Rest day in Khon Kaen.

Today was a recovery day.  We have covered over 200kms in the past 3 days and endured temperatures reaching 116 degrees in the OLD scale.  Us modern people in Australian would rate that over 47 degrees C.

I did what I do best, and that was sleep in.  Breakfast was at 8am in the hotel, and was OK. 

We went down to the Plaza for a Starbucks coffee and cake.  The plaza has the usual shops selling phones, more phones and clothing.  I did check out a new camera which I desperately need.  The Nikon D3200 is the one I like for the next holiday.  The little camera I have is too limited in doing landscape shots and night shots.  Might have to save some money and splurge when I get home.

Again the day was so hot and I'm glad Len's suggestion of training it for a couple of days is what we need.  We hope to do trains or buses from Khon Kaen to the Cambodian border and then ride the rest.  I told Len I wanted to ride into the city I rode out of.

In the afternoon I went out to see Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhorn or the 9 stories stupa. To get there I caught a local Ute to take me there.  It cost me 10 baht, which is about 30 Aussie cents to travel 20 minutes.  The Phra Mahathat house relics of the Lord Buddha and important Buddhist scriptures.  Doors and windows of the 9 storey stupa are beautifully carved, featuring life and former reincarnations of the Lord Buddha, 16 classes of visible deities in the Brahma's world, and Buddhist rites.  Murals within the stupa feature history of the town.  The top floor, on the 9th story, houses relics of the Lord Buddha.

The views from the top of the stupa over the city are incredible.  I have attached a couple of photos of the stupa. 

After my brief outing today I returned to the hotel to enjoy the comforts of air con and cable TV.  I have no idea what tomorrow could bring.

This photo was taken inside the Stupa.  There was a lot of people praying and receiving prayer from the local monks.

 

 Photo inside the stupa.

 I took this photo on the 4th floor of the stupa.  Each part of the monument is built with absolute precision.  It must have taken years of painstaking work to built this structure. 

 Photo of a young couple who had provided gifts to the monks and appeared to be receiving some prayer.  It could have been some blessing before they got married.

 The stupa also provides a history of the most revered monks who have walked the floors of this stupa.  They are immortalized in a gold bust.

 The golden statues in the stupa was quite stunning.  I know I should know more history and I will for the next holiday.  This holiday you get photos and that's it.

And this is a photo standing at the entrance to the stupa.  It's always hard with a little camera to capture the size of such a monument, but I can guarantee you,  this one is enormous.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.