Thailand is as much a Buddhist country as Tibet but, I thought, less obviously so. There were a great many temples and shrines but we tourists saw no large monastery colleges like those in Tibet. There are questions about when this religion-philosophy put down root in the country known until 1932 as Siam. It may well have been in the third century B.C. when Asoka the Great, unifier of India, became a convert and the tenets of the Middle Way began to spread through southeast Asia. In the Thai constitution it is stated that the king must be a Budhist but all religions are tolerated. I know little about the subject but I find it impressive that here is a religion that does not distrust, abhor, or persecute non-believers but asks for peaceful co-existence.
When we arrived at our hotel in the outskirts of Phitsanulok, everyone was tired. In one day we had left busy, bustling Bangkok, visited Pang Pa, roamed through part of Ayauthaya, and had stared incredulously at the free and happy monkeys of Lopburi. It was time for a rest and we found it here in this serene, unhurried setting on the bank of Nan river. We unwound in the soft warm air and filled up on a delectable Thai dinner. Although we didn't see the city of Phitsanulok itself, I have pleasant memories of this place in the heart of Thailand. Early next morning there was some sort festival at the little Buddhist temple across the river. When we walked over, we saw flower offerings left at the entrance.
We were ready to start the day's journey when it was discovered that the bus had a problem that must be taken care of. We whiled away the wait snooping around the local market, sniffing its tantalizing aromas and investing in some colorful fabrics. When at last we took off, we drove directly to Sukhothai, another one of Thailand's long-ago capitals. The site was inhabited in the Stone Age but its cityhood came later in the eleventh or twelfth century. King Bhumibol was expect to visit on the following day and workers were preparing for his reception by putting up a welcome sign.
Both the king and queen seemed to be immensely popular. We saw fine old temples and some ancient trees in this national park which has since become a UNESCO Heritage site.
It was time to go north again. The bus delay had made us late and when we stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant where we had been expected almost two hours earlier, we were greeted with relief by its proprietors. Tables were set under trees and we sat down to another memorably delicious meal. We needed it. It was a long ride on a winding road through hilly country and it was dark when we reached Chiang Mai, Thailand's northernmost city on the shore of the wide, beautiful Mae Kok river which, further east, flows into the great Mekong. The much talked of hill tribes live in this region and next day we paid a visit to one of them. Many of the tour members came bearing gifts of hard candies in order to make friends with the kids. This was a successful gambit as eager little hands were held out for the goodies. It was all very pleasant but I later read that well-meaning tourists are responsible for resulting dental problems of the hill tribes.
Now came a high point in the tour. Back in Chiang Mai we went to the border and saw the short bridge that led from Thailand to Burma. Locals were walking across it as casually as we in the States walk into Canada or Mexico.
But Burma is a magic name and we were in ta remote corner of the globe so to me it was a thrilling sight. An hour later we were at the "Golden Triangle" where Thailand, Burma, and Laos come together.
We embarked on a small boat and sailed down the Mae Kok. Burmese and Laotian families, the latter complete with livestock, were splashing in the cool waters on the eastern and northern river shores. That mini-voyage was a delightful experience for us happy tourist.
It was to Chiang Mai, the western metropolis that we went next, traveling through scenic green mountains on our way. Chiang Mai is a shopping center so the souvenir hunters among us had a field day. We made a special excursion to Wat Phrathat Doi, the city's proud hilltop temple.
On our last day in Thailand as a sort of grand finale, spent most of it at the elephant camp outside the city. This was wonderful fun. We had rides on the big animals and watched them on parade. Then we sat in a grandstand at a river's edge while seven or eight of them marched in and proceeded to perform an elephant precision chorus line. They were well trained and did it perfectly if not elegantly.
The audience applauded madly and the mahouts bowed their appreciation before leading their big charges into the river and sponging them off--a happy ending for everyone concerned.
Only twelve of the tour group were going on to Nepal so at a farewell dinner that night we lucky ones said good-bye to the people who were going home, went to bed early, and prepared ourselves for a new adventure. Tomorrow we would be in Kathmandu in the foothills of the highest mountains on planet Earth.