Overloading trucks used to be very common. You see it less nowadays in Thailand. Today we saw an exception to the general traffic.
KEEP on trucking!
What Do Dinos Park at a DINO PARK?
In Kalasin there seems to be an excellent dinosaur museum of local extractions which was closed but we were able to visit the dinosaur Park, seemingly a kids play area.
What Wat? Wat Hong!
Wat in Thai means temple. This temple in Putthaisong is adjacent to a school. I just happened to get there when school was getting out so I saw a lot of kids going over to the sweet drink and treat carts waiting for the kids to get out of school. Here are the photos.
North to Alaska? No, not that far north. Just to Kalasin.
I’m on my way to see some friends from Japan who just built a house in Kalasin (northeastern Thailand). One of the temples on my way which I thought was extremely photogenic today was Wat Mae Ya Som วัดแม่ย่าซอม. I will let the photos tell the story. I hope you know that Buddhism is a derivative of Hindu. Alan Watts
described Buddhism as “Hindu for export“. He also described it as “psychotherapy“ and not a religion. In any case these images show its relationship in many ways to Hindu. By the way, the journey to Kalasin from Koh Chang takes about four days by motorcycle, taking it slow.
Is That a Sapphire in Your Hand?
The province of Chantaburi in Thailand is well known for gem mining. Going into the old downtown area one street is a pedestrian street for gem buyers and sellers. As you can see in the photos there are people from all over the world manning many desks in many offices on the street.
Some of the dealers are sitting all alone looking very lonely. Most of them are gathered together with many other gem evaluators and traders.
As I am taking a photo here one lady looks at me suspiciously, something you might expect from a more shady person but most likely someone who is doing a legitimate transaction.
Sparking Palm Trees?
A new development on Koh Chang requires palm trees. This video shows the proper (without red flag?) way to transport them.
This photo shows this old small truck trying to do the impossible and the wrong way too. The tops should grow back again. Hope the friction on the road doesn’t cause a spark. We passed this truck and waited to take a video of it moving in the village but the truck broke down and needed a tow.
Chinese temples in Thailand
For many hundreds of years Chinese merchants plied the waters around Thailand and left people and markings to indicate their adventures. Here in Koh Chang there is a Chinese temple on the top of one of the hills currently maintained by the descendants of those traders and new Chinese descendants on and around the island.
In general they are very ornate with all different kinds of animals, especially dragons, and are extremely photogenic.
This island, Koh Chang, derives the name from the shape, similar to an elephant. So at the entrance to the temple you see different elephant decorations.
Various decorations Similar to gates were entrances amplify the significance of ocean views and the importance of the ocean to trade.
At the entrance to the main shrines you often find offerings to the spirits or Representations of important people.
Inside the main shrine there are always overwhelming decorations.
On the grounds you find a variety of small tributary images.
Of course there needs to be some firecracker Launching sites.
As you round the Main shrine corner you might be startled by an emerging dragon. And near the entrance the eyes of the dragon or upon you.
Even if just for the bright colors I like visiting these Chinese shrines and temples.
Sunsets RULE Koh Chang
Day 7 and Day 8 – easy as pie, which I can’t make!
Day 7 – 235km. Day 8 – the rest of the way
In the morning after having a coffee and chat with Tik who i used to work for in the scuba diving business back in the 90s, we went to the locker, storage facility, emptied out all the contents, took what we wanted and thought we could carry back with us on our motorcycles and gave the rest to people in need.
Then we went to look for a coffee, took a short walk on the beach and found everything closed except a Starbucks coffee shop. After sticker shock on seeing the 180 baht price for a small coffee and not being able to find a reasonably priced coffee on the main roads we went off a cul-de-sac i knew from long ago and found a place for a snack and an Inexpensive coffee.
We were contemplating sending the motorcycles back through the post office and then I thought maybe it was just better to drive to Surattani and either approach the post office to send our motorcycles back or to check what the train situation was. With all the expensive food and drink in Patong and not very happy it was pretty much a ghost town we decided to pack up, hop on our motorcycles and spend the day driving to Surattani.
When we got to Surattani we first stopped at the train station. They told us there was a train leaving in an hour and they could accommodate our motorcycles as well. The price was about 855 each for ourselves, the sleeper car, and then another 855 for the motorcycles, all the way to Bangkok. That was an easy decision to make. So we bought the passenger tickets, took the motorcycles to the baggage manager, paid the fare, got some food to eat on the train and hopped on.
The sleepers were very comfortable even though the car we were in suffered a power outage so we had to move to the next car. When we arrived we were a little surprised to see our motorcycles being pulled over to a baggage area. We were warned that the motorcycles might actually have to go on the next train after us. I gave a tip to the baggage fellow not knowing if his request for one would be more of a mandatory request or a request request. You never know what kind of barriers can be set up if you don’t pay certain requests.
We wheeled the motorcycles out of the baggage area and a pickup truck driver called us over and agreed to take us most of the way with the motorcycles on board with us for 3500 baht (30 Baht=US$1). When we reached Chantaburi we got off, rode the rest of the way to the ferry, got on the ferry and then back to Koh Chang.
I will summarize a conclusion in the next blog.
Day 6 – Phuket here we come
Day 6 – 300 km
The only goals were to get to Patong Beach in Phuket and try to figure out what to do with the stuff in a friend’s locker, the sole purpose for driving 1,400 km to Phuket. I had the key for the locker but without access to the locker area I would have to work with management to get in.
The drive was tough but beautiful. With all the road construction, hazards for motorcycles were prevalent. Caution was the key today.
But we made it to Patong Beach and the storage facility just before closing. All we needed to do was find who was minding the store. After a few calls i found who was supposed to be at the closed facility and we had access to see how much stuff was stored. It wasn’t much so the next day we could sort through everything.
For dinner we stopped to see Kenya, a good friend, at his new restaurant, Honeymoon, and got a description of what are the recent Political and Social goings on in Thailand. The food is great and the service is excellent, as it was with his previous restaurant, Sea Hag.
