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Day 19, Thursday 6 December
Incomplete……..As I wake, I get distracted by something in the news before I start working on my blog. With a lot of detail available from yesterday that I’d like to use, I’m not finished at a reasonable departure time. It’s the first time my blog is incomplete at the start of a new day on tour.
Mopping Up……...With an early start today, I could reach Bangkok by later afternoon but I decide to spread the return over two days. In effect that means completing half the return distance while adding more sites in a ‘mopping up’, exercise on the way. On the visit list is three sites but as I study the route, that becomes four.
Prasat Ku Kradon……..Prasat Ku Kradon in right in the town of Kaset Wisai near where we were late yesterday. This is my late addition having discovered it while planning my route back. As it’s easy to reach it will use up barely 20 minutes. As I arrive on site I’m not surprised that this sanctuary is yet another hospital or arokayasala built in the reign of Jayavaman VII (1188-1218), one of the 102 he ordered to be constructed.
The prasat stands alone without the usual laterite wall or even evidence of the pond that would have been here. Where the pond would have been in the northeast corner they have built a road leading me to believe that the pond was filled in and the wall demolished.
Incomplete……..As I wake, I get distracted by something in the news before I start working on my blog. With a lot of detail available from yesterday that I’d like to use, I’m not finished at a reasonable departure time. It’s the first time my blog is incomplete at the start of a new day on tour.
Mopping Up……...With an early start today, I could reach Bangkok by later afternoon but I decide to spread the return over two days. In effect that means completing half the return distance while adding more sites in a ‘mopping up’, exercise on the way. On the visit list is three sites but as I study the route, that becomes four.
Prasat Ku Kradon……..Prasat Ku Kradon in right in the town of Kaset Wisai near where we were late yesterday. This is my late addition having discovered it while planning my route back. As it’s easy to reach it will use up barely 20 minutes. As I arrive on site I’m not surprised that this sanctuary is yet another hospital or arokayasala built in the reign of Jayavaman VII (1188-1218), one of the 102 he ordered to be constructed.
The prasat stands alone without the usual laterite wall or even evidence of the pond that would have been here. Where the pond would have been in the northeast corner they have built a road leading me to believe that the pond was filled in and the wall demolished.
Prasat Ku Kradon, Kaset Wisai, Roi-Et Province
The building is situated on a rectangular high lotus base, facing east. There is a doorframe in the middle of the wall. In the west, there is a false gate with no window. The entrance gate is located at the front porch with 3 flights of stairs leading to it. Above the gate is a red sandstone lintel while the roof of the building is decorated with red sandstone crest with decorative elements. Two red sandstone lintels were found, one piece depicting the story of Ramakian or ‘Ramayana’, the other depicting a group of people sitting in a house shaped building of Baphoun art style. A massive amount of stone mortars and pestles were found near the Ku supporting the assumption that this was a hospital. Ku Kradon was officially registered as a national ancient monument in March 1935 while the area around it was determined in 1997 presumably after excavation.
Provincial Borders……..With the last site visit in Roi Et Province now complete, it’s time to make inroads into that distance to base. At 11.15am we cross the provincial border into Maha Sarakham and 30 minutes later we’re in Buriram Province once more. This route takes us on a section of road we used while driving from Phimai. When we were in Buriram, I realised we had missed an important site right in the north of this province. Our route now should take us straight to it: But first lunch at a roadside restaurant.
Khmer Art Styles……..Rather than inform when I mention Khmer art styles, I realise some may find this subject really confusing. For the purpose of my narrative and information recorded about Khmer sites in the region, it may help to list the styles and the periods they relate to.
Firstly the Khmer art found in Thailand is referred to as Angkorian art as opposed to earlier period art. The Angkorian Period is broken down into four time periods.
The first period from about 825 – 1010 covers a number of local art styles including Kulen, Koh Ker and Banteay Srei. The other three periods are Baphuon (1010 - 1080), Angkor Wat (1100 – 1175) and Bayon (late 12th /13th centuries). The latter period, including the reign of Jayavarman VII, occurred during the height of Khmer power and influence in central/lower Isan.
The post Angkorian period saw the gradual decline of the Khmer Empire with the Classic Angkorian period ending in 1327. There was no more classical building as the influence of Ayutthaya strengthened bringing with it Theravada Buddhism.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve found examples of sanctuaries of all these art styles with both Hindu and Buddhist influence. Of the four periods, examples of Angkor Wat art seem not so common in this region so finding such an example is most welcome.
Prasat Ku Suan Taeng……..Located near the town of Suan Taeng, Prasat Ku Suan Taeng is a Hindu sanctuary built in 12th century Angkor Wat style. The shrine built on a laterite base consists of three brick-built towers facing east on a single base aligned north-south. Each of the towers has a single front entrance with false doors on the remaining three sides. The main tower in the middle is the largest on a square plan with a porch at the front. Nearby are two brick libraries on laterite bases. The compound is surrounded by a moat. From an excavation in 1994 by the Fine Arts Department, a large number of artifacts were unearthed e.g. lintels depicting Nataraja – the dancing Shiva and the Churning of the Sea of Milk as well as sandstone antefixes depicting Dikpalaka, the direction of the Gods such as Indra on the Airavata elephant (God of the east) and Yama on a buffalo (God of the south).
Provincial Borders……..With the last site visit in Roi Et Province now complete, it’s time to make inroads into that distance to base. At 11.15am we cross the provincial border into Maha Sarakham and 30 minutes later we’re in Buriram Province once more. This route takes us on a section of road we used while driving from Phimai. When we were in Buriram, I realised we had missed an important site right in the north of this province. Our route now should take us straight to it: But first lunch at a roadside restaurant.
Khmer Art Styles……..Rather than inform when I mention Khmer art styles, I realise some may find this subject really confusing. For the purpose of my narrative and information recorded about Khmer sites in the region, it may help to list the styles and the periods they relate to.
Firstly the Khmer art found in Thailand is referred to as Angkorian art as opposed to earlier period art. The Angkorian Period is broken down into four time periods.
The first period from about 825 – 1010 covers a number of local art styles including Kulen, Koh Ker and Banteay Srei. The other three periods are Baphuon (1010 - 1080), Angkor Wat (1100 – 1175) and Bayon (late 12th /13th centuries). The latter period, including the reign of Jayavarman VII, occurred during the height of Khmer power and influence in central/lower Isan.
The post Angkorian period saw the gradual decline of the Khmer Empire with the Classic Angkorian period ending in 1327. There was no more classical building as the influence of Ayutthaya strengthened bringing with it Theravada Buddhism.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve found examples of sanctuaries of all these art styles with both Hindu and Buddhist influence. Of the four periods, examples of Angkor Wat art seem not so common in this region so finding such an example is most welcome.
Prasat Ku Suan Taeng……..Located near the town of Suan Taeng, Prasat Ku Suan Taeng is a Hindu sanctuary built in 12th century Angkor Wat style. The shrine built on a laterite base consists of three brick-built towers facing east on a single base aligned north-south. Each of the towers has a single front entrance with false doors on the remaining three sides. The main tower in the middle is the largest on a square plan with a porch at the front. Nearby are two brick libraries on laterite bases. The compound is surrounded by a moat. From an excavation in 1994 by the Fine Arts Department, a large number of artifacts were unearthed e.g. lintels depicting Nataraja – the dancing Shiva and the Churning of the Sea of Milk as well as sandstone antefixes depicting Dikpalaka, the direction of the Gods such as Indra on the Airavata elephant (God of the east) and Yama on a buffalo (God of the south).
Prasat Ku Suan Taeng, Ban Mai Chaiyaphot District, Buriram Province
With this site visit complete, it also means the last in Buriram province on this tour. From here it will take well over an hour before we reach the next site. Crossing the provincial border, we’re now in Nakhon Ratchasima province still heading west. Realising there are districts well in the north of this province which were too difficult to reach on the outward leg of this tour, I’m now heading there to visit another couple of sites.
Ban Prang Nakhon……..Now, well into the afternoon we locate Ban Prang Nakhon in Khlong Distict.
Prasat Ban Prang was built in the 11th century in Baphuon style but may have been completed early in the 12th century with Angkor Wat style influence. The sanctuary was built of sandstone and laterite. Presently just one sanctuary exists but it is believed there were two additional towers on the same single base aligned north – south. The monument is surrounded by a U-shaped moat, except at the eastern entrance. This sanctuary also contains another building of newer construction. This building seems to be an early example of a viharn or Hor phra, an assembly building for the followers of Theravada Buddhism that would become the dominant religion. This would have housed a Buddha image. The sanctuary was built from brick with the roof tiles probably made of wood. The Ban Prang Nakhon sanctuary was first registered as a national ancient monument in December 1954 and was visited by the King in 1983.
Ban Prang Nakhon……..Now, well into the afternoon we locate Ban Prang Nakhon in Khlong Distict.
Prasat Ban Prang was built in the 11th century in Baphuon style but may have been completed early in the 12th century with Angkor Wat style influence. The sanctuary was built of sandstone and laterite. Presently just one sanctuary exists but it is believed there were two additional towers on the same single base aligned north – south. The monument is surrounded by a U-shaped moat, except at the eastern entrance. This sanctuary also contains another building of newer construction. This building seems to be an early example of a viharn or Hor phra, an assembly building for the followers of Theravada Buddhism that would become the dominant religion. This would have housed a Buddha image. The sanctuary was built from brick with the roof tiles probably made of wood. The Ban Prang Nakhon sanctuary was first registered as a national ancient monument in December 1954 and was visited by the King in 1983.
Ban Prang Nakhon, Khlong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Four becomes Three……..While my head is still full of the wonders of classical Khmer monuments, Katoon has other issues on her mind and I’ve chosen to ignore her protestations that the car is still handling badly. Glancing around I can see nothing but as I return to the car from the lower level of the compound I can clearly see there is a section of the undertray hanging loose albeit not as serious as before during that rain-storm at the beginning of the tour. I can well see that this would not help the handling of the car. Katoon wants to get it fixed before we move on and that means cancelling the final site visit. According to the GPS locator, the next location, certainly not an ancient monument, closes at 5pm. It’s still an hour and a half away in another district, so vast is Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
Ban Prang Lake……..Heading back to the main highway we pass the picturesque Ban Prang Lake where I cannot resist a stop to take photos. The lotus filled lake has been developed by the community as a recreation area. Here they’ve constructed a bamboo walkway across the lake with a viewpoint along its length. It a wonderful place to just sit out, buy some food and just relax but for us it’s the right place but the wrong time right now.
Ban Prang Lake……..Heading back to the main highway we pass the picturesque Ban Prang Lake where I cannot resist a stop to take photos. The lotus filled lake has been developed by the community as a recreation area. Here they’ve constructed a bamboo walkway across the lake with a viewpoint along its length. It a wonderful place to just sit out, buy some food and just relax but for us it’s the right place but the wrong time right now.
Ban Prang Lake, Khlong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Running Repairs……..On the main road Katoon make enquiries: It only really needs a mechanic with a jack and we soon find one. Well aware that there is no B Quick or similar in the area, it really doesn’t matter since it's not an expensive job. After some work, the mechanic is satisfied and accepts a token 200 baht. Clearly the cost is not an issue but the loss of time, nearly 1 hour maybe, is. We’ve still enough time to reach the final destination but that site visit there won’t happen now till morning.
Dan Khun Thot……..Pressing on we reach an intersection and the GPS locator tell us to turn right while the signage shows that we need to carry on straight. While I cannot explain the discrepancy at the present time I should let Katoon carry on and stop winging. Really common sense should dictate and where there are local signs the GPS locator should be ignored. When we are closer to Dan Khun Thot, I realise that I have typed in the name of a town nearby which may be closer to that final site but being in the general area now, it won’t make much difference. However there’s been that issue with the car today and it’s not the only issue.
Dehydration……..As we approach Dan Khun Thot I begin to shiver and shake. Over the last week the temperature has steadily risen again with wall to wall sunshine. Despite a lot of time spent in the car, I cannot avoid being exposed to the sun when visiting the monuments. I have to be fortunate that we are near a town that must have choice of accommodation but where? Katoon employs the more reliable method of asking in the town and we’re directed to one referred to as ‘the best’. Pattana Resort is located to the south of the town not far from the Highway 201 intersection but at 800 baht it would be the most I’ve paid on this tour. While my condition persists, all I want is a bed. Luxury won’t address my symptoms. Fortunately, just 200 kilometres further along the 201 is Yot Resort and yes it has a bed and everything else I need at the moment.
Dan Khun Thot……..Pressing on we reach an intersection and the GPS locator tell us to turn right while the signage shows that we need to carry on straight. While I cannot explain the discrepancy at the present time I should let Katoon carry on and stop winging. Really common sense should dictate and where there are local signs the GPS locator should be ignored. When we are closer to Dan Khun Thot, I realise that I have typed in the name of a town nearby which may be closer to that final site but being in the general area now, it won’t make much difference. However there’s been that issue with the car today and it’s not the only issue.
Dehydration……..As we approach Dan Khun Thot I begin to shiver and shake. Over the last week the temperature has steadily risen again with wall to wall sunshine. Despite a lot of time spent in the car, I cannot avoid being exposed to the sun when visiting the monuments. I have to be fortunate that we are near a town that must have choice of accommodation but where? Katoon employs the more reliable method of asking in the town and we’re directed to one referred to as ‘the best’. Pattana Resort is located to the south of the town not far from the Highway 201 intersection but at 800 baht it would be the most I’ve paid on this tour. While my condition persists, all I want is a bed. Luxury won’t address my symptoms. Fortunately, just 200 kilometres further along the 201 is Yot Resort and yes it has a bed and everything else I need at the moment.
Yot Resort and Wind Turbines (right), Dan Khun Thot, Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Yot Resort……..Still shivering and shaking and red in the face, while dragging as much as I can out of the car, my first priority is to get some liquids down. Two bottles of water from the fridge are consumed before Katoon arrives with more liquids and snacks. By this time, I’m under the blankets with as much else as I can find to pack around me. Within an hour the initial symptoms recede but I’m off food. Katoon raids the medical chest she keeps and finds something to settle things down. When time for sleep, I’m feeling weak but otherwise the initial symptoms have receded. Inevitably my blog is now nowhere near up to date and there is a question mark as to how things will work out tomorrow. Next Page.