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Day 9 - Wednesday 26 November 2014, Nan
Short break…….I awake just before 7am and add final touches to my blog but today, now I am in Nan and into the second week of the tour I’ve decided to take a break. There’s a matter of laundry to consider and although I’ve obtained a local map and could start a tour immediately, it’s unlikely that I will make a move much before lunch. I catch up with the news and Chelsea have registered an amazing away win 5 : 0 at Schalke in the Champions League. Breakfast is no issue. I don’t need to go into the forest today. I can get some hot water for coffee to go with breakfast snacks. I study my map and settle up for another night at Chanasin motel. At that moment they provide me with another map which is more informative. Oddly this map doesn’t list this motel despite dozens of hotels and guesthouses listed in Nan. It causes me to think that there were better options but I’m restricted to another night here mainly to get my washing dry. My attention now turns to some activity for the day and there’s no shortage of options.
Temples of Nan (1)…….Now I’m out of the forest, natural features are not likely to figure today. If you wish to follow this blog tour for ‘Natural Thailand’ I suggest you switch off and come back tomorrow because whichever map I choose to follow it’s obvious today will be all about temples. If I thought Nan city could be explored in a morning as I did in Petchabun that idea has long gone. There are at least 10 temples that are of major historical importance and a score of others in or within easy reach of the city. It’s still only 10am: So much for a rest day. I head into the city.
The danger is that with so many temples on the circuit around Nan I will lose track of it all. But every temple has a story to tell. It’s important that I keep a photographic record and as far as research goes most temples have a signboard in English. This is an important source of information which I can merge with brochures and internet sources to bring life to these precious sites. Before lunch I cover two temple sites. The first is Wat Ming Muang which contains the city pillar shrine. It’s all white structure, richly decorated in relief is presently being cleaned in preparation for the New Year festivities. Just a block away is Wat Pumin, Nan’s most famous temple built in Thai Lue style in 1596. Just wandering around the grounds and visiting the viharn takes time. It’s moving towards midday.
Nan National Museum…….Before I move on to more temples, in a block to the north is the Nan National Museum. Unlike at Petchabun there is a fee for foreigners of 100 baht. As I wander around I am impressed and the fee represents good value but I always ask why do they discriminate when Thais enter for free? The museum occupies two floors. The ground floor exhibits ethnological data concerning the native people and the minority groups living within the boundary of Nan Province. The second floor features art history and archaeological data and evidence; most of the exhibits are Buddhist relics. I get carried away with camera firing around every corner. Quite what I’m going to do with all this data I really don’t know.
It’s now time for lunch and a logical place to satisfy this need is on the banks of the Nan River. I turn left after crossing the Phatana Phak Nuea Bridge. I soon find a suitable restaurant.
Temples of Nan (2)…….What’s on offer here is a Northern dish known as Khao Soi. I just remembered how tasty this dish is. It is a soup with a special curry sauce base using local spices and coconut milk. The meat, in this case chicken is boiled in the sauce for 45 minutes. It is served with coriander and noodles which are boiled and deep fried. Amazing! But the main reason for crossing the river is to reach another important temple, Phra That Chae Hang. This temple dating from 1355, under the reign of Pray Kan Muang, is the most sacred wat in Nan Province. I return back into the city and really stumble across another wat, Wat Phraya Phu. This wat was built during the reign of Pra Chao Phukheng and is about six centuries old. It’s now mid afternoon and I promised myself an easy day. Just one more temple and I must call it a day. There is a temple situated on a small hill known as Wat Phrathat Khao Noi, just a few kilometres outside the city but as I look for the turning for that I pass another temple, Wat Phra That Chang Kham. This wat is the second-most important temple (Th Pha Kong) in the city and dates back to the 14th century. There is faint evidence of murals in the vihara that are better left undisturbed while as the rear is a stupa featuring 24 elephants around the base. It’s now gone 3pm and I must press on to my last temple today. I locate Wat Phra That Khao Noi on the 1025 leading off the main highway 101 south of the city. The hill is 800 feet high. The original temple here was founded in 1487 built in Lanna and Burmese style. On the top of the hill, easily accessed by a road is a giant Buddha statue facing towards the city offering splendid views. The viharn is small as is the stupa, currently being renovated. It’s time to head back. Back in the room I’m soon asleep.
Learning something new…….At 5.30pm I’m thinking about dinner. Given the amazing khao soi I had for lunch I head back to the same restaurant. Evening dining is quite different laid out for a dish called ‘suki’ or more commonly known in Isaan, ‘jim-jum’. Basically the same ingredients are used as for ‘moo ghata’ but there is no grilling. All the vegetables and meat are added to boiling stock and consumed as a soup with spicy sauce. It’s a great way to spend the early evening watching the sun go down and some activity on the water. Pity I forgot to bring my camera. As I head back to my room I pick up some provisions for the morning at 7Eleven then it’s back to my blog. Every day I manage to learn something new. Today was mostly about temples while the National Museum was most informative. However my overall understanding of the area is so limited after only 1 day here. What has impressed me most is learning about the history of the province dating from the 14th century and how the Buddhist religion has been the key in molding mixed ethnic groups under one banner yet allowing expression for each. The temples I visited today are from different stages of Nan’s development and vary widely in their architecture and design. Most important I’ve understood that some of Nan’s unimposing temple structures are among the oldest in Thailand and this makes them more sacred. As I close for the evening my work in Nan is not finished but I don’t know exactly what the plan is for tomorrow. It unlikely though that I will stay at Chanasin for a third night.
Day 10 - Thursday 27 November 2014, Nan to Pua
Moving on…….It’s another new day in Nan and day 10 of this tour but the routine is the same. It’s important I keep my blog as up to date as possible while everything is fresh in my mind and allow time for breakfast. With my laundry now dry I can start packing and move on. In all honesty the accommodation here hasn’t been the most comfortable here and gets shuffled to the boittom of the pack. There’s no pressure to go very far today but I’m packed and ready by 10am. My plan for today is to add more sites in and around Nan. By mid afternoon, this tour should be complete.
Ban Bo Suak Historical Sites…….My starting point is route 101 south out of the city. There is a loop tour of 45 kilometres to the southwest of the city which looks interesting. I’m soon heading around the loop and arrive at Doi Phu village. In the temple grounds is a small museum dedicated to the history of the community. But it is closed. Katoon makes enquiries and establishes that they intend to construct a new building in front of the temple but so far nothing has been done. Ok we’ll move on to the next site.
From here I try to follow the guide map but the road signs are confusing. The area is riddled with local roads and tracks. Initially I am disappointed when I reach one of the ancient kiln sites. Apart from a sign board and a visitor building which has long been abandoned there is nothing here. The building is in a sorry state internally despite some examples from the kiln site on display. Clearly local people including schoolchildren have gone to a lot of trouble in the past to recover the pottery. I’m confused. It seems a lot more research and effort is needed here but that requires funding. As I make my way round the loop other sites are signposted till eventually I find a site that provides me with some material I can work with. The history of the area is revealed on an information board which also refers to a former patron of Chinese origin. I small enclosed pit shows where finds have been excavated. I understand that these finds are at least 600 years old. In terms of archaeology that’s not that old so perhaps that explains an apparent lack of interest here. At a crossroads in the village of Ban Bao Suak nearby I stop at a more recent kiln. It is currently producing pottery for souvenirs. As I head on round the loop there doesn’t appear much else of interest. However this excursion has occupied nearly two hours and its gone midday. There should be one more temple before the loop ends but I take a wrong turn and find myself back on the Phrayao Road where the motel is that I just left. However that allows me to regain my bearings and visit another temple, one of three I planned to visit today.
More temples…….Wat Sri Pan Ton, located in the city is conspicuous, beautifully decorated entirely in gold. It is a relatively new structure. Next I head back south along the 101 retracing my steps earlier. Just a short distance from the highway is Wat Praya Wat. This temple was built during the height of Lanna influence and this is reflected in its architecture. I am fascinated by the endeavors of a young couple, clearly skilled artists, painstakingly restoring the base of the Buddha image in the viharn. I’ve overshot my lunch window and head back into the city. I’m looking for the old city wall. Not quite sure where it is I break for lunch, a simple green curry will suffice then learn the wall is just around the corner. I can walk there and along a fair stretch of wall that I could not cover by car. There is one more temple to cover on the northern edge of the city. But first I need to fill the tank with fuel. This time it’s just over the 1,000 baht. Just a few minutes away, is Wat Suan Tan. Supposedly established in 1456, the Wat Suan Tan (Palm Grove Monastery) comprises an interesting stupa of the 15th century and a heavily restored vihara containing the Phra Chao Thong Thipun. This is the last temple on my list in Nan, the ninth but not least. It’s time to exit the city and I head further north. It’s 2.30pm. Directly north of Nan province is the Laotian border but I don’t intend to get that far. By 3.30pm I’m in the northern town of Pua.
Rimdoi Resort…….Pua is located on route 101 and all the towns activities seem to be located along this highway. It shouldn’t be difficult to find a room here but it does seem to take longer than normal as most of the resorts are tucked away off the main highway. I squeeze down an unmade road a little unsure what I will find. As I pass through the gate a small group of cabins is just about visible. By the time I’ve checked at reception and had a look around I realise I’ve found is a little gem here. Hardly full, I’m ushered to one of only two cabins with a view across the valley. At 300 baht/night you would think there would be some compromise on comfort: Not a bit of it. There’s even a hot water dispenser in the room with free coffee. I pay for two nights. That will pay for the dispenser. Just amazing!
Living like a King…….For dinner I need to head back into town. Almost immediately there is a restaurant serving ‘moo ghata’. I really don’t need another one but as I look around there are only noodle shops. I’m happy for anything different right now and decide to try an up market restaurant on the outskirts of town. I’m not bothered about the cost and extract from the car a bottle of Bordeaux red. They will probably charge me corkage but as I order two specialty dishes, one prawn, one fish, I just feel I’m living like a King. The waiters/waitresses are so attentive; this is just luxury I’m not used to. As if to reinforce the status of this place there is something odd going on as I’m shepherded away to a quieter corner of the restaurant. A number of passenger vans arrive with a police escort. Very soon the restaurant is filled with uniformed personnel. Judging by the various uniform types represented I’m sure this is not just a local affair. I conclude that this is a meeting of top brass from various services. Well not quite right! Later I’m told that this is all in support of government representatives who often pay visits inspecting and reviewing various government projects to support local people. The Royal household in Thailand is well known for its support but it cannot be everywhere at once hence these high profile visits.
All of this is happening while I enjoy a most interesting and tasty dinner washed down with bordeaux red. Better not drink too much of it though. As for the bill it’s equally amazing: They didn’t even charge for corkage. What a wonderful end to a wonderful day to a wonderful tour so far.
Day 11 - Friday 28 November 2014, Pua
Furthest point…….As I start a new day I’m aware that this is the furthest point on this tour for a stopover. I’m now over 700 kilometres from Bangkok. Although a tour bus can handle that distance in one day, I’ve no intention of doing that. It’s a lazy start to the day as I go through my normal routine. With very little to do in Pua; it’s just a market town, my plans for this area involve returning to the mountains. The view from Rimdoi Resort is pleasant enough looking towards the mountains to the east but I’m aware of more spectacular scenery once the mountains are reached. I’m on the road by 10.30am. I just feel the natural flavour of this tour is set to return.
The forest returns…….I’ve identified a circuit in the far northeastern sector of Nan province, adjacent to the Laotian border. I’m aware by now of the testing road conditions in Thailands northern forests. If I have a concern it’s the distance around this loop. It just doesn’t look to bad on the map but I calculate it could involve a drive of 200 kilometres. As I head east into the mountains on the scenic route the valley floor closes in within just 10 kilometres. The road rises steadily at first but then merges into a long series of switch-back bends. The tree lined road doesn’t offer a panoramic view but it’s clear that the distant hills are offering something of a wilderness landscape. As the road winds ever higher so do the views become ever more spectacular as the virtually endless landscape of peaks, ridges and valleys reveal themselves through the dense foliage.
Then the panorama does appear as the road reaches the top of a ridge and follows it for some distance. This is surreal as normally the road will disappear into the next valley. Having a road follow a ridge like this with steep sides on either side of the road is an experience I’ve only managed before when hiking. Naturally the views are stunning and that’s an understatement. All this forestry means only one thing. Right; there a national park ahead. In this case Doi Phu Kha National Park I soon stop at a small shrine to get my bearings. It’s here that my initial plan changes. I’m told that after the next village, there is nothing for maybe two hours driving on difficult roads. When I explain where I’d like to head for later, I’m advised to postpone this trip until tomorrow and use a better route. Apparently there is a weekend market at the border town of Chaloem Phra Kiat where Laotian vendors are allowed to cross and do some business. That makes good sense to me and removes my main concern of the day. Nonetheless I now enter the park and soon arrive at the park entrance. As this is a through road the park fee are only payable at the entrance which is off to the left. I’m not intending to stay so press on. So far the photo opportunities have been limited but as the road nears to top of the pass , there is a rest area offering refreshments and OTOP local products. There is an office here for those who wish to stay in the park in tents. I number of recreational activities are on offer including rafting and there is the ever present opportunity to get close to nature and witness some unique features found in the park. However I need to stop for lunch soon and the only place for miles around is the remote village of Bo Klua.
Bo Klua…….This village lies near an intersection and is easily missed, tucked away off the main road. I will find it later but now I find a restaurant that serves me perfectly well. I’ve now identified another route taking in the remote village of Santi Suk to the south. But first there is something in Bo Klua that’s worth exploring. Klua in Thai means salt and here in this remote location is a salt pit. I soon find the signboard pointing to it but appreciate also it leading me into the village.
I’m often disappointed to find very little at some of these ancient sites so I’m rather surprised to find the pits still in use, not only producing salt but serving as a tourist attraction in their own rite. As I arrive, the process of recovering salt water from deep underground using primitive mechanical methods; a bucket on a rope will do, is ongoing. I witness the urns where the sediment is allowed to settle before the water is pumped to holding tanks. Later it is ladled into pans where it is boiled in pans over clay kilns leaving the salt crystals to be ladled into baskets to dry. I’m amazed! There is quite a cottage industry here. A selection of naturally produced items is available for sale including the salt. I easily find something that interests me. Running alongside the village is stream. The villagers even manage to sell pellets to feed the fish for 10 baht. Without realising it time has flown by. The trip to Santi Suk is also now well in doubt.
Back to Pua…….If I’d have stuck to my initial plan for today I would have headed north from here through another major park, the Khun Nan National Park. But time only permits me to take a brief journey into park before I head back to Pua. With amazing photo opportunities still presenting themselves I turn back towards Doi Phu Kha National Park unfortunately bypassing Santi Suk using a better but nevertheless longer route back to Pua. At 3.30pm it’s clear I’m not going to reach the town much before 5pm even if I don’t stop. At about half distance a new pagoda housing a seated Buddha is being constructed on a small hill. Yes, I do stop but not for long. The final section of road involves a descent to the valley floor but not before the road runs along another ridge but this time heavy earth-moving equipment is present upgrading the road. I instinctively glance at the time as if to reassure myself I will reach Pua by 5pm but there is another ritual I seem to be performing as I glance to my left and right. It’s as though I know something’s telling me to savour my last moments in an area of outstanding beauty. This could be the beginning of the end of the natural flavour of this tour. I roll into Pua just before 5pm. Just time now for a wash and brush up before dinner. I find a restaurant with a peaceful wooden veranda and order off the dinner menu, dishes no less interesting than I had yesterday. I’m really full as I head back to write up my notes. At least tomorrow my destination is more or less settled. I’m also inclined to remain at Rimdoi for a third night as there’s no other logical destination in Nan province I should move to. I’m in no hurry to return to Bangkok.
Day 12 - Saturday 29 November 2014, Tha Wang Pha
A restless night…….The plan for today was to head for the Thai/Lao border market at Chaloem Phra Kiat on Nan Province’s northern border then return back to Pua. As this market winds down at midday it’s important I get an early start as this location is 90 minutes away. I’d like to be there by 10am but overnight there is a problem. When I arrived at Rimdoi I was full of praise for this resort as it fitted in well with the flavour of this tour. Yes there were a couple of minor issues. The shower heater was really not up to the job delivering water that was barely lukewarm. Then the bathroom seemed to be a magnet for an army of ants. A couple of counter attacks seemed to hold them in check but whether they retreated to regroup for another charge I won’t find out as I’m shortly to abandon my position and it’s not because of ants or hot water. Something far more unnatural kept me awake well into the night. Loud music and the banging of drums don’t normally come from the forest. I’ll never know the source; whether it was a party, a celebration or simply a Friday night karaoke. It doesn’t matter now as I pack my things. I’m still able to get an early start but it doesn’t bode right for the rest of the day. I’m on the road well before 9am.
Chaloem Phra Kiat border market…….As I head north on the 101, almost immediately I pick up signs to some of the tourist attractions the area has to offer but they all have to be bypassed at present so I can concentrate on reaching the border. At least on this route the road is quite good while it broadly follows the valley floor; it’s not until the last 20 kilometres or so that the road heads into the mountains close to the border with Laos. Progress slows as a number of heavy vehicles are also using this route through the forest heading for the border. By the time I reach the border market it’s well past 10am. My initial thoughts were that I could do some shopping for something to take back home. I could stay here till midday. However I soon realise it’s not that type of market. The shoppers who make it here are from Laos, eager to pick up household necessities they find hard to obtain across the border. Thai traders do good business at this market bringing in food and household wares and equipment from all over Thailand e.g. fresh prawns and squid are available despite a distance from the ocean of some 800 kilometres. I’m reminded that everything that’s sold here is available in Bangkok at a fraction of the price. Clearly I don’t need to put my hands in my pockets here. At 11am I’m on my way back slightly disappointed but there is really nothing here to warrant a longer stay.
Military museum and memorial…….As I continue my journey back alone the 101 my thoughts turn to those sites I identified on the way up. Curiously though, the signboards seem to have disappeared. Well not exactly but they’re facing the wrong way. Someone in their wisdom has thought it unnecessary to inform those travelling south. If the market closes at midday surely days trippers will head there first. If they’re not expecting any day trippers then why put the boards up in the first place? The result is comical as I have to drive slowly keeping my eyes on the wing mirror. Several times I have to turn the car around. Back in the town of Tung Chang I stop for lunch, a simple dish of sweet and sour prawns. The prawns though are hardly fresh as you would expect, I suppose. A number of sites are located near the town. My attention is drawn towards a war memorial and even after I stop I cannot figure out what it’s for. Fortunately there is a small museum nearby; a small display hall. However is does contain some automatic weapons, small arms, ammunition and accoutrements. There is nothing in English for me to digest, accept a display of photographs and murals relating to war. I’m interested enough to call for an interpretation when the curator arrives. The murals puzzles me at it shows what I had assumed were Vietnamese soldiers against a background of Thai national flags. I’m told that this relates to the acceptance of surrender but I still cannot work out why the soldiers were still carrying arms. Perhaps this was just for the Thai media. What I did manage to find out was that the soldiers were Thai who copied the Vietnamese uniforms in the name of communism. I have to go back to the information I uncovered in Petchabun Province. These were the students who took up arms against their own government in 1973. Although this was a smaller affair it clearly required a stiff response. It seems that local Thai police and militia put down the uprising here and the memorial is dedicated to them.
Downbeat…….As I indentify other sites more clearly some are just too far away for me to visit them in the remaining time available today: Besides the restless night has started to catch up with me. I manage just a couple more temples, one in particular, Wat Tung Peung, houses a 700 year old image of the Buddha. This means it dates back to the founding of the city state of Nan, then part of the Sukhothai Kingdom. A new pagoda is being constructed here presumably to house this precious relic. It’s still not late but to be honest the day has not progressed with the same degree of keen anticipation as it did earlier in the tour. This may well be because there simply isn’t that much time now left on this tour and the fact that I’m heading back with all principal objectives achieved. I head back towards Pua but with nothing more I can achieve there I use up a bit more time and head further south to the next town of Tha Wang Pha.
Coconut Resort, Tha Wang Pha…….Like Pua, Tha Wang Pha is not really a tourist base but a town of its size always has accommodation available. I spend longer finding suitable accommodation though, as the prices I’ve been quoted are at the higher end of what I have been paying recently. In the end I succumb because it really is tedious sometimes living out of a car boot and finding accommodation for the night. There’s no arguing about the quality of the chalets but the resort is really too far away from the town and there’s nowhere to take dinner nearby. It means I will be returning off a busy road in the dark. In the town I compensate for up market accommodation with down market dining. It’s not intentional but I don’t think I could handle another large meal. As expected I struggle to find the turning back to the resort as buses and trucks thunder along the highway. My tone in the evening is quite subdued. Today I registered 2,000 kilometres on this tour. There’s still a lot of driving to do in the next four days. This is almost certainly the last night in Nan Province.
Natural Thailand Continued
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