The ticket clerk at the bus station told me to board the bus at stall 5. The driver there said 11, so I sat down til several others boarded about 20 to 11. The bus is old and small, with cramped seating. The bus was nearly full and I used half of my little bench seat for my backpack. The bus backed out at 11. There were several stops before we were out of town. The bus filled up and several people were standing. The ticket agent collected the fares. I handed her a 20B bill. She said something in Thai. I said Ban Basang. She said 39B. I had expected 15B or 20B, so I thought the fares must have gone up recently. I kept looking for a sign for Ban Basang. Never saw one, although there were many stops and each had a name. I didn't remember how long the trip should take, but I did see signs for Mae Sai and the distance. I also didn't know the distance from Mae Sai. We finally pulled into a bus terminal. It was Mae Sai. Everyone got off. I asked the driver and he confirmed that I missed my stop.
This is the most northern city in Thailand and a border crossing point to Burma, so I decided I should look around and get a few photos. The bus terminal is 4 km out of town, so I found the pickup taxis and asked the fare to go downtown. The first one wanted 150B, but he was a tour taxi. When I said too much, he pointed across the way to the other pickup taxis. The fare was 15B. I was the only rider, but he stopped at the nearby Tesco Lotus store and picked up 11 more riders, who got off at different locations on the way. There were only 5 of us when we got downtown, near the border crossing. I had asked to go to the Bamboo Guesthouse and was pointed in the direction. It was about a quarter mile down the way, through a street full of vendor stalls and covered with a very high fabric roof. I was immediately offered 'man power', some pills in a blister pack. Must have been Viagra. When I said no, he asked what I wanted. I told him I was just taking photos.
The Bamboo Guesthouse had rooms available and I took one, with shared bath, for 150B. I signed in and paid, then walked thru the market area. Bought clip-on sunglasses at the first sunglasses stand I found, for 80B. They seem fine, although they are not polarized. At a cafe nearby I ordered fried rice and basil, with shrimp and cuttlefish, for 35B. It came with a small bowl of broth and free water. All very good.
I explored by walking east out of the commercial zone and into the residential and into part of the countryside, with fields of bananas and other unidentified plants. Nothing of note photographically, other than local people working, the mountains in the distance and a giant walking Buddha. I walked back the same way and went about a half mile back toward the bus terminal on the divided boulevard, full of shops of all kinds. Bought a 950ml bottle of water at 7-11, for 6B. I walked back to the border crossing, sampled a roasted chestnut. Couldn't see why they were so popular. Sampled a couple of candied fruits and bought a small bag of something that tasted and looked like a date, for 60B. Two little girls pestered me, with their hands out, giggling. Followed me for a little way. I kept telling them 'No chance'. After 50 feet or so, they turned back to the shop selling the fruits. Nearly all of the shops are small and there are many copies of each type.
I turned west and walked to a big Buddha at the base of a hill, with big steps up to the Wat Phra That Doi Wao on a hill. Took a few photos on top and my battery died, so I went back for a charged battery. I took my headlamp and the pocket camera and walked in the direction of the cave mentioned in the guidebooks. There were no signs in English on the way and I didn't understand the guidebook directions, but I finally saw a wat on a hill, Wat Tham Phah Jom, nearly hidden by the forest. It is being remodeled and is the location of the cave, Thumpha Joem Cave. The lights were turned off in the cave, probably because it was after 4:30 and the workers had gone home. The main entrance was not locked, so I went in. The cave is a
Buddhist temple, with concrete steps and walkways, and ceramic tile floors on some areas, and a lot of Buddha statues and other religious items. There are no stalactites or stalagmites, and very few signs of flow or drip structures. The cave appears to be a solution cavity and may have been mined for the crystals. The air was still and seemed dusty, although that may be candle smoke.Walking back through the markets, I saw that most were closed or closing before 6. The border crossing closes at 6:30 and many of the shop workers drive across the border to go home in Burma. I found another map and realize the first map had the river names reversed at the Golden Triangle, so the larger river, between Burma and Laos, is the Mekong, and the small river at this border crossing is the Ruak or a tributary.
About 6 I sat down at the restaurant next to the Bamboo GH and ordered fried vegetables and a bowl of rice, and a Sprite, for 70B. The prices are higher than in most Thai cafes, but the serving was larger, so the price is not bad. Talked briefly to a Belgian who was with his Thai fiancee, but needed another paper to marry, which he was going to send to her when he got back home. He was probably nearly my age and the Thai woman was not young. Seems strange.
So my outlay for today is 451B, $13.50.
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