Future Park, Rangsit (Holiday Revisited -- June 2010)

Future Park, a vast shopping complex situated in Rangsit, a mere 10 mins drive from Khlong Nueng. Robinson, Office Depot, Big C are among the big names that occupy the complex. However, didn't find any Muslim halal restaurants there or may be we didn't really look hard for it.

Floating Market @ Damnoen Saduak, Patchaburi, Thailand (June 2010 Holiday Revisited)

From the Elephant Village, instead of going by road, we traveled by boat. The 'boatman' was a woman!! Or should I call her boatwoman?? Marvelled at her skill in maneuvering the boat when at tight bends of the narrow khlongs (canal). The 7 of us sat nicely in the long boat. Our boat has roof over our head. Yes, the sun was hot as it was nearing the afternoon...





The route taken along the canal before reaching the floating market. We passed through villages on both sides of the khlongs.
















The boat nearing the floating market. Many tourists can be seen there including other Malaysians. Women vendors plying their wares from their boats as seen in the picture. Fruits (eg: guava), local foods (eg: noodles) and other Thai craft were in abundance.


Besides plying their wares from the boats, there were also stalls on the banks of the canal selling bags, bangles, shirts, watches etc.



Though it was hot, the market was alive with tourists bargain hunters!


Daughters bought bags and T-shirts for themselves there.

Elephant Village @ Damnoen Saduak, Patchaburi (June 2010 Holiday Revisited)

Welcome to the Elephant Village said the signage. It was after about 1.45hrs ride in the van, from Khlong Nueng (in Pathum Thani), that we reached Damnoen Saduak. Bought tickets for the ride. (2 teenagers + 1 kid = Baht 1500). If you'd like to feed the elephants, bananas were also sold.











The weather was good, sunny. Much like our own in Malaysia. So, the ride was fine.

The elephant was rather hungry I guess...well, we didn't buy any bananas for them!













The kids without their mahout guiding the elephant...(he jumped down to take the pic.). On the RHS of the pic, is a canal that we traveled in later on to the floating market.

Our elephant decided to rummage for something to eat.




Leisurely ride by both of us .... on land and in the canal.... Err...actually, I was a bit terrified.







Getting ready to disembark the elephant!!! A landing was built at approximately the height of the elephant to make it easier for us to get onto and off it.





At the end of the ride (about 30 mins), each of us was given a cup of mineral water. Thanks...

It's Long Overdue.... (June 2010 Holiday Revisited)

This is the morning when we were about to visit Damnoen Saduak (about 80km from Bangkok), in the Province of Patchaburi, Aby smiled and waved her peace sign. And not forgetting her pink backpack. What were the things you had inside, Adik???

Notice the man in the background? Ah...dear hubby, leading the way to the waiting van on the main road.

And now some shots from the van, of Bangkok city as seen from an amateur's lense ....

.... along the road in Bangkok. And yes, we did past the Don Muang Airport...

..... the Menam Chao Phraya (????)


Outside of Bangkok, we noticed some ponds on the left side of the road. According to the guide, they were the salt ponds. Small roadside stalls selling salt were plenty with one or two bigger stores (see picture) in between.

In the distance, we saw a windmill-like structure. In any case, this should not be far away from the sea.

We also went past a town (Mae Klong, if I'm not mistaken) with a railway crossing smacked right in the middle of it. Waited for the train to pass before we proceeded.

For the Rest of My Life

Sharing these beautiful lyrics. They touch my heart and hope they do the same to you.

For the Rest of My Life Lyrics

By: Maher Zain

I praise Allah for sending me you my love
You found me home and sail with me
And I`m here with you
Now let me let you know
You`ve opened my heart
I was always thinking that love was wrong
But everything was changed when you came along
OOOOO
And theres a couple words I want to say

For the rest of my life
I`ll be with you
I`ll stay by your side honest and true
Till the end of my time
I`ll be loving you. loving you
For the rest of my life
Thru days and night
I`ll thank Allah for open my eyes
Now and forever I I`ll be there for you

I know that deep in my heart
I feel so blessed when I think of you
And I ask Allah to bless all we do
You`re my wife and my friend and my strength
And I pray we`re together eternally
Now I find myself so strong
Everything changed when you came along
OOOO
And theres a couple word I want to say

For the rest of my life
I`ll be with you
I`ll stay by your side honest and true
Till the end of my time
I`ll be loving you. loving you
For the rest of my life
Thru days and night
I`ll thank Allah for open my eyes
Now and forever I I`ll be there for you

I know that deep in my heart now that you`re here
Infront of me I strongly feel love
And I have no doubt
And I`m singing loud that I`ll love you eternally

For the rest of my life
I`ll be with you
I`ll stay by your side honest and true
Till the end of my time
I`ll be loving you.loving you
For the rest of my life
Thru days and night
I`ll thank Allah for open my eyes
Now and forever I I`ll be there for you

I know that deep in my heart

Artist: Maher Zain
Album: Thank You Allah
Copyright: Awakening Records 2009

Things we take for granted

SubhanAllah... Clouds in HIS sky...

Flower Arranging

A simple flower arranging...and that was the very reason I was attracted to it.
Simple and yet attractive.

Bucida Revisited

My first pic of the Bucida was taken about two years ago.

Time passed and here's the present image. Had sown off the lowest layer.

Note any difference?

Sawasdee krup 3 - Ayutthaya

We travelled by car to Ayutthaya from Bang Pa-In using route 309, I think. A good road network. Ayutthaya, once Thailand capital city, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1991. I didn’t know what to expect from this ancient town but already heard of it and seen pictures in the Net. Entering the new part of town, via a bridge, we didn’t have to go far, for there was already a stupa in the middle of a roundabout. A picture of the King of Thailand adorned it with a piece of yellow cloth wrapped around. On the way, Paka pointed out the hotel, U-Thong Inn, where he put up for a few days earlier on. One thing that I noticed was the presence of lots of sign boards showing were the wats were.

Ayutthaya Historical Park wasn’t that difficult to find (oops, with the help of a map that Paka had). It’s right in the middle of the town! What we first saw were elephants and of course then came the complex where the stupas are located within an enclosed area (and yes, you need to buy tickets to enter the compound). Frankly telling it was something I haven’t seen before, the stupas, I mean.… The stupa resembles modern day wats, with pointed structure pointing to the sky. Some are higher than others. From far it looks brown-orangish in colour, something like the brick’s colour. Other stand alone stupas were also found here and there, called the satellite stupas. And there were lots of them, almost everywhere in the city. One could even be found in the compound of a hospital! Suffice to say that the ruins were well-preserved. We drove around the city but saw some tourists on bikes.

Elephant rides are also available in the park. We didn’t take any though. Only watched them from afar. Instead, we spent time buying stuff from the stalls outside the complex!

There was also a mosque not far from the park.

We had dinner at a Muslim food stall near one of the roundabouts near the park. A row of shop houses is next to it. Try find the landmark, a Kumon Learning Centre if you want to go there for halal foods. Too bad though, the waitresses couldn’t converse in Yawi (a language that resembles the Malay language). However, the menu given was in English! Oh yes, Paka ordered tom yam goong for us!

Before we left Ayutthaya, we drove past the stupas again and we saw them basking in lights, giving them a magnificent sight.

Sawasdee krup...Part 2

On arrival we were greeted with pictures of Thais doing the wai gesture. The children knew that they were already in Thailand, when signboards with Thai characters adorned the walkways. Next, the Immigration Bureau counter for foreign passport. Bihah went with Paka, followed by Yah and Wani with me. There was this sign asking us to stand on a spot whereby a camera took our pictures. Each of us was given a one-month-visa on arrival. No problem was encountered with our luggage. We went through the next Immigration check up without a hassle, thus leaving the arrival hall.

Next, we need to find a van to take the 5 of us to Khlong Nueng, Pathum Thani, a place north of Bangkok. A Great Bangkok Travel Co staff approached us and Paka agreed to their rate. (And at the same time, the staff managed to offer us their Bangkok canal tour package to be taken on any morning provided we informed them 1 day earlier.) Paka asked the driver to use the Eastern Outer Ring Road (No 9) to reach our destination. The motorway has 3 lanes all the way. A glaring difference from the highway in Malaysia that I observed is that the office area at the side of the plaza here does not occupy much land! And they use cabin too! No R&R was observed along the way.
Housing areas and paddy fields dotted here and there. There were two toll plazas before we made an exit. After about 1 hr or so, we reached Khlong Nueng. The landmark is Tamasat University. And yes, I have not seen any elevated land area so far during the travel. No hill or mountain in sight. Maybe, in other area in Thailand, huh?