Day 17, Wednesday, 20th March - Dannok, Sadao

Mopping Up....... This morning I'm still making inroads into the chicken we bought yesterday without too much success. Today is expected to be awkward. There are a few locations still in Yala Province I'd like to check out, but they are not straightforward. From there I hope to add sites that I missed in a clamber to get to the last three provinces on my round Thailand list. That could also get messy.
We're away at least closer to 9.00 am rather than 10.00 and I hadn't planned anything more. However, I find myself at the railway station again only to find a delayed service so that doesn't work. Another attraction in the town also get our attention but having committed to a Yala exit this means backtracking to near the train station. So much for sticking to the script.
Wat Yala Thamaram....... Wat Yala Thamaram is a more recent construction and as there is no onsite or online information I'm scratching my head as to why we turned back. There have been so many Buddhist temples we've visited of this type which add nothing to my knowledge and the news gets worse as we find another. We're traveling west into the mountains and arrive at Wat Wongkot Banphot (Wat Ta Chi). This temple is at least in a pleasant location surrounded by hills and is a new build since finishing off is in progress. However, another long shot is further on and that 'further on' takes us briefly into Songkla Province.
Lata Hat Sai....... From the Thai name Lata Hat Sai suggests that there as a sandy beach here. However, there is a hard mountain pass to negotiate, and we end up in a Muslim village with no idea where this attraction is. There have been consistent internet drop-outs when we have been traveling in the mountains, so we have to ask locally. We end up traveling further than expected but seem to have found Lata Hat Sai. Maybe after the rains there is a beach here with sand brought down from the mountain. Right now though there is a gentle flow of water over some well weathered rocks that could be described as rapids. Really though there is little of interest here except for the views.
Khao Tho Sa Hea Mine Viewpoint....... We head back towards Yala and are directed to Khao Tho Sa Hea Mine Viewpoint. You never know what to expect when you find a new attraction where there is little information. The title doesn't help too much either. What there are here are depressions in the ground formed into attractive ponds. However, they are not natural and the clue is nearby where there is quarrying on a large scale. The ponds are the result of closed workings that have been given back to nature. Now for something more familiar.
Wat Lam Pha Ya....... Wat Lam Pha Ya lies to the north of Yala Province and close the the provincial border with Pattani. The attractive buildings here include the viharn (sermon hall) and mondrop as well as monks' quarters. This temple is dedicated to Luang Pho Krai a fellow disciple of Luang Phor Tuad.
With these remaining sites crossed off my list, so closes my chapter on Yala as we head into Pattani Province but only briefly. We stop for lunch at a restaurant, a grander type than we are used to while traveling. It's a type with a good choice on the menu, a place you would normally come in the evening to chill out. Well, the fish curry is just amazing.
Phong Phong Waterfall....... Not for the first time, reaching this waterfall typically means leaving the main road. While this is a repeat of many such ventures, my partner is still nervous about it. Back at the restaurant we weren't encouraged to go there. Nevertheless, I take a look. The Phong Phong Waterfall is two waterfalls in one as there is a break in the drop half-way down. Right now there is not enough water to make this waterfall spectacular but it surely must be after the rains. We continue north joining HWY 43 then west along the coast. This is an area I planned to visit earlier in the eastern part of Songkhla Province. Two beaches lie near the highway.
It should be a case of WOW, great to see the ocean again but while there is a long sandy beach stretching for miles along the coast, it is unattractive right now due to strong waves brought in by a stiff ocean breeze. There is no wide sandy beach here and the rather sad looking bamboo dining huts are deserted. In any case, as along most of this coastline the beach area are full of trash.
There are two beaches along the Pak Bang coastline, Soi Sawan and Sakom with the latter the more popular with some catering right now. There is nothing here to delay me though so let's try and wrap this up now with just a couple more attractions on my list.
Khuan Mak Hot Springs....... After quite a drive inland we arrive at Khuan Mak, an attractive water source with water dazzling from sun low to the west. However I'm looking for Khuan Mak Hot Springs in a location shown by the GPS but it's hard to see where the springs are. The only thing I can see is a small canal. There are indications that people come here beside the klong but there is no infrastructure here whatsoever so this spring will join others that won't spring to mind in the future.
There is only one attraction left on my list for today now but at the second opportunity a visit won't happen. We have lost too much time and the Khao Nam Khang Historical Tunnel will be closed by the time we arrive. However, it's still possible to fit it in on a third attempt.
We reach the border town on Dannok and my first impression is not favorable. Quite what I was expecting I don't know but here, so close to the border check-point all there seems to be are high-rise hotels, a series of tall boxes with no appeal at all. Well, it's too late to change things now. I must only concentrate on what I've come here for.
Sitit Grand View Hotel....... Sitit Grand View Hotel seems to be typical of the style here: Older hotel blocks that have been repeatedly upgraded. Once in the room however, settling in isn't too difficult and there are plenty of dining options nearby. What is unsettling though is music from the clubs in the area. Yes, there is plenty of entertainment for the Malays who come here for a a night out.
Today having completed the primary objective of completing a tour of Thailand's three most southern provinces, I should be in a jubilant mood but I'm not. My overpowering feeling is one of relief, it's been that difficult and stressful. I've promised myself never to take on such a challenging tour again but the point is this tour was to be the tour that ends all tours anyway.
Quite how formalities will go tomorrow is unclear but there won't be another night here as I book accommodation in Hat Yai.
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