Day 2, Saturday 6 April, Nong Nam Deang

Lacking Common Sense....... Travelling around Thailand on a budget means I don't expect perfection at any resort, hotel or apartment but I do require feeling settled. You would think that this is a basic requirement in any situation but so many times accommodation fails to please me and not because I'm particularly fussy. I just need the builders to apply some common sense. A case in point is here at Diva Garden Resort. The rooms here are large so why would you make it so if you don't intend to fill it with useful furnishings. Then you don't need a builder to tell that if you have a completely blank wall then that would be the obvious wall to put your bed. Well, they could do that if some idiot hadn't put an essential power point right in the middle of the wall leaving so much empty space and difficulty for me to get to the bathroom at night squashed up against a wall. It also wasn't the best night's sleep as I wasn't happy with the air conditioning too. I did manage to get my blog done though sitting on edge of the bed.
Burapha Prachaphakdi Park....... As we get ready to leave I can forget all about this, reset and move on. That in itself makes me feel better so what exactly is the plan for today? My idea is to continue where we left off yesterday but Katoon argues there are a number of attractions in this area we need to visit. This wasn't supposed to be a tour. We head into Prachin Buri once more where something catches my eye at the Naresuan Shrine Roundabout. Here is the Burapha Prachaphakdi Park near the HQ of the Thai Army's 2nd Infantry Regiment, and they have on display some vintage military equipment. That wasn't on Katoon's visit list but the next certainly is.
Khao Ito Forest Park....... Khao Ito Forest Park lies close to the city but contains a number of natural attractions for which I have to pay 100 baht. I should be relieved though that all the attractions on the list are in this park.
Khai Chakkaphong....... Khai Chakkaphong is a small but pleasant lake that you reach near the entrance to the park. There are cabins here for rent but the cheapest option by far is to bring your own tent and set it up by the lakeside for 20 baht. The next location is not far away to the west.
Pha Hin Soan Viewpoint....... Khao Ito is not that high but the cliff at Pha Hin Soan viewpoint has enough elevation to provide nice views. Pha Hin Soen in Thai means 'fractured stone cliff'.
Khao Ito Viewpoint....... The Khao Eto Viewpoint is at the furthest point you can reach in the park at maximum elevation. A short walk takes you to a pavilion and the view of Khao Yai is remarkable emphasising just how grand this mountain range is. The only drawback at this time of year is the heat haze.
Amazing Mound....... Reaching the Amazing Mount I can't see anything here. It's just a road through the forest. Apparently there is something mysterious about it though. If you stop the car and switch off the engine, the car will move all by itself. Katoon stops to give it a go but I don't see us reaching the next attraction anytime soon this way.
Buddha Tavaravadi Sriprachin Sirinthorn Lokanart....... Phra Buddha Dharavati Sri Prachin Sirindhorn Lokkanat (Sheltered by a Naga Hood) is a sacred Buddha statue located in the park. It was built in a unique art form and is considered to be a replica of the oldest Buddha statue in Siam dating back to the Dvaravati period. The grand Buddha sheltered by Naga hood is highly respected by the locals and visitors to Prachin Buri. The name means the ascendant Buddha of Dharavati. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn established the Buddha statue to commemorate her 60th Birthday on April 2, 2015. It is considered the largest Buddha statue sheltered by a Naga hood in Thailand.
Khao Ito Forest Park is an attractive park and this weekend an added attraction is a mountain bike contest and today is the practice session. Good luck to all the contestants in this heat!
We seemed to have now covered the most important attractions in the park, although there is a waterfall but practically dry and not worth a visit. However, there is a small waterfall just outside the park for children who want to play in the water and others who just want to picnic. For us it's lunchtime and progress on land searches is non existent so far.
Awkward Choice....... We now have to reach the opposite side of the mighty Khao Yai Mountain Range. There are two option either to travel through the park itself or make the long trip around to the west. There is not a lot of time difference between them and Katoon favours the shorter route. The one issue I have is that the shorter route takes you to the park check-point. My partner thinks that as we are in transit there is no fee to pay but that turns out to be wrong. A 400 baht entrance fee which the GPS says is a toll is just crazy. I just can't bring myself to pay for something I'm not using but the alternative is almost as painful. We have come too far to the edge of the park and from here it's a huge detour taking us almost as far as Saraburi. Committed to this I'm shocked how long it takes, almost 3 hours. This means in terms of what I've come here for, the day is a write-off. Moving into late afternoon all we can do now is find our accommodation.
Secret Cliff Khaoyai....... The GPS navigation to Secret Cliff Khaoyai is clear enough but you must enter through a gate and register at the guard post. The gate gives you no idea that this accommodation is located here as a different name appears on the arch. After some confusion we check-in and are warmly welcomed. This is a strange place with multiple types of boutique accommodation. Having booked online, I'm not clear what type I've booked but clearly the cheapest. When we get the key I'm rather surprised to have the key to a train. Yes, really! Designed as a train we have a cabin and that is cute. My only concern is that the room will be small. However, while that proves correct, they've sure made use of the space with sensible layout and furnishings. I would call it cozy and have no reservations as I did last night. One bonus is that breakfast is included and brought to the cabin at a time of your choice. Breakfast in bed WOW!
Accepting things as they are we drive into Wang Kaset village where we know there is a Saturday market. That gives us a number of options but for dinner is has to be the Korean BBQ in the village, and we sure make a meal of it.
Tomorrow we head back to Bangkok but I can't afford to get distracted again. We must get more land searches done.
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