Sala Kaew Ku is a must see!
I jumped astride a bicycle and headed out to Sala Kaew Ku which is an impressive sculpture garden about 6 k from Nong Khai. It was set up by a Lao born fulla who merged buddhism and hinduism which have the same roots anyway and added a bit of mysticism and shamanism. I take it this means he ate lots of mushrooms. The place is huge with massive concrete scuptures of buddhas sheltered by the naga. Of multi-armed deities and dancing girls. 4 faced brahmins, skeletons, animals, the place is incredible. The most inspiring place I've found since reaching Thailand. I thought maybe I was just getting tired and hard to impress but I met my fellow cancerian Marianne and she agreed.
After finally having my fill of the Australian TV channel I headed out for a midnight cycle under the intense full moon. Actually, I wasn't really watching Blue Healers, I had the TV on to drown out the nauseating pop rock from upstairs... honest. Its a nice run along the river front. There are bars and restaurants all along the Mekong but no one in most of them or maybe 2 farang here, another there. Sometimes a small group of Thais. There are obviously a fair amount of farang here. The usual shameful old men with their young thai partners. It surprises me the lack of tourist development here seeing this is the main land route into Laos. It would seem most travellers head straight to the border. They are seriously missing out. Nong Khai is a quiet sleepy place but very pleasant. The locals are pleasant too, not being over exposed to tourism and the associated w_ankers that ruin it for everybody. The rapid flowing Mekong River gives a sence of doing when one is actually sitting at a restaurant doing absolutely nothing.
After finally having my fill of the Australian TV channel I headed out for a midnight cycle under the intense full moon. Actually, I wasn't really watching Blue Healers, I had the TV on to drown out the nauseating pop rock from upstairs... honest. Its a nice run along the river front. There are bars and restaurants all along the Mekong but no one in most of them or maybe 2 farang here, another there. Sometimes a small group of Thais. There are obviously a fair amount of farang here. The usual shameful old men with their young thai partners. It surprises me the lack of tourist development here seeing this is the main land route into Laos. It would seem most travellers head straight to the border. They are seriously missing out. Nong Khai is a quiet sleepy place but very pleasant. The locals are pleasant too, not being over exposed to tourism and the associated w_ankers that ruin it for everybody. The rapid flowing Mekong River gives a sence of doing when one is actually sitting at a restaurant doing absolutely nothing.My muse is returning! All it needed was something truly inspirational.
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