A meander back home after the Laos trip with the TLCB

Lone Rider

Blokes Who Can
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Location
Chiangmai
Bikes
4 Wheels
Heading back home after the Laos trip with the TLCB from the border with Vietnam to Thakhaek, Udon Thani, Chumphae, Uttaradit and Chiangmai

Just a few pictures taken during my trip back home from Laos after the trip with Mac of the TLCB followed by a 2 day exploiratory trip to the Ho Chi Minh Trail where we looked at some caves as well as the POL (Petroleum, Oil, Lubricans) pipeline used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam war in the sixties and seventies (now some 50 years ago). After quite a bit of searching and with a lot of help of the road builders, we did find the old pipelines running along the road with lots of discarded bits and pieces of the pipeline lying along the road. After a good night in my regular place in Chumphae (Ban Na-ood) were I dropped of Chris, I left very early in the morning for the 600 km. ride to Chiangmai

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Coffee break at the observation tower in the Nam Nao National Park

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Another break at the Huay Thong bridge in the Phu Pha Daeng Wildlife Preserve Area

At Lom Sak I left Rd 12 to head north to Rd 2331 through the Phu Hin Rongkla National Park - it was already quite busy on the roads with groups of bikers coming from the other side and lots of strawberry sellers along the road. The reason for taking this road was to have another look at Wat Sam Saeng Tham or the Three Damma Lights (coordinates: N17.03400 E100.91530) which is at the same time a memorial for communist fighter who died in battles with the Thai Army and which the Big Fellah and myself visited some time ago on a trip to see former battlefiekds (see "Guns and Roses at http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/thailand-ride-reports/3810-guns-roses-trip-former-battlefields.html and in particular page 2 and 3 of that trip report

More background information on the temple see can be found here: The Nation - Google News Archive Search

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Wat Sam Saeng Tham and a collection of un-usual looking buildings

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The memorial hall and the crematorium

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The "khutees" where monks can meditate

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A new structure which was not there the last time we went there and actually still under construction

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The inside of the building with bamboo structures

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The toilet block - males go to the Che Guevarra side but the ladies have no guidance yet in choosing the right side

A bit further on along the same road a complete different memorial (Coordinates: N17.07342 E100.86973) - this one to Pho Khun Sri Indraditya (Thai: พ่อขุนศรีอินทราทิตย์) who ruled the Sukhothai Kingdom. Sukhothai, meaning the Dawn of Happiness, was a town founded in the 13th century on the fringe of the Khmer empire. The exact year is unknown, but according to the Fine Arts Office it was between 1238 and 1257. Founded by Phokhun Si Intharathit, it was the first truly independent Thai (Siamese) Kingdom after defeating the Khmers.More info here: Sri Indraditya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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