Sunday, March 14, 2010

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT

Since we were fairly exhausted from our previous days’ activities, we talked our hosts into starting the day’s adventures at 9:00, allowing us an extra hour of much needed rest.

Our day began with a visit to the King’s project at Phakpanang – a huge dam built to prevent the salt water of the Gulf of Thailand from mixing with, and contaminating the fresh lake water that was used for irrigation. The two bodies of water thus separated surrounded an island on which the king’s palace (one of many throughout Thailand) was built in a Balinese style six years ago. Unfortunately, due to the king’s ill health, the king has never resided in the palace, except for its opening ceremony. So there it sits, unoccupied yet fully attended to, with lovely statuary and gardens, waiting for a monarch who may never return to enjoy it.

A complete change of pace took us to our next location – a large, warehouse-like structure, where birds’ nests are collected. Having eaten in Asian restaurants where I’ve seen bird’s nest soup on the menu, I somehow always imagined a structure of twigs sitting in the middle of a soup bowl. In fact, the soup is made from a membrane with which the birds (in this instance swallows) line the inside of their nest. The membrane is also used in a (very expensive) juice-like liquid which supposedly can cure whatever ails you. (I actually drank three of these small bottles during my stay in Nakhon. They were quite pleasant tastings, a bit fibrous, but I can’t yet vouch for the restorative powers.

The actual experience of view the nesting birds was, in all truth, not the most pleasant thing we have done on this trip. Donning facemasks, as we had done at the parawood factory the day before) we entered a pitch-dark room and proceeded to walk in the dark across a spongy floor (which proved to be bird droppings) to a spot where our guide shone a flashlight to various spots along the ceiling where the birds were preparing nests – thousands of them – for eggs that would never be hatched. That thought, plus the rather overpowering stench of the room, did not encourage us to make an extended stay.

And, like the proverbial breath of fresh air in the outhouse, we next found ourselves at a lovely restaurant on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, with gentle breezes clearing our short-term memories of our encounter with the birds.

After a wonderful seafood lunch and a short walk on the beach we resumed the day’s adventure by traveling to the famous Wat Mahatat. En route we paused at small company making lacey confection that we had seen throughout our travels. Rice batter is sprinkled on heated, greased wok and, after a few seconds, it is gently peeled off as a large circular sheet, rolled and sprinkled with a sugary syrup. Delicious!

The Wat Mahatat is one of the most spiritual wats in all of Thailand. It is believed that this was the place where Buddhism first came to Thailand over 1,500 years ago. Although not as ornate as other wats that we have visited throughout our travels, the Wat Mahatat conveyed a feeling of reverence that was somehow more accentuated here. Everywhere, worshippers knelt, holding folded orange robes, in devout prayer. Throughout the adjoining buildings were statues of Buddha where, according to the wealth and importance in the community of the deceased, relatives could place the cremated ashes of loved ones.

With the day’s sightseeing adventures behind us, we attended a dinner party, given in our honor by seven local Rotary clubs. After much food, gift giving, banner trading, karaoke and good will, or final day in Nakhon Si Thammarat came to an end and we prepared for the following day’s trip to Hatyai.