Friday 14 March 2014

Civilisation (continued from Laos tour)……..Safely back on the bus at Thai Immigration there are only two possible destinations for its passengers; Nong Khai or Udon Thani. The bus heads first for the bus station in Nong Khai. This is fine for passengers wishing to stay in Nong Khai but for those heading for Bangkok it would have been better to continue to Udon Thani where there are better transport options including regular flights from the airport there. But few passengers take that option. Once on the road out of Nong Khai the stark contrast in road conditions could not be more obvious. It starts with a 3-lane highway no 2 (AH 12). This will reduce to two lanes at least all the way the Bangkok. OK there will be no more mountains except where the highway descends into the delta from the Korat Plateau. I have no other words for it than to admit that I’m back in the 21st century.
Phone a friend…….On my last visit to Udon Thani in 2011 I engaged some help via a friend in Bangkok and it seemed that I could use this contact again. When I made contact he was happy to collect me from the bus station but not with my plans for the following day as he was booked to attend a wedding. However other arrangements were made for me. It only remained for me to find accommodation which I insisted must be close to transport links.
UD Residence…….It didn’t take long to locate an apartment near the train station. Despite being just a little over what I thought I would pay here I book for two nights having to admit this is the most luxurious room I’ve had for a very long time making the contrast between my accommodation in Laos all the more surprising. Suitably refreshed I go out in the evening for what Thais call ‘moo yang goolee’ and this Korean style buffet grill is just incredible. All the pent-up feelings of deprivation build up over the last couple of weeks disappear in an instant as I gorge myself senseless. This is living not just existing!

Saturday 15th March 2014

Crescendo…….If you thought this tour would end with a whimper you’d be wrong. Sites of historical importance have featured strongly on this website and today I’m about to visit the most significant site in northeast Thailand but first some breakfast and after a free coffee in reception I’m off to get a dish known as ‘khai ghata’, meat and vegetables cooked with egg in a hot pan; ridiculously cheap as well! I’m collected from the residence at 9am and head off east for about 50 kilometres.
Ban Chiang…….It may not be a name that rolls off the tongue but Ban Chiang is only one of five World Heritage Sites in Thailand classified by UNESCO for its historical significance and the only one I’ve never visited. Today I will put that right and what I will find at the site is well beyond what I imagined and fully deserves its status. Also put to rights is the fact that this location was carried forward from a planned visit last year so that in the grand scheme of things the second half of my current visit to the Far East hasn’t gone badly at all. As I arrive at the site what strikes me immediately is the amount of thought gone into layout of the visitor centre and grounds. As I venture into the museum itself the whole thing springs to life with excellent presentation of what has been discovered here of the last 50 years. These discoveries are the result of painstaking archeological research of the type familiar to me by the Time Team programs back home except there is a huge difference in scale. What has been uncovered here is evidence of a civilisation that has turned traditional thinking on its head. The results of excavations have confirmed that the site dates back over 5,000 years making it arguably the earliest civilisation known to man and in the most unlikely of places. With the exhibition halls set out in a visitor friendly way around a dig site and expertly catalogued exhibits, it’s more than enough to stir the imagination. Just a short distance from the museum is Wat Pho Sri Nai Archaeological Excavation Pit which should not be missed. Given the importance of this location, of course I will include it among my featured sites. However while Ban Chiang has stolen the limelight it is becoming more and more obvious that Ban Chiang Historical Site may just be the tip of the iceberg. A vast area of Thailand’s northeast is yielding similar sites, the implication of which is beyond our understanding at this present time.
Thai Puan…….Interestingly there is another exhibition hall attached to the museum and normally I would not give it my full attention as it relates to the culture of the people who presently live here. However by sheer coincidence there is an important connection between these peoples known as Thai Puan and the Puan civilisation that existed in Xieng Kouang Province where I was based not so long ago. It seems they were driven south by invaders in the 18th century. The hall contains exhibits that were and of a type still used in daily life together with an insight into religious beliefs.
Understandably I’ve spent far longer here than I imagined at Ban Chiang. Three hours would not be too long at this site. It’s time to head back and my guide breaks for some lunch. My afternoon’s planned rest seems as if it won’t last that long.
On the right tracks…….Still in awe of what I’ve seen today I venture out in late afternoon on more familiar business. Yes, it’s been so conspicuous to me by its absence but a visit to the train station is long overdue but I’m not there to buy a ticket. My journey back to Bangkok tomorrow is already secured. I will travel by tour bus departing at 10.30am. Initially there is no activity at the station; it’s too early and I head back to UD to write my blog. However I need something for dinner and head back to the station where departures for the overnight trains to Bangkok are imminent. It’s been a great day today and I’m rightly relieved to end this tour on a high. It’s just a snack dinner before I turn in.

Sunday 16 March 2014

Convenient…….Despite no need to wake early, I decide to wander down to the train station to observe the early traffic. It’s just a five minute walk. In fact I can’t remember accommodation being so convenient as it’s a similar distance to the bus station where the Chan Tour bus I will be taking to Bangkok departs from. I head back to UD with something for breakfast. It should be a straightforward day shouldn’t it? The first sign that this is going to be one of those days is when I notice infection returning to the back of my right leg and I note that the medication I've been taking ran out three days ago. As I make preparations to leave for Bangkok there’s more bad news from Villa Park as I check the results.
Udon Thani to Bangkok…….The Chan Tour VIP bus is a good service but it’s also a very long one. Ordinarily it’s not a difficult trip and I’ve secured a front seat on the upper deck but this trip is not that exciting for the most part and I manage to get some sleep. However it’s becoming clear that the infection is spreading. Into the afternoon I feel a fever coming on and although I’m fortunate that I’m heading for Bangkok the next few hours will be uncomfortable. As It turns out I have a hospital appointment on Tuesday but it’s becoming obvious I can’t wait that long. Progress today into the metropolis is very slow at the end of the weekend, all very frustrating so I’m going to have to short cut it by getting off at Rangsit and take a taxi. This is familiar territory now as I drop off my bags and head off to Nopparat Hospital. Again I arrive too late for doctors to be available to prescribe medicines in general surgery so I’m passed again to casualty. This department is really busy but it’s reassuring to find I’m not fast tracked as my case is not so urgent. However after a blood test I’m prepared for intravenous injection. The good news is that I will be discharged after this but even so it is midnight before I get back. On this occasion I’m lucky but of course these repeated episodes have far reaching implications and will figure prominently when I review my recent tours.