Day 8, Thursday 7 February 2013 - Mae Sariang

Another orange bus..... After I've been to the market for something to have with my coffee I need to return the motorbike. I'm hoping to be at the bus terminal by 10.30 am. I'm now back to my original plan which went off course with my unscheduled two-day stop in Pai. One day has been recovered after my planned four-night stay in Mae Hong Son was reduced to three. The other day may simply be tacked on the end. Somewhat surprisingly I'm well within my budget and this tour could be extended to 11 or 12 days but right now I'm heading back south, first stop Mae Sariang. The lady at Jongkhem Place orders transport and I'm soon in the bus terminal. I'm expecting the departure of an air-conditioned bus for the 4-hour trip south but all I see is an orange bus albeit a long wheelbase version similar to the one that brought me here. Well, this older style vehicle does apparently have air conditioning and if I want to depart now this is the only one for a while. The more modern tour buses don't depart until the afternoon on the long-haul 16-hour journey to Bangkok via Chiang Mai. As I climb onboard, thankfully the bus is nowhere near full and it’s soon on its way along the 108 the direction of Mae Sariang. The journey through the mountains this time is less of a challenge and with a feeling of anti-climax I manage to get some sleep.
Pangsariang..... On arriving at a small square in Mae Sariang which serves as the bus station, I'm directed to the riverside, one block away where a few guesthouses and hotels are located. I'm looking for a guesthouse named Salawan after a river in the area, but nobody seems to know where it is so it's back to drawing board. I inquire at the Riverside Resort set back near the river Yuam which is out of my price-range but immediately in front of that is an older style guesthouse that doesn't appear too inviting, but I'm offered this well below budget. It actually ticks my boxes except two which are really non-essential to me. The room is fan only and there is no refrigerator otherwise the hot shower, en-suit bathroom, TV and Wi-Fi are all I need. This family run guesthouse also has a coffee shop and space outside for a couple of tables and to warm take-away food. It is also popular with the children who come for ice-cream. It will be fine as a stopover. Finally, I crack the mystery of Salawan Guesthouse. This is it! They've changed the name.
Mae Sariang..... Arriving in mid afternoon I still have time to wander around this small town. Given its size it is well represented with temples in Burmese and Thai Yai style. Despite its modest size, there are still activities for tourists, including trekking in Salawin and Mae Ngao National Parks, rafting and even off-road biking. Add these to the temples, rivers and waterfalls and there is ample reason to spend awhile here. The few temples I visit are:-
Wat Chong Sung (Wat Uttayarnyom)..... Wat Chong Sung features two white Mon-style pagodas along with a very beautiful Burmese-style wiharn.
Wat Mandalay..... Wat Mandalay also features strong Burmese influences with most if the inscriptions in Burmese.
Wat Sri Boonruang..... Wat Sri Boonruang is opposite Wat Mandalay and features a beautiful Shan-style wiharn with superb wood carving. This temple also has a mural painting of Lord Buddha's life. The viharn contains a large Buddha image in Thai Yai style but in front of this has recently been added a jade Buddha image from Myanmar.
Wat Suwannarangsri (formerly Wat Jongkham)..... Wat Suwannarangsri is a working temple near the river and a training school for young monks. There is a platform here offering excellent views across the river Yuam with a beautiful sunset around 6 pm. With the cool of the evening approaching an aerobics class begins.
This just scratches the surface here in Mae Sariang. For the evening meal I stay at the guesthouse, Thai food cooked by the family. However, this was unlikely to be the cause of a bout of diarrhea I had that night.
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