In May this year, my wife and I drove from Bangkok to the border of Laos stopping in a number of places along the way. This Northeast area is commonly known as Issan provinces and is the heartland of Thailand. This area is also famous for it's somtam (papaya salad) and khai ya or moo ping (grilled chicken or pork) with sticky rice.
The whole journey over 3 nights will involve about 1,500 km of driving and I must say that the roads are much better than what I had expected.
Our first night was spent in Nakhon Ratchasima (or formerly known as Korat). It is 3rd largest city in Thailand. It has quite a history and an old walled city surrounded by a moat. There is a large statue and monument here honoring Khun Ying Mo or Princess Suranaree. She helped to defend the city against invading Lao army. She is honored for her bravery and intelligence. Nowadays, many Thais come here to pray to ask for her help in ensuring the husbands will not leave them....wow, there seem no shortage of women praying here.
Next day, we moved on to Khon Kaen, the heart of Isaan Province. The city is also well developed and as there are quite a number of foreign people (especially Europeans) staying here, it was odd to see quite a number of Western designed houses and buildings here.
In the middle of the city, there is large lake and it seems to be the main landmark of the city. There are parks, jogging tracks, restaurants and night markets surrounding the lake.
One particular area seems popular and we joined them in the evening. They laid out low tables and everyone sat on the ground. It was surprisingly not that hot and humid as expected. We had quite a lot of local delicacies and snacks not readily found in Bangkok such as cured meat.
The next day, we ventured further Northeast. Along the way, there were people selling fresh lotus seeds. My wife loved them as a child although I have not tasted them before. We bought some and tried and it was very good.
While driving, we came across signboards about Baan Chiang, a UNESCO world heritage site. Normally, if accorded this, the place must be worth visiting. We decided to make a detour. It was not too far off our plan. A foreign researcher unearthed this place by accident some 30 years ago and found a civilisation more than 5,000 years old. The museum housing this place is quite well done and I can't help but to be impressed with it. This place is not well known as it is located really far from Bangkok or the islands and not many people will travel so far just to see this place. Most people here are local tourists only. I felt really privilaged to be able to see this place. They would not allow photos in the museum so I could only capture some photos outside.After this, we went to Nong Khai, the border town with Laos. We could have crossed to Laos if we wanted to but felt not worth the hassle just for a few hours. The border is made up of the Mekong river. They built a bridge aptly named the Friendship bridge some time ago to link the two countries. Previously, one had to cross in a boat or ferry. They have restaurants along the river and we went to one of them. You can see how far we had to climb down and the difference in depth of the river between the wet and dry seasons.
On the way back to Bangkok, we stopped in a number of places. In one of the stops for petrol and toilet, I saw a truck delivering snacks to a food stall there. I have many times in Bangkok, in my travels and on TV but have not eaten them before. This time, at the urging of my wife, I tried these famous snacks, fried grasshoppers, crickets, baby frogs and worms. Well, what do you think they taste like?
Well, they don't taste bad and it is crunchy but you have to take off the legs, feelers and parts that they cause your throat to itch. It won't be my favorite snacks but I can do it again.
The large petrol stations in Thailand has the right concepts with food stalls, food and coffee shops and many other facilities. The toilets are clean and for this place, there are many large trees giving shade which makes the place very cool and comfortable. I am impressed. There are many such stations along the way.
Not too far from Bangkok, there is an area called Saraburi. This area is popular with Bangkok people as a weekend getaway and short holiday. This area is famous for its agriculture as well as eco tourism. They also raise a lot of cattle here for its milk and meat. So it was not surprising to see a lot of cowboy styled restaurants and drinking saloons offering steaks.
I enjoyed looking at the different types of crops and plants which they have here. There are apple custards, corn and even flowers. They all looked so healthy and well looked after.
We also managed to sneak in a quick drive to Khao Yai National Park nearby here which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a lovely area and for those who love outdoor activities, there are hiking trails, animal watching and even camping sites. However for us this time, it was just a quick drive through.
In another area nearby is Pak Chong, also famous for its agriculture and eco-tourism but in addition, it has vineyards! I was surpised to see this here although I knew Thailand made their own wine but I thought it would have been located in the north of Thailand.
We went to one of the vineyard and found the place very interesting. I am no wine connesieur so we just tasted some of the vine. I found them too acidic and sour for my liking. They also had a small retaurant where we had lunch. The food was good and we enjoyed it as it was very quiet and we were the only ones there.
The vineyard also had a beautiful pond and trees with flowers.
Overall, a very interesting and eye opening trip. The most enjoyable is actually the drive. There were so many scenic areas such as lakes, dams, mountains and greenery. I will make another trip not too long in the future as there are still so many things to see.
Until then, cheers.
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