Wat Phu Tok, Bueng Kan

If  you saw a flat topped hill rising out of flat land, what would you decide to do?

Is this a trick question, Spike?

Not at all! This is serious.

I would probably just keep going? Why, what would you do?

I don't know, either, Captain. But I probably would not think to make temples on the sides and carve and build path ways around it to get to the top.

Like Ajarn Juan did?

Exactly!

Wat Phu Tok, is on a 359 meter isolated hill in Bueng Kan Province. Phu Tok actually means "lonely mountain."

  

 

 

And Ajarn Juan, a Buddhist monk, decided to dedicate it to hikers meditating on the seven levels of Buddhism as they climb ladders, cross wooden walkways, and walk through tree lined areas as they go up.

If you choose to make the climb, we will pass on the advice we were given: stay left! The left path stays in the shade, has wide ladders and paths, and is a lot easier going up. The right path? It uses the wooden paths that cling to the sides of the cliffs and has steeper ascents.

  

Signs are all in Thai, so it's difficult to know which level you are at if you don't know the Thai numerals. However, when the path ends, you know you are at the top! Do be on the lookout for snakes on the last part of the ascent.

One thing to be sure to do is bring plenty of water! Especially if you try the cliff path. That one is all in the sun!

    

Him Sam Wan (Three Whales Rock), Bueng Kan

We took a day trip from Udon Thani to see a few places. One of these places was Him Sam Wan.

He's Sam Wan?

No, Him Sam Wan. Three Whales Rock?

Oh, right. Sorry, Spike, but I wasn't paying attention.

That was rather obvious. Anyway, these three rocks are 75 million years old, and when seen from above, it looks like three whales swimming through the trees! The tops of the whales...I mean, rocks are flat with steep sides. There are two adult sized whale rocks, and one baby.

 

  

They have marked the top with yellow stripes. Don't cross the line! It's a long way down, and there are no guardrails. And this might not be a great place to visit if you're really, really, really scared of heights.

Or if you are afraid, just stick to the middle of the rock formation! When standing on the rocks, you can see into Laos across the Mekong River. The views are incredible.

 I liked the fact that the truck took us right to the back of the whale and we just walked up to the end! It was a rather bumpy ride, wasn't it, Spike?

 

That's right. Song taews, or trucks with benches and rails in the bed, take you around the site. You cannot drive yourself. There are other viewpoints and rock formations to see.

 

 

It's something that will take you all morning to see, if you come from Udon Thani like we did. Not to worry, though, because there are some local restaurants at the base of the site where you can get drinks or lunch.

And because you are in Bueng Kan, we recommend visiting Wat Phu Tok on the same day since it's also in that province.

Baan Chiang UNESCO World Heritage Site, Udon Thani

 

So, this was an interesting place to visit, although there certainly were a lot of pots everywhere.

Well, the pots were the reason for what happened there!

True. There were just SO MANY POTS! And none to actually cook with!

Leave it to you to think like that, Captain. ANYWAY, Baan Chiang has a museum with items up to 6000 years old. It has also preserved an archeological dig site as an open air museum.

Of course, the pots are in the museum.

The Museum hoses things other than pots, including the remains of ancient villagers. Unfortunately, the modern villagers kind of messed things up for archaeologists.

  

Messed up? I think they made it nearly impossible for the experts to study the area! It all started when villagers found and used these enormous clay pots that were found buried.

That would have been okay, except collectors of ancient things began offering the villagers a LOT of money for unbroken pots. The villagers began digging everywhere to find these pots, which messed up the buried archaeological sites.

They even glued together and sold broken pots! 

Fortunately, one of the universities in Thailand found and preserved one site. That is now the open air museum.

 

 

       

Red Lotus Lake near Udon Thani

 If you want to visit the Red Lotus Lake, there are two things you have to remember.

 Bring a camera and sunscreen!

That is not what I meant, Captain! But I guess that means you really have four things to remember. Besides what Captain mentioned, you need to visit between November and February. That's when the flowers bloom. Also, you want to visit early in the morning, or the flowers will start to close as the sun gets brighter.

And if you forget those last two things, you won't need your camera, right, Spike?

Well, you could still take pictures, but they won't be as spectacular. Nong Han, the lake, is about 40 minutes from Udon Thani. It's 8 kilometers long, and 3 kilometers wide. 

When you arrive at the lake, you will hire a boat to take you around to where the lotus flowers grow. Only they aren't really lotus flowers.

 Despite being called Talay Bua Daeng (Red Lotus Sea), the flowers everyone goes to see are a type of water lily that mimics the lotus flower in shape and size.  

You will be driven to different areas where you can see a small island with a Buddha statue, fishing huts, and lots of birds. 

 

 

 

 

And the flowers. It's all about the flowers.