Day 2 - Monday 9 March 2015

Super breakfast……..I’m awake at 7am, with just enough time to check my notes from yesterday. As I need to write something about Whale Hotel I resolve to be generous and give it the thumbs up but in reality the hotel is showing its age. Like an old pair of jeans the fabric can only have a limited life. I paid 650 baht which looks overpriced but I’m told that includes breakfast. I decide to finish packing before I indulge and load up the car. Breakfast will follow and I’m wondering if that includes more than soup and a roll. When I enter the breakfast hall I’m in for quite a surprise. A buffet breakfast was not what I was expecting; seems more like breakfast, lunch and dinner rolled into one. The sausage, ham and eggs are a most welcome choice instead of rice or noodles, and coffee, fruit juice, toast and jam are all available. I joke that I can go until dinner without another meal. As it turns out I needn’t have joked. The breakfast alone has dispelled any reservations I might have had and set me up for the day which otherwise promises to be another hard day in the field. I’m ready around the same time as yesterday; before 10am. However my first site is just a block away.

Phra Pathom Chedi……..My stopover in Nakhon Pathom allows me to take in a couple of sites which, quite honestly, I could have managed on a day trip but it’s in the general direction of my intended travels so I’m adding them to this tour. I’m aware that I cannot do total justice to this interesting province with just a stopover but it’s an easy area to return to later. Right now there are a couple of must see sights in Nakhon Pathom and the first is just on the doorstep. By 10am I’m in the Phra Pathom Chedi complex. Interestingly I’ve seen this chedi a number of times before but viewed only from a railway carriage as southern-bound trains pass through Nakhon Pathom Station nearby. Today I can do this important site full justice. The chedi stands on sacred ground dating back two millennia. That makes it extremely important historically as well as religiously. As I enter the complex there is little to suggest its historic roots but a brief introduction to the site reveals that it has been beautifully restored by previous monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty. This hallowed place is full of interest and visitors should give it the respect it deserves by spending at least an hour on this site. There is an entry fee for foreigners to support the temple who otherwise are not obliged to make offerings. Katoon becomes absorbed in this site and the time races on towards midday. At this stage what I thought might take two days will now occupy three and there’s still another important site to visit before I make my way out of the city. But first a minor detour.

Nakhon Pathom……..In Nakhon Pathom the railway station is within walking distance and I make a B-line for it. Those who have followed previous blogs will realise my fascination with Thailand’s railway network. I’m inclined to visit stations at every opportunity even though there is often little to report. This is a case in question as little traffic passes through provincial stations during the day. Nakhon Pathom lies on the main southern line and the long distances involved ensure overnight travel. Most of the traffic passes through this station from early evening till mid morning the following day. I record my visit to this station but ten minutes is all it takes. The way back to the car means I have some opportunity to witness daily life, especially around the market place but I have limited time to really get to grips with Nakhon Pathom's main tourist sites.

Sanam Chandra Palace…….. The next site is just five minutes drive away and I honestly don’t know what to expect. I’m heading for Sanam Chandra Palace. Apart from Royal connections I’m aware of very little and likewise expect not too much. What I end up with though is really quite a lot. So much so that it will occupy the next three and a half hours of this second day on tour and I will leave with no regrets. The Palace was constructed during the short reign of Rama VI (1910-1925) at a time of international turmoil. The young King, an Oxford University graduate, devoted his life to modernising Thai society with good effect removing outdated customs and experimenting with Western forms of government. The Palace buildings contain all the evidence of his endeavors and the personal objects and memorabilia from this period creating a fascinating time capsule for further study and reflection on the life of this ‘Philosopher King’. While I had no intention of spending this long at Sanam Chandra Palace there is no other reason for my length of stay other than my complete fascination with a subject I knew little about. It’s just as well my tour objectives are open ended. As I leave the site I am reminded that electric vehicles are available for hire and I’m very glad I declined. Time was not of the essence and so much time was spent inside the Palace buildings. The small fee I paid was certainly well-spent. And guess what? At 4.30pm I’m not even thinking about food. Instead I head out of the city on Highway 4. The next main city is Ratchaburi, about 50 km away but I don’t plan to go that far.

Muean Fun……..I cross the border into Ratchaburi Province and start looking for signs to my next destination. Again Katoon has added something to this tour which usually means another religious site but the first priority is to find accommodation. I generally accept her input on these tours but due to late proceedings at Nakhon Pathom I’m obliged to use the next destination as a stopover and it’s not that convenient. The provincial town of Photharam lies on the Mae Klong River. It also serves as a stop on the southern railway line. I would have thought there would be some suitable accommodation in the town but there isn’t. After some enquiry a local man offers himself to take us to an out of town motel. It seems the only choice. When we arrive I recognize the style and it’s not generally used for tourists. Well it is now! Descretion is the watchword here but I’m only concerned about the distance from the city requiring an evening car journey but it‘s still daylight as we head back for dinner. Inevitably Potharam railway station is a starting point and I wait there a while for the Yala service to pass through.

Dinner is simple street fare and a chance to recharge batteries after another hot day. Normally, not feeling the need for a beer, which in Thailand doesn’t really agree with me anyway, I make an exception. I feel totally flat and dehydrated. Back at the guest room, the newly constructed accommodation proves far from comfortable and I will neither waste time reviewing it or even recording it! I’ve hit a low point and start to wonder about the implications for the rest of the tour. Next Page.