Day 10 - Tuesday 8 May

Maihom Hotel…….. As mentioned earlier Maihom Hotel is now rather dated and I don’t imagine any tour operator using it. Now lost in a melay of side streets near the old city, access is not straightforward. I can only imagine that cost is the key reason why people use it, including us on this occasion. Having said that, the room is comfortable enough with no issues to report except that the facilities within walking distance are limited for tourists: Even the 7-eleven store nearby had just closed for renovation. It has nevertheless allowed us to explore Nakhon Sawan and surrounding districts which in this particular province are relatively easy to reach due to Nakhon Sawan’s central location. That has allowed us to cover all the principal sites within just the two days, well almost. The plan is this morning to first cover some of the attractions south of the city then head north adding a couple more. That means we won’t be staying in the city a third night but as yet I don’t have a fixed destination to aim for.
Wat Si Sawan Sankharam…….. Wat Si Sawan Sankharam is still on my visit list but as it lies in the opposite direction to our intended direction of travel today, I was prepared to give it a miss. However as it’s less that 15 minutes away I decide to go for it. On reaching this temple, the most obvious feature is the bell shaped chedi in classic Ayutthaya style. It is an old temple used as the site for government officials to pledge allegiance to the king. Evidence from the period remains in the form of spear blades, oars, knives and swords, a gold Buddha image in the Pathom Thetsana posture and a silver Buddha image. The main image in the old convocation hall is over 100 years old. In 1976, His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen and their 2 princesses came here to open the new hall. Now there is also the pagoda built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of His Majesty. Wat Si Sawan Sangkharam is regarded as having immense historical value.

Engineer Sheep Farm…….. As I’m in this area there is one other site I could visit which I noticed on the way to the city a couple of days ago. However in the process of locating it, something else turns up. Much of the land near here is controlled by the Royal Thai Navy although I can’t really understand why, so far from the ocean. The Engineer Sheep Farm is on their land. An attraction like this; you purchase pellets and grass for hungry mouths, is not uncommon on land unavailable or unsuitable for growing crops. It provides a good photo opportunity for tourists. Good luck to the navy for their enterprise and commitment to a measure of self reliance. While a sheep farm wasn’t quite what I was expecting, it’s leads naturally towards the other site I was looking for.

Krom Luang Chumphon Shrine…….. Admiral Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak was considered to be the father of the Royal Thai Navy. He was the 28th son of the prominent Thai King Rama V. In honour of his work to reform and modernise the Thai Navy, shrines to the admiral are common especially in Thailand’s southern provinces. Here in Nakhon Sawan is one of those shrines near a Royal Thai naval base. The shrine is located on the left-hand side of national highway 1 (AH1) running north, just a couple of kilometres from the junction with the by-pass (highway 122).

Wat Si Uthumporn…….. From a list of important sites in Nakhon Sawan Province, Wat Si Uthumporn appears to feature prominently. I’ve put this attraction at the end of my list since I established my onward direction of travel, which is along highway 1 heading northwest. Arriving at a new site my instinct is to dive in with my own observations but at this temple it defies my honest attempt to describe it, except to say it is an example of modern Thai art. Katoon is enthralled by it in a way that typifies this sort of thing as a magnet for Buddhists, but all I see it as is a jumbled mass of colour with every form of decoration you could imagine. Apparently it’s in honour of the abbot who created it who’s body rests in the temple without cremation.
Apart from the temple buildings there is a wealth of religious objects collected over time but with absolutely no description in English. To my mind it’s another example of asking people to buy into an idea but there again it could be the other way around for many people who can’t resist all that glitters. I can only invite you to take a look for yourselves and make up your own minds but for my part, I just can’t get a handle on it, can’t find information on it and as I’ve said many times before the only spirits I understand come out of a bottle.

Bo Yah Cave…….. Well, there is just one more site I could try in this district of Nakhon Sawan about 6 kilometres away. As I arrive it doesn’t look that promising, the temple here is really shabby and neglected compared to Wat Sri Uthumporn. However it does have something I understand. There is a cave at the top of a long staircase. I decide to make the effort as it’s definitely going to be my last site visit in Nakhon Sawan province. Big mistake! The staircase leads to a shrine as neglected as the rest of the temple and the cave, unless there’s one further up the mountain is hardly worthy of the name. This is not going to receive a good rating when I analyse the trip later.

Lower northern region exit…….. It’s time to declare my next location and it’s not one ever considered for this tour but one I’ve neglected for far too long. Although I can’t reach it now before dark, Chiang Mai will be the base for my next series of site visits. It’s just a question now of heading north an see how far we can get. Heading into Kampeang Phet province, this is a province I’ve stayed in before but only to visit the ancient city. It has a number of important natural attractions but as I found out in Uthai Thani Province, it’s not the best time to visit these. The next province is Tak and this one received good coverage in April last year (Tour 18A). This is a potential stopover in mid afternoon but Katoon is happy to drive on. The next province along highway 1 is Lampang an elongated province north/south. Now entering more mountainous terrain, there is a possible stopover at Thoen but again Katoon is feeling comfortable driving and we press on.
Lampang…….. Lampang province also received good coverage in April last year. However there is still well over an hour’s driving left to reach it. This puts arrival at about 5.45pm, comfortable enough but a long drive today for my dear driver. It’s time to identify suitable accommodation and experience has taught us to avoid the city itself. On the outskirts of town still on highway 1, there are a number of modern hotels close to the bus station and airport, I might add. Selecting one of these makes sense.
B2 Lampang Boutique & Budget Hotel…….. B2 Lampang Boutique & Budget Hotel is the one presently on the Google map locator and as you would expect, we waist no time at all in reaching it. Katoon doesn’t disapprove. After all it should tick all the boxes. We’re soon set up for the night and there’s an added bonus. There’s a local restaurant just opposite and really cheap. I can have an extra beer now as I write up my notes for the day. Tomorrow will be about Chiang Mai, an hour and a half away. Next Page.