Laid-back Nan...and historic Sukhothai
Trip Start
Nov 08, 2008
1
4
20
Trip End
Jan 17, 2009
Bangkok,
Thailand
Sunday, November 23, 2008
By bus from Chiang Mai, I went to Nan, in the very eastern part of Northern Thailand. My friend Nine is from that region, so I was curious what it was like. As I did a bit of research, a couple of things drew my interest further: Wat Phumin, with its wall murals, and the Nan National Museum. What I was not prepared for was how easy-going and off-the-beaten-track Nan is. Westerners are a rare sight (I think I saw five in my three days and two nights there), and I was the source of much local curiosity as I wandered through a fascinating evening market on a side street across from the hotel where I stayed.
The first indication of the quiet nature of Nan was crossing streets in the morning on the way to Wat Phumin. I barely had to look both ways before stepping off the curb. Quite different from Chiang Mai.
Wat Phumin didn't disappoint. The central building holds four glittering Buddha statutes as its central shrine, and walls covered with a mural depicting elements of Buddhist cosmology, scenes of everyday life and early contact with Europeans. Scenes of Europeans (French) arriving are historically significant, and scenes of daily life, such as an older woman teaching a younger woman how to weave those wonderful Northern Thai textiles on a wooden loom and a cat watching a woman writing, are priceless glimpses into the culture of the time.
The Nan museum is quite a good regional showcase of history and life in the Nan province.
01. Buddha statues in Wat Phumin, Nan
I especially enjoyed a scale model of a typical wooden house that looked much like the house of the Akha family we stayed with. (No photos allowed in the museum, unfortunately.) Good explanations (in English and Thai) of several of the hill tribes in the region, too. Also on display were musical instruments and recordings of them, including a sa-lau, which my friend Nine plays, and its popular accompanying instrument, the banjo-like seung.Even though I had promised Nancy that I wouldn't visit Sukhothai without her, that ancient capital and home of the Thai written language was too convenient a stop on my journey south. Otherwise, it would have been something like an 11-hour bus ride. Sorry, Nancy. I hope you'll forgive me. We can see it together when you are here.
I spent a full day walking around the central site and out to a peaceful site to the north of the old city. Lots of photos. Also making the stop in Sukhothai enjoyable was the company of a small group of new friends from Canada and the U.S. Smart, interesting people.
In the museum at the old city was a black monolith (que the music from "2001") containing, among other significant events of the Sukhothai empire, the date that the written language was invented. Think of it. The year the language came into being (1293) etched in stone. The Thai version of the Rosetta Stone.
I was also struck by the sudden appearance and disappearance of Hindu culture during the peak of Sukhothai. The outlying temple we visited seemed inspired by Khmer culture.
The next day, our little group had to split up, three heading north to Chiang Mai, and two of us heading to Bangkok by luxurious private bus. (We snagged the upper deck front window row and watched the landscape roll toward us as if on a Cinerama screen.) The five-hour ride was quite pleasant, with a meal stop along the way. (We had intended to take the cheaper government bus, but a tout directed us to the Win Tour ticket window, and in the end we didn't object to the added creature comforts.)
So, here I am in a guest house on Khaosan Road in Bangkok, where all backpackers seem to end up eventually. Why fight the inevitable?
My plans remain extremely flexible, although my flight to Siem Reap to see Angkor and then on to Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) is fairly certain.
Comments
Happy trails!
Ron - What a wonderful trip so far...and your photos are GREAT! Love, Kristi