The monkey is king in this big Wat (temple) near Krabi. 

The biggest flower in the world.

The biggest flower in the world [Rafflesia]. It is found here in Kao Sok, a national park between Surat Thani and Phuket in Thailand. This one is not as big as they get, but pretty big for a flower. Apparently it is a parasite on the Liana (jungle-vine), having neither leaves nor roots.

Emma, in the background, is not to scale. Actually she is much longer
than 2 centimeters long.

Emma networking - 2

Ah success! Emma has charmed this Thai lady into letteing her hold her beloved dog. 

Emma networking - 1

On long train journeys - like this one back from Hat Jomtien - Emma tended to get chatting to some local lady.

Here she is talking with a woman travelling with her 'baby' - a little dog like a Pomeranian.

Emma swimming

We found out that Emma could actually swim. This beach, Hat Jomtien, near the old GI RnR place during the Vietnam war (Pattaya beach), went over Emma's head in about 3 metres.

Seems like those lessons with Seaford North Primary paid off. 

Together

Of course, a big part of travelling is just the companianship.

In a way... 

Travelling Sawngthaew ('pickup')

Thanks to my desire to use the local public tranport and hobnob with the natives, and to save a few baht (=$0.03), we travelled around in Sawngthaew a bit. These are basically Utes with a cover, and seats either side. Kerry called them 'pick-ups'.

As you can see, Emma got to really enjoy travelling in them. 

Emma and Buddha

Jo, a masseuse in Khao Sok, took Emma to a Wat around Xmas-time, so she learned the routine (light the incense, kneel with hands together). Here she is paying respect to a Buddha in Ayuthaya, up some rather steep steps.

Ayuthaya ruins

This is in a temple (Wat) in Ayuthaya, about 70 km north of Bangkok. A city surrounded by a wide canal, it was named from the Sanskrit word for 'unassailable' or 'undefeatable'.

When it was besieged and overthrown by the Burmese in 1767 this Wat was used as an army camp by the invaders, and every Buddha image was beheaded.

There is quite a lot of them. Wonder if the soldiers began to grumble about being put on beheading duty again...

Jumping on the goldfish

This is Emma showing Kerry where she and a French girl of similar age fell the night before, firghtening the goldfish. We were talking to a French family. The girl looked at Emma and said "Elle saute [she jumps/she is jumping]!". Then she started saute-ing as well, and she and Emma went off to jump around the goldfish pond with the blocks. Unfortunately Emma fell, with the French girl on top, and grazed her chest, and both got wet. 

Thai culture - buddhist Ronald

This is Emma paying respect in Thai fashion to an icon seen all over the world, but with local Thai features. It is possible to eat at the temple to this manifestation of the Buddha, but Emma found that the Happy Meals do not come with french fries unless ordered specifically.

You do learn a lot sampling foreign culture. 

Chiengrak station

This is Chiengrak station, near Thammasat university Rangsit campus. Here we are waiting for a train north to Ayuthaya. Actually we got to see this station twice that day. Once when we got on the train, and second when we got off at the next station and took a bus and a taxi back here to get Emma's bag. 

Siam Ocean World acquarium

Here are some strange creatures we saw at the acquarium in Siam Paragon shopping centre in Bangkok.

I think they do not enjoy being in captivity.

Meeting Sean and Loretta

Here we are in beautiful downtown Bangkok with Sean and Loretta. 

Emma in braids.

This is Emma just after having her hair braided in downtown Bangkok near the famous Kao San road - mecca to backpackers. 

This is emma with the cook from a restaurant in Hat Kamala in Phuket. She wrote a message praising the food and gave it to the waitress, so the cook came out later and thanked her: 'You give me strength to keep working", gave her a free dessert, and sat with her while the fireworks were on. Ah the power of cuteness!

Evie the white lion.

This is Eve aka Evie, the american cocker spaniel. Although she cannot speak, a sensitive observer can tell that, if she could speak she would say something like this:
Hello, nice to meet you. Look, I hate to ask, but, you see there seems to be some problem in the catering department here. It seem hours since I was fed. I wonder could you oblige me ... There is an open can marked Pet Food Only in that 'fridge there. If you could just spoon some of that into a bowl for me, I would be very grateful.
 

Loretta's birthday - Em, Alex & Cass

 

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