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Saturday 5 May 2018
Struggling........Aware that I’m going to struggle to complete my blog for yesterday’s tour, at least I’m able to make a start at dawn. The amount of history about Phetchaburi that I discovered simply has to be recorded. After a couple of hours, I only manage to record the history of Phra Nakhon Khiri. I just don’t know how to be brief! At 8.30am it’s time to see what ‘breakfast included means’. Continental........As well as the accommodation block, there is another two-story building in the small compound which is the family residence. I noticed yesterday visitors sitting outside in an area reserved for them to just relax. This morning it is where we have that breakfast. Here to my great surprise is a help yourself arrangement to a continental breakfast. It’s the first time that I can remember that I’ve seen breakfast cereal with coffee, tea, fruit juice, toast and jam and a selection of fruit. The care and attention our host has given for the benefit of a handful of guests is amazing. It’s more like home and healthy too but from Katoon there’s silence.
Back in the room I try and squeeze in another half-hour working on my notes but fail to get them anywhere near finished before I need to continue my site visits. That’s a first for this trip to Thailand. Ready to depart around 10.30am I sense that history will play a lesser part in today’s activity. The first site is just 10 minutes away.
Tham Khao Luang (Khao Luang Cave)........Expecting that everything on this tour would be new to me, here at Tham Khao Luang, I realise I’ve been here before but a long time ago, maybe as long as 30 years. All I remember from that time is the huge cavern containing Buddha images. Now let’s see what I can add to that today!
Arriving at the base of Khao Luang there is a parking area, now developed with food vendors and other facilities for the regular flow of visitors. Oh and there are monkeys, lots of nonkeys, feeding on corn the visitors buy for them. What I don’t remember, is having to take a truck for the last kilometre or so up to the cave. OK it’s just 15 baht per person but very good business for locals. I can only assume that the car park at the top, which is practically deserted, I notice, would otherwise get clogged up with traffic. Something else I don’t remember is how I entered the cave. Initially there is a staircase rising up out of view but this is barely 200 metres long and not particularly steep but arriving at the cave entrance is another staircase much more formidable not rising up but down! Here you get the first impression of the size of Tham Khao Luang, a magnificent chamber, the largest in Phetchaburi province, with natural light radiating from a hole in the roof as if creating a portal for angels. Apart from this cavern there are two smaller ones leading off it. For the history of this cave, I prefer to use the onsite information.
Struggling........Aware that I’m going to struggle to complete my blog for yesterday’s tour, at least I’m able to make a start at dawn. The amount of history about Phetchaburi that I discovered simply has to be recorded. After a couple of hours, I only manage to record the history of Phra Nakhon Khiri. I just don’t know how to be brief! At 8.30am it’s time to see what ‘breakfast included means’. Continental........As well as the accommodation block, there is another two-story building in the small compound which is the family residence. I noticed yesterday visitors sitting outside in an area reserved for them to just relax. This morning it is where we have that breakfast. Here to my great surprise is a help yourself arrangement to a continental breakfast. It’s the first time that I can remember that I’ve seen breakfast cereal with coffee, tea, fruit juice, toast and jam and a selection of fruit. The care and attention our host has given for the benefit of a handful of guests is amazing. It’s more like home and healthy too but from Katoon there’s silence.
Back in the room I try and squeeze in another half-hour working on my notes but fail to get them anywhere near finished before I need to continue my site visits. That’s a first for this trip to Thailand. Ready to depart around 10.30am I sense that history will play a lesser part in today’s activity. The first site is just 10 minutes away.
Tham Khao Luang (Khao Luang Cave)........Expecting that everything on this tour would be new to me, here at Tham Khao Luang, I realise I’ve been here before but a long time ago, maybe as long as 30 years. All I remember from that time is the huge cavern containing Buddha images. Now let’s see what I can add to that today!
Arriving at the base of Khao Luang there is a parking area, now developed with food vendors and other facilities for the regular flow of visitors. Oh and there are monkeys, lots of nonkeys, feeding on corn the visitors buy for them. What I don’t remember, is having to take a truck for the last kilometre or so up to the cave. OK it’s just 15 baht per person but very good business for locals. I can only assume that the car park at the top, which is practically deserted, I notice, would otherwise get clogged up with traffic. Something else I don’t remember is how I entered the cave. Initially there is a staircase rising up out of view but this is barely 200 metres long and not particularly steep but arriving at the cave entrance is another staircase much more formidable not rising up but down! Here you get the first impression of the size of Tham Khao Luang, a magnificent chamber, the largest in Phetchaburi province, with natural light radiating from a hole in the roof as if creating a portal for angels. Apart from this cavern there are two smaller ones leading off it. For the history of this cave, I prefer to use the onsite information.
Tham Khao Luang (Khao Luang Cave), near Phetchaburi
From images found in the cave it has been established that there has been a sanctuary here since the early Ayutthaya period. The sanctuary was them renovated by King Rama IV around the same time that Phra Nakhon Khiri was built (mid 19th Century). It has since been used by members of the Chakri Dynasty to bestow good merit. The sanctuary has been maintained by Laotian immigrants who were allowed to settle in the area. It was recorded in a Government Gazette dated 1935 as an ancient monument.
It’s time to head back into town where we take lunch at a roadside restaurant just yards from the railway line. Here I get the feeling that Katoon wasn’t too impressed with that continental breakfast as she orders a rice dish as well as the essential noodles. I certainly wouldn’t like to see her emaciated. While I consume my rice without noodles the barriers come down and I head off to capture a shot of a passing train.
Wat Tham Bandai It........Khao Luang cave isn’t the only cave in Phetchaburi. Directly opposite Nakhon Kiri Hill, on the opposite side of the road is another hill with a temple and cave. Three words in Thai describe quite adequately what’s here: Wat (temple), Tham (cave), Bandai (staircase). At the temple there’s a lot of activity; there seems to be a funeral in progress, then in one of the temple buildings my attention is drawn to some old storage jars which date from the Ayutthaya period so this is another old temple. The cave entrance is nearby and while not anywhere as impressive as at Khao Luang, it is distinguished by the number of passageways radiating from the entrance chamber. In cooler conditions I just explore enough to get a feel for this site. Back to that staircase, well that leads directly up to the top of the hill and as it’s another stiff climb, I’ll pass it by this time. I assume there are glorious views from the top of Phetchaburi and the usual chedi and viharn. While I like to add my observations first before I refer to other sources, it seems here that I’ve said it all. It's confirmed that the temple is from the Ayutthaya period on account of the art objects found here.
It’s time to head back into town where we take lunch at a roadside restaurant just yards from the railway line. Here I get the feeling that Katoon wasn’t too impressed with that continental breakfast as she orders a rice dish as well as the essential noodles. I certainly wouldn’t like to see her emaciated. While I consume my rice without noodles the barriers come down and I head off to capture a shot of a passing train.
Wat Tham Bandai It........Khao Luang cave isn’t the only cave in Phetchaburi. Directly opposite Nakhon Kiri Hill, on the opposite side of the road is another hill with a temple and cave. Three words in Thai describe quite adequately what’s here: Wat (temple), Tham (cave), Bandai (staircase). At the temple there’s a lot of activity; there seems to be a funeral in progress, then in one of the temple buildings my attention is drawn to some old storage jars which date from the Ayutthaya period so this is another old temple. The cave entrance is nearby and while not anywhere as impressive as at Khao Luang, it is distinguished by the number of passageways radiating from the entrance chamber. In cooler conditions I just explore enough to get a feel for this site. Back to that staircase, well that leads directly up to the top of the hill and as it’s another stiff climb, I’ll pass it by this time. I assume there are glorious views from the top of Phetchaburi and the usual chedi and viharn. While I like to add my observations first before I refer to other sources, it seems here that I’ve said it all. It's confirmed that the temple is from the Ayutthaya period on account of the art objects found here.
Wat Tham Bandai It, Phetchaburi
Still in early afternoon I have a bold decision to make, though perhaps not so bold after I collect the data from GPS.
Kaeng Krachan Dam........The distance to Kaeng Krachan Dam is about 60 kilometres so about an hour’s travelling time. We should arrive around 2.30am. The route understandably takes us into the mountains bordering Myanmar and yet again I’ve been here before but with no image of it from then that I can recall. We duly arrive on time and find it totally different to the Bhumipol Dam I visited a week ago. I actually find it more beautiful, certainly more remote. As it’s an earth and rock dam we can drive across and enjoy the glorious scenery.
According to Wikipedia The Kaeng Krachan Dam is a multi-purpose hydroelectric dam in the Kaeng Krachan District of Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The dam impounds the Phetchaburi River. It was officially opened in 1966 by King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. The dam is an earth dam, 760 m (2,490 ft) long and 58 m (190 ft) high. Its reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 710,000,000 m3 (2.5×1010 cu ft) with a catchment area of 46.5 km2 (18.0 sq mi).The dam is considered multi-purpose, supporting electricity generation, irrigation, water supply, fisheries and recreation activities. The latter I find out includes a boat trip; the going rate is 600 baht.
While we’ve no time to enjoy any of the facilities directly we can afford to spend about half an hour at this site and have plenty of time to reach the next about half an hour’s drive to the south. Having said that, I really enjoy the peaceful walk along the dam in much cooler conditions, mindful that over the distant hills there are odd lightning flashes and a steadily darkening sky.
Kaeng Krachan Dam........The distance to Kaeng Krachan Dam is about 60 kilometres so about an hour’s travelling time. We should arrive around 2.30am. The route understandably takes us into the mountains bordering Myanmar and yet again I’ve been here before but with no image of it from then that I can recall. We duly arrive on time and find it totally different to the Bhumipol Dam I visited a week ago. I actually find it more beautiful, certainly more remote. As it’s an earth and rock dam we can drive across and enjoy the glorious scenery.
According to Wikipedia The Kaeng Krachan Dam is a multi-purpose hydroelectric dam in the Kaeng Krachan District of Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The dam impounds the Phetchaburi River. It was officially opened in 1966 by King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. The dam is an earth dam, 760 m (2,490 ft) long and 58 m (190 ft) high. Its reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 710,000,000 m3 (2.5×1010 cu ft) with a catchment area of 46.5 km2 (18.0 sq mi).The dam is considered multi-purpose, supporting electricity generation, irrigation, water supply, fisheries and recreation activities. The latter I find out includes a boat trip; the going rate is 600 baht.
While we’ve no time to enjoy any of the facilities directly we can afford to spend about half an hour at this site and have plenty of time to reach the next about half an hour’s drive to the south. Having said that, I really enjoy the peaceful walk along the dam in much cooler conditions, mindful that over the distant hills there are odd lightning flashes and a steadily darkening sky.
Kaeng Krachan Dam, Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi Province
Skirting around the mountains of the Tenasserim Range all that can be seen are rolling hills and the tropical rain forest but to say the views are stunning is rather an exaggeration. To the east one might expect a fertile plain but little grows here. The red clay rocky soil is just too poor. With some effort pineapples are grown but most of the land is barren. To say the next location we make for is similar, couldn’t be further from the truth.
Chang Hua Man Royal Project........Approaching the Chang Hua Man Royal Project cantonment we drive up a well made road, beautifully landscaped with all variety of plants, trees and shrubs: It’s like arriving at an oasis in the desert.
The Chang Hua Man Royal Project, established by late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2009, is one of the newest of Thailand’s Royal Projects. Its aim is to demonstrate that economically viable crops can be grown without chemical fertilisers. It functions as a learning centre for local Thai farmers to learn about organic farming, dairy farming and harnessing wind energy. However, with rolling green rice fields, a scenic lake and an organic supermarket, the Chang Hua Man Royal Project has become an attraction in its own right.
When the King purchased the land he had a vision based on what he knew was achievable. The use of agro technology based on taking soil samples to obtain the right growing conditions combined with renewable energy from solar and wind has produced a remarkable example for the nation of sustainable and profitable land use. Perched on the hillside overlooking the project he ordered a palace to be built for his royal visits but sadly although the palace was built in 90 days he didn’t live to see it completed.
Arriving on the site well before 4pm there’s a good hour left to have a good look around at the great variety of crops that are grown here as well as examples of animal husbandry. Due to the size of the project there is a tram ride or you can simply ride a bicycle available for free. Sadly neither option presents itself. As the last tram arrives back, so does the rain, as the heavens open as it had threatened all afternoon. By the time the thunderstorm abates it is too late. Nevertheless this site has opened my eyes as to what can be achieved through willpower and leadership. This and the King’s other projects must set an example for others to follow.
Chang Hua Man Royal Project........Approaching the Chang Hua Man Royal Project cantonment we drive up a well made road, beautifully landscaped with all variety of plants, trees and shrubs: It’s like arriving at an oasis in the desert.
The Chang Hua Man Royal Project, established by late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2009, is one of the newest of Thailand’s Royal Projects. Its aim is to demonstrate that economically viable crops can be grown without chemical fertilisers. It functions as a learning centre for local Thai farmers to learn about organic farming, dairy farming and harnessing wind energy. However, with rolling green rice fields, a scenic lake and an organic supermarket, the Chang Hua Man Royal Project has become an attraction in its own right.
When the King purchased the land he had a vision based on what he knew was achievable. The use of agro technology based on taking soil samples to obtain the right growing conditions combined with renewable energy from solar and wind has produced a remarkable example for the nation of sustainable and profitable land use. Perched on the hillside overlooking the project he ordered a palace to be built for his royal visits but sadly although the palace was built in 90 days he didn’t live to see it completed.
Arriving on the site well before 4pm there’s a good hour left to have a good look around at the great variety of crops that are grown here as well as examples of animal husbandry. Due to the size of the project there is a tram ride or you can simply ride a bicycle available for free. Sadly neither option presents itself. As the last tram arrives back, so does the rain, as the heavens open as it had threatened all afternoon. By the time the thunderstorm abates it is too late. Nevertheless this site has opened my eyes as to what can be achieved through willpower and leadership. This and the King’s other projects must set an example for others to follow.
Chang Hua Man Royal Project, Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi Province
After purchasing some organic products at the shop we must head back to Phetchaburi.
Delayed........As the railway station on Phetchaburi is minutes away from Sweet Dreams Guesthouse I pop along hoping for a repeat of yesterday. It’s not to be as dusk falls as there are service delays. As we pick up some convenience food to take back I’m aware that there’s been a welcome divergence from historical and religious sites today but the recording of most of that will have to wait till morning. Next Page.
Delayed........As the railway station on Phetchaburi is minutes away from Sweet Dreams Guesthouse I pop along hoping for a repeat of yesterday. It’s not to be as dusk falls as there are service delays. As we pick up some convenience food to take back I’m aware that there’s been a welcome divergence from historical and religious sites today but the recording of most of that will have to wait till morning. Next Page.