Y'all. Before getting into today's play-by-play, I have to say that trying to find history and context about the places we visit on this trip is requiring Sherlock Holmes-level* detective work.
(*Fun fact: The Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock rounds out my trinity of favorite TV shows along with 30 Rock and Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
We left Sarisa Place (our Omkoi hotel) around 8:30 this morning. I can't say enough great things about Sarisa. I think COVID/lack of tourism hit the business pretty hard, so the owner/operator was very appreciative of Westminster's decision to stay there. He and his staff were super attentive and hospitable, and the food was *amazing.* Multiple students expressed that Sarisa's fried chicken was the best they'd ever had in their lives.
Students, if you happen to be reading this and are willing to leave Sarisa a positive review on TripAdvisor, I know the owner would really appreciate it. Here's the link.
Before departing Omkoi, we stopped at Ban Omkoi Community School, another elementary school serving about 400 students and more centrally located than the rural/satellite campuses we previously visited. We didn't have very much time at the school so we were limited to a quick tour, but it was apparent that the school was very well-run and had access to more resources than the rural schools. That is not to say that the rural schools weren't well-run--they definitely were--but they certainly suffered from a lack of resources based on their remote locations and difficulty of recruiting teachers to commit for more than 2 years. It reminded me of the Teach for America model in the U.S., where some really talented and enthusiastic folks want to teach and positively contribute to our public education system, but after two years, burnout and exhaustion prohibit a lot of folks from wanting to re-up their contracts.
After touring the school, we got back on the road, destined for Chiang Mai. To break up the drive, we stopped in Op Luang National Park. I mentioned this park in a previous post but didn't have much to say as we weren't able to hike on that day due to unsafe water levels. Luckily, weather and water were on our side today, so our group was able to complete a short hike to the Pra Chang (? maybe?) viewpoint.
I took pictures of every interpretive sign I could find on the trail and then put those into Google translate. Here's what I got (there a bunch of mis-translated terms...sorry!):
Pra Background:
According to the original history, it is said that In the past, Mae Chaem was called the Salak Hin River because the housewife had drilled it. rocky mountain escape (?) until it penetrated through the river where it was called "Op Luang", later changed to Mae Chaem River, which is Ob Luang.
The current name "Ob" is a local dialect of the northern region, meaning the strait, the word "Luang". Means big, so "Oblong" in the local language, which means a large strait because of the mountains with cliffs. The steep was pierced by the Mae Chaem River. In 1965, the Royal Forest Department saw that the area along the road in the area of Hang Dong Subdistrict, Hot District and Ban Pae Subdistrict, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province a shady place topography. Strangely beautiful, there is a natural wonder. It consists of cliffs and rivers that flow strongly through the gorges that the northerners call "Op Luang". Nature always finds pleasure. Therefore, it has been arranged as a place for recreation of the people in the form of a forest park.
From March 16, 1966, under the supervision of Chiang Mai District Forestry Office Ob Luang Forest Park in the past was a place of stay for Borneo Company with a woodworking business. In those days, teak production was carried out by two methods of transport along the Mae Chaem River. The wood will come in circles at Ob Luang, which is a very deep and deep whirlpool. The timber company therefore set up a resting point at this point to keep the timber flowing from flowing into the whirlpool. National Park in the year 2531 has been conducted a preliminary survey of the surrounding areas surrounding the forest park. To raise the status of the establishment of a national park, care has been announced. in the Government Gazette According to a special royal decree (Appendix A. Royal Decree), page 21, 24, volume 108, part 211 dated 4 December 2011, defining land plots on Bo Chom Thong, Bo Mae Chaem and Mae Tuek forest. In the area of Doi Kaeo Sub-district, Bkhia Sub-district, Mae Soi Sub-district, Ban Pae Sub-district, Chom Thong Sub-district, Kong Yaek Sub-district, Mae Chaem District, and Hang Dong Sub-district, Kham Bod Sub-district, Na Kor Ruea Sub-district, Bo Thalang Sub-district, Hot District, Chiang Mai Province To be a national park in 1991 (Op Luang National Park), with an area of approximately 553 square kilometers or 345,625 rai, is the 68th national park in Thailand. The survey results show that the forest is complete with all ecosystems. There are many beautiful natural features such as waterfalls and hot springs, which are very important historical sites. and is a source of watersheds Mae Chaem and the lower Ping River suitable to be established as a national park.
So, key facts:
- Ob Luang - roughly translates to "Large Straight" referring to the Mae Chaem river cutting through the canyon walls
- Ob Luang protected by Thai government in 1966; originally designated as a site for timber harvesting
- Established as an official national park in 1991, making it the 68th national park in Thailand
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