A bit of a ride in northern Thailand, part two

Be sure to check out the first part of this road trip if you haven’t already! 

After a restful night in Phayao broken only by the regular cacophony of roosters, traffic and a painfully malfunctioning fridge, Lauren, Stuart and I eased our respective backsides onto our scooters and hit the road again.  It was time for temples.

Day 3:  Phayao to Phu Lang Ka

Like most towns of any size in northern Thailand, Phayao has a good collection of wats dotted around.  Even for someone with a relatively low temple tolerance like me, these ones were surprisingly interesting.  If your children have been playing up recently and you’d like to scare them into submission, for instance, a trip to Wat Sri Khom Kham should feature highly on your travel itinerary.

Looking at statues like this makes for a perfect family bonding experience, right?

Depicting Buddhist notions of heaven and hell, the sculpture garden doesn’t exactly tone things down for delicate sensibilities.  Fortunately it didn’t take long to wander round the small park, so we were able to leave before sinners like me had our tongues pulled out or were eaten by wild dogs.

Further out of town was the sprawling Wat Analayo.  The good news is that there is a road that goes all the way to the entrance, avoiding the need to climb several hundred steps up the crumbling staircase to get there.  The bad news is that we discovered this fact at the top of the aforementioned staircase.

It sure was pretty though.

The wat had been added to repeatedly over the years, so consistency wasn’t a strong theme.  From looming rabbits to wooden stags and carved dragons guarding ornate temples, there was plenty to look at in the hour or so we wandered around the grounds.  Plus it was a pleasant change for our feet to hurt rather than our butts.

Onwards we rode, soon leaving the highway behind as we tracked northeast through Chun and climbed the forested slopes towards our destination for the night.  It was one hell of a ride, the winding roads becoming ever quieter as the tropical sun slowly turned our exposed skin a delightful shade of red.

Tired and suffering from a minor case of heatstroke we bounced up the rutted trail to the optimistically named Phu Lang Ka Resort, a place of stunning views and minimal comfort.  Unfortunately cold drinks were apparently not a big seller around there, as the nearest ones were in the village 8km away.  Damn.

Once that problem was finally resolved with a final ride back down the hill, we settled in to watch the sun set over the toilet block.  I don’t remember seeing that in the brochure.  Drinking heavily was pretty much a requirement if there was to be any chance of sleeping on the bags of lumpy cement masquerading as beds that night.

So we did.

Distance travelled: 163km

Stayed at: Phu Lang Ka Resort in a very basic bungalow for a wildly overpriced 600 baht/night.  The bed had lumps larger than the surrounding mountains, a cold shower, non-flushing toilet and holes in the wall big enough for families of rats to dance the can-can through.  But hey, did I mention the view?

Day 4: Phu Lang Ka to Nan

Between the random 3am gunshots and hyperactive chickens, we managed to see the sun rise for the first time in months.  Not a bad one to wake up for, I suppose…

Tempting as it was to stick around for a second helping of watery rice porridge and Nescafe, we decided to make an early start.  The sun broke through the clouds as we prepared to leave, warming our backs as we navigated the sweeping curves down to the misty valley floor below.

The scenery seemed to change dramatically every few minutes as we rode, from open farmland and small villages to dense forests and craggy mountain ranges.  Crossing and recrossing river tributaries the whole way, this hour stands out as one of my favourite parts of the entire week.

Sadly the back country roads could only last so long, and the traffic increased as we rode the tree-lined highway towards Nan.  The biggest town in the region, it seemed far removed from the tiny villages we had ridden through that morning.

Even in peak season, though, Nan seemed strangely devoid of foreigners.  I spotted less than half a dozen during my time there.  Koh Phi Phi or even Chiang Mai it certainly wasn’t.

The riverside bars that would be packed with backpackers elsewhere in the country here catered mainly to a smattering of locals, even on a Friday night.  Other than the occasional band belting out dubious covers, there wasn’t much of a party scene.

Given what was about to transpire the next day, however, not waking up with a hangover was very fortunate.  Far from the relaxed couple of hours exploring a few temples I had planned, it would turn out to be both the best – and the worst – day I’ve ever had on a scooter…

Distance travelled: 127km

Stayed at: Phailueng Guesthouse, Nan – a bit of a bargain at 250 baht/night for a quiet room with fan and a hot shower.

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