Isaan By Motorbike

Travel Journal of Spider March 2008 - Day 6

DAY 6 Saturday

I woke up early for the last day of my travels. The day was spent in and around Nong Khai.

I cleared out of my room early and loaded up my bike. I had to do some shopping for the folks back in Bangkok then find something to do for the rest of the day. My train left at 6.30, I needed to be at the train station at 5.30 to book the bike onto the train and make sure everything was ok.

I had some breakfast then went out to look for the market, it didn't take too long to find, well. It was less than a five minute walk from my guesthouse, but I went the long way around, the very long way around. On the bike it took me 15 minutes to find. ;)

I wandered around looking at all of the stalls all selling the same things, trying to get the prices down seemed very easy, I am more used to the tourist hardened trades people who will drive the hardest bargain of all, well, no bargain at all a lot of the time. I bought a few gifts for the folks back in Bangkok. I was sure that they would not all want a bit of dried dog as a gift.

This market was huge; it seemed to go on in different directions for miles. It ran along the side of the river for probably 7-800 metres and spread out adjacent to the river for a couple of hundred metres. I was glad to be in the market in the morning, I think it would be unbearable to be there in the heat of midday. After looking at as many different types of tourist wares as I could handle I stopped to get some lunch.

I once again accidentally found a restaurant on the riverbank. A last, a chance to sit and take in the freshness and the sheer magnificence of it all. I ate barbeque pork, somtum and sticky rice.

As the heat of the day rose I wanted to get moving. I finished up, paid the bill and got out of there. I had a walk down the riverside road to help the digestion a little. I saw a couple of huge temples. I know there are a lot of temples in Thailand, but this riverside seems to be inundated with them. The heat became too much so it was time to get back on the bike.

I drove up to the road which runs parallel with the river and headed out of town. After a while I took a left turn towards the river, I wanted to have a look for a temple that is submerged in the middle of the river. I am not sure what was there first. If they managed to somehow build the temple (only visible in the dry season) before the river began to flow (highly unlikely) or if they somehow managed to stop the flow of the water to build the temple (also highly unlikely). Whatever the course of events, it was the place where I met my travelling partners for the rest of the day.

A couple who were just taking photos of the same spot when they asked me if I wanted to have my photo taken with Laos and the Mae Khong making up the backdrop. I accepted.

They were an odd couple to me, one Dutch lady Tessa, and one Japanese lady Akiko. I accepted their offer and started to talk. It was nice to have people to travel with for the last day. Travelling alone has many advantages but a small group was a refreshing change. Having someone to talk to about the things I was seeing was great.

They told me about a garden full of ornaments and statues that was just outside of Nong Khai. I joined them on their way there. I felt for them, I was riding my motorbike and they were riding their hired bicycles. I am sure I got the better end of the deal. We made our way to the Sala Kaew Ku garden.

We spent maybe 3 hours here, taking in the wonderful feeling of serenity and awe that this place presented to us. It is surely the strangest of statue gardens I have ever visited.

Many praises to the creator of the garden, Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat. One of my favourite pieces is the elephant that is surrounded by many dogs in different poses. One particular statue is of a dog riding a motorcycle. Just an example of the variety of ideas of the creator.

During the heat of the midday sun we rested in a garden which displays the "Wheel of Life". The wheel represents the different stages of life which culminate in death, as it generally does, but then the wheel starts again representing the reincarnation of the soul in to the next wheel.

We left the gardens and sought to take refuge in the town, maybe in a restaurant or something. I had to start thinking about the time we taking to do everything as I had to get back to the train station in time to take by homeward leg, to Bangkok.

We went to a restaurant at the other side of Nong Khai. Very close to the friendship bridge. The restaurant was on a pontoon, a floating platform usually for the docking of boats. The tables here were very posh looking. All single pieces of wood formed into tables. The chairs made in the same way. I was starting to worry about the cost of the food here; well if they had spent this much on the furniture then they must pay for it somehow.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I looked at the menu and saw that it was all quite reasonable. I ate my regular meal of Green Curry with Chicken. As a special treat for my travelling partners I took out some of the dried dog meat that I had purchased earlier from Sakhon Nakhon. To my delight they both tried it, not quite sure how much they liked it but they at least tried it.

We shared a few beers whilst the time passed; talked and shared a few stories then I had to get off. It would have been great to be able to stay another night there but my journey was drawing to a close and I had to keep to my timing.

I headed out towards the train station with maybe 40 minutes to spare. Nong Khai is so small that going from one end to the other is only a matter of minutes.

I talked to the station master and booked my bike onto the train. HOW MUCH. It cost nearly double for my motorbike to sit in the freight car than it cost me to lie in an air conditioned carriage. Oh well. Whilst I was booking my self and the bike onto the train I was called. If I used my birth name then it could have been for anyone, but I heard the name SPIDER. I looked around and by the travelling fluke that happens so often, I saw my friend Leeda. She was just on her way back from Laos on the same train as me. Awesome, some to spend the drinking time with on the train.

We got onto the train and then I found her carriage. It was nice for us to be able to talk about our travels, both having very different stories to tell. They had been surrounded by people for their travels, and I had been alone for the majority of mine. Before we settled in for the trip we had a search of the train to find the beer car.

We returned to our seats and got on with some serious drinking. By the end of the session I was quite drunk and tired so time to head off for bead, but not without exchanging glasses with Leeda.

I slept like a log and woke up to the rocking of the train. Sunlight was streaming in through every possible chink in the curtains that surrounded me. Time to wake up. I felt kinda sad to be back in Bangkok.

I feel I am really a creature of the countryside. Bangkok provides for me the things I need to survive, but the open road is the place for me. Travelling along without a care in the world, mile after mile passing by as I explore new places and meet new people. Fresh air, fresh views and how could I ever forget, the very very backside!!!

Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day One | Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day Two | Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day Three | Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day Four | Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day Five | Motorbike Travels in Thailand Day Six