Wat Phanan Choeng to Khao Yai

Before we left our hotel this morning, we took a small ferry across the river to Wat Phanan Choeng, a Chinese Buddhist temple.  Then at 9:30, we left Ayuttayah for Khao Yai National Park, which is huge and spans four Thai provinces.  There we just settled in to our accommodations, enjoyed a catered dinner, and prepared for an adventure tomorrow.

Wat Phanan Choeng was built in 1324.  The temple contains a 19 meter high Buddha statue which is regarded as a guardian for mariners.  Legend has it that the Thai king requested the emperor of China's daughter for his wife.  When she arrived, the king wasn't there, so she held her breath and killed herself; thus, the king built this temple at her cremation site.

Zoe and Lu in the temple.

The 19 meter high Buddha image.

We're in the ferry crossing the river back to the hotel from Wat Phanan Choeng.  I think the kids have had enough of the temples and are eager to head to Khao Yai.

We stopped at a fruit market outside of Pak Chong on the Way to Khao Yai.  Some of our students are vegetarians, so undoubtedly they will appreciate exotic tropical fruits.

We found durian, the king of tropical fruit.  It is widely reputed to have an unpleasant aroma.  Reactions to it vary. We found durian to be pleasantly fragrant; whereas others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as dead animals, rotten onions, turnpentine, and gym socks. The odor has led to the fruit's banishment from many hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.  But if you can get past the smell and the pasty consistency, the taste is a delicate medley of almonds and other rich flavors with a finish that lasts indefinitely.  The English novelist Anthony Burgess famously said that dining on durian is like eating vanilla custard in a latrine.  Mmmmmm.

Our objective was to find durian so our students could determine if the wives tales about its smells and disgusting tastes are true.  This lady graciously cut up a durian for us to sample.

Zoe gives it an enthusiastic thumbs-up while Sera tries to conceal her glee.  Alyssa just caught a whiff of it.

Alyssa likes it.

Ashley likes it.

Brandon likes it.

and Sarah likes it.

Perhaps they would prefer a little pork.

At Khao Yai, we checked into our guest accommodations, which for some reason the students though would be primitive lean-to's.  Here is a sambar deer wandering around the guest house.

Here's a family of sambar deer approaching the guest house where the students are staying.  Notice the students watching from the balcony.

The deer are quite accustomed to people.  They like durian too.  I named this one Sandy.  She eats whatever Thai food I give her.