A Day of Work in Bangkok and a Few Days in Cha Am
	
		 
	
	
		Afternoon coffee break at the Oriental Hotel Veranda on the Chao Phraya River
	
 
	
		 
	
	
		Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok
	
	
		
	
	
	
		Dinner at Jack's On The River
	
 
	
		 
	
	
		View of the Chao Phraya River from the Taksin Bridge
	
 
	
		 
	
	
		On the way to Cha Am we stopped for a burger at Porto Go
	
 
	
		Christmas at Robinson's Petchaburi
	
	
		
	
	
	
	
		 
	
	
		The usual lunch at Por Maew: Tom Yang Gun and Squid Prik Pao
 
	
		 
	
	
		Thanksgiving Pizza on the balcony
 
	
		 
	
	
		Reconstruction of Rattanakosin era cottages on Cha Am Beach
 
	
		 
	
	
		Breakfast on the beach
 
	
		 
	
	
		Sunrise with Venus. Tiny, can you spot it?
 
	
		 
	
	
		High tides and heavy surf (well, for the Gulf of Siam) at Cha Am
 
	
		 
	
	
		Mam had to go to Bangkok for a five day seminar leaving me to my own devices. 
 
	
		 
	
	
		Condo front room
 
	
		 
	
	
		Condo bedroom
 
	
		 
	
	
		Sunrise over Baba Beach Club
 
	
		 
	
	
		Sunrise is so different from day to day
 
	
		 
	
	
		Another morning
 
	
		 
	
	
		This is sunset over Burma
 
	
		 
	
	
		And, another
 
	
		 
	
	
		Cha Am beach flooded by high tides and surf
 
	
		 
	
	
		The new sea wall did OK
 
	
		 
	
	
		Beer Garden at Hua Hin One
 
	
		 
	
	
		Pig on a spit and chicken in a barrel
 
	
		 
	
	
		Fried rice and beer for lunch
 
	
		 
	
	
		Another beach breakfast
 
	
		 
	
	On the way home.
  
	
	New Cha Am Bike Path
	While Mam was away I rode along the new bike path which runs along the north and west sides of Khao Yai mountain.
	
		 
	
	
		Small boat harbor north of Cha Am
 
	
		 
	
	
		Well known draw bridge is the only way to cross the river this far east.
 
	
		 
	
	
		The river lookin west
 
	
		 
	
	
		Harvesting crabs from the drawbridge
 
	
		 
	
	
		Beautiful wetland north of Cha Am with Sugar Palms
 
	
		 
	
	
		Sugar Palms and a bog
 
	
		 
	
	
		This is a multi-use area with sugar palms, rice, various fruits, dairy farms and homes for fishermen and others who make their living from the sea.
 
	
		 
	
	
		My with a giant custard apple and a peanut. Custard apples grow in the area but I've never seen peanuts.
 
	
		 
	
	
		The beaches north of Cha Am are mostly empty. There are a few holiday residences, hotels and resorts.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Construction of the dual track railway. Every grade crossing will be replaced by either an overpass, as here, or an underpass.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Finally, the bike path. All concrete and nice for cycling.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Although this is only a few hundred meters from Phetchakasem highway, the main north-south in southern Thailand, it feels like pristine rainforest with some huge trees.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Khao Yai mountain is a limestone outcrop.
 
	
		 
	
	
		They had just poured the last section of the bike path the day before and were removing forms when I cycled by.
 
	
		 
	
	
		This limestone cliff is right at the base of Khao Yai mountain.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Feels like you're in the middle of nowhere rather than less than a kilometer from the highway and a McDonald's. 
 
	
		 
	
	
		So very nice
 
	
		 
	
	
		This stairway leads up to a cave near Wat Tam Jaeng
 
	
		 
	
	
		An abrupt end.
 
	
		 
	
	
		Stopped here at The Beach Shack for lunc
 
	
		 
	
	Nice spot
 
	
		 
	
	
		Beer, burger and an ocean view.
 
	
		 
	
	This is the bike path route. The abrupt ending is at the far south. You can see where I backtracked and made my way to the highway through an abandoned petrol station.
 
 
 
No comments:
Post a Comment