In about 1985 I took the slow, local train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on a hard wooden seat in second class. I guess the average speed was about 50 km/hour, very slow. After many, many hours I got tired or riding, mostly in the parts of the body that come into direct contact with the wooden seat, so I alighted in Nakon Sawan. After almost 40 years later I returned, a few days ago, and found it much more developed, easier to get around and the popular sites still there, of course. Here are some of the best photos I took of temples and scenes.
Before we begin, a little morning humor from a motorcycle seat.A friend in Koh Chang drew a line in the sand. Yes, it was my birthday. Thanks E……..! Grazie!
Wat Khiriwong
This buddha has his own worldwide cell connection. What a lucky statue!Not the Chicken Lord! This statue has serious meaning, one I don’t know.Visitors place gold leaf on these figures and place contributions.Some dragons are really beautifulChickens Galore!Everywhere…Chickens!
Chao Pho Thepharak Chinese temple at the meeting point of 2 rivers, the Ping and Nan which create the Chao Phraya River, the one going through Bankgkok and out to the Gulf of Thailand.
Leaving Pattaya immediately after the vaccination was a MUST! I thoroughly dislike that town. It might be nice for beginning tourists/amateur tourists, but for people who want a nice beach experience and quiet life it is better to find another place. While driving out to find a place to stay in the quiet countryside the rain came down in big sheets. I had some plastic poncho to wear but that means going a slow 50 km/hour to avoid the wind tearing apart my plastic poncho.
Stopping to put on my poncho on the way I was able to get a nice bowl of noodles and pork in a soupSpider-Man really gets around he is working for the local temple together almsEven this little guy is asking for donationsOn arrival at the countryside bungalow I took a Toscanello cigar break
The next day I moved on to Nakhon Nayok.
Had to stop wait for a large truck to rescue someone who had run off the road. There is no driver training in Thailand.A nice breakfast of skinny noodles with pork balls and other pork productI found an MK which serves very nice duck for dinnerEven kids like to drive fast
Now and on to Saraburi.
a very big breakfast, very tasty with coffee for only 65 BahtA nice view from the hotel
Below you can see the same view during the evening on a long holiday with the festival goers.
The hotel owners bought cases of water to contribute to the temple festivitiesAnother duck dinner
Since I had to travel 6 hours by motorcycle to get from Koh Chang to Pattaya to get my second Pfizer vaccination I decided, as usual, to take time, stop one day in Rayong, have some Japanese food at HARU 春 and then relax that evening before moving onto Pattaya the next day. But as the famous philosopher one said, “every long journey starts out with a single ferry ride.”
the ferry from Koh Chang to the mainland (20 minutes)too much fat on the pork but tasty. the shochu/soda was extra strong motorcycle parking at the shopping mall where they did the vaccinations
I always take the back road to Pattaya because it’s more interesting and it avoids the toll roads which don’t allow small motorcycles. On the way I saw a lot of activity at Nong Chap Tao temple so I drove in and found some really interesting things going on. Here are some photos and some videos of the activities.
need Coffee to start out the day
People come to sell at the temple, food, plants and other sundriesAnother coffee at the templening chap tao temple. looks like a memorial service being set up.Turtles come in all sizesThe great turtleI had to look at this guy up close his butt is on fire in for repairTemples have a lot of unwanted real dogs people drop off. This must just be the shoe guard dogYou can see how old he purchased gold leaf has been placed on the figurines. They release glitter in the light make sure you get your dragons all lined upThese look like coffins, possibly for the people pictured on the leftAnother coffin
misspelling. It is “NONG”, not “ning”
Once I got to Pattaya it was extremely difficult to find a hotel. Most were closed until December but after driving around and checking the different hotels from Google Maps I found one with a vacancy.
didn’t know Modena was in Pattayasimple local noodle shop for breakfastdid I really get stuck? wow, the next day I wasn’t wondering anymoreAs long as there is Duck I can survive
