Friday 28 September 2018

Unicorn Cafe


Unicorn Cafe is somewhere that I stumbled upon when collating information for writing things about Bangkok, putting them on Pinterest and the writing for this blog. But I can't remember which article.



So i decided that this may be interesting for my daughter - everything is about a unicorn!




Talk about cool (if that's what you like) and decoration - it was devoted to the unicorn. 



The fascination lasted for 5 minutes and then I looked for a menu for coffee and this is what I got. Ordering the coffee and looking around there were children here for a party and this was certainly a great place BUT I was fascinated that there were female adults there as well - maybe I am missing something with the unicorn?



Then coffee was simple and the ice-cream was something that my daughter did not like. I was happy that she did not want to dress up because you can do that here as well.



We finished and walked around the corner - finding that there was Zone A and Zone B for the Unicorn Cafe...




So if you have a need to see the unicorns (and there are a lot of them) or you have a child who dreams of this sort of thing then this is a very real place that you must visit.

Phone Number: 086 397 9262
Approximate Price: $$$$$
Address: 44/1 ซอย สาทร 8 สีลม Khwaeng Silom  - Chong Nongsri BTS
Hours: 12am - 8pm


 


Saturday 22 September 2018

A Weekend in Saraburi

 

Saturday morning and we set off after breakfast. 




Stop 1: Wat Bang Kahn - this was a Wat by the side of the road, just a quick visit because there was an initiation here for a monk, location: https://goo.gl/maps/hGbY5xdwVq42.


Stop 2: Wat Phra Dhammakaya - this certainly is an impressive 'site'. It is temple representing the Dhammakaya Movement, which means that it is no strictly Buddhist, there are a lot of controversies regarding it as well, location: https://goo.gl/maps/z6ZRQPfKuhR2.


Personally I think they should have fixed the broken floating lotus?


Stop 3: National Geological Museum - with a special for dinosaurs - a lot of fun, especially if that is what you are looking for, location: https://goo.gl/maps/iadk8TwtgbP2


Stop 4: Kao Kang Baan Suan - for a quick bite, the Issan sausage was dreadful but the fresh cakes were lovely, location: https://goo.gl/maps/PBzHHohfiEw. 


Stop 5: Wat Phraphuttachai - strangely this is the same name as Stop 11 - an impressive place on the top of the hill, very busy, location: https://goo.gl/maps/5DBqqzNsP6p.


Stop 6: Wat Phra Buddhabat - a large Wat, a reclining Buddha, rock with the shape of the Buddha on it and more, location: https://goo.gl/maps/EHAjnoeS1n12.


Stop 7: Rai Kusuma Resort (ไร่กุสุมา รีสอร์ท) - this was where we were staying the night - we paid more for this fabulous view, location: https://goo.gl/maps/aBhgfwwjUVL2.


Stop 7: Ndol Streamside Thai Villas - quite a nice place for dinner, location: https://goo.gl/maps/PSZBBKwZ4Bp.


Stop 8: Chet Sao Noi Waterfall National Park - we did not enter here because it was deserted - but we found a Shrine opposite it - entering and going up the stairs but there was a dog!, location: https://goo.gl/maps/4Npifi9Z6Yz.


Stop 9: วดเจรญธรรม - following a long road and at the end there is a new Wat being built - but this might not be right.



Stop 10: สำนักแม่ชีไทย - off the road and the details on the side indicated that is a a retreat of some sort, not sure, location: https://goo.gl/maps/kU4htTNBxf12



Stop 11: Wat Phra Phutthachai - strangely this is the same name as Stop 5? -this is quite an extensive location - with a rock wrapped by a rock, a golden footprint and more, a popular Wat, location: https://goo.gl/maps/5DBqqzNsP6p.



Stop 12: Wat Pa SawangBoon - wow - 500 golden stupa surrounding, Buddha monuments, Recining Buddha and more, location: https://goo.gl/maps/vafQZU8NCvp

Wednesday 19 September 2018

Corrections Museum


The Corrections Museum was somewhere that I had read about in Bizarre Thailand so it was definitely worth making an effort in getting there.

BUT I did not go because unfortunately it is now closed - the image is from Bangkok.com.




Sunday 16 September 2018

Wat Phra Singh (Waramahavihan)


Wat Phra Singh - วัดพระสิงห์วรมหาวิหารis a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol, the older brother of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, bestowed on it the status of Royal temple of the first grade in 1935.



"Wat Phra Singh was founded in 1345 by King Phayu who built the temple to house the ashes of his father. This was a time when a number of different kings ruled in the various regions of what is now Thailand. From 1578 to 1774 the northern Lanna kingdom came under the control of the Burmese and Wat Phra Singh was abandoned and fell into disrepair. 



The temple was restored under King Kawila who became the ruler of Chiang Mai in 1782. King Kawila built the ubosot (ordination hall) and enlarged the chedis with his successors continuing the work by restoring the Wiharn Lai Kham and the temple library. The whole temple complex at Wat Phra Singh underwent extensive renovations in the 1920s. 



More recently, work was carried out in 2002 and the chedis which had previously been painted white underwent a makeover in 2016 to give them a golden-coloured covering."

text courtesy of Roy Cavanagna - Thaizer. Visit the site for wonderful information.



The Wat area is enormous and there is so much to discover. There are a number of perfectly kept gardens. 



Then there are the trees with the messages on them - quite special.



A great many Chedi which are of different sizes.



There is a small temple which houses a reclining Buddha which is really quite mysterious.



The ornate windows around the temple are a wonderful thing just to admire.




This is along with the old ornate paintings on the walls.



There is a 20 Baht entrance fee for no Thais - definitely worth visiting.

 


Thursday 13 September 2018

Wednesday Buddha Temple


Wednesday Buddha Temple is a Wat squashed between Wat Saket and the Golden Mountain - both worth visiting as well.



The first thing that I noticed (coming from the Golden Mountain side) was the beauty of the tiling on the floor - impeccable.



It was also very peaceful - certainly a place to reflect whilst you are there - in fact I did just sit down in the corner...



There is a very large Wat in the middle and this is very traditional and there were a number of people inside so I chose just to walk around the outside.



Around the outside were the traditional Buddhist statues - and underneath them were the bags of the students 



who were inside the main Wat.



So I exited on the opposite side into a well managed garden - quite spectacular.



Another place for reflection - a wonderful place to visit...

 




Monday 10 September 2018

Wat Khuha Sawan วัดคูหาสวรรค์


Wat Khuha Sawan วัดคูหาสวรรค์ is a Wat built in front of a very large mountain, the Khuha Sawan Public Park and the Khao Pu - Khao Ya National Park in Phattalung.



This was not somewhere that I had read about previously so I had no idea what to expect.I have subsequently read that the temple was established in the period when Ayutthaya was the Capital of Thailand and this was the first royal temple in Phattalung.



The standard Wat was at the entrance and at the back were a number of small Chedi and traditional figures. 



Imagine my surprise when I saw that there were some figures at the back and of course I went to have a look.



There was an enormous cave with a great number of Buddhist figures in.



There were figures all around the back of the cave and them more in the middle.



And there was nobody there. An interesting place but it did feel cold.



On returning to the car we noticed an enormous tree in the rock with some construction in it. So we went to have a look there.




This was certainly older and a more than a little creepy.



I crept inside and walked up the steps to find that there were more figures to be seen.




And further up there were more.