Lone Rider
Blokes Who Can
Quicky to the Phu Chi Fa Area to check a few things for the map
Roads taken: 1006, 3029, 118, 1, 1126, 3002, 4002, 1020, 1155, 1093, 4018, 1020, 4008, 1174, No Number, 1326, 1173, 1233, 5023, 1, 118, 11
Total Distance 560 km.
The route taken
It was wet and miserable when I left but after crossing the Chiangmai-Chiangrai border and heading downhill to Mae Kachan the westher improved and from time to time the sun came through the clouds.
A short break for Coffee and a Raspberry Cream Cake at Charin but I quickly left when the peace was shattered (up to that time I was the only customer) when a bus unloaded some 30 tourists
First stop at the Chao Pho Chiang Khian Shrine along Rd 1020 (N19 36.886 E100 00.131). He seems to have been an important person but unfortuntely I could not find any background information on the web
From here it was onto the Phu Chi Fa Area but unfortunately halfway up the mountain the clouds were hanging and visibility was very bad.
Along the way I stopped at the Ramluek Wirakam Doi Yao-Doi Pha Mon Hall which is a kind of memorial to commemorate the involvement of the military in stabilizing the area.
Near the Phu Chi Fa area I tested out my new Contour Video Camera but I still have to learn quite a bit before something acceptable to view comes out of it. At least it was better than my first two attempts where I found that somehow the videos were flipped with what should have been the bottom was now in the sky.
On the way back I spotted a Stupa in the forest and I had a quick look. This seems to be a kind of meditation retreat for Buddhist Nuns (N19.88662 E100.21233) along Rd 4008.
No, that is not a shadow but a big bee nest in one the recesses for a Buddha statue. Actually there were quite a few more bee nests haging on the stupa or Phra That.
No paved access road here but at least the nuns had a long stairway to climb.
A bit further on near a reservoir a new Buddha statue was being constructed at Wat Ubon Khongkha Ram (N19.89470 E100.17926) along Rd 1174. The Buddha is still far from complete but its head had been painted already in a strange green color (to resemble jade?) so I assume that the whole Buddha will be green once it is finished.
Closer to Chiangrai I spotted another Stupa in the forest on a small mountain.
The access was difficult to find (here: N19.89079 E99.97674 and here: N19.89113 E99.97305) but in the end, after a longish drive over unpaved tracks in the forest, I managed to reach the top and the Phratat Chao Sri Chom Thep. (N19.87609 E99.97361)Tremendous views from here basically to all sides
The Waterford Valley Golf Club?
While I was busy GPS'ing the new bypass on the east side of Chiangrai, a farmer was busy ploughing his ricefields before he would plant the young rice seedlings
Roads taken: 1006, 3029, 118, 1, 1126, 3002, 4002, 1020, 1155, 1093, 4018, 1020, 4008, 1174, No Number, 1326, 1173, 1233, 5023, 1, 118, 11
Total Distance 560 km.
The route taken
It was wet and miserable when I left but after crossing the Chiangmai-Chiangrai border and heading downhill to Mae Kachan the westher improved and from time to time the sun came through the clouds.
A short break for Coffee and a Raspberry Cream Cake at Charin but I quickly left when the peace was shattered (up to that time I was the only customer) when a bus unloaded some 30 tourists
First stop at the Chao Pho Chiang Khian Shrine along Rd 1020 (N19 36.886 E100 00.131). He seems to have been an important person but unfortuntely I could not find any background information on the web
From here it was onto the Phu Chi Fa Area but unfortunately halfway up the mountain the clouds were hanging and visibility was very bad.
Along the way I stopped at the Ramluek Wirakam Doi Yao-Doi Pha Mon Hall which is a kind of memorial to commemorate the involvement of the military in stabilizing the area.
Near the Phu Chi Fa area I tested out my new Contour Video Camera but I still have to learn quite a bit before something acceptable to view comes out of it. At least it was better than my first two attempts where I found that somehow the videos were flipped with what should have been the bottom was now in the sky.
On the way back I spotted a Stupa in the forest and I had a quick look. This seems to be a kind of meditation retreat for Buddhist Nuns (N19.88662 E100.21233) along Rd 4008.
No, that is not a shadow but a big bee nest in one the recesses for a Buddha statue. Actually there were quite a few more bee nests haging on the stupa or Phra That.
No paved access road here but at least the nuns had a long stairway to climb.
A bit further on near a reservoir a new Buddha statue was being constructed at Wat Ubon Khongkha Ram (N19.89470 E100.17926) along Rd 1174. The Buddha is still far from complete but its head had been painted already in a strange green color (to resemble jade?) so I assume that the whole Buddha will be green once it is finished.
Closer to Chiangrai I spotted another Stupa in the forest on a small mountain.
The access was difficult to find (here: N19.89079 E99.97674 and here: N19.89113 E99.97305) but in the end, after a longish drive over unpaved tracks in the forest, I managed to reach the top and the Phratat Chao Sri Chom Thep. (N19.87609 E99.97361)Tremendous views from here basically to all sides
The Waterford Valley Golf Club?
While I was busy GPS'ing the new bypass on the east side of Chiangrai, a farmer was busy ploughing his ricefields before he would plant the young rice seedlings
