DAY 8  MONDAY 17^TH SEPTEMBER 2012 

NAKHON PATHOM TO ISTANBUL

(Night of 17^th and early Tuesday 18th in the air)

 This morning early we went for a walk along the klong adjacent to Sirilug’s house and because there was big rain overnight the klong had broken its banks and water was flooding into some of the low-lying house yards.

Flooded klong.

At the end of the handrail is a boardwalk. Prior to overnight rain it was exposed.

It was good to just wander this morning, something I have wanted to do.  We walked through a commercial district where we poked our nose into a couple of shops. One specialised in curtain rods, rings and end caps. There were hundreds of items for sale and I couldn’t believe that there would be sufficient business to warrant a shop devoted just to curtain fittings.  Another shop specialised in photocopying onto canvas, not just small-sized copies but huge copies up to one and a half metres wide.

One and a half metre wide photocopy on canvas.

Eventually we found ourselves in a large shopping complex similar to Bunnings at home but the items for sale were of far superior quality and half the price.  The bathroom fittings and tile department fascinated me.  An unbelievable range of top quality toilet, baths, spas and hand basins were for sale.  The tile department was mind boggling with hundreds of different designs in rainbow colours, some a metre square.  Unfortunately photography was banned so no images.  Outside in the landscaping department we could take photographs.

Bonsai trees.

We selected a pot plant for a gift for Sirilug and Seng but we couldn’t find anyone to take our money. I approached a security guard and he indicated the sales person had gone to lunch.

From the department store we strolled through an oldish housing estate and passed by a newer area  as well where Thai McMansions were under construction.

Thai McMansion. Note the bamboo scaffolding.

On the way home we met a dingo dog. There are many wild dogs in the cities of Thailand, mostly looking like the one in the following photograph.  You keep your distance from them because they could carry rabies and no doubt other undesirable nasties.  The Australian dingo is in fact the Asian wild dog; fishermen brought it to Australia, along with cats, thousands of years ago.  Tabby cats in Australia are descendants of the Asian cat.  Other coloured cats came from Europe with early settlers.

Sleepy-looking Thai dingo dog

Sirilug, our Thai daughter, with her ‘dingo’ dog Billion

Before leaving Sirilug’s house there were some last minute photographs to be taken.

Urinal in the visitor’s bathroom.

The privyologist at work photographing a fly in the urinal.

Fly in the urinal.

Asian folk are paranoid about flies.  Flies have a very low status. If one appears in a restaurant all diners stop eating and watch it intently until the waiter dispatches it.  The fly in the urinal is actually a transfer fired into the glaze and is placed at exactly the spot one’s piddle hits the porcelain.

Cistern, Thai-style.

A beautiful piece of artwork on the wall.  Note the flower in the cistern.

Wall tile detail.

Each tile measuring about 30mm x 10mm was individually glued and grouted onto the wall.  I can’t guess how long it would have taken.

First floor landing. The colourful panel is actually a sliding door.

All reports indicated we should leave Nakhon Pathom about five hours prior to our flight departure time as the roads could be congested following rain during the day. So after many hugs and kisses all round we set off for Bangkok airport in the capable hands of the family driver.  The people who work for Sirilug and Seng are not considered servants but part of the family. They are housed, fed and paid and in return they are conscientious workers always anticipating the family needs.

Mongkol and Thongdee, the family drivers, took us to the airport in the family van.

Bev lapping up the comfort of the van.

Bangkok airport is enormous but the boys found our departure gate without too much trouble and soon after we were on our Swissair flight to Istanbul.  Be advised that the flight with Swissair is probably the last we will do as economy class seating is so constricted that I couldn’t put the laptop on my knees because there was simply not enough room.

Before leaving Thailand I must share with you images of figurines I found. As most readers know I have been a figurine maker for the past forty years.  Go to claycraft.com.au to see the  efforts of Ian and myself, but the following images put my efforts to shame.

An angel

Icecream licker

Farewell to the Land of Smiles for the present.

 My favourite image for this leg of our odyssey.

Prathip

Bev’s favourite.

Peak and Pye

See you in Istanbul tomorrow. Hope you are enjoying the armchair travelling experience. Let us know by putting a comment on the blog.

Don’t forget, click on photo to enlarge images.