ON YA BIKE - Slow cycling around Phrae, North Thailand

.....our previous post following the Mekong River in Issan, Thailand....

A detour off the train line was next, and we found a bus to our consequent destination at the extremely friendly and helpful Uttaradit bus station. It was a surprisingly fast trip- we began chatting and looking out the window, then before we knew it, we had arrived in Phrae. 

Phrae relaxing Buddha, Thailand

We saw a hotel next to the bus station, and true to style lately, checked it out as an easy option to stay. It was amazingly grand for the price, with a huge foyer stuffed with ornate teak furniture and a large pool outside. The rooms were great- slightly worn, but fantastic value. The price of £12 even included breakfast. It was also practically deserted for most of our stay- maybe because of the time of year?

Ornate teak furniture in grand hotel foyer, Phrae

Fancy pants room, Phrae, Thailand

We both immediately loved Phrae. Very different from any other places in Thailand we have visited, it really had a small town feel. In the central part there were no large chain shops, only family-run and crafty/arty businesses, small scale and locally focused.

Luckily for us, Phrae promoted itself as a "slow cycle town", an idea which we absolutely loved. Many signs and maps showed various routes through the small streets of the old town to a plethora of sights along the way. We made do with the frankly dodgy bicycles we had hired at our hotel, but for £2 we could hardly complain! We relished the unhurried pace and mostly quiet atmosphere of our slow cycle days. 

Loaded up mobile shop, Phrae, Thailand

Retro feel in a historic mansion, Phrae, Thailand

Wat Chom Sawan interior, Phrae, Thailand

It was a wonderful tour of venerable royal houses, old teak mansions, cute rustic coffee shops, the ancient city wall....we tried to remember the names and locations, but there was so much to look at in the maze of lanes. We stopped every few meters, became carried away with the charm of it all and lost track of details. Which was OK.

Amulets on display in old house, Phrae, Thailand

Cute teak cottage in Phrae temple gardens

Crumbling stupa, cycling around Phrae, Thailand

Old royal mansion, Phrae, Thailand

Lovely window, cycling around Phrae, Thailand

Mural on temple wall, Phrae, Thailand

Loved this photo of the old king, Phrae, Thailand

Each wat had peaceful grounds with only tinkling bells breaking the tranquility. Some were reminiscent of the commonly seen Thai wats with gold everywhere and Buddha statues.

Serene scene, cycling around Phrae, Thailand

Other examples were more unusual - ancient stone chedis and tall blinding white towers, and one in particular in a gorgeous dark teak Burmese style.

Unusual temple style, cycling around Phrae, Thailand

Detail inside Wat Chom Sawan

Stone chedi, cycling around Phrae, Thailand

Burmese style Buddha with light spirit, Wat Chom Sawan

Curious Burmese design, Wat Chom Sawan, Phrae, Thailand

Another day, we travelled further afield by motorbike, which gave us a wonderful sense of freedom. The wide and smooth roads were devoid of traffic when we got out of the town center, and whizzing up the mountain side was a fantastic feeling. Thai forests rose on either side of the road with towering tamarind trees and giant bamboo growing majestically. 

Scenic waterway around Phrae, Thailand

Good luck helmet!

The first stop was Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen, an extremely calm hillside complex, deserted apart from a couple of people gently sweeping and some sleeping monks. We walked up the many steps to a variety of statues looking out to views of the surrounding forest. Rich was determined to dong every gong and bell in the place- three times for good luck, so we have been told. The highest structure was a golden rock, covered in coin offerings, reminiscent of the Golden Rock in Burma. 

Golden rock, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen

Stupa, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen

Rich having a go on every donger he could find

Gold overload, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen

Further along the road was the exceptional Wat Na Khuha complex. The temple was set in a verdant green valley- rice and peanuts growing in surrounding fields, and a beautifully designed garden full of flowering trees. Little spots in the shade had been created to sit and rest and appreciate the scene with the backdrop of jagged hills and forests. There was a lot of exploring to be done here, but we satisfied ourselves with walking on the charming woven bamboo boardwalk that crossed the fields to a lookout platform, and surveying the absolute magic of the scene. The shining gold Buddha sitting in the almost fluorescent green fields, the hills and beauty of it all. 

Enjoying the view at Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand

Beautiful tree in blossom, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae

Bamboo boardwalk, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand

Explosion of colour at Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand

Green fields, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand

The day ended with us being too hot to function, and returning for a swim in our luxury pool (!) and a rest in our AC room. We are so posh these days!

There seemed to be a lot of artisans and crafty people in Phrae. Women grouped in temple grounds or outside homes sewing, embroidering, making paper lanterns and religious offerings and weaving monks robes. Our favorite thing was the "mo hom", an indigo coloured, sturdy cloth made in local villages. Unique designs are sold widely in small shops around Phrae and surrounding towns, and are very popular amongst locals- we often saw people wearing various items of different designs. We both purchased a shirt in this gorgeous material, not quite believing the price of such a high quality item (less than £4 each). We were very tempted to buy more, but such is our lifestyle- if we buy it, we have to carry it, and that's very good motivation to keep things to a minimum.

Wat Chom Sawan, making monk's robes

Sal in new mo hom top

Best of all in Phrae were the friendly people! Locals looked so happy to see us, especially when we attempted a Sawadee or a few words of Thai, and seemed genuinely pleased that we were visiting their town and appreciating its beauty. We may have been giving out good vibes! Although we only stayed four or so days, we began to recognize people in the streets. One bearded man was particularly memorable, as he cycled around all day on a battered old bike, long wig streaming behind, and a different sun dress on every day!

Tinkering in a shop

Even the food in Phrae was an improvement on the previous towns, the pedestrian night market having most of our favorite Thai foods in a relaxed setting. 

We considered staying on and shortening our time in Bangkok, but decided another trip is on the cards when we have more time- we would absolutely love to explore more of this amazing region of Thailand. The whole trip, but Phrae in particular, revitalized our love for Thailand, and reminded us there is much more to the country than Ko Fruitopia!

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Having a very much relaxed attitude towards booking in advance on this trip, we turned up back at Uttaradit railway station in the early afternoon hoping to travel on that evening's train to Bangkok. Unfortunately for us, the second class sleeper was booked out, so for the very first (and probably only) time in our lives, we opted for 1st class! It was only slightly more expensive (£23), and not really that fancy, but we were still excited. Boarding the train at 10.30pm, we were shown to our private little cabin, with two bunk beds and a sink, and immediately checked out what all the switches did. Some sleep was eventually had during the eight hour journey, before arriving in the early morning into Bangkok's massive new central station -  Krung Thep Aphiwat Terminal. 

Our little compartment on the 1st class train

Romance Hotel in Bangkok used to be our secret place we had found as an alternative to staying around Banglamphu. It was an absolute steal of a price, with pool and gym facilities included, and the bonus of being in a great little local area of the city, away from the backpackers. Mostly in the past it had been practically empty- Rich had been able to use the gym at anytime, and the pool was never crowded. This time, however, the hotel appeared to have been discovered, with many foreigners staying, and the surrounding streets having become busier. The price had also risen and the quality of the rooms decreased, and although it was fine for our stay in Bangkok this time, we thought we would probably not stay there again.

We spent our last few days in Thailand finishing up our business, and preparing for the next leg of our South East Asian trip, as well as making the most of having a roof top pool in the city!

.......next up, we travel to Cebu in the Philippines...........