Temples and night markets

Yeay!! After a couple of stressful weeks in Australia I have finally arrived in Thailand!

I flew from Brisbane to Phuket and after spending the first two days there, inspecting 'my new office' at the university and checking out the local beaches and the local food, we started travelling north.



Yesterday's trip took us from Phuket to Chum Phon a small and not very touristy town on the eastern coast. Along the way we passed rural Thai villages, rubber plantations, palm oil plantations and an amazing temple area in the mountains around Thap Put.

This temple on the hilltop is apparently the resting place of some to the remains of Bhuda.


From the top one has amazing views of the statues on the hills opposite the temple.


And even 'farangs' (the Thai word for westerner - one can never quite work out what kind of connotations the term has ;-)) can participate in paying respect to the monks.

Another place that is not easily accessible without a 'local guide' - the night marketes of Chum Phon. There are not English signs anywhere and the people visibly enjoy seeing a tall westerner ducking under the low market stalls....

The lady in the background is preparing wonderful Pat Thai for us.


The highlight of the adventure for me: Chicken and chicken skin (!) skewes from one of the roadside char coal barbeques.