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Day 5 - Saturday 22 November 2014, Lom Kao
Goodbye Khao Kho…….I’m awake at 7am again and spend the usual hour on my blog but then there is a sense of urgency. I must move on; I’ve spent really too long in Khao Kho. I get some hot water to make a coffee and a pot noodle. Add a croissant to that and I’m into packing and ready to go by 9am. This earlier start makes all the difference and as I head north using the same route as yesterday I can complete some unfinished business.
B. N. Farm…….B. N. Farm was on my list yesterday when I ran out of time. I can’t resist stopping her. As I drive down the access road, fruit trees unfamiliar to me appear to the left and right. As I pull into the car park I see this isn’t a pick your own as I’m used to but there is a farm shop and a nursery. I guess by looking around you could spend an hour here but I suspect less. I collect enough information to feature it later then continue my journey. It’s time to finally say farewell to Khao Kho. It’s served me very well but Petchabun province has so much more to offer and I must reinforce the theme of this tour. I turn right onto route 12 (AH16) towards Lom Sak.
Nam Nao National Park…….I noticed yesterday that route 12 is being upgraded all along the section of road I used at least as far as the provincial border. Now I’m heading east, these upgrades continue as far as Lom Sak. Roads are always being upgraded or repaired but this is huge. Road widening is the obvious intent but to do this in such mountainous terrain is quite a feat of engineering. I would be interested to know how many tones of earth and rock need to be moved while all alone the route is spectacular scenery. It just goes on and on. I little after 11pm I pass through Lom Sak. After an unnecessary detour around the town I rejoin the 12 and head further east. It’s now when the ‘natural’ theme of this tour really takes hold again.
I head back into the mountains. My first stop occurs soon after as the 12 crosses a ravine. It is a good photo opportunity since this type of bridge is rare in Thailand. Its concrete upper structure is supported by huge hard wood beams. I thinks why not use what is on your doorstep, and what a doorstep! As the 12 heads east and out of the province it has to cross the huge expanse of Nam Nao National Park, one of the biggest in Thailand. The park checkpoint is further ahead where I learn that the park entrance is 21 kilometres ahead. What I will do when I get there I’ve no idea. Nevertheless I press on. At least when I arrive I can have a comfort break. As parks go this one conforms to the normal pattern. Most of the parks charge foreigners 200 baht tax while Thais pay 40 baht. I usually decline because to take advantage of what the park has to offer I would need to spend time there and get involved with physical activities such as trekking or cycling. Nevertheless it is tempting to spend a night in the forest. Huts start at 1,000 baht/night and tents 250 baht. Everything can be arranged in the visitor centre inside the park. In the end I am not able to get consensus to make this work so I enquire as to what else the park can offer. Inevitably there are natural feature such as waterfalls and caves but despite being warned repeatedly would I actually see a herd of elephants crossing the road in front of me? I guess it’s got to be a waterfall.
More natural features…….Surely after 12 more kilometres there is one on the left: Two in fact. A signboard provides a diagram and distance to the falls. After being couped up in the car for a while it’s good to stretch the legs: They will be stretched more before too long. To reach either of the falls requires a trek of 1 kilometre over rough terrain. A sign descibes the forest as mixed deciduous. Then the trail splits. I meet three Thais and instinctively ask if it’s far to the falls. I can’t get an answer. Although young this group is in urgent need of losing weight. They didn’t even make it! What chance for me? Well it is hot but the sun struggles to penetrate the forest canopy. The steep rock climbs are a bit of a challenge but I make it too the intersection. There I get a choice; turn left or right. To the left is Sai Thong Waterfall 2,375 metres, to the right Hao Sai Waterfall 120 metres. How many people would turn left? To get to Hao Sai still requires a stiff decent but at the base is a waterfall, 35 metres across by 20 metres drop. There is sufficient water cascading down to replenish a rock pool. It’s early in the cool dry season in Thailand and the vegetation is still lush and green after the summer rains which won’t fall again for another six months. Many of Thailand’s watercourses will dry up before then. I head back to the intersection. I ponder the idea of a trek to Sai Thong but I’m simple not prepared for it so it’s back to the car park. What I’ve just managed to do has allowed me to put a tick against Nam Nao National Park.
Of course I’ve only sampled it but realistically there’s not much more I can do except stay overnight but the compromise is satisfactory. At this stage I’ve travelled some 90 kilometres since I left Khao Kho but I carry on east where the park runs along the border with Chaiyaphum province until I reach a road junction. Keeping right will take me out of the province towards ChunPhae but I turn left signposted Lom Khao.
Nam Nao small town…….I soon reach the small town of Nam Nao. Its 2pm and lunch is well overdue. Without a cooked breakfast I’m happy to take in something more substantial. On my left a restaurant offers a BBQ, known to Thais as ‘moo ghata’. This is a cook-it-yourself affair over a charcoal grill provided for the meat while warming a soup as well and the sauce is always delicious. This choice will cost me a full hour. At 3pm I take in one more waterfall nearby, Nam Tok That Mog. It is approached though temple grounds. I’m told there is little water. That’s certainly true; it’s just a trickle but what I hadn’t expected was the sheer drop into a ravine. It’s so deep I dare not look over the edge to see the bottom. It’s time to head back.
Four hours in the forest…….I’m now around 100 kilometres from where I wish to stay tonight. So vast is Nam Nao National Park that I will spend most of this journey west skirting around its northern perimetre. It will be near dusk before I arrive. The journey though the park has been an adventure in itself. Now with the park to my left, seemingly impenetrable forest, to my right I’m treated to spectacular views to the west and north. In the distance is the impressive Phu Kradung, an iconic landmark in Leoi province to the northeast. All the way the road twists and turns; I frequently has to override the automatic transmission to negotiate the hills and to overtake. It’s been an incredible four hours in the forest but finally I reach a road junction and turn left towards Lom Khao and Lom Sak. Arriving at the former I take a right into the town. There is little I can see in the way of accommodation as I head past the market. Then on the far side of the town is a sign to a resort. It seems the only option but I’m mighty relieved that it ticks all my boxes. I book for two nights.
Chompoo Resort…….Chompoo Resort is a small cluster of cabins which unlike at Khao Kho is tastefully constructed with all mod cons, including a small digital TV. There is no adjoining land with buildings. It seems the perfect spot for just relaxing and taking it easy. It actually seems a pity not to indulge in the tranquility but the fact is most people only use it as a stopover because just a short distance away is Phu Hin Rong Kla and the last of the National Parks I will feature here. Then arguably the best known location in Petchabun province is Phu Thap Boek right on the doorstep. This will feature in tomorrow’s blog. Chompoo Resort has no restaurant but almost immediately I arrive at the resort and store my bags I head back to a restaurant I noticed just a kilometre back down the road. It’s a fitting end to the day; amazing food, amazing value. After a bit of a lull in this tour yesterday, my batteries are fully charged ready to continue this tour.
Day 6 - Sunday 23 November 2014, Lom Kao
Lom Kao Day 1…….Entering the fifth full day in Petchabun province it’s now a case of completing the tour plan I set myself on the first day. From my location now in Lom Kao the remaining areas of interest are now within easy reach. It should be an easy day to visit these today shouldn’t it? Last night I turned in early quite tired from my long drive to Nam Nao so my blog for the day was nowhere near complete. However I woke earlier and set about the task to recover lost time. I’m also anxious to check the result from Stamford Bridge; It’s positive and Chelsea are 7 points clear. I still had some snacks leftover but no pot noodle. Coffee was free and two cups later I was more or less ready to travel just before 9.30am.
Phu Thap Boek…….On the list for today is Phu Thap Boek and Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park. I knew a little about the geography of the area before I started but I was soon to learn that looking at a map hardly prepared me for the journey I was soon to make. Leaving Chompoo Resort I had to find my way to the 2372 road running to the east of the park then make my way up to Phu Thap Boek on the challenging 2331.
The photographs and guide notes I studied before I came here seem virtually useless as I make my way up to the summit. What I have learnt from local people is far more useful to me right now as I begin the ascent of virtually continuous switch-backs that require me to disengage automatic drive for the entire climb. I didn’t check the clock but 40 minutes duration doesn’t seem far out as I reach BanThap Boek, swollen by tourists eager to register their visit here, arguably the most well known of Petchabun’s attractions. It is only recently that tourists have become excited about this place. True the views from the summit are breathtaking but were once just home to Hmong tribes people who are skilled at adapting to terrain like this. Now tourists swamp all over the peaks like ants in search of something back home we take for granted and often wish to see the back of. The area has earned the name ‘Talay Mog’. ‘Talay’ I’ve always translated as ocean and ‘mog’ as mist or fog so sea of mist is what they come for. At well over 1,000 metres above sea level it is quite normal to find oneself above the clouds here. Early morning is the best time to witness it as the sun rises. Most Thais know this and the curious site of cars nose to tail returning down the mountain at 10am is quite normal. But at the summit I’m ready for lunch. Things are bound to be more expensive up here but not such that you would notice. I stick to the basics. Others are happy to row the boat out!
Wat Ba Phu Thap Boek…….The mountain top is clustered with resorts, tents, restaurants gift shops and quite conspicuous, sale of local produce. Temperate crops thrive in the cooler air and hillsides now bare of trees are given over to these crops. In particular and to the extent it’s become an icon for Phu Thap Boek is the cabbage. Pick-up trucks loaded to the rafters are among those vehicles heading back down the mountain. As I take in the views there’s a limit as to what else I can achieve here and I have a plan for the afternoon. But first something else steals my attention. On a bluff of the far end of the ridge is a structure dominating the skyline. It’s a deviation from my plan but I’m curious. Heading towards it I pass through the Hmong village seemingly unaffected by the tourist hoards I just left behind. Finding my way up the hill I’m far from alone as I park up. Yet again I’ve come across a Buddhist monastery but unlike the last one I visited it’s far from complete. In fact the structure I observed is just a concrete shell.
Nevertheless it is a functional place of worship. As with so much new building of its kind in Thailand there is no shortage of donations from the faithful eager to make their mark on this life as merit for the chance of a prosperous future one. I decide to make a donation. Just maybe my good fortune on the tour so far will continue but then again I doubt if I will get my money back if it doesn’t. Before I head back I join a few others who enter the structure. Building style is always interesting to me and besides, once the structure is complete and sanctified, access will not be possible except at ground level. It’s now 1.30pm and pressure on time is building yet again. I head back over the ridge past the body of humanity that has arrived here on its pilgrimage. Off to the left is the highest point of Phu Thap Boek indicated by its obelisk. Surrounded by tents it offers stunning views, a must for every visitor but I have to press on now.
Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park…….Back at the start of the decline is the entrance to Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park where cabbage growing stops and the natural forest returns. Few people enter the park itself. There is an entrance fee and a tax to pay for foreigners. Having declined to pay the fee at Nam Nao National Park I figure that this is the last opportunity I will get on this section of my tour. Just what I expect to see other than trees I’m not quite sure. Nevertheless I head for the check-point and ticket office staffed by park rangers. I’m fully aware that as a foreigner I have some status but I’ve decided to be cheeky and ask for a discount jokingly speaking in Thai. That works much to the amusement of all. As I enter the park proper the mass of humanity disappears but I’m immediately at a disadvantage due to poor road conditions. Then after 30 minutes driving there is nothing but trees.
A short section of road has been resurfaced as if to show what can be done given the funds but that soon disappears and so does Petchabun province. It is clear that this is a through road crossing the park into Pitsanulok province. But you wouldn’t want to use this as a short cut. Eventually there is a clearing and Hmong vendors congregate along the roadside in makeshift stalls. But there is something else here that requires investigation. Unfortunately for foreign visitors there is nothing in English they can use but I have the perfect guide with me. There is a collection of huts here, larger and more organised than at Khao Kho that was used by the communists. This apparently was the headquarters of the communist party containing a political school, military training facilities and a field hospital. But I’m about to learn something more about this regime. I had assumed that the communists were of Laotian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian influence but I’m surprised how many Thais were involved. A student uprising in Bangkok in 1973 swelled the communist numbers. In addition, disenchanted Hmong tribe people were eager to join too. This was a serious challenge to the Thai government. The communists proved difficult to dislodge due to the difficult terrain which was easy to defend. The answer was to drive a road through the forest but workers were frequently harassed and attacked. Just a short distance away is a waterwheel in better condition than the one I saw earlier on this tour. It was designed and constructed by the students for pounding rice.
Phu Hin Rong Kla loop…….I need to press on and reach the main site within the park where there is a rest area with conveniences with the usual Hmong vendors and guides. Obvious is the number of group tours that come here by passenger van. Unlike me they invariably arrive from the Pitsanulok side. The guides are busy. I don’t need to join a group having established that there is a trail running in a loop. It’s not difficult to follow as I identify the features appearing along the trail. A guide informs me that it will take 90 minutes to complete the loop and that bothers me. It’s now 3.30pm and I’ve set a limit of 4.30pm before I must return. Can I reduce this to 1 hour? As expected there is evidence of communist occupation. Almost immediately there is a small cemetery but a fair section of the trail contains natural features especially rock formations and stone fields that result from wind rain and chemical reaction. I’m bent on recording as much as I can but my progress is slowed by the tour groups whose members want to do some recording of their own. At the furthest point the trail reaches a cliff edge offering outstanding views across the valley. Here the rock fields are heavily weathered and cracked requiring small wooden bridges to allow passage. Continuing around the loop the trail is close to the cliff edge affording spectacular views then on top of a rock stack sitting precariously at the cliff edge is the jewel of this tour. On the summit is a flag pole flying the Thai national flag. It wasn’t always there. Just over 30 years ago the communist flag flew defiantly from this spot. Phu Hin Rong Kla was the last stronghold of the communist occupation. Its capture effectively ended the campaign and peace returned once more. The flag flying here is as important to Thais as the raising of the US flag at Iwo Jima in the Pacific War. It’s time to head back. There is a smaller loop but I have to head back. I must be content with my tour today. I simply can’t do it all. On the smaller loop is a bomb shelter evidence of and air war against the communists but with no evidence of bombs falling I have to give it a miss. By the time I leave the rest area it’s gone 5pm.
Cautious…….It means now that I will not make it back till after dark, something I’d hoped to avoid. As I exit the park light is fading. Now it’s the long descent of 1,000 metres and countless switch-back bends. The light is not my only concern. There are vehicle on the road with no lights. Agricultural vehicles and motorcycles are the worst offenders. Nevertheless I’m most of the way down the mountain before full darkness. It then becomes tricky retracing the route from morning using rural roads but I eventually make it back and slip past Chompoo Resort heading for Lom Khao. The restaurant I used yesterday is closed today being a Sunday and besides I need something for breakfast tomorrow. It was part of my original plan to do some shopping before I returned but the events of this day have put paid to that. I head back to the resort, arriving later than any other day so far this tour. Naturally I will be short of time to write my blog. At 8pm I follow text coverage of the F1 finale at Abu Dhabi. The result pleases me. But as I settle down for the night it’s in my mind that tomorrow I need to leave Petchabun province. This tour is as intense as ever I have experienced in recent times.
Day 7 - Monday 24 November 2014, Chat Prakan
Unfinished business…….Once again I’m behind with my blog. Ideally it should be finished before I turned in last night but with a late return I was just too tired and slept early. However a call to arms from the nearby temple ensured I woke early. This gave me enough time to recover. I’m well stocked with breakfast snacks and make a coffee in reception. If all goes well I can get an early start and catch up with some unfinished business in Petchabun province. I’m ready by 9.30am and decide to head back to Lom Sak. I’ve decided to do some shopping before I head back into the mountains. I also need to fill the tank with fuel. The major fuel companies offer a cheaper grade E20 which is adequate for the Nissan.
On the way into the city I also look for the Pho Khun Pha Mueang Memorial commemorating a former ruler of the area. I find it near the intersection with route 12, which I missed a couple of days ago. The shopping trip into the town isn’t conclusive but I purchase some rice of a higher and more natural grade that I can get in the UK. The fact that the province produces some specialty brown rice registered with me when I visited the cultural museum in Petchabun. I intend to take some back to the UK.
Dan Sai…….With the tank topped up I can now concentrate on the journey ahead. I’m leaving Petchabun province but to say I’m aiming for the next destination in the shortest possible time is far from the truth. First I head north back past Lom Kao. Before midday I’m across the provincial border into Loei province. I’m heading for Dan Sai. The town lies in the west of the province and provides a number of interesting sites for me to consider it for a mini tour. However the sites are all cultural and religious. Nonetheless I’ve agreed to the break. As it turns out there is a rich history to be uncovered and an annual festival unlike anything else I’m aware of in Thailand.
Three temple sites are well worth a visit. The first, Wat Prathat Sri Song Rak lies just outside the town. It was build between 1560 and 1563 to cement an alliance between the kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Vientiane against their common enemy, the Burmese. Unlike the modern monasteries I recently visited it is unassuming but that only stresses its age and importance making it one of the most sacred temples in Thailand. It proves that all that glitters isn’t gold. I head into the city where I stop for lunch. Next, Wat Phon Chai lies within the city and is also an old temple while in the temple grounds is the folk museum. This is dedicated to the Phi Ta Khon festival which takes place in the rainy season in July or August and has its origins deep in ancestral history with the need to access the spirit world to ward of demons. The development of the festival over the years is recorded in the museum. Unique is the costume and dress fashioned for the festival including an elaborate array of spirit masks that are fierce enough to ward off any demon. Leaving the city is Wat Neramit Wipattasana. The ubosot and chedi are beautifully constructed in laterite in Bangkok style. The ubosot contains beautiful mural paintings and a replica of the emerald Buddha. This mini tour has taken over two hours; it’s now 3pm and decisions have to be made.
Change of plan…….From Dan Sai I planned to venture deep into the mountains again. The remote town of Na Haeo in the northwest corner of Loei province adjacent with the Laotian border is within easy reach. It probably has accommodation suitable for me but I chose to take an easier route. I will head across the border into Pitsanulok province heading for Nakhon Thai skirting around the north of Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park. This town lies to the west of the park not far from the furthest point of my journey yesterday but I continue to the next town, Chat Trakan arriving just after 4pm. This town is even smaller than Nakhon Thai but I easily locate a motel close to the town.
Angdoi Guesthouse…….This guesthouse is on the left hand side before entering the town of Chat Trakan. The signboard reads ‘Angdoi Guesthouse’ but I understand it’s ‘Ingdoi or Ingdoy’. It’s just a single story block of rooms used as a motel but seems peaceful enough. I have a choice of rooms; either 350 baht or 650. The difference is in the appearance not the facilities. It’s just an overnight stop so as long as it’s functional I don’t mind. I settle in by 5pm and take a late afternoon nap for the first time in days. Just up the road is a restaurant specialising in Thai BBQ, ‘moo ghata’. Yes again! Let’s not compromise on food. I’m finished just after 7pm. There’s a good chance I can complete my blog tonight with less activity to record. Tomorrow should be interesting. I will head back into the mountains and should arrive in the Northern provinces which should occupy much of the remainder of this tour.
Day 8 - Tuesday 25 November 2014, Nan
Quick Start…….Waking quite early, I figure there is nothing to stop me making an early start. I normally spend at least an hour on my blog but last night it was almost complete: Almost, because for some reason I could not connect to the internet. A connection was available and the signal strong and I assumed it was a password problem despite the code being available in the room as is often the case. However as it was not critical for just a stopover I didn’t attempt to resolve the issue but instead I now can use the time saving to good effect. That works and I’m away by 8am but I’ve had no breakfast. I fix that by heading into Chat Prakan and get what I need in 7Eleven. That includes a hot coffee but as the water added to the 3-in-1 is boiling hot I delay consumption.
Dead end…….I head north out of the city looking for a rest site where I can have breakfast. Well its different isn’t it? I don’t travel too far before I see a right turn to the Chat Trakan waterfall. This seems an ideal spot just 2 kilometres away. However it’s not what I expected as this is the entry point to Chat Trakan National Park. Ooops! The entry fee is rather steep for foreigners even by Thai standards. It’s time to turn the steed around. Nevertheless the park entrance will be my breakfast venue this morning. Despite this activity it’s still early by my standards and press on north into the mountains. Now I’m clear of the tourist areas one thing becomes most apparent. This is going to become a long and lonely day. Initially I have agricultural vehicles for company but soon even those disappear. Meeting another vehicle becomes almost a relief as the forest closes in. After Chat Trakan National Park, other parks follow almost one after the other in the remote borderlands with Laos.
Phu Soi Dao National Park…….The first point of reference for miles is at an intersection where there is a check-point. All vehicles have to stop here and I use the opportunity to collect information. To the right the road heads toward Na Haeo. Yes, I’ve completed the detour. But to the left is signposted, Ban Khok, a remote village in the east of Uttaradit province, and the ayes to the left have it as I make my way out of Pitsanulok Province.
Before too long the next national park appears. By 11am I stop at the visitor centre mainly for a comfort break but there is also a waterfall here clearly visible from the road. It’s a photo opportunity but what happens next I didn’t expect. Driving through this park, Phu Soi Dao is an experience in itself but as I look around the visitor centre I’m aware of an opportunity that fits this tour to a ‘T’ but well beyond my capabilities now. At the visitor centre you can hire a tent and mattress. But even if you are fit you’re likely to need a Sherpa as well. The trail from the waterfall is 6.5 kilometres but the climb takes 4-6 hours. At the summit the pine forest is often shrouded in mist at an altitude of 1,633 metres, higher than anything in the UK. I’m allowed to daydream but that doesn’t stop me from getting a sample. The waterfall cascades to five levels. To achieve this first obstacle will have taken you 1 kilometre and mastered an initial difficult climb from the base of the falls. A good hour later I’m back at the car park most satisfied. Careful now! This could become a habit: Time to move on.
Choosing a route…….At the next junction I have to make a decision. Right is Ban Khok and left is west towards Uttaradit city. There is no point in taking the latter route unless I later cut north again skirting the huge Sirakit Dam and reservoir. Right is the favoured route but this only serves to keep me in the forest for hours on end. What was this tour’s title again?
Ban Khok…….It’s another half hour before I reach Ban Khok. By this time it’s past 1pm and time for lunch. It’s most welcome after the trek and grueling drive in undulating and twisting road conditions. The selection of rice dishes is starting to become repetitive but honestly I’m not bothered. They are filling and cheap. From Ban Khok the road heads northwest. The next destination is Na Noi but first there is the great expanse of Sinan National Park to negotiate.
Sinan National Park…….
The forest seems virtually endless as one park takes over from another. In fact I don’t realise it but at some point I cross the provincial border into Nan Province probably around 3pm. I start to tire and need a break soon.
An opportunity soon arises as I cross the great Nan River. It’s a fantastic photo opportunity and gives me a break for ten minutes. I continue on through the park till on my right there is a viewpoint and a nature trail at one of the park entrances. There is a park fee but I’ve no time to enter this park but simply record it for my blog. I continue on to Na Noi until soon I reach the summit of the pass where there is a check point residing over glorious views but the check point is unmanned. I’m really on the limit after 7 hours and at the bottom of the pass I hand the driving over to Katoon. It’s now 3.30pm and time to consider the final destination for today. The next town is Wiang Sa and here we can pick up route 101 (AH13). It seems the logical thing to do now to head for the provincial capital Nan. It 5pm we roll into Nan exactly a week after we rolled into Petchabun. It takes less than 10 minutes to find suitable accommodation and in the courtyard of a motel there are no trees!
Chanasin Motel…….Chanasin is on the left leaving Nan on the 1091 towards Phrayao. Again it’s very cheap, catering for Thai workers/travelers who fill the rooms at the end of the day. The room is spacious and quite acceptable but in my haste to settle in and find something for dinner I forgot to check it had everything I needed. A fridge is missing but they offer to store anything necessary in the office. I can make do; it’s only a cold drink I need and have a flask for that. It’s time to eat but I’m aware that I’m some way from the city itself. However there are dining options just around the corner. The first option is a novelty to me after 1 week of rice and noodles. It’s a steak house. Well let’s go for it! My budget is hardly being stretched so far this tour. The steaks on offer include pork, beef, chicken and fish. There is a free salad bar to go with them. I order a pork chop. I have to admit the presentation and flavours are amazing but the pork is not exactly well done and the quality of the meat not quite up to what I would expect at home but really for 129 baht I have no real cause to complain. Next to the steak house is a more typical Thai restaurant and perhaps it’s back to basics tomorrow. Back at Chanasin it’s more important to get an internet connection and its fine. I publish my blog from yesterday and make inroads into registering this interesting day’s events. Now I can just relax.
Natural Thailand Continued
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