Chiang Mai - Pakxe southern Laos Return: A Savannakhet Visa Run Part 3

[DavidFL]

Continued from
Chiang Mai - Pakxe southern Laos Return: A Savannakhet Visa Run Part 1

Chiang Mai - Pakxe southern Laos Return: A Savannakhet Visa Run Part 2


Udon - Khon Kaen - Roi Et
Day 4

Leaving Udon & the big Doi Chaang Coffee

I had a good run down to KK, slowly caught up to a couple of cars in the traffic, but once on the open road they pulled away each time.
Hhmmh, that's pretty good I thought..... I upped my pace & little & eventually caught up to the front car & tucked in behind in his draft.
A highway police car.......& sitting nicely on a steady 160kph. We pulled up alongside at the lights a couple of times, looked & nodded to each other. NO probs - even got the thumbs up from the coppers. Another reason to love riding in Thailand.

KK came up reasonably fast then.

I had a couple of bike shops to check & tick

1. DS Motorbike
DS Motorbikes

who seem to be running a good bike rental biz in Esarn with all their bikes out most of the time.

2. SILVER STAR HARLEY SERVICE KHON KAEN

That done time to head for Roi Et & Gerhard.
But I had trouble finding my way out of Khon Kaen & heading to Roi Et, "the right way."
KK has to be one of, if not the provincial capital with poorest, road signage.
Id circled around twice, before I got it right.
It was a damp 'n greasy run to Roi Et - I kept catching up to rain showers, had to back off & slow down a tad & let the rain move ahead of me. OR stop & put my rain gear on, which I was not in the mood for.

Place of stay in Roi Et was
MAI THAI HOTEL

600 baht a night & reasonable value for money.

 

[DavidFL]

ROI ET ATTRACTIONS

Bueng Phalan Chai lake in the city centre

covers an area .f 200,000 sq.m

more to come, finally = somewhat behind schedule.

 

[DavidFL]

ROI ET...the last bit for now, but I need to go back, there is so much good stuff around Roi Et....

Wat Bueng Phralan Chai

Phra Buddha Rattana Mongkol Mahamuni / Luang Phoo Toe - Wat Burapha Piram

Boorapaphiram Temple was built in 1979. The present abbot is Phramaha Siriwutmatee.
It is located on 559 Phadungpanit Road, Mueng district,
Roi-Et. It was called “Wat Hou Raw” because in the former times, it was used as a hotel for the merchants who came to Roi-Et. They had business there at that time. There was not enough accommodation, so they had to stay at Wat Hou Raw. The word “Raw” means “waiting” in English, so at that time the merchants used this temple to sleep before started a new journey.

In 1913 a abbot changed the name to Boorapaphiram Temple because this temple is located at the east part of the city. The word “Phiram” means beautiful in Thai language. It is counted as a royal temple. It has the tallest standing Buddha image in Thailand, which is ranked the fifth in the world.

This Buddha image is 59.2m high (including the base, 67.85m)

Then time to leave Roi Et in the wet.
It was a greasy run all the way to Ubon.
Approaching Ubon a nice big Buddha

 

[DavidFL]

Ubon Check in 3.30PM at the Pha Daeng Mansion

Quiet, clean secure. Everything works properly.
The price I paid 500 baht a night.
Highly recommended.

More coming, but slowly, apologies. But we will get there.