Day 2, Saturday 1 April - Yasothon
KIO Hotel.......This morning I can add a bit more detail on KIO Hotel. Despite being a multi-story hotel, most of the accommodation is at the rear of the building on just one level. The convenience is that each room has its own integral parking space which of course is quite convenient. If I must find a fault it would be that the bed was a bit hard.
No fooling.......It's the 1st of April and I'm on no fool's errand as this is another day of travel that we can be quite relaxed about as our next planned destination is barely 4 hours away. Taking things step by step seems to be a better option learning the lessons from the long distances we travelled last year. Leaving before 10am I plan to continue where I left off last night as I head for Thannon Jira Junction railway station. This station is just a little further east than the main station in Nakhon Ratchasima. However, the result is pretty well the same as last night with only local services currently using the station. It should be remembered that most long-distance trains pass through this junction at night. Well, as far as the railway is concerned, I can put it to bed since there are no railway stations in the direction I'm heading. Instead, I have identified a location that could hardly be much different just 20 minutes away.
Sugar Palm Tree Tunnel.......Curious to know what a Palm Tree Tunnel is, I arrive to find a lotus pond ringed with tall sugar palm trees but apart from a few dogs there is no activity here whatsoever. I guess the only curious thing is that the large palm trees are lined each side of a path effectively creating the tunnel.
What is more curious about this visit is that it's within walking distance of Wat Phanon Wan, an ancient Khmer ruin no stranger to this site. I had no idea I was anywhere near it. Today there is no point in a further visit as it was visited late last year and for the second time at that. However, there is a plus here; an ancient ruin I never knew existed.
Noen Oraphim.......located just to the east of Prasat Phanom Wan, Noen Oraphim is a monument with a base constructed in a rectangular plan with the entrance to the east. According to a pediment fragment dated from the 10th-11th century, the function of a building was a resting place for the king preparing to pay homage at Prasat Phanom Wan.
On to Yasothon.......Now it's time to get some traveling done as we head back to the Mittraphap Road, Hwy 2. Now, Nakhon Ratchasima province is a huge province second only in size to Chiang Mai. Much of the driving today will still be in this province but eventually we have to turn off Hwy 2 and head east along Hwy 202. This road skirts three provinces; Buriram, Maha Sarakham and Roi-Et before we arrive at the final one. It's heading to be another straightforward day as we cross the border into Yasothon around 3pm. The fear we had about Yasothon was that being a small and rather sparsely populated province, we may have difficulty in finding suitable accommodation. However, before we left, we had secured a room at the Zen Hotel just outside of the town.
Yasothon, First Impressions....... Reaching our accommodation again proves remarkably easy and a 500 baht per night you can't complain. The only compromise I've had to make is that we need to take a room on the 2nd floor and there's no lift. We have plenty of time to have a late afternoon rest before going out to explore. What we are hoping to find is perhaps some street food as we did last night and head for the Chiam Lake where the main attraction is Wiman Phaya Tan which has now closed. We've drawn a blank and head back into town which apart from having some activity around the night market area is also quiet. Our early evening excursion has yielded little so we head back to the hotel where we know at least we can get some food at the bar opposite. While unexpected, this proves much more productive as we get to watch Manchester City versus Liverpool live. However, at halftime they start setting up the stage for live music: Not quite what I wanted. With no special reason to stay we head back to the room for a quiet evening. Tomorrow I will begin the quest to discover more attractions is this new province. Just reaching here is a win, win already, well almost. As we retire for an early night the music from the bar across the car park starts to become annoying. That means one more chore left for the day; to locate another room for I don't wish to stay here a second night.
Next Page.
KIO Hotel.......This morning I can add a bit more detail on KIO Hotel. Despite being a multi-story hotel, most of the accommodation is at the rear of the building on just one level. The convenience is that each room has its own integral parking space which of course is quite convenient. If I must find a fault it would be that the bed was a bit hard.
No fooling.......It's the 1st of April and I'm on no fool's errand as this is another day of travel that we can be quite relaxed about as our next planned destination is barely 4 hours away. Taking things step by step seems to be a better option learning the lessons from the long distances we travelled last year. Leaving before 10am I plan to continue where I left off last night as I head for Thannon Jira Junction railway station. This station is just a little further east than the main station in Nakhon Ratchasima. However, the result is pretty well the same as last night with only local services currently using the station. It should be remembered that most long-distance trains pass through this junction at night. Well, as far as the railway is concerned, I can put it to bed since there are no railway stations in the direction I'm heading. Instead, I have identified a location that could hardly be much different just 20 minutes away.
Sugar Palm Tree Tunnel.......Curious to know what a Palm Tree Tunnel is, I arrive to find a lotus pond ringed with tall sugar palm trees but apart from a few dogs there is no activity here whatsoever. I guess the only curious thing is that the large palm trees are lined each side of a path effectively creating the tunnel.
What is more curious about this visit is that it's within walking distance of Wat Phanon Wan, an ancient Khmer ruin no stranger to this site. I had no idea I was anywhere near it. Today there is no point in a further visit as it was visited late last year and for the second time at that. However, there is a plus here; an ancient ruin I never knew existed.
Noen Oraphim.......located just to the east of Prasat Phanom Wan, Noen Oraphim is a monument with a base constructed in a rectangular plan with the entrance to the east. According to a pediment fragment dated from the 10th-11th century, the function of a building was a resting place for the king preparing to pay homage at Prasat Phanom Wan.
On to Yasothon.......Now it's time to get some traveling done as we head back to the Mittraphap Road, Hwy 2. Now, Nakhon Ratchasima province is a huge province second only in size to Chiang Mai. Much of the driving today will still be in this province but eventually we have to turn off Hwy 2 and head east along Hwy 202. This road skirts three provinces; Buriram, Maha Sarakham and Roi-Et before we arrive at the final one. It's heading to be another straightforward day as we cross the border into Yasothon around 3pm. The fear we had about Yasothon was that being a small and rather sparsely populated province, we may have difficulty in finding suitable accommodation. However, before we left, we had secured a room at the Zen Hotel just outside of the town.
Yasothon, First Impressions....... Reaching our accommodation again proves remarkably easy and a 500 baht per night you can't complain. The only compromise I've had to make is that we need to take a room on the 2nd floor and there's no lift. We have plenty of time to have a late afternoon rest before going out to explore. What we are hoping to find is perhaps some street food as we did last night and head for the Chiam Lake where the main attraction is Wiman Phaya Tan which has now closed. We've drawn a blank and head back into town which apart from having some activity around the night market area is also quiet. Our early evening excursion has yielded little so we head back to the hotel where we know at least we can get some food at the bar opposite. While unexpected, this proves much more productive as we get to watch Manchester City versus Liverpool live. However, at halftime they start setting up the stage for live music: Not quite what I wanted. With no special reason to stay we head back to the room for a quiet evening. Tomorrow I will begin the quest to discover more attractions is this new province. Just reaching here is a win, win already, well almost. As we retire for an early night the music from the bar across the car park starts to become annoying. That means one more chore left for the day; to locate another room for I don't wish to stay here a second night.
Next Page.
Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Nakhon Ratchasima Railway Station,
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
Noen Oraphim, Ban Pho,
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District
Sugar Palm Tunnel, Ban Pho,
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District
Yasothon Province
Wiman Phaya Tan, Mueang Yasothon
Zen Pub, Mueang Yasothon