Day 2, Sunday 5 March - Bang Khen, Bangkok
Limitations.......I mentioned that My Home Apartments had its limitations. The room is rather small but there's still plenty of options for more workspace instead of piling things up on the floor. Then, any food or drink needs to be brought from outside.
There's quite a lot of site visits I could do in a whole day as we make our way back to Bangkok today but that's all rather fanciful right now the way I feel. Instead, we leave it as late as possible to check out. However as dreadful as I feel doesn't mean we should completely discount any site visits as we make our way towards the Mae Klong River.
Koi Kee Old Market.......At any time, the Koi Kee Old Market is worth a visit with its colourful Chinese Quarter and its leisurely strolls along the riverbank but the best I can do today to get out of the car you take a few photos. It certainly deserves more than this. Just 7 kilometres away is another attraction which should be left off nobody's list. As we head for it there's another.
Chedi Hak.......Chedi Hak gives its name to a sub district to the west of the city and lies beside a busy road. The chedi which has its spire missing is from the Ayutthaya period although artifacts have been unearthed here of a design which predates this. While I would have liked to have known more about this temple, I need to be content to take a photograph from the car due to parking issues.
Hin Khao Ngu Park.......Hin Khao Ngu (snake) Park is a relaxed waterway amid limestone hills, featuring a suspension bridge, peddle boats & vendor carts. Even on a bank holiday such as this, this park is hardly crowded especially as it's free to explore. There are nature trails here, but you may prefer just to drive through the park to avoid the mischievous monkeys. Ratchaburi has some wonderful natural attractions over to the west of the province and the borderlands with Myanmar but for those who just don't want to travel that far like me right now, this is as good as it gets.
Wat Aranyikawas.......Yet another attraction lies just minutes away. Wat Aranyikawas is located 2 kilometres west of the Mekong River. In 1877 in a memoir King Chulalongkorn noted that the temple had been restored belonging to the Dhammachanya Order. The temple is called 'Orrayik' or 'Aranyika' meaning forest.
The temple complex consists of a prang (stupa) built in the mid-Ayutthaya period, reclining Buddha, ubosot (ordination hall), an ancient pond and surrounding pagodas. The principal prang is surrounded by cloisters. The ubosot and surrounding pagodas are located to the east in front of the prang.
The Fine Arts Department registered Wat Aranyikawas a national historical site in the royal Gazette on the 28th of May 1998.
Questions.......This weekend the Gods are not with me, but I've managed four more attractions today with good help from Katoon. By now a second train load of passengers on the Kiha 183 will have arrived in Ratchaburi to enjoy the many things that this city has to offer. They will be returning to Bangkok around 6pm but for us not long after midday we're heading back there right now. Weighing up the pros and cons it's easy to conclude that this tour should not have gone ahead under the circumstances. The time hardly matters. Phra Prathon Chedi will still be standing, Ratchaburi Mitr Pol will not stop playing football and the Kiha 183 will not stop taking passengers on tour. All I can do just keep taking the medicine find something that works and hope to feel better soon.
First Page.
Limitations.......I mentioned that My Home Apartments had its limitations. The room is rather small but there's still plenty of options for more workspace instead of piling things up on the floor. Then, any food or drink needs to be brought from outside.
There's quite a lot of site visits I could do in a whole day as we make our way back to Bangkok today but that's all rather fanciful right now the way I feel. Instead, we leave it as late as possible to check out. However as dreadful as I feel doesn't mean we should completely discount any site visits as we make our way towards the Mae Klong River.
Koi Kee Old Market.......At any time, the Koi Kee Old Market is worth a visit with its colourful Chinese Quarter and its leisurely strolls along the riverbank but the best I can do today to get out of the car you take a few photos. It certainly deserves more than this. Just 7 kilometres away is another attraction which should be left off nobody's list. As we head for it there's another.
Chedi Hak.......Chedi Hak gives its name to a sub district to the west of the city and lies beside a busy road. The chedi which has its spire missing is from the Ayutthaya period although artifacts have been unearthed here of a design which predates this. While I would have liked to have known more about this temple, I need to be content to take a photograph from the car due to parking issues.
Hin Khao Ngu Park.......Hin Khao Ngu (snake) Park is a relaxed waterway amid limestone hills, featuring a suspension bridge, peddle boats & vendor carts. Even on a bank holiday such as this, this park is hardly crowded especially as it's free to explore. There are nature trails here, but you may prefer just to drive through the park to avoid the mischievous monkeys. Ratchaburi has some wonderful natural attractions over to the west of the province and the borderlands with Myanmar but for those who just don't want to travel that far like me right now, this is as good as it gets.
Wat Aranyikawas.......Yet another attraction lies just minutes away. Wat Aranyikawas is located 2 kilometres west of the Mekong River. In 1877 in a memoir King Chulalongkorn noted that the temple had been restored belonging to the Dhammachanya Order. The temple is called 'Orrayik' or 'Aranyika' meaning forest.
The temple complex consists of a prang (stupa) built in the mid-Ayutthaya period, reclining Buddha, ubosot (ordination hall), an ancient pond and surrounding pagodas. The principal prang is surrounded by cloisters. The ubosot and surrounding pagodas are located to the east in front of the prang.
The Fine Arts Department registered Wat Aranyikawas a national historical site in the royal Gazette on the 28th of May 1998.
Questions.......This weekend the Gods are not with me, but I've managed four more attractions today with good help from Katoon. By now a second train load of passengers on the Kiha 183 will have arrived in Ratchaburi to enjoy the many things that this city has to offer. They will be returning to Bangkok around 6pm but for us not long after midday we're heading back there right now. Weighing up the pros and cons it's easy to conclude that this tour should not have gone ahead under the circumstances. The time hardly matters. Phra Prathon Chedi will still be standing, Ratchaburi Mitr Pol will not stop playing football and the Kiha 183 will not stop taking passengers on tour. All I can do just keep taking the medicine find something that works and hope to feel better soon.
First Page.
Ratchaburi Province
Koi Kee Old Market, Mueang Ratchaburi
Chedi Hak, Mueang Ratchaburi District,
Ratchaburi Province
Hin Khao Ngu Park, Mueang Ratchaburi District, Ratchaburi Province
Wat Aranyikawas, Mueang Ratchaburi District, Ratchaburi Province