Day 11
SATURDAY 13th we realised that we only have this weekend free to visit Bhubing Royal Palace providing it’s open. Over breakfast Opas came to give us the itinerary for the forthcoming Lantern Festival and he went to check about opening hours for us. Today it was open until 4pm which was great as it gave us time to relax by the pool again. When we decided to leave Keith found he couldn’t get into the room safe and so once again we had to call on Opas. He came immediately but said we would have to wait 15 minutes and he could reset the combination. We chatted about a manner of things whilst waiting but chiefly if we thought of anything that would improve our accommodation. It’s perfect as far as we are concerned. We also discussed about getting to the Palace and his best solution was to take a red bus to the Zoo then take another to the Temple then another to the Palace as it would be cheaper than taking one all the way.
We found the bus quite easily with the help of the staff by the bridge as it seems they have a system and know where all the buses are and where they are going. The fare was negotiated to the Zoo and with just the two of us we set off Keith following the route on our map as usual. Some of the roads we recognised as we have walked them more than once but others were new to us. We arrived at the Zoo and paid our driver and before boarding another red bus managed to take a couple of photos of the outside of the place. Again we were directed to a red bus but was asked to sit on the bench as we needed 10 passengers before we set off. A small group of local people laughed when they heard we were going to the Palace and as a couple of young women turned up I asked where they were going – to Doi Suphet Temple but they had a cookery class booked for 3pm and began to wonder if they had time. Just when they were going to alter their plans a driver said for us all to get into the bus and off we went. Everyone got out at the temple and we remained seated. Now we were informed we had to wait for another 8 people before he would take us another 6km to the Palace or we could pay 100 baht each. Keith became a little annoyed at the driver as he had negotiated a fare to take us to the Palace. Without further ado he spoke to another bus driver, this time it was a green bus, who agreed to take us for 30 each so we paid the driver of the red bus the set amount to the Temple and boarded this bus. We hadn’t realised just how high we had travelled and the air felt much fresher but not cold. We paid our admission fee into the Palace grounds 50 for the foreigner, 20 for the local. We could have paid more and had an electric car but we prefer to walk.
A lot of the grounds were off limits but when the bamboo poles supporting vast coverings of polythene the gardens will be a picture. The Queen is noted for her love of roses and has one named after her but unfortunately it was not in bloom but everywhere were rose bushes. The orchids too were magnificent and some in unusual colours such as a chocolate brown one. We walked up many steps through the fern garden where a small stream trickled down the mountainside by the steps. We arrived at the reservoir which the Government have turned into a water feature with a large fountain and smaller ones set either side of it to celebrate all the work the Queen does for the people of Thailand. We had thought it looked like rain when we arrived at the garden but now the cloud was beginning to disperse and the sun was bright and hot. A quick stop for a soft drink before beginning a steep climb up the roadway to the chalets constructed of eucalyptus wood ordered by the Queen and used to house guests to the Palace when the Royal family are visiting from Bangkok which is usually from the end of November until February when the gardens are then closed to the public. Continuing to follow the road where several electric cars passed us, each driver giving us a broad smile as they passed, we came across more ferns, busy lizzies in all colours, azaleas, and several bushes of poinsettias which in the sun were attracting some large orange butterflies. There was also a clump of very thick stemmed bamboo which people where having their photo taken alongside. The road took us back to the entrance where we were lucky to get a bus to take us down to the temple in time for the sun to set.
Approximately 300 steps lead up to the temple in this National Park and then we have to pay 30 baht to get in! At certain points up the fairly narrow staircase young people were holding large cardboard boxes and asking for donations for the children. Keith was way ahead of me and when they kindly asked for a donation I said I would give one on the way down providing I made it to the top! As expected the temple was busy with tourists of all Nationalities and a lot of people were buying offerings to make to the many Buddhas in the temple. Bamboo scaffolding with gold drapes had been erected around the gold stupa and almost at the top a couple of workmen, including a monk, were repairing the gold leaf although Keith thought it would have been better to have started at the top and worked down . On various levels young children performed dances to the music performed by more young people was a delight to watch. From a lantern strewn balcony we looked down onto Chiang Mai trying to work out the old from the new. We hung around waiting for sunset but today it seemed to be taking for ever so to avoid the rush decided to leave early and head back home. We were lucky the bus we took was going down to the Zoo and then to the Old City. It was full and we chatted to an American man from Boston and a younger couple from the UK who was disappointed to be so far out of the city. People got off on route and we too alighted at the footbridge leaving the English couple and the American and his girlfriend to continue their journey. We had done well with the deal back and saved ourselves 20 baht.
We stopped off at a quaint coffee house close to home and I put the 20 baht towards a delicious piece of chocolate brownie which was washed down with a beaker of Oolong Green Tea which was very welcoming. As we sat in the garden the owners were busy tidying up the place and inspecting the area alongside the river. Several properties have been working on restructuring their area by the water – whether it’s for the Festival or just something they automatically do after the rainy season we don’t know but it’s a big improvement.
We returned to the Antique House to eat and settled for an early night at home but were surprised to find the gates wide open and Pepsi stood by them. “Are you counting us in?” we asked. No, waiting for new arrivals.
We found the bus quite easily with the help of the staff by the bridge as it seems they have a system and know where all the buses are and where they are going. The fare was negotiated to the Zoo and with just the two of us we set off Keith following the route on our map as usual. Some of the roads we recognised as we have walked them more than once but others were new to us. We arrived at the Zoo and paid our driver and before boarding another red bus managed to take a couple of photos of the outside of the place. Again we were directed to a red bus but was asked to sit on the bench as we needed 10 passengers before we set off. A small group of local people laughed when they heard we were going to the Palace and as a couple of young women turned up I asked where they were going – to Doi Suphet Temple but they had a cookery class booked for 3pm and began to wonder if they had time. Just when they were going to alter their plans a driver said for us all to get into the bus and off we went. Everyone got out at the temple and we remained seated. Now we were informed we had to wait for another 8 people before he would take us another 6km to the Palace or we could pay 100 baht each. Keith became a little annoyed at the driver as he had negotiated a fare to take us to the Palace. Without further ado he spoke to another bus driver, this time it was a green bus, who agreed to take us for 30 each so we paid the driver of the red bus the set amount to the Temple and boarded this bus. We hadn’t realised just how high we had travelled and the air felt much fresher but not cold. We paid our admission fee into the Palace grounds 50 for the foreigner, 20 for the local. We could have paid more and had an electric car but we prefer to walk.
A lot of the grounds were off limits but when the bamboo poles supporting vast coverings of polythene the gardens will be a picture. The Queen is noted for her love of roses and has one named after her but unfortunately it was not in bloom but everywhere were rose bushes. The orchids too were magnificent and some in unusual colours such as a chocolate brown one. We walked up many steps through the fern garden where a small stream trickled down the mountainside by the steps. We arrived at the reservoir which the Government have turned into a water feature with a large fountain and smaller ones set either side of it to celebrate all the work the Queen does for the people of Thailand. We had thought it looked like rain when we arrived at the garden but now the cloud was beginning to disperse and the sun was bright and hot. A quick stop for a soft drink before beginning a steep climb up the roadway to the chalets constructed of eucalyptus wood ordered by the Queen and used to house guests to the Palace when the Royal family are visiting from Bangkok which is usually from the end of November until February when the gardens are then closed to the public. Continuing to follow the road where several electric cars passed us, each driver giving us a broad smile as they passed, we came across more ferns, busy lizzies in all colours, azaleas, and several bushes of poinsettias which in the sun were attracting some large orange butterflies. There was also a clump of very thick stemmed bamboo which people where having their photo taken alongside. The road took us back to the entrance where we were lucky to get a bus to take us down to the temple in time for the sun to set.
Approximately 300 steps lead up to the temple in this National Park and then we have to pay 30 baht to get in! At certain points up the fairly narrow staircase young people were holding large cardboard boxes and asking for donations for the children. Keith was way ahead of me and when they kindly asked for a donation I said I would give one on the way down providing I made it to the top! As expected the temple was busy with tourists of all Nationalities and a lot of people were buying offerings to make to the many Buddhas in the temple. Bamboo scaffolding with gold drapes had been erected around the gold stupa and almost at the top a couple of workmen, including a monk, were repairing the gold leaf although Keith thought it would have been better to have started at the top and worked down . On various levels young children performed dances to the music performed by more young people was a delight to watch. From a lantern strewn balcony we looked down onto Chiang Mai trying to work out the old from the new. We hung around waiting for sunset but today it seemed to be taking for ever so to avoid the rush decided to leave early and head back home. We were lucky the bus we took was going down to the Zoo and then to the Old City. It was full and we chatted to an American man from Boston and a younger couple from the UK who was disappointed to be so far out of the city. People got off on route and we too alighted at the footbridge leaving the English couple and the American and his girlfriend to continue their journey. We had done well with the deal back and saved ourselves 20 baht.
We stopped off at a quaint coffee house close to home and I put the 20 baht towards a delicious piece of chocolate brownie which was washed down with a beaker of Oolong Green Tea which was very welcoming. As we sat in the garden the owners were busy tidying up the place and inspecting the area alongside the river. Several properties have been working on restructuring their area by the water – whether it’s for the Festival or just something they automatically do after the rainy season we don’t know but it’s a big improvement.
We returned to the Antique House to eat and settled for an early night at home but were surprised to find the gates wide open and Pepsi stood by them. “Are you counting us in?” we asked. No, waiting for new arrivals.
posted by Pam at
03:34
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