A view of the main street of Pua with the mountains towards Laos in the background. Those of you who know FNQ could perhaps see a resemblance to Innisfail??? We came here to see if we could find textiles and silverwork done by local Mien people. Yes, we did,... and we did. We came, we saw, we plundered, sort of. Loved this little town and the surrounding countryside is superb. Definitely a "must come back" place.
Then we headed off towards the Lao border to Pua - which no one had heard of in Chiang Mai!! They probably hadn't heard of, or been to, Chiang Mai!This is a lake in the centre of town - where we had lunch. It was a bit cloudy and hazy but you can just see the mountains which surround the town.
Part of the gardens fronting the Palace (now the Nan National Museum). Very lush and tropical with elkhorns and palms and of course orchids.
This is the palace of the last rulers of Nan, built about 1903, who ruled until 1931 when Jao Mahaphrom Surathada died, and the Bangkok Chakri dynasty took control. Beautifully maintained with original family bits and pieces. Peter says it is very like one of the homes he grew up in, in Singapore, lucky him, or it may have been the palace of the last ruler in Phrae which you'll no doubt see soon - it was one of them, believe me - we of course know better as Peter will never grow up!!!
Part of the gardens fronting the Palace (now the Nan National Museum). Very lush and tropical with elkhorns and palms and of course orchids.
This is the palace of the last rulers of Nan, built about 1903, who ruled until 1931 when Jao Mahaphrom Surathada died, and the Bangkok Chakri dynasty took control. Beautifully maintained with original family bits and pieces. Peter says it is very like one of the homes he grew up in, in Singapore, lucky him, or it may have been the palace of the last ruler in Phrae which you'll no doubt see soon - it was one of them, believe me - we of course know better as Peter will never grow up!!!
Now, on a different track completely, THIS is how you attract customers to the dentist!!! The Thai name for dentist is 'Mor Fun', so we thought this a very clever play on words. Mind you, the photo was as far as we went!
B admires the craftmanship but decided he wouldn't be able to hang around till late in the year when the races are on. Shame that!
Boats used in races on the Mae Nam Nan kept at this wat. Very similar to ones we saw in Laos.
Boats used in races on the Mae Nam Nan kept at this wat. Very similar to ones we saw in Laos.
We never did find out the name of this Wat in Nan. All the signs were in Thai (fair enough) and we couldn't find anyone who spoke English, or could understand our Thai. Still, we decided it is our favourite in Nan. The facade has every aspect of Buddhist teaching, and a lot of other stuff as well.
Isn't the workmanship on the front entrance just wonderful?
Isn't the workmanship on the front entrance just wonderful?
Demons form the base of this pillar. You can see the previous(?) photo demons in the background.
Demons on the base of another pillar at this unnamed wat in Nan
These nagas guarding the entrance to this wat were amazing - as are the ever present power lines!! The guy with the bike is not a midget, just shows how big the nagas are. There is a matching naga on the other side of the stairs leading up into the Vihaan.
The roof decoration with the white elephants holding up the symbolic umbrellas
Detail on the front of the "unknown" wat in Nan we loved. There was much discussion as to where the elephants' heads were, and to whether or not they had anything to do with the posture of the asparas. Any suggestions??
Here's Peter, Marie and Brenton inside Wat Phra That Chang Kham in Nan. Gives an idea of the height of the building.
The ceiling in Wat Phra That Chang Kham in Nan is just wonderful. The pillars again are solid teak.
This little bot is behind the main temple at Wat Phra That Chang Kham and was being used by the novice monks for their prayers and chants. You can see them in their orange robes inside the door. The decoration on the eaves, the coloured nagas, and the silver inlays on the end are quite amazing. Note the monks shoes all in a circle outside. What it means we do not know.
The main stupa at Wat Phra That Chang Kham which has elephants (Chang) around its base which unfortunately you can't see in this pic.
The logistics of having the height of the stupa, or the chang became a bit of a challenge.
The logistics of having the height of the stupa, or the chang became a bit of a challenge.
And a monk's work is not all prayer!! The grounds were imaculate. Note the demon guardian at the back. Shame I decapitated him!
This is a VERY famous Buddha image. the story goes that an "art historian" called AB Griswold wanted to buy an old image from this wat in 1955. It appeared to be a crude image in plaster. The price agreed was 25000Baht ( about $1000). Griswold began to remove the image but it fell, or jumped depending on who you believe, out of his hands and smashed on the ground revealing a pure solid gold Buddha in original Sukhothai style. Griswold was made to give it back and here he (NOT Griswold) stands behind glass. And YES he is solid gold and very beautiful.
