Day 14, 22nd February - Lamphun

Phrao Secrets....... Today I hope to put in a full day's traveling after the delay caused by what seemed to be food poisoning yesterday. However, I'm still not 100 percent so will hope for the best. This will almost certainly be our last day in Chiang Mai Province and I'm still hoping to return to Bangkok over the weekend. Phrao has been the fifth district in the province that we've covered and I'm about to add a sixth. If successful I will have completed a huge chunk of Chiang Mai's northern districts which is what I came here for.
I have to admit that Phrao was a wildcard compared to the others. I chose it because the geography interested me. It is located in a broad valley totally ringed by mountains with the impressive Srilanna National park to the west. Yesterday I stumbled on something which made me think that this was an important site in early Lanna history in which case I'm glad to have been here. We make a start by heading south without considering further stops in this district. Well, that was the plan.
Wat Doi Mae Pang....... Wat Doi Mae Pang is located at Mae Pang on the left-hand side of HWY 1001 heading south. It occupies a ridge on a low hill. From the entrance to the mondrop memorial it is 600 metres, the way lined with various wooden buildings. Despite the fact that these are labeled in English, I need more information about the monk who established the temple here and in whose honor so much has lavishingly been spent. The following is from the Wikipedia open source:
'Local legends say that the road 1001 was built due to Luang Por Waen Sujinno. Legend tells of this monk meditating and floating hundreds of feet into the air. He was seen by helicopter by the King (some say a soldier not a King) and the King was so astonished he realised a road must be built to this holy place as well as to Phrao. The locals have variations of this tale but any tourists in the area will hear this as the reason for Road 1001 being built.
The temple's greatest claim to fame is that it was the home to Luang Por Waen Sujinno, the famous and revered monk, from 1962 until his death in 1985. Many of the buildings are of wooden construction, including the viharn and a hermit's cell called Rong Yang Giled or Rong Fai. Relics of Luang Por Waen Sujinno include his dwelling hut, a picture in the pavilion that shows him meditating, and a square-shaped, spire-roofed museum with his ashes, a wax model of the monk, and his personal effects.'
Those who come here have to walk to the mondrop museum which is an outstanding piece of architecture in its own right. The building includes the wax figure of Luang Por Waen Sujinno, the first of its kind produced by Madame Tussauds in London. A visit here is thought-provoking asking why this man should live such a poor life but to receive such honor in death. May that be an example to many of our world leaders today.
Breaking New Ground....... We must make some progress now but it's not an easy route around the mountains to our next destination, and we need to drive down to the edge of Chiang Mai before we can continue. The route takes us along HWY 118 towards Chiang Rai, the route we took last weekend. Turning off highway 118 we head to our first attraction.
Doi Saket Hot Spring....... Doi Saket Hot Spring is in the district of that name, a district I've visited before. It wasn't that long ago my partner visited this area with friends and located San Kamphaeng Hot Springs. This is a much grander affair with lovely gardens and a variety of shops but there is a entrance fee of 100 baht. At Doi Saket Hot Spring there is no entrance fee, you just pay for what you use which is the way I like it. Unlike the previous hot spring I visited, there are shops here too, and we purchase items including a basket of eggs. Yes eggs! These we can cook in the hot spring, now that's a first. We now head for the main attraction of the day and into a new district.
Teen Tok Royal Project Development Centre....... I am no stranger to Royal Projects, and I was expecting something grand here too but this is just an outlet for local products albeit set up by Royal Decree. In keeping with the ambiance of the rest of the valley you can sit beside the stream amongst luscious vegetation with a local coffee.
Mae Kamphong Village....... Mae Kampong Village is located in Mae On District and contains one of the most picturesque valleys in the north of Thailand located near the border with Lampang Province. However, the valley is narrow with a small stream, a tributary of the Mae Lai. The village is a popular tourist attraction mainly consisting of wooden buildings which blend in with the surroundings. These buildings have been embellished in such a way as to make them attractive to tourists and add character. During busy times you have to park your car at the entrance to the village and take a songtheaw (pick-up truck) through the village. Today it's quieter, and we can pass through the main attraction, the famous Walking Street were all the shops are and on past the restaurants, coffee shops and resorts that many are eager to enjoy. Nevertheless, at some point we have to stop the car and park up as there are no more parking spaces beyond. This is no issue however, as we can take the songtheaw from here the short distance up to the Mae Kamphong Waterfall for just 20 baht. This makes good sense as we can walk back down to the starting point and take some amazing photographs. With some hindsight, we could have done the same from Walking Street.
Excellent News....... Throughout my travels in Thailand there have been some amazing standout moments but this day is about to make history. While at the waterfall, my dear Katoon receives a message we've been waiting for for more than two weeks and thinking about it, for 8 years. We get news that at the third attempt Katoon will be able to travel with me to the UK. While this needs a lot of planning and thought, we must wind down this tour first but the news will take a while to sink in.
We head back down the valley and things become clearer. After the day's activities thus far, the options have narrowed as to where we should spend the night. Time wise a good option is to head for Lamphun where we were 12 days ago. That gives us a bit more time to work with and I'm trying to visit one more attraction.
Tham Muang On....... I've selected Tham Muang On due to the reviews I've seen. There are some steps to negotiate but I don't know the size of the problem till I get there. It won't need much of a detour. Arriving at Tham Muang On I consider that 187 steps is an issue but not impossible. Feeling a bit better I decide to take it on. At the top of the concrete steps I look around wondering where the cave entrance is. I'm then directed to a doorway. A doorway to a cave right? That's different! Peering through the doorway I see a cave entrance that couldn't be more different from Tham Luang in Chiang Rai. The entrance is less than 10 feet wide, then there's the drop which is almost vertical. A metal open-tread staircase leads to the base through the narrow entrance which is inclined about 70 degrees. It looks stable enough to me but I'm not. The drop is too great and besides the cave door will be locked soon. It's a disappointment the likes of which I have to get used to. We now set our course for Lamphun which is less than an hour away.
Return to Easy Hotel 1....... Regarding accommodation, Katoon is ahead of me this time and has already selected Easy Hotel 1 where we checked in on that fateful evening when the were no tickets for the Lamphun Warriors v Buriram United game nearly two weeks ago. With regards to this hotel there is nothing more to add. We wouldn't be heading here if not satisfied with our first visit.
This first day of the third week of this tour has been all good so far but as I write these notes that all ends. I've managed almost all day so far without diarrhea but an indication of its return was evident at Mae Kampong. As soon as I reach Easy Hotel it's off again and continues into the sleep period. I'm bewildered: I've eaten and drank very little in 48 hours. All I can say is that the tour is effectively over but it's a long way back to Bangkok.
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