A Ride To Town

I'm getting ready to make some Christmas cookies. One thing I needed that I couldn't find at the usual markets was green food coloring. I'd heard about a bakery supply place downtown, so I got on my bicycle and headed out. It's about 10K (6 miles) from my house to downtown Korat. I took some photos along the way.

This is the original ubosot (ordination hall) at Wat Mai Ampawan. It probably dates from about 250 years ago. This is my first visit to this structure, even though I've passed it many many times.

This mural of a daemon holding a cudgel is poorly preserved.

This is Suranaree Road west of downtown Korat. It is very typical of city streets in provincial cities.

This is in front of Mae Kim Heng market, a large downtown fresh market. Notice the motorcycle taxi (#17) and the Sam Lor (three wheel) bicycle taxi just to the left.

City gate to enter old Korat.

The main highway runs just to the north of old Korat.

Wat Payap. I've never seen another temple in Thailand with this sort of architecture.

Chumpon Gate. Old Korat's West Gate.

Only a few of these old wooden shop house buildings remain.

Excel bakery supply shop. No way to tell what it is unless you get close to the door. I managed to find green food coloring. 12 baht (about 36¢) for a small bottle.

Tao Suranari (Ya Mo) monument. Ya Mo is a local heroine credited with saving Korat from Lao forces in 1826. She is much revered. People from all over northeastern Thailand make pilgrimages to visit her monument. 

Old steam locomotive in front of the Korat passenger railway station. When these engines were retired they were put on display at railway stations all over Thailand. This one was recently given a fresh coat of pain.

Railway station in the background.

This shop sells spirit houses. The taller ones with a single leg are meant to serve as a home to spirits of the land who have been displaced by construction or land clearing. The shorter, four legged spirit houses are for the spirits of human ancestors. When in place they usually have a ladder as it is presumed that human spirits cannot fly and need a ladder to climb up into their spirit house.

So, mission accomplished. I managed to get some green food coloring, visit an ancient temple building I've been longing to see and revisit some of Korat's interesting sites.