yellow ... an anecdote of Lopburi

Yellow

Lopburi, Thailand

Jan 2016

i know. it happened like almost a year ago. but i have to do justice, as the memoirs of visiting this place has its own charm to be shared. this anecdote was part of my Bangkok trip, that happened during the long new year break early this year. i don't fancy that much to write about most of the trip as i don't feel that i have chemistry with this metropolis. it was too touristy - the city, the chatuchak, the floating market etc. and staying in Silom, ergh...it felt too much to stomach the vibrancy of the night life of the city. then again, our trip had some drama as it ended up to be only two of us (a guy and a girl), that finally decided to proceed with the plan. 

fortunately, having Lopburi in the plan really made it up. it was on the day of the new itself. we left our hotel with the taxi trying to catch the earliest train to Lopburi. 7am and we left Bangkok to our destination. 

the girl at the counter sort of telling us, there was no assigned seat number for the 3rd class coach, but we had people moved around as new passengers were getting on-board, as the train made the stops at stations along the journey. and communication was an issue as we couldn't clarify things with the locals that on board. so we were sort of had our eyes and mind wandered, whether to move or not each time we saw new passengers getting on-board.fair enough, our journey was not interrupted, and even had the one of the old local-guy that kind enough to remind us to get ready, when we were about to arrive Lopburi so that we don't miss the station.  

we were that obvious for playing tourist as a young guy came and approached us straightaway as we entered the platform. communication was limited, but he quoted sunflower and 800baht. that was it. we left him and went to check the timetable of the train. there was two option i.e. 1230 and another one at 2pm. we decided to hold first from buying and then went straight to the information counter to ask about the sunflower farm to visit. the young guy was still around and tailing us when we walked towards the counter. the guy told us the location based on the map, but then he seemed clueless to give further advice and recommendation on how to go there etc. and he pointed out that we could go with the guy. just that.

we seemed had less option and rather than wasting time, decided to agree with what the you guy offered. we told him that we wanted to go to muslim restaurant to eat etc. and he mumbled, noting that he understood with our request.

so our journey began. and our transportation was a midget pick-up truck, that only comfortably fit for 2 adults, while the back seat apparently small. well..it was hot, so we didn't opt to sit at the back, breathing the open air.

it took a while to reach the area where the sunflower farm was. the guy made a turn at a junction and we started to see the field of sunflowers on our left side. he made another turn, and then stopped the truck. voila! we were at destination already! ok. it confused me for a while as i thought there'd be a proper entrance and visitor centre etc. to visit the farm, as i was pretty sure the one that we went was a private farm, but was entered like illegally. i quickly browsed my ig to verify the location, and guess what, most of the pictures were taken at where we were. friend agreed that this should be it and then we started to wander around, memo-graphing the day between the yellows.

enjoy the pictures! :)

we were the only visitors that wandered around, as far as i could see. and the farm was huge and impressive, like a sea of yellow. we walked and tried to find the biggest petals that we could memo-graph, and we finally reached the point losing our interest. less than 30 minutes, we already felt done...and that was quick for such a hype and 3 hours train ride.

we walked back to our guy, and thought that there'd be more to be shown, but apparently for him..that was it! and we were on our way back to the town already. he took us to a local muslim restaurant which located actually just across the train station, and we had our early lunch. the yellow rice and chicken, with soup...obviously taste like our nasi ayam / chicken rice.

he drove us back to the train station and completed his service. 800 baht? well...it was too much for us, for such a short trip. perhaps it was worth if we had more company, but then the guy's ride could only fit 3 of us inside, and few more outside. we went to the ticket counter, and bought the 1230pm ticket, back to Bangkok. this time we decided to buy the business class tickets where we could sit in the air condition coach.we still had like another 40 minutes to go, and decided to pay a visit to the old wat/temple that located in front of the station. enough to kill the time. 

we walked back to the train station, and then waited for our train. the train was full house with most people heading to BKK. luckily we bought the business class coach, and we had our seat number assigned in the air conditioned coach. the 3 hours journey back to BKK was spent nothing less than being in our rem cycle.

well... sunflower at lopburi? ticked. in general...i was a bit disappointed with the trip. we spent like 6 hours to travel back and forth, and only had like 2 hours to wander. the place that we visited seemed didn't live up to the reputation that i heard and been reading. perhaps, i'd been to the wrong part? or perhaps i could have asked a better deal with the driver to drive me further and longer around lopburi? perhaps...

note: bangkok rail annually offers the train ride specifically to this region to visit the sunflower field, and if i've not mistaken, it'd even stopped in the middle of the railrack journey, to allow you to visit the farm. but the trip is limited and at a price, if i've not mistaken.