Into the mountains

Perception is so often different from reality. It was such a surprise to suddenly move from the plains to the mountains which were so different from what one had expected. They are covered in semi-deciduous forest and are quite beautiful. Thailand is attempting to redress the wrongs of the past by creating and maintaining 117 National Parks and we drove through and beside one of them on our way to Chiang Mai.
Before we left Phitsanulok we visited two Wats one of which, the Wat Mahathat, is famous throughout the country. As we drove towards it we came across a man walking an elephant - as you do ! The first wat we visited - the Wat Rajburana -was beside the famous one and was quiet and peaceful. We then went next door where the 14th century temple and Buddha are visited by pilgrims from far and wide because this particular Buddha is said to have special healing powers. It was a hive of activity with a class of junior school children being taught in one corner and a small service in another part of the building.It was a fascinating spectacle but really quite beyond ones understanding.
We then visited the Sgt Major Thawee Ethnological Museum which according to our Rough Guide is one of the best in Thailand and we were not disappointed. It provided a look into life in the country over the past two centuries. The sgt-major and his family have built up this collection and it is beautifully housed in a compound of wooden buildings. Almost next door was a factory that casts bronze Buddhas for sale in Thailand and around the world. We saw the various processes at work.
Finally we got on the road and kept going apart from a stop at a hawker stall where food ,possibly the best we have had in Thailand so far, was cooked for us - all for the princely sum of 50 baht which is about 80 pence.
We are now booked into a guest house with views over the river and looking forward to exploring Chiang Mai.