We walked past the City Shrine in the late morning, wandering around the provincial city of Surin, Thailand. In the heart of Isaan, the rural heartland of this country, Surin is a city of about 200,000. The day was hot and sultry, like any other day here during the rainy season. It is not that it rains all the time, or even everyday. Imagine a bunch of big monsoon clouds roaming around the countryside looking for something to rain on. The clouds are big and puffy and beautiful if they are not directly overhead. If they are overhead, and a cool breeze starts to puff at you, it's time to find an awning or cafe' to hide under or in.
Lazing away the morning, we finally roused ourselves to walk towards the bus station to begin our journey of the day, an attempt to reach the Khmer ruins at Phanom Rung. This site is basically in the middle of nowhere on the route to the Cambodian border.
Our steed of the day, a big aircon bus that was to drop us at the village of Baan Tako. After some discussion with the ticket guys, we were directed to this bus where we waited for the better part of an hour. Buses leave when they leave, yes? Patience Grasshopper, and not for the last time today.
As an aside, this is what a traveler can expect in a Thai bus station bathroom. Just so you know.
It is handy to be on the bus when one of those aforementioned clouds decides to park overhead. In twenty minutes the sky was clear again. So it is in the monsoon season.
For two hours we rolled across the Isaan countryside. A bus ride is a bus ride, complete with stops in local towns and the coming and going of the locals. It is a great and cramped way to get in touch with how folks really travel here. Six-foot westerners be warned, your knees will be touching the seat in front of you.
Baan Tako is a small village on the main highway. Phanom Rung is 12 kilometers away. Too far to walk. It was time to negotiate with the Moto taxi crew. One Farrang to a scooter, 350 baht each. That's a good off-season rate from the quoted 500 baht in the Travel Fish guide. For that amount the Moto guys will schlep you to the ruins, wait for you, and schlep you back. The ride is half the fun. Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.
Here is a little video of the ride:
Safely at the top with our guys.
Phanom Rung was a Khmer empire site from about the 9th century CE to the fall of the Khmer empire in the 1300's. The main temple is built in the Ankor Wat style with the surrounding walls and smaller towers being older. It is smaller site, but it's appeal lies in the fact that is was virtually intact when the Thai authorities took over the site after World War II. Aside from the missing plaster and white-wash, a visitor can get a sense of what it actually looked like when it was in use as a Hindu worship site.
Approaching the temple.
Naga, the ubiquitous guardians of temples.
The main entrance featuring Yogiswamurti.
The main tower. The light and time of day was horrible for photos, so I apologize.
Exploring the smaller pavilions.
After an hour of exploring it was time to rendezvous with our Moto guys for the ride back to Baan Tako. Then there was the hanging out on the side of the highway waiting for a bus to Surin. Not a bus station in sight, just a covered pavilion and the Moto guys waiting for fares off the next bus into the village. After a shortish wait by Thai standards, we were squashed into a full bus and on our way. This was the speedy bus crew, anxious to complete their run. Ninety minutes later we pulled into Surin and hiked to the market for a well-deserved walking dinner in the night market.
Pork skewers, sticky rice (ohhhhh, sticky rice!!) and a fried mussel omelet. That was just to get us back on our feet again.
Fried Rice Balls!! These little babies will put the calories back where they belong. The stall woman was so sweet, giving us an extra rice ball at no extra charge. So good, so damn good. There was more, including a stop at the little bakery stall in the market for Thai jelly donuts, but I was too sated to manage any more photos.
So, the question is, was it worth it? We expended more than five hours of traveling to spend one hour touring a forgotten temple on top of an extinct volcano in the middle-of-nowhere Isaan. I suppose it comes down to an exercise in attitude. This is a fine example of the sum of the journey being more than the destination alone. If the journey itself, complete with the waiting and the uncertainty, becomes part of the reward then yes, it is definately worth it. Without enjoying the process and challenge of getting there and getting back, overcoming the language barrier with smiles, partaking in the bartering for transport, and all the facets of a long day trip across seldom traveled routes, then the destination itself is not a sufficient reward. Adding all of those things together, however, learning to enjoy the challenges as they come, that brings a reward in and of itself. Of course, there are always the bragging rights for having accomplished the deed, tales to tell around the traveler campfire.
Another day in Isaan done, we heading for our cozy guesthouse. From Surin, Thailand, I bid you Ciao for Now!
Sometimes rain is a wonderful thing. Moving the smells around, washing the bricks, changing the whole feel. The food looks incredible. And, the facilities in the public rooms look about 620% more accommodating that those in most of Italy. No complaints, Italy. I'm just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteThanks reading Beel. Yes, the rain is actually great. On the "facilities" note, one day I intend to write a chapbook titled "Crappers of the World".
ReplyDeleteNeeds to be a coffee table book, complete with huge pictures and stories about where you found it! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm a rich and famous Travel Writer I will put out the Lost Destinations coffee table book!
ReplyDelete