Interesting Experience In Ubon Ratchathani

I was perusing my map of Ubon Ratchathani looking for a street or soi in Kam Yai district when another item on the map caught my eye. It was labeled Ban Kan Luang archaeological site. I was very interested in this and asked some friends about it but nobody seemed to of ever heard of it. Road trip.

It is the rainy season but it didn't appear that there was much chance of rain so I took a chance and headed over on my motorcycle to investigate. According to my map it is located just off Highway 231, between the highway and Wat Ban Kan Luang. I headed up the street slowly looking for any signs or markings that would designate an archaeological site but none were seen. I past the Temple and thought maybe the map is off, so I kept driving in search of my quest. All I spotted were houses and rice fields. I knew I was on the right street because the temple was there right where the map said it was.

The street ended at a T-intersection so I decided to turn around and head back the way I had come. As I was turning around my eye glimpsed something gold emerging above the trees. I stopped so I could see what it was. I was surprised to discover it was the golden head of a Buddha image. I could see no traditional Thai Buddhist Temple there so I was curious. On ground level there was a walking figure guarded by two nagas behind which there rose a small hill. It seemed deserted except for the dogs barking at me and the chickens running around scratching for food.

I proceeded ever so slowly, I didn't want to trespass or encroach. I stopped my bike just past a series of steps that led up to the Buddha image sitting on a concrete pedestal. The barking dogs followed me all the way never ceasing their alert. I could see that the image was being maintained and people had been making merit there so up the steps I went. At the head of the steps two small buildings came into view. A young monk appeared from the left and an elder monk appeared from the right.

The elder Ajarn addressed me and greeted me. He was happy when I replied to him in Thai. The elder Ajarn also had a power over the dogs as he spoke they suddenly calmed and accepted me as a guest. I was asked kindly where I came from, and the guesses of Farangseht and Yerman (France and Germany) were the early favorites. But they weren't disappointed when I informed them I came from America (Saharat America). It was quickly made obvious it was OK for me to take some photographs so I tried to do photographic justice to the image before me. A seated Buddha with two students honoring him. Below the image at the bottom of the steps 2 5-headed nagas stood guard.

Ajarn invited me to sit down and visit with him. I was thrilled. He asked me many questions about where I came from and my life in Ubon. I listened intently as he told me about the many foreign friends he had made while they came to visit the Buddha. There were many dogs about the Ajarn informed me he cared for 20 of them He told me each of their names one by one. He also told me where each dog had come from. This one is from Hawaii, that one is from France, this one is from England until I knew about each dog.

My time was limited there as I had a lunch appointed so I excused myself and walked around the Buddha image. Another surprise awaited me. There hanging out with the chickens were two turkeys. Turkeys themselves don't surprise me as I grew up around them. What surprised me was I had only seen one before in all my time in Ubon. I practiced a turkey gobble and the tom answered me. He was much better at it than me though.

I left the place feeling good about finding the Buddha image, then meeting and talking with the Ajarn. Incidences such as this are not isolated incidences in Ubon or Isaan or the rest of Thailand for that matter. They happen if you just take the time to get out and be amongst the people. Amazing Thailand. Today I found some unseen Ubon and it felt good. I didn't find any old bones or any archaeological sites but I did find a good experience.