After settling into our new condo, we were ready to get out and start doing some exploring. Charlie’s Uncle Pat also stopped in Khon Kaen for a week before heading to Chiang Mai so it was time to play tourist. Pat noticed there was a lake near Khon Kaen on Google maps and was anxious to get out there to check it out. It was about a 45 min drive on the motorbikes. Road trip!
Driving Khon Kaen to Ubolrat Dam
After getting out of the city, it was just the road for miles and miles. About half way there, Charlie all of a sudden puts the breaks on and pulls to the side of the road. I was completely confused as to why we were stopping at this point because there was absolutely nothing around. He points down to the tire. Flat tire….CRAP.
We had no idea how far we were from a repair shop. Or civilization for that matter. I hop on Pat’s bike and we continue trekking down the road….very slowly. About 2 minutes down the road a truck drives up next to us and stops, the Thai guys inside laughing hysterically at us. Ha ha, very funny. Farangs with a flat tire. However, he then proceeds to point down the road in the direction we were headed. We take this as good news and that there is a repair shop not too far. Fingers crossed! We continue down the road and, sure enough, it was not even 3 minutes later we come up on a shop. We pull in and they immediately begin working on the Nova. About 10 min and 130 baht later, we were on our way!
We didn’t really know what to expect from this lake/dam that we were searching for, so we were quite surprised when we arrived to find miles of pristine landscaping leading up to the lake. It was quite impressive, and not just by Thai standards. There were gorgeous views of the lake and the mountains in the distance.
We noticed the big, white Buddha at the top of the mountain on our hike in and we were determined to make our way there. We asked one of the security guards and he pointed us in the direction. Well, little did we know we would be hiking today and we were not quite prepared. I was outnumbered by the boys though, and they decided we were going for it. The stairs looked like they went on forever…
After much huffing and puffing and 5 minute breaks for myself, we made it to the top! The views were so rewarding!
I have to say that the ride home felt so much longer than the ride there. The Nova is not the most comfortable bike to say the least. It was an exhausting day between the sun and never-ending hike, but it was well worth the trip.
Ton Tann Night Market
Later that week, we spent some time checking out the night markets. I was very impressed by Ton Tann night market. Everything was very clean and well manicured. There were a variety of bands/musicians playing throughout the market and plenty of shops and food stalls.
The Saturday night market offers the best variety of food. We tend to eat way too much when we go though, because everything looks so yummy! And it’s so inexpensive 😉 Of course, I always have to end the night with something sweet so I got in line for a pancake with the rest of the toddlers.
Khon Kaen Prawn Farm
Our next adventure was not too far from town at a prawn farm I had heard Charlie talk about in the past. The prawn farm had little huts that circled the pond and they would bring you lunch in them. There was a large bell that you could ring if you needed service. We ordered up some Tom Yum soup and BBQ prawns. The BBQ prawns were good, but the soup was phenomenal! We couldn’t get enough of it!
We will definitely be back for more soup!
After the week was up, Pat left Khon Kaen and headed for Chiang Mai. It was time for us to start getting into a routine. With all of the eating, drinking, sleeping in, and no exercise I knew something had to give. But not without a little bad luck first……………STAY TUNED!
