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  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

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  U-l 
  

  

  mind 
  one 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  famous 
  

   Boro-Budur 
  of 
  Java. 
  

  

  The 
  sun's 
  rays 
  descend 
  

   mercilessly 
  from 
  an 
  azure 
  sky, 
  

   and 
  so 
  we 
  hurry 
  on 
  to 
  Doi 
  

   Sootep, 
  where 
  we 
  are 
  soon 
  em- 
  

   braced 
  by 
  the 
  cool 
  shade 
  of 
  

   its 
  majestic 
  forests. 
  

  

  The 
  ascent 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  steep 
  

   and 
  rocky. 
  Gorgeous 
  flower- 
  

   ing 
  crape 
  myrtle 
  trees 
  border 
  

   the 
  trail, 
  while 
  higher 
  up 
  Dip- 
  

   terocarpacese, 
  with 
  mighty 
  

   trunks 
  and 
  spreading 
  crowns, 
  

   give 
  the 
  landscape 
  a 
  bold 
  as- 
  

   pect. 
  Nature 
  writes 
  its 
  story 
  

   with 
  a 
  mighty 
  hand, 
  and 
  or- 
  

   chids 
  and 
  graceful 
  vines 
  on 
  the 
  

   wayside 
  are 
  the 
  commas 
  and 
  

   exclamation 
  points 
  of 
  a 
  har- 
  

   monious 
  composition. 
  It 
  would 
  

   require 
  a 
  book 
  of 
  many 
  pages 
  

   to 
  tell 
  the 
  story 
  of 
  the 
  flora 
  of 
  

   this 
  wonderful 
  mountain. 
  

  

  Doi 
  Sootep 
  is 
  really 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  mountain 
  top 
  

   crowned 
  by 
  a 
  magnificent 
  wat, 
  

   which 
  is 
  visible 
  from 
  any 
  

   place 
  in 
  the 
  Meh 
  Ping 
  Valley. 
  

   Lao 
  Buddhists 
  have 
  always 
  

   been 
  great 
  lovers 
  of 
  nature, 
  

   and, 
  like 
  the 
  great 
  Kobo 
  Daishi 
  

   of 
  Japan, 
  who 
  built 
  his 
  retreat 
  

   and 
  place 
  of 
  worship 
  among 
  

   the 
  sacred 
  pines, 
  and 
  Koya- 
  

   makis 
  of 
  Koya 
  San, 
  they 
  have 
  

   retired 
  to 
  the 
  sacred 
  forests 
  

   and 
  hills 
  to 
  worship 
  the 
  teacher 
  

   of 
  the 
  law 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  

   way. 
  

  

  living 
  columns 
  of 
  pin£ 
  form 
  

   the: 
  temple's 
  approach 
  

  

  What 
  a 
  glorious 
  approach 
  to 
  

   this 
  wat 
  ! 
  No 
  stone 
  stairway 
  

   lined 
  by 
  marble 
  pillars 
  or 
  way- 
  

   side 
  shrines, 
  but 
  living 
  col- 
  

   umns 
  of 
  pines 
  festooned 
  and 
  

   garlanded 
  with 
  sweet-scented 
  

   orchids 
  and 
  vines, 
  the 
  steps 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  living 
  carpet 
  of 
  

   velvet 
  moss; 
  no 
  organ 
  played 
  

   by 
  human 
  hands, 
  but 
  gentle 
  

   breezes 
  whispering 
  in 
  the 
  trees 
  

   and 
  a 
  chorus 
  provided 
  by 
  

   feathered 
  songsters 
  whose 
  

  

  