Weekend Exploring Korat

We decided to spend last weekend in Korat after the previous weekend's incident of being in standstill traffic with over a foot of water swooshing underneath the car every time a motorbike whizzed by.  A drive that should have taken 3 hours to get to Bangkok took 6 hours.

Good opportunity to explore Korat.  I love the weekends!  Colin works extremely hard during the week so I relish the time I get to spend with him on the weekend.  Exploring is so much more fun with Colin by my side!
Maybe not politically correct to say but monks do not make the best of neighbors, at least when they have a party.  The past several days we have not needed an alarm clock as prayers last from  6:00 - 9:30  a.m. and are delivered over a very loud speaker.  Sometimes they ring a bell and or chant around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.  Right now there is a 10 day special ceremony and guest monks. When we went for our walk we found the road near the temple closed and sprinkled with several tents (more than usual)... and monks everywhere.

Our other sleep interrupter (in Korat) is the neighborhood dogs.  There are dogs everywhere in our neighborhood, both domesticated and stray.  The stray dogs saunter down our road and taunt the domesticated dogs kept behind the house gates (all of neighbors have dogs that they keep outside).  A barking fest begins and sometimes lasts all night.  I told Colin to bring me home some ear plugs.

Our Neighborhood:

Our humbled abode

There are many outdoor restaurants



Plastic animals that look out on the pond

No neighborhood is complete without spirit houses at main gate

Temple in our hood



Tents that the monks are staying in

Thailand has cobras; hopefully this is the only one I will ever see

Korat City Center:
Let's hear it for girl power!  Thao Suranari Monument is in the center of the city and is dedicated to a Thai heroine called 'Ya Mo'.  Thao Suranari was the wife of the assistant governor of Korat.  In 1826 Korat was under siege by Lao soldiers and Ya Mo rallied villagers to fight and save the city.  Her right hand holds a sword and she faces Bangkok.  Locals and visitors pay respect to the statue (pray and provide offerings, such as incense).



Canal - Korat City Center

Yo Ma leading villagers to fight - go Yo Ma!

Colin and I love to visit ruins.  So imagine our delight to discover that there are Khmer ruins called Phanom Wan Sanctuary 10 miles outside of Korat.  Peaceful drive out to the ruins.  No one was there so we were able to enjoy the tranquility of the place...well, no one except for the dogs that live at the ruins and nearby temple.  Built in the 15 century; originally a Hindu temple and then changed to a Buddhist temple (this seems true for most Khmer temples).  Shares grounds with a contemporary temple.