after some procastination, I finally decide to post this

I recently commented to someone that my days seem to just 'poof' away . I hardly could find time to blog and crafting took a set back tremendously except the RR that I am working because that came with a dateline. I haven't sign up for any exchanges either since the beginning of the year because I decided that this year I wanted to concentrate on some 'me things' and that too I got nothing accomplished as four months just went away. Anyway, the second school term holidays is here while the first was in March, DH and I managed a three days to Southern Thailand,with a bunch of his friends and their families....err...actually a bus load of thirty people, including Diane.

This is where I went, the most well-known symbol of Songkhla Province is this image of the Golden Mermaid at Laem Samila or Samila Beach. This Thai Mermaid is not a character from the book by Hans Christian Andersen but from Phra Aphai Mani, a popular book in Thai literature by Sunthon Phu.
Out in the bay are the two islands of Koh Nu and Koh Maeo. These translate as “Mouse Island” and “Cat Island”. Can you see that island resemble a mouse behind the Mermaid? A legend says that a dog, a cat, and a mouse, on a Chinese sampan stole the merchant’s magic crystal and tried to swim ashore but drowned and lost their lives. The mice and cats became islands while the dog died on shore and became the hill called Hin Khao Tang Kuan near the bay. The crystal was totally destroyed and became the white sandy beach called Hat Sai Kaeo. Colorful umbrellas in a line, selling all kinds of food and souvenir. I was here approximately ten years ago, then, the area was a bit laid back and rather serene and it wasn't so commercialize yet.For the kiddies, we had a few travelling with us....since they couldn't possible go watch 'Tiger show' that they wanted to, about 6 kids between 5 and 10, when the tour guide was yelling over the microphone how many want to watch 'tiger show' tonite ? They were so puzzled as to why there's a 'show with tiger' that they are not allowed to watch ?

Tour guide : No..no...kids cannot watch tiger show
Kid : Why not?
Tour guide : This one kids cannot see
Kid : But I want to see tigers fighting
Kid : I want to see tiger
Tour guide : Let's go to a place with lots of snow?
Kids : Yay !!
and all forgotten, Kids !!! For the adults and young adults who did not went into the ice dome, made a beeline hereA tight squeeze to get a close upDiane was halfway savouring into her bowl when I snap thisThe Stalls deserted for a moment when everyone disappeared into the ice dome, there's also a kiddies fun park a stone's throw away some papas and mamas got hungry while waiting and found food Totally authentic Thai cuisine Then we headed to Padang Besar of Southern Thailand, and this majestic strange building came to sight. A Indian inspired architecture according to the tour guide

A rather unusual building, missing are the gold and red colored Wats or the golden Buddha statue

Inside the main hall was covered with paintings of Dragons and those depicting Lord Buddha's life that looked 3-D, unfortunately my photos are turned out blurry as I took another camera that its functions I am not familiar with.
The structure is so not one of those regular Thai Wats that we are so accustomed to seeing in Thailand This is the Elephant Mountain or Phung Chang Cave situated on Chang Mountain. Khao Chang or Elephant Mountain lies behind the provincial prison. A huge hill with a shape resembling a kneeling elephant on its belly and the silly guide never thought of pointing the hill out to us as we are approaching it :( . From the top looking downat the entrance into the cave and below coming out at the other end The cave houses replicas of famous Buddha image statue. Its grounds sadly was a bit unkempt or was it meant to be ? .It is also famous for its strange stalactite and stalagmite formations dripping with water that runs year round. A quick stop for lunch at this little town of Muslim Thais population. And there was this Chinese Temple that I did not get its name but said for people who are interested to obtain prosperity blessings and one that has a medium who reads palm. Inside the entrance, there was this 3 life like monk which (doubted my conscious) looked more mummified to me than statues. Too eerily for me to even want to take a snap.One has to offer prayers on this little hill top, making some 17 stops offering prayers to the deities along the way to obtain the said blessings and I think this is the Luang Phor Thuad, the legendary monk of Thailand that is located on the same piece of land next to the Chinese temple. We also made a trip to the famous Goddess of Mercy temple located on a hill. I was last here 2 years ago..

There were some new structures and statues erected since I was last here . View from the top of the hill
The Laughing BuddhaThe Twelve Chinese Zodiac and the BuddhasI believed this is the Jade Emperor ?

We even make a stop one evening, at the Floating Market of Khlong Hae, Diane's first visit and was rather thrill that food are served from the sampanOn the last evening, arrangement was made with some 10 others, booked a van for a trip to Chendi Thaimongkhan (Wat of Stainless Steel Pagoda) since Diane hasn't been there. We arrived after 7pm to find the pagoda already lighten up. I am not offering pictures as again it was night scene and I couldn't locate the night vision mode on the camera , anyway I did blog about this place some two years ago. Strange that we went for Thai Tim Sum one morning?The crowd at the Thai-Malaysian boarder of Sadao - in queue to get passport stamped/scan. Everyone has to go on foot except those travelling in by cars. The best part about this trip was that we are not tied down by a travel agent's protocol and could choose our course of destination. On the way home, everyone voted to eat at The famous Chicken Rice-beansprout in Ipoh.
Not mentioned are the shopping's that we made on this trip. We went with half filled luggage and come home with luggage that was filled to the brimmed plus two extra bags and some food or rather snacks in plastic bags ;P

Thailand is after all a shopping paradise.





Hope you enjoy this trip with me and thank you for visiting.