Roadside nap spot between Aranyaphratet and Buriram
The road north to Buriram
The royal walkway to the Prasat Phnom Rung (PPR) temple sanctuary in Buriram province. PPR sits on top of an extinct volcano and was built by Khmer (Cambodian) people in approximately 11th century AD. It was a temple devoted to the Hindu god Shiva.
Nagas (mythical snake creatures) guarding the entrance to Prasat Phnom Rung
The nearest town is called "Jarake Mak", which literally means "lots of crocodiles". No wonder they needed a temple...
Prasat Phnom Rung
PPR from the west...
A Buddha-like temple guard figure, showing the mixture of Hindu and Buddhist influences in the Khmer style.
PPR from the east, with the typical lingam associated with Shiva visible in the doorway.
Kaeng Saphue in Ubon Ratchathani province, located on the Mun river. Mean's "python's rapids" in local dialect (not Thai). Near the frontier with Cambodia.
Picnic on the Mun River, Ubon.
Manly picnic on the Mun River, Ubon
Beast on the Mun River
Welcome to Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani.
Very rural road on the way to Pha Taem cliff paintings.
Typical roadside halt, wat in the background.
Wat (temple) Tam Kuha Sawaan
At Wat Tam Kuha Sawaan
Buddha image at Wat Tam Kuha Sawaan
View of Mekong from Wat Tam Kuha Sawaan
Seated Buddha's in the cave (Tam) at Wat Tam Kuha Sawaan
Parking area at Pha Taem (cliff painting) in Ubon Ratchasima province, right along bank of Mekong River.
View of Mekong from Pha Taem.
Passage along the cliff base.
Cliff paintings, Pha Taem. These are 3-4,000 years old.
Detail of paintings. There are supposedly 300 of them...
At Mukdhan town, also Mukdahan province - Mekong and Laos in the background.
Alternate transport, Lao style.
Carabao Daeng (Red Buffalo) stickers.
Main drag of Mukdahan.
Looking South over Mekong from Mukdahan.
Lonely love (on the phone) in Mukdahan...
Somewhere between Mukdahan and Mahasarakham
Near Mahasarakham.
In the hills on the way to Sakhon Nakhon. There's a place called "Isaan Jurassic Park", but I never got to see it...
On the curvy road to Sakhon Nakhon.
Woodsy view, Sakhon Nakhon.
Pre-bash scenic, Bike Week in Sakhon Nakhon.
Bike Week, Sakhon Nakhon
Participants at bike week (really "night") bash.
Good thing it was only one night, I'm not sure I could have lasted for a whole week of this...
Bikers will be bikers...
Ditto...
Cute biker couple.
He was inspired by the photo shoot...
Biker chicks don't look like that in the USA...
Peace
Wat Phra That Narai Cheng Weng - Sakhon Nakhon - 11th Century Khmer prang dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu
Wat Phra That Choeng Chum - Lao style chedi (from the outside) built over an 11th century Khmer prang.
Cheung Chum with new roof tiles lined up and ready...
Wat Phra That Phanom - Nakhon Phanom province. The most revered shrine in the northeast, one of the four principal ones in Thailand. Supposedly originally built in 535BC, refurbished and restored many times, this version in the Lao style in 1975.
Mom and pop - pilgrims to That Phanom.
Incense burning in front of the temple.
More pilgrims, they go 'round the temple three times in a clockwise direction to make merit.
Huge drum right outside the central courtyard.
Sandy making merit.
More pilgrims.
On the promenade, Nakhon Phanom city, Mekong in the background.
Nakhon Phanom.
On the road from Nakhon Phanom toward Nong Khai, skirting the Mekong.
Coming round the corner, and there's the Mekong....
About 50km. East of Nong Khai.
About 30km East of Nong Khai...
View from my dinner table in Nong Khai - on the Mekong.
Nong Kai - Wat Khaek - Open air theme park of giant concrete Hindu/Buddhist sculptures.
Wat Khaek
Wat Khaek - includes practically the entire Hindu cosmology...
Vendor and nieces at Wat Khaek.
On the Mekong, west of Nong Khai near Ban Phu
Funny black chicken temple in Nong Bua Lamphu town in province of the same name.
Nong Bua Lampu
The high point of the trip - Turtle Village in Khon Kaen.
My able guides - anything to avoid homework...
Into the turtle park..
Just about the only two turtles in the whole place. When I asked about the rest of them, the kids shrugged and said: Thay laeo. They all died..
Believe it or not, this turtle was VERY actively and quickly chasing these kids...they indicated that they were not afraid...
My guide.
One of the few remaining denizens of Turtle Village.
This view is almost quintessentially what I saw during most of the 6 days spent biking through Isaan. Harvest is in different stages in each changwat, but the golden colors and clear light were ubiquitous.
These images are from Chaiyaphum (land of victory).
Last night on the road - night market in Chaiyaphum.
Night market, Chaiyaphum - next day back to BKK (after repairing the flat rear tire again). All together, 2900km in 6 days/5 nights. It was a wonderful trip.
