Nong Khai Thailand Part Two

Wat Pho Chai
Luang PuPhra Sai, a large Lan Xang-era Buddha awash with gold, bronze and precious stones sits at the hub of this Wat. The head of the image is pure gold, the body is bronze and it is set with rubies. This is one of three similar statues and the murals in the bot depict their travels from the interior of Laos to the banks of the Mekong where they were put on rafts. A storm sent one to the bottom of the river where it remains today. It was never reacovered because, according to one monk at the temple, the naga like having it. The third status is in Wat Patum Wanaram in Bangkok.

The murals depicting the travels and the building of the Wat.

Fancy wooden carved doors.


Window shutters.

Fancy doors. A stupa in the yard.
Guardians at the entrance.

An area for prayer in the courtyard.
Entrance.


Our hotel. For 800 baht I had a room with cable TV and a computer with internet connections. Thats about $25.

My daughter and son in law in the restaurant in front of the hotel.
This huge complex contains a University for monks. Its on one of the main streets in Nong Khai.

8:00 am traffic on one of the main streets of town.




Our hotel pool.

There are several festivals in town throughout the year usually attended by thousands. I was fortunate enough to arrive on Chinese New years one year and there were dragon parades from the Chinese Temple which lasted all day and into the evening.