Day 4, 16 Sept, 2018, Sunday
The night before I was so sure that the Sunday Walking Street Market would start in the morning. After I read the brochure I found out it would start from 4 pm until midnight. Thus, we had to plan something for the day. The idea of Doi Inthanon National Park was brought out again. The rate varies depending with whom you check and ask. The tour rate would be between 3200 to 3500 baht. If you were to take a private car it could be less. When we came down for breakfast Mohd Noh suggested a museum tour when upon checking it was worth doing a bit more. I checked at the tour counter at the hotel and from the driver waiting outside. Then we decided to take our breakfast to think it over another course of Thai’s breakfast and decide later. We definitely missed the tours pick up already so our only option was a private car. Breakfast was at Sofia Restaurant again and most of us almost had the same as what we had yesterday. Creature of habits that we were. We enjoyed our breakfast
Doi Inthanon is one of the most, if not the most, famous national parks in Thailand. Besides the peak and others, it is famous for its beautiful and magnificent waterfalls that of two we stopped at later, few trails, remote villages, picturesque mountain farms. To the locals, it is also known as The Roof of Thailand. Historically, the park is named after one of the last King of Chiang Mai, the king Inthawichayanon, who ordered upon his death for his remain to be buried in the park.
After breakfast, the driver outside walked up to me she saw we were approaching the hotel after breakfast. She said there was a 4X4 that willing to take us to Doi Inthanon at 3000 baht. After seeing the condition of the Isuzu 4x4 we took that option. The owner and driver of the 4X4 was an elderly so we got more comfortable. We filled in the necessary form and off we went. The drive out of town was pleasant and we got to see the culture and country more. Mohd Noh sat at the front chatted the driver a bit. I guess we were still tired and the 4X4 became quiet for a while.
We were travelling on a good road since we left the city and the terrain fast increasing in elevation indicating to us we were beginning to climb. It was not a serious climb but climbing nevertheless. Then out of the blue when we were driving down a small incline we heard a loud pop sound instantly I knew what had happened. The front tyre of the 4x4 exploded and the driver managed to slow down and stopped the car. The best part it was right in front of a tyre shop and we found out later the place was just before the starts of a major climb. How blessed we were. When I checked the time later the incident happened at around 1147.
The tyre shop was just slightly ahead of us nevertheless we initially disembarked and waited at the shop we stopped at. The owner, a good Samaritan, offered her house, bathroom and cold drinks for us while waiting. We thanked the house owner profusely proving to us there was still a lot of kindness with the human race no matter where we were. We let our driver, the Uncle, to deal with the repair and after much discussion, they had to pull the 4X4 to their workshop. Just next door and we had to move there to wait as well. We were ushered into an air-conditioned office to wait.
The Uncle changed both the front tyres and in a few minutes we were off again climbing. Now with more stories to share Mod Noh chatted with the Uncle, our driver, evermore. The driver was 75 yrs old and still strong. We just could not believe it when he told us his age. He told us when asked, he had just cancelled his wife. We laughed hard as obviously, we understood that he had just divorced his wife. Too much asking for money and yakking he said. We like him even more after that and we knew we could rely on him to do the right thing.
At 1250 we arrived at the entrance of the National Park and we had to pay a small fee of 300 baht per person to enter. The entrance is about 70 km from the city centre. After that, the climb got steeper but not as bad as climbing our Cameron Highland where we had to go through many kilometres of a winding road. But we did drive the high country like we were driving up to Cameron Highland. Vegetable and flower fields on both sides of the road. Soon at 1336, we were at the peak of Doi Inthanon National Park. It was a bit chilly and nice weather for tourists like us. At the site were the Royal Twin Pagodas, known as Naphamethinidon and Naphaphonphumisiri, built by the Royal Thai Air Force to honor Their Majesties The King and Queen of Thailand. We climbed the steps to Naphaphonphumisiri first, that was on our right, as we saw from the bottom to be more interesting. There was an escalator built for the tourist but on the day of our visit, it was out of service. Sam decided to stay at the waiting area, besides the many steps she had to negotiate she has her own reason not to climb. We were not wrong when we reached the top. We spent quite a bit of time absorbing the place and looking down the beautiful mountain. Being a short trip we cannot do many adventurous activities and one day I would like to come back to walk one of their scenic trails.
While we were coming down of the Naphaphonphumisiri it started to drizzle making the atmosphere a bit more interesting and misty.
At around 1436 after the usual for the album photo session, we left the place. However, the driver knowing I am a photo addict, ha ha ha, stopped at a place where I could take a beautiful scene of the mountain. I think it was about 200 meters from where we left. I was the only one eager and jumped out to take a few shots of the mountain and valley below.
On our way up we saw the local fruits and vegetable vendors at one section of the road. It was properly built for tourists to stop. Our Uncle told us on the way up when we passed the place that we were going to stop there on our way down. So at 1459 we arrived at the place and stopped. Actually, it was like a late lunch for us. We bought fruits that we could eat fresh straight away as well as those that we could not find or get in Malaysia. We also bought a few that we could eat back at the hotel. We continued our way down and our Uncle told us he would stop at two waterfalls along the way. We were game for anything and did not expect anything that interesting. Not until we arrived at Wachirathan Waterfall at 1532.
The moment we entered the area after a few small corners and turns we heard the unmistakable sound. The roaring of a waterfall that sounds so majestic. Wachirathan Waterfall, Doi Inthanon National Park has to be one of the best waterfalls that I have seen. Water gushes very fast from the top creating mist as far as 100 meters away. The mist created by the fall was felt immediately as we walked closer to the base. My lens was covered with water particles and I had to cover it with my hand to take shorts of the waterfall. In no time we were wet as well which was good for us due to the heat. We took photos but I am not satisfied and needed to get closer. So I climb to the next level ground to observe the fall. It was the right decision and with the evening sun created a natural rainbow within the mist.
The rest were already down below chatting but I was not satisfied until I explored a bit more. So, I walked down along the wet and slippery side of the fall and river until I reached below the place where the rest were waiting. Honestly, I would have stayed longer if we had the time. The fall was even more majestic from the side down below. I was blessed with the opportunity. At almost 4 pm we left the fall for another one further down below.
The second waterfall that we stopped at was just right before the border of the National Park. From there level road to Chiang Mai. Again it was a magnificent waterfall that gushes water very fast. Mae Klang Waterfall, about 66 kilometres from Chiang Mai, is the lowest of the waterfalls at Doi Inthanon National Park. Arguably the most visited in Thailand. When I was there I could understand why. There were sort of three tiers of the waterfall and I walked al the way to the top tier. It was still a brilliant one but less majestic compared to Wachirathan Waterfall. You could just admire it but access to the fall was limited by the fall itself and visitors would mostly come with the family to picnic at the lowest tier.
When we were finally down at the 3rd and lowest tier where we parked we saw that our Uncle was having his evening tea and puffer. We let him enjoyed his tea and explored the area a bit. There were several families having a picnic there. Some genius souls actually built small plank and wood branch bridges for people to have access across the flowing water and it really looked nice from the top. At around 1645 we continued our journey back to our hotel and most of us were quiet dozing.
I guess we were back at the hotel slightly after 1800. We agreed to come down and go to visit the Sunday Walking Street Bazaar at the Old City after we had our bath and said our prayers. At 1820 we took the truck taxi to the Old City at 40 baht per person. We found out later the average fare per taxi was around 150 - 200 baht going around Chiang Mai. The Sunday Walking Street Market is a must do in Chiang Mai. As the name implies you have to be in Ching Mai on Sunday to experience this. All local products and crafts were sold here at a good price. It is really different from the everyday Night Bazaar. Its starts at Tha Pae Gate, where we were dropped off by our truck taxi driver, and runs all along Ratchadamnoen Rd, for around one kilometre. When we were there it has branched out to the other roads connecting to it such as Jhaban Rd. The market will open at 1600 and end at 2400. By 1900 it will be busy and packed with tourists as well as locals. It was really a long walking market and you would not satisfy yourself by being there just for a while. I really recommend exploring everything nooks and cranny of the market. I ended up buying more then I expected to be which was fun. Despite we being limited to the kind of food that we could eat there were still quite a bit of halal food stalls.
The other interesting thing was the blind musicians sitting in one single line in the middle of the street to play oldies. That was really unique and innovative of them. We continued to walk until the end and follow the new branch of the market to our right towards the Three Kings Monument. From there we took the truck taxi back to our hotel. We left at 2220 because Taufiq needed to fit his suit that he did the day before at the tailor on the road along our hotel.
At around 2230 we were at the tailor relaxing and enjoying ourselves. I could not remember the tailor. Could it be James Bond Tailor?
No comments:
Post a Comment