Lampang Around Town

Lampang Around Town

The morning started with breakfast at the guest house restaurant and lounge area.  It was very relaxing to sit and watch the river go by and the towns folk hurrying off on the road across the way.  

Breakfast Area - Note Bamboo Hammock Behind Me

Hammock Made of Bamboo

In the late morning, I headed off to the annual 'ceramics fair'.  Another adventure.  The taxi took me to a place called Makco that was a kind of supermarket. They said the fair was just up the road.

Lots of Plastic!

I walked up the road to a large building which turned out to be a school. The guard told me the fair was just up the road. He rode his bike to the corner as I walked to be sure I found it. 

Garden Center Along the Road

So I walked on up the road, across a dried drainage ditch, across the train tracks, over the road barricade to the next place.  Sure enough they had ceramics, but it wasn't the fair - that was just another 200 meters up the road.  

I trekked on.  Got there and the place was buzzing - two humongous tents full of stalls. Most of the ceramics were plain dinnerware although there were a few creative pieces. 

Couldn't Resist these Weird People Vases
Hope Mine Makes it Home Okay

The shops with clothing were more interesting and I ended up buying a very colorful jacket for myself.

Cast Sandstone
Images of Flowers and Butterfly
Make an Outline of a Woman's Face

Electric Motorcycle Marketing

There was also a booth with motorcycle based utility vehicles. They had an all electric motorcycle for 20,000 Baht. 

I think they said it would go 40. The speedometer redlined at 50 kph. That would be about 25 to 30 mph, so a bit on the slow side. Still for $666 it could be fun around town! No USA outlets though.

The whole 'fair' was in front of the Thai equivalent to Home Depot.  I couldn't resist.  It wasn't much different from Idaho - more teak, Thai style (squat) toilets, and minimal english signs. I bought some teak house ornaments with vague ideas of what to do with them.

Back to the guest house for a short rest (somewhat easier to return). After my rest I went on a photo journey around town. Highlights were taking daytime photos of the White Temple (my name), more motorcycles, and a Chinese temple.

White Temple by Day (front side)

Doors - White Temple

Detail of Doors

Asian Cowgirl on Sign
Promoting Horse Feed

Motorcycle Parking by Bicycle Sculptures

School Girl on Motorcycle

Honda 50 circa 1965 - Lookin Good!

Dragon Guardian Inside Chinese Temple

Goddess Figure in Chinese Temple

I visited a Chinese temple on my walk. It had a very different feel than the Buddhist temples I'd seen in Chiang Mai and in Lampang.

Dragons, drums, goddesses, and tall vases all full of color.  I especially enjoyed a porcelain vase with deep red glaze below the neck.

Vases in the Chinese Temple

After my walk I went to the more upscale Riverside Restaurant for dinner.  I feasted on Chinese mushrooms and cashews over rice.  The steamed rice they brought me was heart shaped - a nice touch. 

Steamed Rice Heart

Following dinner I did a little more walking, stopped by an outdoor bar with a singer and guitar player. The young woman doing the vocals was using an iPad, I think to follow the words. As I drank my beer, I noticed the girls at the next table were intently staring over my right shoulder and looked rather sad.  When I turned around, I saw they were watching a Thai soap opera on TV. There was some tragic "he left me - cheated on me - or otherwise did something wrong" scene going on. At first I felt a bit bad for the vocal group but then saw that the singer was keeping an eye on the soap opera as well.  Its an obsession. 

No photos from the bar, but I did find the bridal shops around town interesting. Most of the dresses were white and very western in style.  I did like one of the more traditional Thai silk dresses.

Traditional Thai Silk Wedding Dress

Lampang by Bus and Arrival

Lampang by Bus and Arrival


I decided to go to Lampang for a couple of days because of all the ceramics in the area.  The trip had a typical tourist traveling without knowing the language start.

Bus Windows (there were many more)

Restaurant Near Bus Station

A nice, very efficient lady sells me a bus ticket for a VIP air conditioned bus at 3:45. She hands me the ticket through the little window, motions out the front door and tells me the bus will be at platform 17, 18, 19.  I go out the door and there aren't any platforms there. As I walk around the building I can see the bus platforms.  They are clearly marked. The numbers I'm looking for are at the far back of the terminal in the opposite direction from where she pointed. No problem - she just meant for me to go out that door...  Having found my platform and looking at nearly a two hour wait, I walk around outside the station and choose one of the many small restaurants for a bite to eat. 

Having a Bite to Eat Outside the Bus Station

Advertising at the Station - Power ChakuZa Anyone?

I return to the station to people watch and take pictures inside the terminal until 15 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave.  Plenty of time to step outside to the bus. At the appointed time, I go to the platform.  The driver shakes his head, takes me to the corner and points to a decrepit bus by the front door near where she had pointed.  Certainly not what I expected. I go to the bus and show them my ticket. Again the head shake. 'Not this station - new bus station - 5 minute walk' and again the point. By this time it's 3:40. As I cross the parking lot to the street, I see a bus station across the street. In my hurry crossing the street, I stumble drop my backpack, spill my water bottle, and look like quite the tourist. No apparent harm and in a few minutes I'm on the VIP air conditioned bus and on my way.

The ride isn't long and there are interesting sights on the way. Mostly the sights whiz by to quickly or bumpily to photograph. I see what looks like a huge statue of Buddha either being built or restored. It has bamboo scaffolding around it at least 75 feet high - I keep thinking I've seen it before.

Cozy Bedroom Area of Suite

Veranda on the River

I picked the top recommendation from the Lonley Planet - Riverside Guest House as a place to stay. Got the last room - a suite that was quite nice. Bargained the desk girl down to 1,000 Baht but when she checked with the owner she said it had to be 1,200. We finally agreed on 1,100 and a two night stay.

I passed on the nearby Riverside Resturant as to upscale and went to the Relax down the street. They had a beautiful menu but with no English on it and no one who could tell me what was what. 

Incense Offerings

Lighting Incense as the Restaurant
Opens for the Night

As I waited for someone to take my order, I saw each of the staff light a stick of incense near the entrance.  It had an air of reverence about it without having any formality.  


Ended up with Tom Yom seafood soup full of shrimp, other creatures, and hotter than hell. I liked the waitresses shoes. She could barely walk in them because the heels were so high.  

As I sat down the music switched from a Thai cartoon video to English language 60's.  Listened to Puff, Lemon Tree, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Almost Heaven, Wake Up Little Susie, Blowin In The Wind, etc.  Of course these weren't quite the original versions. They seemed to be Thai versions where the R's were sort of like L's and other differences. There was one song I hadn't heard that I though Dr. Archie might like so I tried to find out the name. The title was Sutter's Mill. The waitress insisted on burning it to CD for me. Don't know what all she put on the CD hope she did a bunch. The songs were pretty interesting. Had a second beer while waiting. 

Walked back to the guest house with a slight detour to take pictures of a white temple glittering in the night.

White Temple Glittering in the Night in Lampang

Back at the guest house, I laid on a divan under a huge bougainvillea and took some pictures. Felt like heaven.

Bougainvillea at Night - Riverside Guest House

Bougainvillea at Night - Riverside Guest House - Another View

Wat Umong

Wat Umong

I visited Wat Umong west of Chiang Mai on November 28. It is very quiet and has a lot of old ruins. My intent was to join the International University monks for part of their meditation retreat. The Wat is entirely different from others in Chiang Mai. Other Wats are covered with glossy tiles, mirrors, bright colors, and dragons with a few plants stuck here and there and one or two large trees. Wat Umong is nestled into a hillside just outside the city with simple buildings tucked in and around stands of trees. Footpaths with signs containing philosophical says are all around. 

A Fluent Talker
Makes a Great Liar

            

Today is Better Than Two Tomorrows

Buddha Garden

Its a quiet and very peaceful at this Wat. I walked around and saw a lot of old Buddha statues in a sun dappled garden.

Buddha Garden

Buddha Garden

Buddha Garden

Temple Guardians and Broken Buddhas

There were several fierce guardian statues around the temple.

    Temple Guardian

Temple Guardian   

I was particularly struck by one headless Buddha with a symbol like a sun in his open hand.

Buddha With Symbol in Hand

Symbol Detail

More Broken Buddhas

Stone Reliefs and Goddesses

A vendor gave me a tasty coffee ice cream covered in chocolate. It was cold, sweet and just what I needed on this hot day. I walked a bit more listening to hens cluck as they pecked about the ruins and chuckling as a couple of roosters competed for the loudest crow. 

Women In Prayer

Detail from Women In Prayer

Duck, Duck, Goose

In addition to the relief carvings, there were a number of goddess images around the Wat.  Check out this beautiful face at the left and the statue at the reflecting pond.

Reflecting Pond Goddess

Goddess Detail

Meditation Niche Under Central Chedi

At the center of the temple there is a very old chedi with tunnels running underneath. Inside the tunnels there are niches with Buddha statues and places for one or perhaps two people to kneel/sit and pray. While I was in the tunnels there was a young Thai woman with orange streaked hair meditating at one of the cross connecting tunnels. I passed by several times within a few inches of her in the small tunnel and never saw any sign that she even noticed my presence.

Meditation Among the Trees

Meditation and Reflection at Last
I gave up on finding the meditation retreat and began walking out. As I did I noticed a group of monks sitting amongst the trees. I sat with them for a bit and then they went into a small veranda/hall. I went in with them, sat and joined in with their chanting using the English translation book one of them handed me. 

As we left the chanting hall, a senior monk suggested I stop in at the office to sign up. My intent was to participate for a couple of days but the coordinator kept telling me had to sign up for at least five days. I thanked him and left. 

I treated myself to a Tuk tuk ride back to the city.

Riding the Tuk Tuk

Tuk Tuk