Day 6, 28 October - Nong Khai

Luke Warm....... Thankfully we both wake earlier this morning. The first thing I do is look out of a side window facing the Mekong River. I could tell it had been raining but to see a sea of mist allowing no view of the opposite bank I just wasn't expecting. For my part I slept well and with breakfast included here we can get on top of things and hopefully get a flying start. We go down for breakfast and there are three choices. I like the sound of the American Breakfast but when it arrives, I see it's just warmed up processed food the same as we normally buy from 7-Eleven. They do provide a poached egg, but I like mine sunny side up. Toast and some fruits are welcome but to be honest I'm quite disappointed. OK let's leave it here and concentrate on our visit list which I've carried forward from yesterday except that I've added two more before we even start.
Thai/Laos Friendship Bridge....... It's appropriate that I should include the Thai/Laos Friendship Bridge and Katoon tries to find a good viewpoint. However, this is not Mukdahan which has a convenient coastal road. Just a single track, no through road separates the river from riverside buildings.
This bridge over the Mekong was the first to be completed across and opened in 1994. It connects Nong Khai District with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos, the city of Vientiane being approximately 20 km (12 miles) from the bridge. With a length of 1,170 metres (0.73 miles), the bridge has two 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)-wide road lanes, two 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)-wide footpaths and a single 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3-8ths in) gauge railway line in the middle, straddling the narrow central reservation.
The searching around here has wasted time but I'm hoping the next location will be more productive.
Nong Khai Railway Station....... Nong Khai Railway Station is a terminal for trains arriving from Bangkok and other provinces. It's not expected to be busy at this time in the day but there are locomotives at the terminal. An overnight train for Bangkok attached to its locomotive waits for an evening departure while another is attached to empty freight wagons. A third as parked some distance from the station. This one appears to be out of action. Perhaps the most interesting locomotive is one that has just arrived from Thanaleng in Laos: There are two services per day, and this is one of them. The same locomotive will wait for the afternoon service. Overall, I'm quite pleased with what I record here. It's now back to the list.
Wat Phrathat Bangphuan....... It's unfortunate but there is one temple that we could have visited yesterday but ran out of time. Backtracking will take the best part of an hour. I'm hoping that there is more here than just a memorial to some famous monk.
Reaching Wat Phrathat Bangphuan, I'm immediately attracted to some seriously ancient ruins which I haven't seen so far in Nong Khai.
Wat Phrathat Bangphuan is an important temple located outside Nong Khai city, in Mueang District. It is an old pagoda containing a Lord Buddha image and has been a place of worship for Nong Khai people for a long time. The original Phrathat was built with burnt bricks in the Indian style, the same as Phra Pathom Chedi. It's home to the sacred Phrathat Bang Phuan and the Naga Mutchalinda, which is revered by many as a place where wishes can be fulfilled. The temple also contains many ancient structures, including a ruined temple, a stupa, an ancient pond and Buddha images.
There's something fishy about the next location which takes us back towards the city.
Nong Khai Aquarium....... Nong Khai Aquarium is located in the Khon Kaen University Complex. As well as on my general interest, I would like to know how this aquarium compares with other provincial ones. Well, my first impression is how large this one is compared to many others I've visited. The main tank is huge and there are dive shows twice per day.
Also known as the Sirindhorn Marine Life Museum, this popular marine life centre is where visitors can view hundreds of species of fish and marine wildlife. The Aquarium houses both salt and freshwater creatures, as well as acting as a research centre for fishing and marine studies. Set in an area of 3 rai and featuring 9 different groups of marine wildlife, the highlight of the aquarium is the 34-metre-long tunnel which connects the saltwater second floor and the freshwater first floor. Entry is 100 Baht. We now head for the city where there are quite a few attractions.
City Pillar Shrine....... Nearing the city we locate the pillar shrine (sa lak mueang) on the left of Hwy 233. The shrine represents 'good luck' and acts as a guardian for the good fortune of the city. The shrine is modern and in a peaceful shaded location.
Tha Sadet....... Tha Sadet is effectively the centre of town and very busy on this long weekend. Tha Sadet is the port for Local people crossing the Mekong River to The Dura in Laos. There is a market for Indo-Chinese and eastern European products, as well as the province's local goods.
This market, on the Mekong's banks, in Nong Khai municipality, was once the site of the Governor's house and was commonly known as the 'Governor's pier' in former times. Over the years, trade increased, and the area developed into a thriving market with goods from both Indochina and Eastern Europe on sale, including electrical appliances, clothing, and accessories. There is also a popular pedestrian zone and cycling route right down by the river where visitors come to enjoy the great views across the Mekong from the famous market. Today I don't have much time to enjoy the scene, just make a purchase and take some photographs.
Wat Lamduan and Naga Statue....... Just a little further east is the Naga Statue and Wat Lamduan. Wat Lamduan was built around 1549 by Abbot Phra Boon Khum. The large Buddha statue is built of reinforced concrete with a lap size of 9 metres and a height of 13 metres facing the Laos People's Democratic Republic and enshrined on the second floor of the temple. Another temple on my list is not far away.
Wat Pho Chai....... Luang Po Phra Sai in Wat Pho Chai, a large Lan Xang-era Buddha image awash with gold, bronze and precious stones, sits at the hub of Nong Khai's holiest temple. The head of the image is pure gold, the body is bronze and the ut-sa-nit (flame-shaped head ornament) is set with rubies. Due to the great number of miracles attributed to it, this royal temple is a mandatory stop for most visiting Thais.
Luang Po Phra Sai was one of three similar statues made for each of the daughters of Lao King Setthathirat, and they were taken as bounty after King Rama I sacked Vientiane in 1778. Only the statue here remains of the three. At least one other a thought to have disappeared under water in the Mekong.
Today is the eve of Ok Phan Sa, the end of Buddhist Lent and this has caused the faithful to flock here on this most holy of days. Typically, the monks are doing brisk business saving souls. Returning to the riverbank, there is one more temple to the east of the city.
Phrathat Klang Nam/Phrathat Nong Khai....... Phrathat Klang Nam or Phrathat Nong Khai is a sunken Chedi in the Mekong River near Nong Khai City while Phrathat Lanong is the stupa that everyone sees built on the riverbank but is a copy. The original, Phrathat Klang Nam is currently submerged in the Mekong River and only the tip is in view at low water. This doesn't stop people taken a boat to where the stupa is located.
There remains one more attraction to visit before we leave Nong Khai City district and it's one of the very few I've visited before but as that was before I started this website, I need to take some recent photos.
Sala Keoku....... Sala Keoku is a project unique in Thailand that began in Vientiane (Buddha Park), inspired and created by the late Bunleua Sulilat, a Shamen priest. Born in Nong Khai, Bunleua Sulilat left the Buddha Park sculpture project in Laos after the communist revolution in 1975 and began to work on Sala Keoku in 1978. The numerous large images in the park are both creative a thought provoking. Entry is 40 Baht.
We continue northeast but now quite late in the day we haven't booked accommodation and that could be an issue on this most important religious weekend.
Naga Fireballs Viewing Point....... We next arrive in the district of Phon Pisai where there is the Naga Fireballs Viewing Point. Here there is another Naga statue in a normally peaceful area on the Mekong riverbank but today it is teaming with activity and rehearsals for the Ok Phan Sa Festival here tomorrow. This ceremony represents the end of Buddhist Lent and on that subject, right behind us is Wat Chom Nang. Here, a golden Buddha image sits proudly on the temple roof while a shrine has been built below designed as a cavern.
The fireballs are most often reported around the night of Wan Ok Phansa in late-October. Naga fireballs have been reported over an approximately 250 km (160 mi) long section of the Mekong River centered approximately on Phon Phisai in Phon Phisai district. It's hard not to get caught up in the activity but we must move on but only as far as the International Buddhist Park where throngs are already congregating for the Fireballs Festival.
I cannot overestimate the sheer scale of activity that is happening in Thailand right now which is giving me a major logistical headache. Not even Songkran (Thai New Year) in April resulted in so much activity I feel. As I can't remember noting any issues in the past at this time of year, it is clearly uncharted territory or me. All I know is that given the scale of preparations here, tomorrow is going to be one mother of a party with street food vendors doing a roaring trade as well as every Buddhist temple which is what this is all about.
Caught Out....... I've clearly got things seriously wrong with the planning as you just cannot find a room for love nor money; calling forward brings the same answer, 'dtem ka' (full). It's now dusk and we resort to checking out every signboard we can find. Actually, there are rooms, but owners are aware of the situation and asking ridiculous prices e.g. 1,000 baht instead of 400. We are now close to the provincial border with Bueng Khan and there are no towns here. All the small villages have only bungalow type accommodation. Finally, we get success but have to compromise a lot. A 300-350-baht room is going for 500 baht, and we have no choice but to take it. It's pretty basic with not even a sink but there is electricity and water so we can self-cater. It actually has more worktop space than Poshtel too. Uthit Resort is nowhere near shops but there is a service station nearby if required but fortuitously, the food I bought at Tha Sadet will do for tonight and for breakfast tomorrow too.
Dtem Ka (full)....... There remains one important job to do. Having to jump through a big hoop today, we have to repeat it tomorrow. A second night of Ok Phan Sa celebrations demands that we must secure something tonight. Katoon frantically calls around with the perpetual response; dtem, dtem, dtem. There is just one cancellation at a hotel in Bueng Kan. It's 1,000 baht but not as proportionately higher than some, and breakfast is included. According to the reviews, it's still a good price but it's so far back that I can't remember paying this much for a room in Thailand.
As I close out the day, what I have achieved is remarkable given the limited time available. Nong Khai has been reasonably covered in hardly two days.
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