Day 10 - Thursday 27 November 2014, Pua

Moving on.....It's another new day in Nan and day 10 of this tour, but the routine is the same. It's important I keep my blog as up to date as possible while everything is fresh in my mind and allow time for breakfast. With my laundry now dry I can start packing and move on. In all honesty the accommodation here hasn't been the most comfortable and gets shuffled to the bottom of the pack. There's no pressure to go very far today, but I'm packed and ready by 10 am. My plan for today is to add more sites in and around Nan. By mid-afternoon, this should be complete.
Ban Bo Suak Historical Sites.....My starting point is route 101 south out of the city. There is a loop tour of 45 kilometres to the southwest which looks interesting. I'm soon heading around the loop and arrive at Doi Phu Village. In the temple grounds is a small museum dedicated to the history of the community, but it is closed. Katoon makes enquiries and establishes that they intend to construct a new building in front of the temple but so far nothing has been done. Ok we'll move on to the next site.
From here I try to follow the guide map, but the road signs are confusing. The area is riddled with local roads and tracks. Initially I am disappointed when I reach one of the ancient kiln sites. Apart from a sign board and a building which has long been abandoned, there is nothing here. The building is in a sorry state internally despite some examples from the kiln site on display. Clearly local people including schoolchildren have gone to a lot of trouble in the past to recover the pottery, so I'm confused. It seems a lot more research and effort is needed here but that requires funding. As I make my way round the loop other sites are signposted till eventually I find a site that provides me with some material I can work with. The history of the area is revealed on an information board which also refers to a former patron of Chinese origin. A small enclosed pit shows where finds have been excavated. I understand that these finds are at least 600 years old. In terms of archaeology that's not that old so perhaps that explains an apparent lack of interest here. At a crossroads in the village of Ban Bao Suak nearby I stop at a more recent kiln. It is currently producing pottery for souvenirs. As I head on round the loop there doesn't appear much else of interest. However this excursion has occupied nearly two hours and its gone midday. There should be one more temple before the loop ends, but I take a wrong turn and find myself back on the Phrayao Road where the motel is that I just left. However that allows me to regain my bearings and visit another temple, one of three I planned to visit today.
More temples.....Wat Sri Pan Ton, located in the city is conspicuous, beautifully decorated entirely in gold. It is a relatively new structure. Next I head back south along the 101 retracing my steps earlier. Just a short distance from the highway is Wat Praya Wat. This temple was built during the height of Lanna influence and this is reflected in its architecture. I am fascinated by the endeavors of a young couple, clearly skilled artists, painstakingly restoring the base of the Buddha image in the viharn. I've overshot my lunch window and head back into the city where I'm looking for the old city wall. Not quite sure where it is, I break for lunch, a simple green curry will suffice then learn the wall is just around the corner. I can walk there and along a fair stretch of wall that I could not cover by car. There is one more temple to cover on the northern edge of the city, but first I need to fill the tank with fuel. This time it's just over the 1,000 baht. Just a few minutes away, is Wat Suan Tan. Supposedly established in 1456, Wat Suan Tan (Palm Grove Monastery) comprises an interesting stupa from the 15th century and a heavily restored viharn containing Phra Chao Thong Thipun. This is the last temple on my list in Nan, the ninth but not least. It's time to exit the city and head further north. It's 2.30pm. Directly north of Nan province is the Laotian border, but I don't intend to get that far. By 3.30pm I'm in the northern town of Pua.
Rimdoi Resort.....Pua is located on route 101 and all the town's activities seem to be located along this highway. It shouldn't be difficult to find a room here but it does seem to take longer than normal as most of the resorts are tucked away off the main highway. I squeeze down an unmade road a little unsure what I will find. As I pass through the gate a small group of cabins is just about visible. By the time I've checked at reception and had a look around I realise I've found is a little gem here. Hardly full, Im ushered to one of only two cabins with a view across the valley. At 300 baht/night you would think there would be some compromise on comfort: Not a bit of it. There's even a hot water dispenser in the room with free coffee. I pay for two nights. That will pay for the dispenser. Just amazing!
Living like a King.....For dinner, I need to head back into town. Almost immediately there is a restaurant serving 'moo ghata'. I really don't need another one but as I look around there are only noodle shops. I'm happy for anything different right now and decide to try an up market restaurant on the outskirts of town. I'm not bothered about the cost and extract from the car a bottle of Bordeaux red. They will probably charge me corkage but as I order two specialty dishes, one prawn, one fish, I just feel I'm living like a King. The waiters/waitresses are so attentive, this is just luxury I'm not used to. As if to reinforce the status of this place there is something odd going on as I'm shepherded away to a quieter corner of the restaurant. A number of passenger vans arrive with a police escort. Very soon the restaurant is filled with uniformed personnel. Judging by the various uniform types represented I'm sure this is not just a local affair. I conclude that this is a meeting of top brass from various services. Well not quite right! Later I'm told that this is all in support from government representatives who often pay visits inspecting and reviewing various government projects to support local people. The Royal Household in Thailand is well known for its support, but it cannot be everywhere at once hence these high profile visits.
All of this is happening while I enjoy a most interesting and tasty dinner washed down with Bordeaux red. Better not drink too much of it though. As for the bill it's equally amazing: They didn't even charge for corkage. What a wonderful end to a wonderful day to a wonderful tour so far.
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