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As weird as it gets A park of bizarre geological formations, rock paintings, shrines and prehistoric dwellings It was early morning when the 24-seat VIP bus taxied at the terminus in Udon Thani, 564 kilometres northeast of Bangkok. Cool breeze shook us up from our reverie forcing us to zip up our jackets. Tuk-tuk drivers approached us from all directions, all asking the same question: "Where would you like to go?" Udon Thani is very a quiet town these days, a far cry from the bustling place it used to be during the Vietnam War when it served as a US air base. Today, most visitors prefer going to Nong Khai, a neighbouring province where they cross the Mekong River on their way to Laos. However, the province is a hub of transport and agricultural products in the entire northeast region and also boasts some unique tourist attractions such as the Phu Phrabat Historical Park which could well be on its way to being declared a World Heritage site after receiving a fair rating in the first round by the Unesco committee scrutinising its candidacy. So before the park makes the list and becomes another tourist hub, I thought it would be nice to sneak a visit. Exploring the park can take anything from 40 minutes to a day depending how much and what you want to see. According to park officer Somdee Aranrut, there are three trails. The first is the shortest and leads directly to major highlights. The second route passes more attractions and takes around an hour to walk, while the last route is a two-hour trek leading to every important stop to the Phu Phrabat mountain top that stands 320-350 metres above sea level. "We have arrows clearly marking the direction to every attraction together with brief descriptions of the places. Holding this map (the park brochure) just follow the signs and I assure you won't get lost," assured the officer. As suggested by Somdee, we took the longest route. The map, available in both Thai or English, proved quite useful indeed. We started at eight in the morning. The forest, full of hardwood trees, was still covered in a layer of fog. The path was neatly maintained. Small signs attached to trees told us their names and utility. Phu Phrabat is an important source of water for various streams that eventually flow into the Khong River in Nong Khai. Trees here were big: we spotted the Ormosia, Pterocarpus, Shorea and Dalbergia and plenty of native herbs. At the first stop some 150 metres from the park information centre, we were stunned by the sight of bizarre rock formations. Boulders sat on top of each other as if they had been put there on purpose. Later we found out there were huge moraines in the area. Some of them looked like giant mushrooms while others resembled enormous boots that grew on rocks. A team of archaeologists from the Fine Arts Department was sent there in 1972 to study the rocks. It found that the 3,430-rai Phu Phrabat park sat on sandstone rocks dating back to Ice Age. When the world became warmer, it led to glacial erosion. The moraines were the result of changes in the earth's topography, while rain and wind later shaped the sandstone rocks to what they are today. The team reported back 68 structures that it called prehistoric archaeological sites; it found 45 sites with rock paintings and 23 other locations boasting huge monastic sandstone rocks. "The paintings prove that there were people living here 2,500-3000 years ago," said Dungjit Noinarint, an officer guarding the paintings at Weau, a cave. One sketch done in red colour depicts three oxen and several people. "It could mean they were either hunting or raising the animal on farm," he explained. It is believed to belong to the same period as the cliff paintings in Pha Tam National Park in Ubon Ratchathani. Dating back 1,000 years to the Davaravati period, some menhirs on Phu Phrabat, it is believed, were the work of Hindu and Buddhist priests. "You can note the signs from the leaf-like boundary markers, called the sema in Thai, etched around the boulders," Dungjit said. The sema is a common sight in Buddhist temples and monasteries. The caves and paintings remained lost until 300 years ago _ during Lanchang period _ when they were accidentally discovered by a Laotian monk-scholar named Yakru Ponsamek or Yahru Kheehom who is also held in high esteem by his Thai followers. Walking the hills one day he spotted the peculiar rocks and spun a tale that has become a popular folklore for people living on either side of the Mekong. All the places of interest and rock patterns found on Phu Phrabat are named after characters in the tale. Called the "Legend of Nang Usa and Thao Baros", it is a tragic love story in which Phraya Kong, the ruler of Muang Ban, adopted the beautiful Nang Usa who was raised by a hermit. When she grew up and it was time she got married, she floated a garland into a river, telling herself that she would marry the man who retrieved the garland and brought it back to her. Thao Baros, a chieftain from another town, found the garland and searched for its owner everywhere until he was able to trace her to the forest. Thereafter the two spent their time together. When Phraya Kong learned of their relationship he was livid with rage and wanted to slay Thao Baros, but was persuaded by his advisers not to take the course for it could trigger war. To marry off Nang Usa, they advised him to hold a contest in which her suitors were required to build a temple in one day, failing which they would be executed. Phraya Kong too entered the contest and lost, undone by a clever piece of trickery by one of Thao Baros'aides. The two worked late into the night when the aide turned on his magic and tricked Phraya Kong into believing that time was up. He stopped work. Thao Baros on the other hand kept working and went on to complete the temple within the prescribed time frame. So Phraya Kong ended up writing his own execution and was beheaded. Two temples on Phu Phrabat carry the names Wat Phorta and Wat Louk Koei _ or temple of the farther-in-law and temple of the son-in-law respectively in Thai. The story is not finished yet. Thao Baros took his new bride back to his town. But Nang Usa endured a terrible life there because her husband already had a wife. Her misery came to a head when Thao Baros was advised by a fortune-teller to go into exile for a year to ride out bad luck, a plot hatched by his first wife. After Thao Baros left, Nang Usa returned to her forest home where she died of anguish. When her husband returned from exile a year later he followed her to the forest and after learning of her pain and fate decided to follow her to the other world. As a result, rock formations have been variously named Kou Nang Usa, the chapel she used to pray; Hor Nang Usa, her living place; Heebsob Thao Baros, where her husband's coffin was kept, and so on. A matching account of the legend can also be found in Laos. After Phu Phrabat, another place worth visiting is Wat Phrabat Bua Bok at the base of the park. There you will see a footprint of Lord Buddha as well as an old temple with beautifully crafted wooden doors. Near the temple's entrance there's an alley that leads to an area called Non Sao Ae. Walk downhill for some 600 metres and you arrive at a huge rock painting measuring 10x11 metres and about 2,500-3,000 years old. It is painted in red and white with figures of elephants, a child and bird. If you are travelling to Phu Phrabat on weekdays carry your own meals because the food stalls only open on weekends. The park also has three new bungalows if you wish to spend the night there. |