Saipan - November

I finally made it to Saipan to visit my daughter and her three sons.

I flew from Bangkok to Hong Kong to Saipan. This is a beer stop at Wolfgang Puck's in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airport

International Thanksgiving at Saipan International School

My daughter Chicha with her Thanksgiving plate

Chicha and her boys: Jake, Dean and Christian

Shirley's Coffee Shop: Samy, Dean, Christian, Jake and Chicha

Old Flame Tree in Dandan stripped by typhoon Yutu in 2018

Airport Perimeter Road

Many people are still living in tents after their homes were destroyed by Typhoon Yutu in 2018

Scrabble

Dean plays Fortnite

Jake climbs up on water bottles to reach the shelf

Dandan Children's Park with LaoLao bay and Forbidden Island in the distance.

Java Joe's

I finally get a burger. It was great.

Banzai Cliff on the north tip of Saipan

Japanese monument for WWII at Banzai Cliff

Guanyin (Kannon) statue at Banzai Cliff with Suicide Cliff in the distance.

Micro Beach at American Memorial Park, Garapan, Saipan

Managaha Island in the distance.

Business destroyed by Typhoon Yutu 

Ladder Beach at the south end of Saipan

Restaurant at Ladder Beach

Samy, Christian and Michael

Clear water at Ladder Beach

Japanese WWII bunker at Obyan Beach

Moon, Saturn, Venus and Jupiter taken at Oleai Beach Bar and Grill

Oleai Beach Bar and Grill

Some friends at Oleai Beach Bar and Grill in 1996

Dean and I baked Christmas cookies with a little help now and then from 

Jake who's creaming sugar and butter here.

Dean stuck with it right to the end.

Jake ponders an egg beater

Dean rolls up the dough in waxed paper ready for a few hours in the fridge.

Decorating

Wow. That's a lot of sprinkles.

Pancakes at IHOP. Lovely

Northern Marianas College gymnasium destroyed by Typhoon Yutu

Northern Marianas College. Classes held in tents.

Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel and Casino, Garapan

Cocos, Garapan, for steak

 I finally got to try Saipan beer

Pizza Hut delivers a dinner box. So much food.

Christmas Tree Decorating

Time to Head Back to Thailand

Hong Kong from the air just before landing

Breakfast at Hong Kong Airport

How to count in Chinese at Hong Kong Airport.

Cha Am November

Amazon Cafe at PTT Highway, Pak Chong

Robinson Lifestyle Center, Petchaburi

Mam enjoys the sunrise at Thew Talay Estate

The Ice Ladies deliver at Cha Am Beach

Cha Am Little Shop

Crab sculpture at Hat Chao Samran

Mam had a fun run, so we spent the night at Fisherman Resort at Hat Chao Samran

Wat Samuttharam at Hat Chao Samran

Wat Samuttharam at Hat Chao Samran

Sunrise at Hat Chao Samran

Estuary at Hat Chao Samran

We have a winner

Breakfast at Fisherman Resort

Kaeng Krachan reservoir at Kaeng Krachan National Park

Kaeng Krachan Dam

Kaeng Krachan

Housing development marketed to Chinese investors near Springfield Golf Course, Cha Am.

Sunrise fisherman at Thew Talay Estate, Cha Am

Roasted chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves at Jit Pochana, Cha Am.

Motorway 6 November 2019

Motorway 6 November 2019

Over the past few years I've done a lot of cycling along Motorway 6 which is still under construction. This highway will link the various highways in and around Bangkok with Korat. Most of my rides have been relatively short. Based on recent Google Maps satellite view images I decided it was time to do a longer ride. I entered Motorway 6 where it intersects with Highway 204 and rode to the turnoff for Mueang Sema (an ancient historical sight) and Sung Noen.

Route Map

The first section of the motorway has wide frontage roads on both sides so that local traffic doesn't have to enter the motorway.

The overpass in the distance is where Motorway 6 intersects with the Korat ring road.

I was surprised to see the motorway essentially complete all the way from Highway 2068 to the Mueang Sema turnoff. I was pretty much alone on the motorway. No constructions crews in sight and very few vehicles.

The road to Mueang Sema is below and to the left. No way to get down there. I rode back a kilometer or so, but still no way to ride down. I eventually climbed over a barrier, hauled my bike down the embankment and over another barrier and finally on to a road which led back here.

Ban Sema is a small village north of the Mueang Sema Historical Park.

This Dvaravati era monument is on the grounds of Wat Ban Kaen Thao. The original construction was about 1200 years ago.

The monument at Wat Ban Kaen Thao was once a chedi (stupa) and is made from fired clay brick that was probably coated with stucco. It continued to be in use through the Khmer Era.

There are many monuments like this in the Mueang Sema Historical Park. This is designated as Monument #7. It is the furthest north.

Yours truly at #7.

There are three moat systems at Mueang Sema. There is a small rectangular moat in the middle, a roundish moat in the south and an extension of the roundish moat that extends quite far north. This is the southern edge of of that moat.

This is the oldest reclining Buddha Image in Thailand. It is located on the grounds of Wat Dhammachraksemaram (also known as Wat Phra Non). It dates from the Dvaravati Era and is about 1300 years old.

After fifty kilometers of cycling it was time for a coffee break.

After coffee I had to stop to repair a flat.

I chose a strange place for the task.

 

After repairing the rear tire I discovered that the front tire was also leaking. I kept pumping until I found a repair shop. From there it was straight home.