intruder of something very personal & private. During these sessions, it is said you receive the nun's silent blessings. For us, the blessing was in the experience.
by akakd on February 25, 2001
The Floating Nun
Wat Tham Mongkorn Thong Buddhist Compound Bangkok, Thailand