Anurag mallick discovers a different side to Thailand, one that includes a world of wildlife, adventure, agro-tourism and wine-trails, a few hours north of Bangkok.
The young Thai lady bent low, cupped her hand around the ear of the large bronze mouse and whispered her entreaty to be passed on to Lord Ganesha.
Her moves were well choreographed and precise as if it were a regular feature of her religious practice.
In the background, a queue of worshippers patiently awaited their turn. There was no frivolity or freak value. The scene seemed right out of India, but the fact that it was at Nakhon Nayok province in Thailand came as a surprise.
In the background, Thailand's largest Ganesha statue sat cross-legged in divine benediction and another lay supine. Groups of Thai women circumambulated, offered incense and proceeded to an enclosure where the elephant-god was depicted in 108 postures.
The Ganesha Park was but a new addition to a country that had accommodated influences from India for centuries.
Lores from the Ramayana carried by seafarers had manifested themselves in many ways — street corners with shrines to Vishnu and Garuda (the symbol of Thai royalty), the lineage of kings called Rama and the old Thai capital of Ayutthaya (a derivation of Ayodhya, the 'Unconquerable City'). Even seemingly alien words deconstructed themselves and became lucid — thaksin is actually dakshin (south). After Sanskrit, Pali spread to Suvarnabhumi (The Golden Land) during the Buddhist Council in 3rd century BC.
But it wasn't until 1238 AD that Sri Indraditya broke away from Khmer dominance and carved the separate country of Sukhothai, giving Thailand its first royal dynasty Phra Ruang, named after the 'Glorious Prince.'
On the scenic drive through the region with roads lined by cassia trees (the national flower), it was hard to imagine that people had once moved out of here due to jungle fever. The kings had to coax them with incentives to resettle once again and that's how the place got its name — Nakhon Nayok or "the area that does not have to pay tax."
I made a brief stop at Khaolon Adventure for some ATV rides, rappelling, ziplines and whitewater rafting, before retiring at the scenic Royal Hills Golf Resort. The massive course merged into rolling hills and through the mist, the top of Khao Rom (Umbrella Mountain) loomed above at 1351 m.
After a sumptuous country style Thai meal on the highway, I drove to the country's first national park Khao Yai, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stretching across four provinces and covering an area of 2,168 sq km, the scenic park was criss-crossed with streams, waterfalls and observation points.
The highlight was undoubtedly the exciting open-jeep Night Safari that yielded elephants, hedgehogs, civet cats and deer. My base was literally in the lap of luxury at Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort.
The tragedy was not having anyone to share the plunge pool with! Squeals of playful laughter suggested at least someone else was having a great time. To my surprise I saw two Thai couples playing golf on the greens just across the villa boundary. Apart from soccer, sepak takraw (kick volleyball) and Thai kickboxing, golf was a national obsession and Thailand boasts no less than 320 world-class golf courses.
Taste for adventure
Another surprise was that in a country known for its home-brewn beer, homegrown wines were an exciting new category.
A short drive took us to the heart of Thailand's wine-making region in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Lying in the shade of the Payayen mountain range and spread over 2000 rolling acres, PB Valley was Thailand's largest vineyard. After a quick farm tour, seeing the manufacturing process and the customary wine-and-cheese session, I soon found myself at GranMonte Asoke Valley Winery in the company of Nikki Visootha Lohitnavy, Thailand's only female oenologist and viticulturist.
"Despite being in the tropics, the mountain air is cooler and has a microclimate, resulting in these remarkable New Latitude Wines," she explained.
Fortified with the choicest fermented grapes, I got silly enough to risk the death-defying adventures at Life Park.
From slides and swings to Nano Racing, Zorbing and Flyer Balloon, adrenaline rush came in many packages, but nothing could prepare me for X-MAX. Strapped to a seat, the contraption shoots you 60 m into the sky as you roll and tumble before slowly bouncing back to ground like a yo-yo.
And then, I was off to Chok Chai Farm, Asia's largest agro tour. An eastern farm with a western attitude, it had cowboys, rodeo shows, sheep dogs giving demos and other quirky attractions. You got to sample the dairy fresh ice-cream, milk the cows, see them being lassoed and if that wasn't enough, even eat them at the steak house!
The itinerary, tailor-made by the tour company lived up to its name — Absolutely Fantastic! Unbelievable that all these attractions were merely a two to three hour drive northeast of Bangkok. Soon, I was back in the comforts of Hotel Inter Continental on Ploenchit Road, the heart of the mall district.
Proximity to Big C, Amarin Plaza, Central World and Siam Paragon meant hours of mall crawl, though Bangkok had its fair share of diverse shopping options — Pat Pong Night Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market and the unique Floating Markets.
The Chao Phraya river cruise, which leaves from River City past landmarks like the Wichai Prasit Fort, the stupendous Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn, Grand Palace, Royal Seminary and Holy Rosary Church, is a great way to discover the city. A diversion from the river took the boat up a narrow canal lined with spirit houses and Buddha temples, where tourists fed large catfish with local bread. The bread was so soft it seemed a shame to waste it on the fish but I was assured there were better dining options in Bangkok.
The 88-storey Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the city's tallest hotel was by far the best dining experience. The restaurant tumbled over 6 levels and a slow revolving deck on top offered jaw-dropping views of the city's skyline. The speed elevator swiftly brought me back down to earth and Indra Market teemed once again with shops and Indian restaurants.
Sand bags used as embankments till a few months ago had been fashioned into pyramids and decked up with lights. As I got ready to catch my Royal Silk flight, I realised what was 'Amazing' about Thailand wasn't just its culture, craft and cuisine, but the ability to spring back to its feet so quickly with a smile.