CampariO

Every Saturday there is a lot of food and other things offered here. You should come at 5 or 6 p.m., after 8 p.m. there is not much left.

May I ask what is planted on the plot? We have currently rice and cassava. After harvest, the cassava field will be planted with sugar cane (no, I won't be making any rum, though the idea had crossed my mind). Water is no issue, there is a klong running next to the plot. Also, there is a small pond which has some fish. As you can see, Mrs. CO is eating them already in her mind.

Have something similar in mind, but much cheaper. More a small knock-down house or something that can be extended in future. Something I can stay for a night or 2 without having to stay in some colorful rooms in even more colorful resorts. Should not cost more than the 7 rai farmland we purchased 30 km south of Chaiyaphum.

The journey is nearing its end. I don't remember the name of this rock, but it was just more of a tourist selfie spot. You could explore the area further by four-wheel drive, but we wanted to go to the Hotel SR Residence in Petchaboon that same evening, where we had stayed before and had a nice view over the fields and hills. I hope you enjoyed the trip.

The penultimate stop on our journey was a simple temple with a small cave: Thum Pho Ti Sat. The cave wasn't worth seeing, but there was a small path that led to another world. At least that's how it felt. You followed a circuit and were surrounded by high cliffs, trees and roots entwined everywhere on the rock and in small caves. It was as if no one had ever been here, and I kept looking over my shoulder to see if a T-Rex was approaching from behind.

Nice view but couldn't really enjoy it because we were gasping for air for a while. To get into the cave, you had to go down a few steps. Inside, lights were installed but not turned on. So get out your phone and shine. On the other side you saw daylight again and had a different view. However, one had to walk the way back through the cave. That means: down the stairs and then up again. 😝

The Erawan Cave is in Nong Bua Lam Phu. It was time to climb the stairs again. A mute boy offered to be our guide for a small tip.

The Chiang Khan skywalk is a bit higher and a few girls had trouble progressing without holding on to the railing. 😆

The sidewalks are folded up quite early. At least there are a few bars. In the Miss U Bar we were served with the best cocktails I had drunk in a long time. It turned out that the owner used to work as a bartender at the Oriental in Bangkok. At our request, he gave a few recipes and gave general tips on what to keep in mind when mixing. Within seconds, Mrs. CO stood behind the bar and shook the shaker. Training on the job! If you show up there, you should definitely go to the Miss U Bar Soi 19 and try the cocktails! The next day we cycled along the Mekong and cooled down with a few cold drinks.

A Beerlao at sunset tastes almost as good as one on the other side of the Mekong. (It probably tastes better over there because it's less than half the price.)

Chiang Khan. I had never heard of this little place on the Mekong, and yet it is said to be very well known. A kitschy, typical tourist place with lots of old wooden houses, and yet we really liked it there and hopefully we will visit there again soon. But only not on a weekend, because the place is totally overcrowded. To get the right experience, you should stay in one of the wooden houses, of course with a view of the river. Small rooms and a bit expensive, but you can hear and feel the other house guests coming and going.

We had visited the temple somewhere in between.

Phu Pha Dak is a small mountain where I think you can only climb up with a guide. We didn't feel like climbing after the many steps, but we enjoyed the bizarre Mekong river landscape.

Not a particularly high skywalk where the girls are screaming and slide on all fours across the glass floor. But there was a nice little temple just around the corner that was still being worked on. It's wonderful how cool it can be in these buildings despite the heat.

Now we went west. One night in Nong Khai and then along the Mehkong to Chiang Khan. The first stop on this section was the Skywalk Wat Pha Tak Suea. The overcoats are ineffective or they were prescribed too late because the glass was already quite scratched.

We weren't allowed in here because we weren't registered. I believe that this waiting list will exist even without Corona because it is a popular destination.

You will be rewarded with a beautiful view. You can circumnavigate the hill on wooden planks, but I didn't have a good feeling doing it because some planks made strange noises and bounced.

There isn't that much to see east of Nong Khai, but there are two places worth visiting. The first is Bueng Kan, the second are the Naga Caves. However, these require prior notification, which we did not know. The waiting time for this was over 2 weeks! Therefore no pictures. In Bueng Kan is the Phu Thok WatC hetiya Khiri Wihan, a meditation place on two sandstone hills. Hill means climbing stairs, and not a few.

Some more temples at the river:

There is also a Stone Buddha Park on the Laos side of the river.

Then some sight-seeing in Nong Khai and the surrounding area.

The next morning, the highlight of an alcoholic's trip: the Issan Rum Distillery a few km south of Nong Khai. The nice owner shows us the production site and we tasted a sample set. The rum with the syrup made from natural sugar together with lime juice was so delicious that we took 3 bottles with us as provisions.

There was no time for more, because we wanted to reach Nong Khai on the same day. We managed to do this before sunset, which we enjoyed at a restaurant with a view of the Friendship Bridge.

Next to the temple is a Chinese cultural center. A small exhibition, fish and a small garden.