of Chinatown and Palaces

We took the new Skytrain service to Suhvanaphoumi airport to meet our friend John who is a retired photography professor, frequent sailor and wooden boat builder.  Our job was to find him some wooden boat builders in Bangkok.  Which we did, (see next post) after seeing Chinatown in all its bright red and gold New Year's colors.  And relaxing at the still crumbling Hotel Atlanta and going to the Grand Palace on the Chao Praya River express and trying to find River City, an upscale furniture/antique shopping center on the, you guessed it, the Chao Praya River.

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Unwinding

Queing for the Skytrain

The last emperor?

The Atlanta's pool: crumbling but cool

Are we having fun yet?

Only in Thailand do you have live orchids as hood ornaments!

Mosaics Grand Palace

Artist at work restoring mural

Time to head home

River City?  Here...no...here...no...where?

 

These guys were all over River City, done by artists from around the world

 

Of buddhas and boats and buses

Long-tail boat capt. takes shelter from spray

Nat found some pottery

And so we found Mr. Pom,  who organized a boat for us and a trip to Koh Kret, an island about 20 km north of Bangkok, where the Mon people make pottery, AND a promise of a visit to a wooden boat under construction.

Koh Kret has 2 temples, some sleek looking roosters, and lots of visiting Thais.  Many of the pottery shops were closed because it was Saturday.  Huh?  We were given some lovely green tea in tiny square cups as we walked along the narrow paved path, so never mind.   At the temple we visited you could buy a square of gold leaf to apply to the buddha for merit. 

Khun Pom, tour director par excellence!

A buddha on Koh Kret

One of many roosters on the temple grounds

Monks' robes drying on Koh Kret

Kiln

New friends

Old friends

These young women asked to be photographed
 with us!  Fame!

In search of a wooden boat

Our captain and the long-tail boat

After a long, cool ride down a klong off the Chao Praya, voila, we have a wooden long-tail boat under construction.

John, a happy camper

Houses on the canal

Then it's off to Mo Chit bus station for the night bus to Mae Sot.  We're early so we people watch.

Left

Right

Home Sweet Home

Bubble gum bridge in Mae Pa

Nat took this picture of the 'bubble gum' bridge for Wayne who loved the bright colors of Thailand!

Building building building in our neighborhood

Came home to a spotless house and greetings from our landlord's dog, Tah Lu, who thinks our house is his house!  This is our newest tenant: a red frog or toad (?) that has taken up residence in the downstairs bathroom.

Post first bike ride!

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 Had our first post-ride breakfast of nam and bebio (chickpeas) at this Burmese tea shop.  Those are cans of condensed milk which is what makes Burmese tea soooo delicious!

Outside the teashop

Who's in charge here?

Visiting friends Jack and Naimh and their beautiful almost-two daughter Aine. 

And there is Borderline Shop, Gallery, and Tea shop with Nwe Nwe and her sister Nge Nge making samosas, ginger salad, tea leaf salad, potato curry, and gallons of lime juice.  This is the MY STORY photo project's home gallery.  

It's not all work and no play..... Nat works fixing a flat tire and Susan has a siesta.    

Valentine's Day was celebrated with wine, roses, and a truly sickening cake made with lard icing.  Seriously, as a conaisseur of all things sweet, this was delicious!

Petchari and Popeye

Petchari is the force of nature that runs Gigahertz computer and electronic shop in Mae Sot.  She has been supplying cameras for the project since 2007, as well as advice and lots of laughs.   I think she thinks we need looking after and that we don't eat enough food!   

 Somehow we got into a conversation about Popeye... and lo and behold!  There he was outside the coffee shop we were in.

John discovers that his camera isn't working

In our ongoing quest for things boat-like and wooden, Petchari announced that she was taking us to the boat temple, just outside of Mae Sot.  She arrived promptly at 11 am in her little lime green Nissan and whisked us up the hill to this temple with a very long name.  It's called the boat temple because the sides are curved like a ship's.  There is also a lot of silky smooth wood inside that feels cool on bare feet.

Nat lets sleeping dogs lie

Coins in gold leaf