I started out today searching for coffee, as I always do. My hotel included breakfast but I was disappointed to find the included breakfast consisted of congee, and items that should normally be served hot, but were room temperature. The coffee was instant, and soy milk was the whitening option.
No breakfast or coffee to start the day! This is part of why I often don’t look for hotels in Thailand that include breakfast. I had a bunch of writing to do this morning, so I got to it, sipping on water and munching a granola bar.
I knew I had a long day ahead so I had to work quickly. By 11:30 I was out of the hotel and off to a nearby cafe to find breakfast and coffee. I am glad things worked out the way they did, because I found the Coffee Hills Cafe.
The coffee was excellent; so good that I didn’t need sugar or cream to drink it. That is so often not the case, but I would expect nothing less in Coffee Hills! It was also the first time I ever had Croque Monsieur. It’s like a grilled cheese sandwich covered in cheese and baked, but a lot better. How did I never have this before?
The plan today was to drive to Buriram, and to stop along the way to see the Buddhist stone carvings at Wat Khao Sap Phongpot. Little did I know this would be a longer day than planned.
I left the gas station just after 1 pm and had planned to drive through a national park to get to the carvings. Unfortunately I was turned back at the park gate because the route, apparently, is washed out and I would not be able to go through. That was disappointing but I had a nice chat with the park attendant.
So, I found my alternative route through beautiful countryside, and wow there are a lot of butterflies in this area! I really need to come back and go to the nearby parks. Nearly the whole way to the Buddhist stone carvings I was seeing butterflies flying across the road. Some were big enough I wasn’t sure if they were small birds or not. I see a trip back here in my future! It’s a beautiful area!
I ran into some rain, and I wish I could have stopped to do some timelapses of the clouds. Just did not have the time today! Road construction along the route was slowing me down too.
Buddhist stone carvings
I finally made it to the carvings at around 4:30, just inside a far corner of the province of Nakhon Ratchasima. It wasn’t entirely clear at the wat where to go, so I just found a trail, and started walking up. It was a bit treacherous, but I found a nice trail through the woods and I followed it. There were a couple monks at the wat, but nobody where I was at. There weren’t any cars parked at the wat either.
I found a set of stairs that went up the mountain. You know, it’s almost like a sign that I should take them. I thought maybe it was only to a reclining Buddha, but it was where I needed to go.
It was nice to get out of the car, but I felt like these steps were going to kill me today! The last part of the climb was over another rocky section. Fortunately there was a rope to help you up, and it wasn’t too long. It was humid out, and I was feeling it!
Finally made it to the top and was rewarded with a magnificent carved Buddha. After taking photos and video, I moved to the second one, which is unfinished. The third carving was the reclining Buddha, and I wonder if it was the first one they did.
It was really nice up here. It was relatively cool, but humid, and it was quiet. No one was around. Could just hear the wind in the trees, the birds, and some insect noises; the occasional dry leaf falling in the forest. This isn’t close to a town either, so no road sounds to ruin the ambience.
It was here I decided to send up the drone. I wasn’t going far, so no big deal. Everything was going well until the collision avoidance system on the drone failed to notice one bunch of leaves. I failed to notice it too! It sounded like a weedeater, and my drone was immediately plummeting to the rocks below.
Surprisingly I wasn’t upset, aside from the obligatory “SHIT!” I should have been more upset but what do you do? The drone glanced off the front of the rock face and into the loose rocks below. My drone now has a broken arm and the case has separated. Everything seems to work otherwise.
Once I packed up, I took a few more photos, and headed back to the car. I was kicking myself for not noticing the leaves, but what do you do? I enjoyed the peaceful environment here, and focused on that.
Back at the car, one of the local Soi dogs checked me out. I had nothing for her, but I was able to share some water I poured in my cupped hand.
I still had about two hours to go, but I had already called the hotel to let them know I would check in late.
The drive was uneventful, but I made good time. It got dark, and one area under a long series of street lights was infested with some sort of insect. They pelted the car and greased up the windshield. It started to rain and it got difficult to see! The front of the car is going to be a mess!
I made it to the hotel just before 8 pm. I took a quick shower and found a restaurant for supper. It was supposed to be Mexican, but they only had one page of that. The rest was all Thai food. I had pad krapao. It was surprisingly good! I thought it was just a restaurant, but it was also a bar, which would explain why my waitress was drinking beer and hanging out with a guy playing pool.
This sort of thing deserves a whole separate post. I still remember the first time I ended up in a bar/restaurant with this sort of service. I was confused at the time, but I’ve since learned what they’re all about. It’s kind of interesting, actually.
Overall, a pretty good day, despite the annoying end to my trip to the Buddhist stone carvings. Oh, and Buriram is one more new province on my list. 57 out of 77.
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