Day 10 - Wednesday 25 March 2015

Prothong Resort……..Prothong Resort is located just off Highway 401 in Tha Sala near the Walailak University. I don’t especially need to wake early but the tannoy comes on in the village before daylight giving the daily news and wakes me up. Guess local radio hasn’t arrived here yet! There’s little sleep after that as the road noise takes over. I may as well wake up and bring my blog up to date. When it’s time to get ready to travel, for the second time in recent days the shower heater doesn’t work at my accommodation. I hardly noticed it last night. I do however get a free coffee.
Meeting Objectives……..Overnight I wondered how the tour would end and whether I’d achieved the tour objectives I set myself. Despite potentially adding a day to the tour I still feel something is missing. I’d already spent eight days based in the province when I thought seven would be enough. One day was spent touring outside the province and one day was a rest day lazing on the beach. What could I do today to put my mind at rest? There was already something planned for the morning and I felt that soon after lunch I would be well on my way north. Yesterday I had a break when I located an ancient Shivite ruin but it wasn’t the one I was looking for. That turns out to be in the next district, Sichon. When I leave the resort just before 10am, I need to make a judgment call whether to remain in the province later than expected. It would put my mind at rest if I were to reach one more district. Like yesterday, that would put me in the mountain ranges of the interior. Would I have enough time? If all else fails I could make it back to the capital in one day but it would be hard work. I decide to go for it. I head towards the district of Nopphitam.
Nopphitam……..Fortunately Nopphitam is not too far away; just 20 kms from Tha Sala. The town is the gateway to the district’s inviting river valleys dominated by mountain peaks. Khao Luang Range lies to the west. From the town, blue tourist signboards soon appear and the first points to a Khao Lek Cave on the right. A short road leads to a temple which sits on the bank of a lake. The cave is reached by crossing a weir and climbing a staircase. Below the weir are three large images in Chinese style. The impressive white temple building is best viewed from here.

In hot water……..Despite reaching Nopphitam well before 11am there is still some driving to do. The further point of interest is still 30 kms away. Waterfalls, caves, hot springs, viewpoints and water rafting are all signposted from here. I can allocate a couple of hours here but little more. I head further into the mountains. My aiming point is the Krung Ching Waterfall. However this waterfall will not feature as I’ve already found out it’s requires a 3 km walk. While still following the sign I find a turning to the left marked ‘hot spring’. Hot springs have featured before on my tours. Springs at Mae Hong Son and recently at Suan Peung come to mind. The common feature is the foot spa although there are other methods of enjoying the warm spring water. At this spring they are upgrading the foot spas but I still manage to find a spot to plunge my weary feet in and they don’t charge.

Bone dry……..I return to following the sign to the waterfall but the road just gets narrower and narrower. On my left is one of the water rafting centres. Not surprisingly nothing a happening right now. You would struggle to send a toy boat down the river if you could call it that. The river bed is mostly exposed and the water reduced to running in channels. The Krung Ching Waterfall is further ahead by all I can do is record where it is and turn back.

Hong Cave……..At another junction I bare left signposted Hong Cave. After a few kilometres there is an information office as usual staffed by helpful personnel. What always confuses me in Thailand is the structure of government ministries or departments. There just seems to be dozens of them dealing with natural sites like these. At this location there is no charge for visiting the cave. Naturally I will want to visit a site if it is free. I’m only really here to collect photographic evidence. I’m told the cave is just a few hundred metres away and it’s a cave with a difference as I see photographs pinned to a board. There is a waterfall and a lake in the cavern. Now that could be interesting. However when I reach the end of the track I can see nothing but closer inspection does reveal a cave entrance among the boulders. But it’s pretty cramped, just large enough for a person like me to squeeze through. The cavern obviously opens up from the photos displayed but you would need proper lamps to explore inside. I do though climb far enough into the cavern to see running water in the dim light. That’s as much as I can do here.

Talay Mog Viewpoint……..Those who followed my Natural Thailand Tour will know that I visited Phu Tup Boek in Petchabun Province. From this mountain the ‘sea of mist’ can be viewed in the valley below in early morning. As I head back to Nopphitam, there is a viewpoint which acts in the same way. There is a parking area 2 kms from the highway but to reach the viewpoint still requires a 10 minute climb to the top. However the summit here offers outstanding views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. It’s well worth the effort. It’s now 1.30pm and really that’s as far I can take it in this district. I’m quite content though and can take lunch in Nopphitam.

Khao Kha Archeological Site……..Finding a local restaurant, I’m still fidgety because time is ticking on. The food takes an eternity to prepare and Katoon goes for a second helping! My next destination is in Sichon District but it’s to the east from here and I wonder whether there is a local road I can use rather than going all the way back to Tha Sala. Fortunately there is but it’s in poor condition in places. Nevertheless I find my way back to the main Highway 401 and head north. I mentioned there was unfinished business in the province but the couple of sites I mentioned, has to be reduced to the prime site that has sent me back in this direction rather than taking the easier route north. By 3pm I arrive at the Khao Kha Archeological Site which will complement my previous understanding of the early civilisation in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. It is a Shivite religious site from the 7-9th century. I’ve already visited smaller ruins and viewed the important artifacts in the NST National Museum. This site has all the hallmarks of Hindu beliefs. The location of the temple on a hill is a replication of Mount Meru in India. The staircase is not steep but is long. I’m told that that furthest point is some 800 metres. I have to do this however long it takes. The brick foundations soon appear and occupy four levels each increasing in importance to the most sacred and largest at the summit. They are all rectangular in shape and there are the bases where the sacred linga once stood. Curiously though, the last most important area is least preserved. There is a story here but I’ve no time to find out. There appears to be some conflict with local interests which is preventing the site from being partially restored. By the time I make it back to the visitor centre it’s 4pm. The site is a must see if you are in the area but there is unfortunately nothing here in English that would enhance this site.

Shattered……..Well all good things come to an end and this epic tour terminates here. I’m at least two hours behind schedule but with absolutely no regrets. I must head north now in the couple of daylight hours remaining. I take a short break from driving by which time I’m near Surat Thani. As noticed on the way here it’s an awkward direction coming from the east as there appears to be no by-pass around the city, one of the larger ones in Thailand. I guess 20 minutes doesn’t seem too long but it’s stop-start at traffic lights all the way out of the city. It’s nearer 6pm before I join Highway 41 heading to Chumphon. It would be an obvious time to stop but I break with my conviction not to drive after dark to get some useful miles in to make it an easier day tomorrow. I’m heading for Lang Suan in Chumphon Province where I stopped for lunch on the way south. Perhaps I should have stuck with my conviction as in driving terms the next hour is scary. Trucks which are restricted in daylight hours now appear and practically clog the two lane highway. It is scary enough anyway as these roads have no night driving aids such as luminous paint and cats eyes. Add to that the lack of any lane discipline whatsoever and you have a recipe for hard time. By the time I make it to Lang Suan, I’m shattered. I take a right at the main traffic lights on the 41 but this heads into the old town. I’m directed back onto the highway and to the next junction which leads to the beach. There are plenty of resorts along this road but I don’t get that far. Instead I turn right prematurely but fortunately right in front of a roadside hotel. With shops and everything I need nearby there’s no need to work any harder. I find something quick and cheap for dinner and that will be enough for today. My blog will have to wait till morning now. Next Page.