Market Intersection in Khlong Lan

Choa wanted to go to the market today and asked me to ride along with them. While he wondered off though isles I stayed behind at the food market on the corner.. Nice place to take some photos of the everyday happenings at the intersection.

This is the town “Walker” He walks up and down the main highway. I’ve seen him as early as 7AM and as late as 10PM.

He has a problem or two.

I ran across the newest Mr Hollywood along with his Farang Papa and Thai mother.. Cute

These two looked at me very cautiously

Just some comings and goings in front of the grocery stores

I think we are about to have a traffic jam

Hear are some people just walking around that I thought a bit interesting

Awhile back someone asked me for 5 on a bike. Finally got one

john

 

Jomtien Beach – Pattaya

JOMTIEN BEACH – PATTAYA THAILAND

It is raining up a storm here up in mountains around Pang Tawai and I had a thought that I would like to be at the beach about this time. This is as close as I can get.

The beach usually stays pretty busy but during “Low Season” it does slow down a bit. There are always vendors waking up and down the beach trying to sell you everything from A – Z.

You have hats and small Buddha statues

How about some towels and bed covers

All kinds of food. Fruit, pastry, ice cream, seafood and much much more.

Need a shirt, sunglasses or some Snake Oil to give you “Power”

Of course if you are so inclined you get get a massage right there from one of these guys.

The water at Jomtien is not really the cleanest ive seen but at certain times you can swim and jetski.

But I must say the best part of going to the beach is the people watching.

If your photo is here and you want it removed just send me an email.

Well that was my Jomtien fix for the week. Cya later

john

 

If I Thought It Had Rained Before …………

If I thought it had rained a lot before, I was mistaken. It started raining last night about 10:00 and didn’t stop till about 5:00 AM. It would take a break for 10 – 15 minutes or so then start again. At 6:00 I finally got out of bed and this is what I found. The property has ponds all around it and they all almost overflowed.

This is a shot from the patio. The area right in front is a large pond that has rice planted in it. Trust me, its there. As you can see it is completely covered up and the water level comes to within about 5-6” of cresting over the top of the bank. If you look at the middle of the photo that is where the road is. If you look across the road that is more rice fields.

If you look to the left of the driveway you can see where the water has taken over the road and is pouring into the pond on the left side of the house.

This shot was taken halfway between the house and the bungalows. You can see how close the water came up to the curb embankment. If you look at the light poles you can see that each one of them is now at an angle. I will need to get that fixed since the lights are mine and not the towns.

Walking down in front of the bungalows headed to the other end of the property where we are going to build a shop we come to the 3^rd pond. It has water running over the road and the drain

and has completely filled the area with water. The rice you see across the road in this photo is just a touch taller than what we had in front of the house. That can give you an idea of how high the water got.

Standing at the edge of that driveway I took a shot down the road. Yes, there is one there.

I headed out to the road to get a frontal shot of the house and bungalows. This way I could get a wider view. You can really tell now how much water we got.

About 10:00 AM the water started to recede a bit then and people stared getting out in it to fish, play and just too look.

Looks like I might need to fix part of the driveway. Some of it washed away.

How did your morning start?

john

Damn, it is starting again !

 

Buddha Day for Children

There was a Buddha event the other day at the Wat. What Choa tells me is that once a year the children dress up and give food to Buddha. I believe it is the end of the Buddha Lent. Here are a few pics.

john

 

Mae Wong National Park

MAE WONG NATIONAL PARK

I was riding around yesterday trying to go to some places that I hadn’t been to yet. I rode to Khlong Lan which is about 25Km or so from the house. Since I had turned right before the times I went to town I thought Id turn left and ride a bit. I was riding for about 15 minutes or so and this came into view. Nice I thought, I’ll take a photo.

After I took the photo I kept riding a bit further and came to a road block. Stretched across the highway was one of those weighted arms that can be raised and lowered and off to the side was a small building. As it turned out it was the entrance into Mae Wong National Park. Looks like that photo I took of that small mountain was going to be my destination.

So I’m thinking, this is strange because you have to pay to go into the National park, however there are still towns further down the road. Wonder if you have to pay to go home. I thought this might be fun. I turned around, went back to the house and got Choa. We were off to see the park.

We get back to the entrance and pay the fees, 200B farang, 40B Thai. Surprise Surprise, right.

We ride for what seems like 15 minutes or so and all we saw was a winding road between a heavily wooded area. As it turned out it was another 6Km to the real entrance to the park. The attendants asked us to check in with the people at the information building, so we did. Looking around the grounds I saw that they had bungalows for rent, camping areas and picnic grounds. If you walk down though the picnic area you come to what appears to be the tail end of a rapid.

We got back on the bike and continued up the side of the mountain. We rode and rode and rode. Nice scenery but I was expecting more. I didn’t think we were ever going to get to anything. Ah, a sign. 12Km to something. I’m thinking that must be it. Well it was something; it was a view point but not the main area. Took a few photos and was deciding what to do next. Another sign, 12Km to ???. Off we go. Choa couldn’t read the sign it was so weather worn.

Now the further up we went the better the road got. This went on for the next 8 or 9Km. Now were are there, I thought! There was an information booth, toilets and restaurant, all vacant and closed. The view really is nice and you can see the clouds hanging over the mountain tops.

We walked up to the highest view point and took some photos. We looked past the building and I couldn’t believe it, the road continued. Not today I thought. It was getting late. It was about 3:30 now and it had taken us almost 2 hours past the entrance to get to this point. If we went further it would be dark long before we got back. Think not

We start to head back down the mountain and all was going well till I looked at the gas gauge. It was full when we started. A little over ¼ tank now. Oops. So now for the next hour or so we are coasting downhill and only starting the bike when we had to go uphill. Fun fun, what fun we are having.

While heading back down we had to yield the road once and I had no problem with that.

Just before he got to the side of the road he turned, lifted his head and expanded both sides of his face. It was a Cobra. Then he headed off to the underbrush.

We are almost back to the entrance now and I noticed a sign I missed when we were getting started. Kaeng Pa Nang Koy Rapids. So we headed down the washed out mud road to the banks of the rapid.

A few photos there and we were off to find a gas station. By the time we got back to Khlong Lan I could smell the fumes. We just made it.

Over all I had a good time but it wasn’t really what I was expecting. Not sure what that was but that wasn’t it. I found out later that the rapids are from a couple of waterfalls. If you wanted to spend almost a day, on foot, you can hike to them and you have to have a park guide. I pass. However, I will go back later and pick up where we left off when we reached the top. Going to head down the other side and see what happens.

john

 

We Had Some Rain Today

We had some rain today

Rain came down fairly heavy for about 1 1/2 hours. This is the outcome. The area is the ponds, streams and the road in front of the house. Some of the kids seem to be having a good time.

This is the road directly in front of the house

The ponds and rice fields that are in back of and on the sides of the house

Kids could care less. It is play time

Ahh, the country life !!

john

 

WAT PHAR THAT WAT

On Monday Choa and I went to Kam Phaeng Phet, the closest large town to us, so I could try and find a pharmacy that carries the medicine that I use. While we were there he took me by a Wat because he wanted to visit. I was a bit amazed at what I saw.  He explained the history to me but I was having a real hard time understanding so I Googled it.  We had access only to the outside areas since they were working on the roads and pathways inside the grounds.  Just my luck but I will go back.

Wat Phra That

“The ruins of Wat Phra That, the town’s second most important wat, are opposite the museum. The bell shape of the central chedi on a square base are indicative of Singhalese influence – the strict form of Buddhism still practiced in Sri Lanka today was very prevalent in Thailand when the chedi was built. It is surrounded by columns and held a relic, the whereabouts of which is unknown. All that remains of the wiharn are the foundations and some parts of square pillars.”

As you enter from one of the secondary roads you come to a small alter and shrine area. There were three different shrines here and people were praying at each one of them

This particular shire was a bit different. On the back wall, which looked like marble, were peoples names and Baht amounts next to each one. Apparently these are people who have donated to building the shrine. For some reason I found the strange.

There is a nice sitting area in the center of the shrines with paths leading off to the interior of the grounds.. This was the part that was blocked off. All of the rest of the photos I had to take from the street across the road. Construction, construction.

Without a doubt I will go back. The grounds are quite large and there is so much more to see.

john