Phimai

So, according to statistics, 90% of tourists in Thailand don't visit the northeast region. But, looking through the guidebook, it seemed like there was some pretty cool stuff up there, so I decided to give it a go. After two days, I ended up deciding to follow the 90%. Not because what I saw wasn't completely amazing, but because, looking closer, it's quite difficult to get to a lot of the interesting places. You really need a car or independent (code: more expensive) transportation. But, my short experience was immensely worthwhile. Everyone I met was super friendly, and the things I saw were beautiful.

I took a bus from Bangkok to Korat (short for Nakhon Ratchisma), and a bus from Korat to Phimai. Phimai is just a little bigger than Doembangnangbuat, actually. They have more stoplights and a historical park, but otherwise, it's maybe twice the size of the town where I teach. My general practice while traveling is to arrive somewhere mid-afternoon to early evening, scope out a guesthouse, and just drop in to see if they have rooms available. I'd picked one out from the guidebook, found it, and had to pick another one--the first was under construction and clearly closed. The owners of the second guesthouse, Kru Pom Guesthouse, were really friendly, and we just sat and talked for a while when I first checked in.

I slept in the first morning, relishing in the fact that I could. But around lunchtime I headed over to the historical park, thinking it would probably be quite small, given the size of the town surrounding it, and unlikely to be worth much attention. I'm happy I was proven so wrong. I explored all the nooks and crannies of the temple thoroughly, and had a great time (if a little hot--it was midday, after all). Some of the interesting happenings: one of the workers chasing a dog out of the main temple building; walking behind a group of young monks (teenagers or even younger, I think) on a guided tour; and having a worker come up to me and hand me half a pomegranate, telling me the word for pomegranate in Thai and having me repeat it (tuptim). The historical park is a beautiful place, and I went a little camera-happy . . .

For those who are curious, the picture at the top of the post is the figure in the main, central temple at Phimai. The thing above the head is a seven-headed snake, or naga.

Entering the main gate in the outer wall

View of the main building from within the outer wall

View from a window

Detail on a door frame

Detail on a door lintel

Path (nee hallway) around the main temple grounds, just inside the outer wall (the windows on the left look in) 

Just inside the main temple

View of main temple figure (the picture at the top of the post) from the side, from a window in the outer wall

A huge tree behind the main temple

Steps leading to the back of the outer wall

Another view behind the outer wall (with a monk in the distance)

Pieces of the ruins piled neatly and respectfully, waiting to be restored someday 

Pomegranate

(Just because I know my mom will read this and want a picture of me) 

The second attraction at Phimai is Sai Ngam, the oldest and largest banyan tree in Thailand. Pom, the owner of the guesthouse and a retired teacher, let me borrow a bicycle to go the 2 kilometers to see the tree. I expected to find something huge that a bunch of people wouldn't be able to link arms around. As it turns out, the banyan tree of Sai Ngam is one of those trees that looks like lots of little trees, but they all come from the same root system. So you get to technically walk "into" the tree, which looks like a forest, and there are lots of streamers tied around various bits, and flags draped over the whole thing, and a shrine complete with incense and the picture of a queen who visited the tree back in the early 1900s. It was very peaceful to walk through, but didn't take much time to see/appreciate. Afterward, having seen just about everything Phimai had to offer, I went back to the guesthouse, looked for more things that would be easy to see in NE Thailand, did some calculations about ease of travel, time, and cost, and made the decision to go straight to Chiang Mai the next day. Farewell to the Northeast. A beautiful, if shortened, experience. 

The entrance--good thing I've been practicing reading Thai letters! 

Next to the shrine

Concrete support for some parts of the tree