Chiang Rai - Flower Festival

Not to be out done by its bigger neighbor to the south, Chiang Mai, who has a flower festival every February, Chiang Rai has its own flower festival around New Year.

The park area in the city center is not large, but the flowers on display are truly impressive. There are plenty of photo ops.

Chonburi - Long Boat Racing

While the provincial capital has a large buffalo race festival,

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2010/10/chonburi-buffalo-racing.html

there is also a long boat race on Mabprachan Reservoir (covering both Nongprue and Pong municipalities) in November.

 The boats compete in two categories: 55 oarsmen or 30 oarsmen.

Run Betsy Run

The festival on the reservoir's shore is small, but there are activities for kids and also a buffalo race.

Chiang Rai - Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun is actually not a temple. Rather, it is an unconventional and privately owned art-exhibition built in the style of a temple. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat who designed the building details and who has funded most of the construction costs (by now well over USD 1 million).

The bridge of the cycle of rebirth leads to the gate of heaven. On the other side of the gate, you enter the ubosot

The "temple" opened to visitors in 1997, but has only become a major tourist attraction over the past 10 years. It is located around 5 kilometers south of Chiang Rai, so it is within easy reach for any visitor to the city.

Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the ubosot, but the entire back wall is taken up by a painting of a red demon with George Bush in one eye, and Osama Bin Laden in the other. Inside the mouth of the demon is a scene depicting the fall of the Twin Towers.
 
Pop culture references are found dotted throughout the demon’s mouth. They include the Kung Fu Panda, Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddie Krueger, Darth Vader, one of the Transformers, Hello Kitty, the Hulk, Batman, the Joker, Jigsaw from The Saw movies, Ultraman, Spiderman, Superman, a couple of Angry Birds, Harry Potter, and Jack Sparrow.

Confused? 
The pamphlet from the gift shop says the painting depicts “the killing of the innocence” by terrorism and fanaticism and that no heroes can save the world.

Chonburi - Wat Yannasangwararam

Wat Yannasangwararam Woramahaviharn is located in Huay Yai municipality, roughly 15 km south of Pattaya. Its location is more easy to pinpoint if you continue on Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3) to the Na Jomtien area where you then soon will find signs guiding you in the right direction.

Construction of the temple started in 1976 and the Royal Family have supported this temple since then. The Supreme Patriarch intended this temple be a place for practicing Dhamma and wanted a location relatively near Bangkok.

Inside the temple compound area, there are plenty of trees to provide shade and full facilities for visitors such as food, drinks and clean restrooms. There is also a museum explaining the basic Buddhist terms to laymen.  My favorite quote is: "You alone can change yourself". You cannot blame other people for your deeds - it is up to you to avoid committing sin by choosing the right path.

Thai Flora

I am by no means an expert in flora, so I will not provide any guesses at what these flowers are called.

I simply snapped some photos on occasions where I saw pretty flowers.

This blog is merely intended to share this photos.

Sa Kaeo - Pang Sida

Pang Sida National Park is not famous and doesn't get that many visitors. It is a part of the quintet of national parks that laymen simply refer to a "Khao Yai" and borders to the north and west to Tublan National Park.

Where has all the water gone?

Pang Sida Waterfall is about 10 meters tall, but it is without water flow during the dry season. Nearby is one of a handful of locations where butterflies gather by the hundreds if not thousands. Another such location is the viewpoint reached after 25 km on gravel road.

The view to be had is over the Samong River Valley, which is between 5-8 km wide, up to 500 meters "deep" and its many creeks feeds over 250 million cubic meters of water annually into the Prachinburi River.

To me, the trip to get to the viewpoint was much more interesting than the view. At the entrance to the park, the park ranger joked that I should watch out for the wild elephants. There was, however, some truth to that warning. Wild elephants had left many signs behind that they had rummaged around, but fortunately, they apparently mostly do that in the night or morning, so I didn't actually see any wild elephants. Nor did I see any gaurs. But I did see many wild boars, some pheasants, and a deer of some sort.

The road was not a challenge by any stretch of the imagination - no need for 4WD - but I did encounter some road signs that made me smile.

Somebody should bring this insubordinate road to order

Everybody needs a rest from time to time

However funny the wording in English is, the meaning did come across to me: Slow down. And the picture below shows what the signs were meant to convey.

Well, the road does look worn out

Please also note that freshwater crocodiles were "discovered" in 1991 at Huay Nam Yen Stream near the south-west corner of the park. As it apparently is the last place in Thailand freshwater crocodiles live in the wild, it is an interesting side tour to visit that site.

Nakhon Phanom - Temples

Wat Okat at Night

There are several beautiful and important temples located in Nakhon Phanom city. At night, they are lit to show their best side and it makes a stroll along the Mekong River interesting. I have chosen Wat Okat as an example of the night time splendor.

The building to the right houses two images carved in wood. According to legend, these two imaged, called Phra Tiu and Phra Thiam, floated across the river roughly 1,000 years ago. These images are very sacred and seen here with very colorful murals on the walls.

I mentioned Wat Phra That Phanom in an earlier blog

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2011/06/nakhon-phanom-once-upon-time-2.html

Chedi at Wat Phra That Phanon

It is located south of the provincial capital and is probably the most important Buddhist temple in eastern Isan. The 57 meter tall chedi is iconic and presumably contains a piece of the Lord Buddha's chest bone. A large festival to celebrate the temple starts the 10th day of the third lunar month and lasts for a week. This is normally in February, so in about two weeks' time, an estimated 10,000 people will make pilgrimage to the temple.

Laos - Road Trip

Last year, I took a drive from Ubon to Nakhon Panom on the Laotian side of the river. The crossing at Chong Mek was a bit hectic as I got caught up in focusing on getting the car's papers processed. It went so smoothly that I left the border crossing area and was about to start my journey when I realized I had forgotten to get myself a visa. So, I could actually have entered Laos without a visa.

Chong Mek Duty Free

Anyway, although it was surprisingly easy to get the car cleared, it did still take some time as I obviously was not the only vehicle crossing the border. All in all, it took around two hours including that I had to return and get myself a visa.

There is rain in them thar hills

A new road to Wat Phu has been built. It is a toll way costing 15,000 kip. The old (much more narrow) road still winds its way along the river, but the toll way is the best option. It runs closer to the hills where the clouds hang low in the rainy season.

Stairs to climb to reach Wat Phu

Navigating through Pakse to get on to the main road heading north was a bit tricky, but once that was done, it was clear sailing. The road is of decent quality, but it isn't wide and can be outright dangerous at night. It seemed every fifth vehicle or so did not have lights that were functioning. This can result in the unpleasant surprise of nearly plowing into the rear end of a slow moving truck. Likewise, many motorcyclists must have some sort of death wish as they were driving without lights.

Virgin Mary & Son outside Catholic church in Savannakhet

Savannakhet is a nice quaint town with several interesting old buildings and a bustling market. The promenade along the river bank was extremely under-utilized. I liked Vientiane 16-17 years ago when the river bank had a cluster of noodle shops and food stalls where one could have a meal and a cold beer or two. This was before the Vietnamese financed a major upgrade of Vientiane's roads and of the river bank. Maybe development will also catch up with Savannakhet one day. At least the visionaries of ASEAN want to link Mukdahan to the port of Da Nang via Savannakhet.

Green coffee beans

Continuing north to Thakhek brought me to the highland famous for its coffee and this was quite interesting. I did, however, not have much time to spend there. So, I returned across the bridge to Nakhon Panom. To cross back into Thailand went very fast. The bureaucracy was very light and took less than half an hour to clear.

Rayong Beach Life

Rayong's beaches are an easy drive away from Bangkok. They are less crowded than Cha Am, Hua Hin, Bang Saen, and Jomtien and some beaches are of superb quality. I prefer those in Klaeng, especially the one just before one reaches the Laem Mae Phim beach, but you should do your own exploring.

Take a Stroll

Chonburi - Sri Racha

Sri Racha is an old fishing village and center for seaborne transport that has grown big. Off the coast is Koh Si Chang. That island provides natural shelter for ships and has for centuries been a stopping point for vessels going to or coming from Bangkok. Even before that, the shelter provided by the island also allowed transshipments to take place - cargoes were moved from large oceangoing vessels to barges that went up to Ayutthaya. Sri Racha therefore became the home to customs house and immigration authorities to handle the interaction with foreign merchant vessels.

Chinese Buddha?

Wat Ko Loi is located on a small island connected with the mainland by a 1.5 km long causeway. The temple mixes Thai style Buddha statues with Chinese religious icons. It is the center for many festivals during the year, including Loy Krathong. On the island, there are also concrete ponds with large turtles and it may bring you good luck to feed them.

Ang Sila is located north of Sri Racha, just south of Chonburi city. It is another old fishing village that has become a popular tourist destination. It is not amazing beaches that attract people, but a reputation for amazing seafood.

Bay at Ang Sila

Rayong - Ko Kloi Market

There are many fake "floating markets" in Thailand. The one in Rayong is the one with the least hassles. It is a relaxed place without annoying crowds. This may be because it is located out of sight behind a PTT gas station on Route 36 (roughly opposite Big C on Rayong ring road) near the Ko Kloi intersection.

Ko Kloi Market as the sun sets

The market opened in 2010 and its theme seems to be "Thailand as it once was". The wooden houses encircling a pond are in old traditional style and so are many of the decorations. Shops and restaurants offer traditional Thai food (and modern coffee) served with "ancient flavor", e.g. in bowls made from coconut shells.

Scattered around are resting spots made up by rows of chairs from movie theaters 40-50 years ago. The atmosphere is very relaxed and family-friendly. Ko Kloi Market can definitely be recommended for Bangkokians stopping over on their way to / from Trat or Chantaburi. It is also a very nice destination for a dinner outside the rainy season.

More information can be found here:

http://taladkokloi.com/home.php

Chonburi - New Year at Wat Song Metta

When entering a new year, this is most often something people celebrate. However, many people take the opportunity to ponder the year that has passed and look ahead at what the new year may bring. Apart from the widespread tradition of making somewhat superficial resolutions for the new year, some people take a more serious approach. They choose to enter a new year while praying at a temple.

People are gathering

Wat Song Metta Wanaram is on a hill overlooking Ban Bang Saray (or Sa-Re) near Sattahip. New Year's Eve it will fill up with people chanting and praying for hours led by the monks of the temple.

Find yourself a place and a white cotton thread

If you are a believer, or maybe just want to try anything to secure some good fortune, then join us tomorrow evening. Or listen in on the internet radio broadcast.

http://www.watsongmetta.com/

Happy New Year

Chonburi - Pattaya Sheep Farm

In Thailand, the trend of making cute animals available for town folks to pet probably started near Suan Pheung in Ratchaburi with the upscale Swiss Valley Hip Resort roughly 10 years ago. Since then, the concept was copied but simplified into petting zoos that catered to people's desire to snap cute photos.

Air craft and wind mill - where are the sheep?

Such venues are in Thailand often called "sheep farms" and at first they spread across Ratchaburi, then started to pop up in Khao Kho, and they are now found all across Thailand.

Sheep galore

There are two sheep farms near Pattaya - actually, in Bang Lamung and in Na Jomtien.

Car rental that I can afford, but I need somebody to push me.

The one in Bang Lamung is the biggest one and if you are young at heart, it can be quite fun to spend an hour there.You can pad and feed sheep, donkeys, ponies, pigs, ducks, geese, and chickens as well as take a boat load of cute photos. Much more fun than the cluster of fake European houses south of Pattaya:

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2013/08/chonburi-mimosa-city-of-fakes.html

Surat Thani - Koh Phangan

I had vowed not to return to Koh Phangan as the island surely would be different than when I first visited. That was back in the days before Full Moon Party was invented, when no road connect Had Rin to the rest of the island, when there was no electricity and no swimming pools. But I had a business appointment on the island, so I decided to combine it with some R&R.

Had Rin Nai

Had Rin Nai is still a very nice beach, but Had Rin Nok is not that great. And the area behind it is now packed with structures put up with no prior planning making roads and alleys a maze. Many structures are shoddy constructions intended to house party revelers in bunk beds. Delicious food is not to be had as bars and sellers of buckets (with alcohol of questionable origins) outnumber restaurants on Had Rin Nok. The service staff are mostly from Myanmar and have little training, which can result in interesting combinations being served. For example, I was given chopsticks as utensils for a plate of Italian pasta.

That being said, Koh Phangan has many beaches apart from Had Rin. A drive along the coast from Thong Sala to Ban Chalok Lam will take you past several nice bays, which I would prefer over Had Rin, but none of them can be said to be deserted. I went to see Ban Chalok Lam because when I first visited, that bay was used as a graveyard for fishing vessels. When fishing vessels were retired from service, they were pulled up on the beach and cannibalized for parts.

Thong Nai Pan Beach

Ban Thong Nai Pan used to be hard to reach, but the road has now been upgraded - when I first visited, it could only be reached on horseback.

They worked when we bought them - why check if they still work?

On the ferry back to the mainland, I noticed that safety concerns are not high on the list of the ferry company's priorities.

Surat Thani - Chaiya (2)

I already mentioned Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham in an earlier blog and this is definitely a destination worth going to again.

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2011/10/surat-thani-chaiya.html

This time, however, I took the time to explore some hot springs in Chaiya. Only a few kilometers away from Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham -- down the small road that also passes the ruins of an ancient stupa --  is a small but steep hill with a couple of small caves. The hill is also the source of a hot spring. Since times as ancient as Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham, the hot spring was used to feed two pools. According to signs at the site, it was people of Indian origin who brought with the a tradition for hot baths as part of religious rites. The two caves also became "holy".

Hot but not enticing

Since these hot ponds turned out to be useless, I sought the advice from my GPS. It informed me that there were another hot spring relatively nearby. This hot spring -- about 4 km outside of town -- was much more difficult to find, partly because of a lack of signage, but primarily because my GPS indicated I should take a road that did not exist.

Hot mineral water

I eventually ventured along a gravel road that lead to a temple on the top of a hill. Just at the foot of the hill, a couple of ponds had been constructed from concrete. But, again, the area and the facilities appeared deserted and unused. The mineral water overflow from the concrete ponds discolored the rocks as it made its way down hill for form a small lake. The rocks looked to my untrained eye somewhat like lava, but was in Thai named Lan Lonk Prachan.

Nakhon Ratchasima - Tublan Adventure

I went in search of Khao Phang Ma view point on edge of Tublan National Park in the hope of being able to see some gaurs (wild Indian bison or oxen) from afar.

The viewpoint (hill) was not easy to find. Directions on internet were contradictory and my two GPS gave two different locations. I opted for one of these locations. When I missed a turn, the GPS then immediately indicated a short-cut. This turned out to be the worst advice ever given.

The short-cut lead me to drive down a steep muddy descent (no way of getting back up that slippery slope), cross a creek, drive on an overgrown rarely used track, crawl between two small lakes, and then face a muddy incline. It looked easy, but I ended up sliding back down again and again and eventually got stuck. After numerous attempts of digging and piling stones into the ever deeper holes my tires dug, I went for help.

I encountered two national park rangers (apparently, at the steep decline was where I entered the national park), but after some pushing, they came to the same conclusion as me: truck dug in too deep.

Then they went to a nearby village and came back with a guy on a 4WD tractor. He pulled me (backwards) up from the hole, but in the mud, my pick-up started sliding to the left, down towards a small lake. He continued to pull me backwards but jerked to the right. The over-compensation resulted in the truck sliding directly into the bigger lake on the right of the narrow track.

From stuck, I was now REALLY stuck and partly under water.

His 4WD tractor could not pull me anywhere. He sent for a guy with a bigger tractor. 

Disaster has struck

However, rather than pulling me up, he almost ended up being stuck on the same hill where I had encountered problems. After much maneuvering, all his tractor did was making the mud even deeper and stickier.

The guys then sent for a manual winch. After some hard work, the truck got half way out of the water. They sent for another manual winch. The truck got almost out of the water.

Now, while all this is going on, it drizzles but increasing quantities of Thai whisky is being consumed so everybody is in a good mood. In fact, a couple of more guys (and a tractor) arrive to part take in the drinking and winching. People jump into and out of the lake in order to wash off the mud and there is almost a party mood while the dusk settles.

Around six hours have passed and there were now 6-8 villagers taking part in the rescue operation ("taking part" includes mostly drinking). Then a 4WD tractor finally pull the pick-up backwards and up from the lake.

Up it finally comes

Finally up on terra firma. I made a U turn. Winches and people were piled up in the back up my truck. Then, there was the issue that ... I could not go the same way back as I then would have to climb (in the dark) the steep muddy incline where I had first entered the national park.

So, after some palaver, the least drunk villager suggested to chain my truck to a tractor and pull me along a barely visible track through the national park. At one spot, I got stuck again. After several attempts, I got pulled up that hill by two tractors.

The worst was over. The last couple of kilometers, the track was still very muddy, but without inclines so I powered through and out.

Then it was time for dinner (and more whisky) with the rescuers who also received some cash hand outs for their time and efforts without which my truck would still be stuck in that lake.

Next day, I easily made it to the viewpoint without taking any shortcuts.

Buengkarn - Phu Tok

I told the story about Phu Tok in an earlier blog.

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2010/01/nong-khai-phu-tok.html

Phu Tok seen from the temple parking lot

I have now visited Wat Chetiya Khiri Vihan again. The rock cropping out in a otherwise flat landscape is still impressive and the network of staircases leading to the top seems only slightly less wobbly.

Gentle reminders at parking lot

In this blog, I will dedicate much more space to photos. The photos combined with the original blog should provide a full picture of the "Phu Tok experience".

It looks safe, doesn't it?

Making your way up is not intended to be easy. Wooden stairways encircle the rock and at certain locations, steep staircases lead to the next level. Except for the final stretch to the top level - this can only be reached by climbing up a path carved into the side of the rock.

7th level is up there - beware of the snakes !

But once the top has been reached, peace and tranquility will surround you. The top "floor" (7th level) is the top of the rock and it is all-natural - no ornate Buddha images or elaborate places of worship.

The path to the top level

The intention is that people shall ponder their values in life and realize that once this life ends, you cannot bring any material things with you to the next life. Moreover, once on top of the rock, it would be silly not to pause and take in the view.

View from the top - temple area and pond in foreground