Buddha's hand fruit
Buddha's hand, Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, or the fingered citron, is an unusually shaped citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections, resembling a human hand.
from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha's_hand
In Thai ส้มโอมือ or ส้มมือ (meaning "hand orange").
I saw the first in Saigon Vietnam in a shrine in a cup with water, sprouting roots. I asked people around, nobody could tell me what it is (lack of English?).
Days later pass a shop with religious items and fruit,
they have a large display:
Location of shop:
10.7920266,106.6994505 = 10°47'31.3"N 106°41'58.0"E
Enter and inquire about name, no English spoken, but staff writes "Buddha" on paper. Armed with that information, I go into google and find the fruit.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-heck-do-i-do-buddhas-hand-citron-180949871/
http://www.thekitchn.com/5-things-to-do-with-a-buddhas-hand-196888
http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2009/03/06/how-to-eat-a-buddha-hand/
It's edible, next time I will get some!
On the subject of Buddha's hand, there is a rock on an island Koh Ngam Yai เกาะง่ามใหญ่ in Chumpon ชุมพร province that looks like Buddha's hand เกาะพระหัตถ์พระพุทธเจ้า.
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Wat Hong Thong in Chachoengsao province
The temple is built on a pier in the Gulf of Thailand.
วัดหงษ์ทอง (means: Golden Swan Temple)
ตำบลสองคลอง อำเภอบางปะกง จังหวัดฉะเชิงเทรา
Location:
13.471492,100.8721192 = 13°28'17.4"N 100°52'19.6"E
Directions:
Coming from Bangkok on hwy 3 (Sukhumvit), 2.4 km after crossing from Samut Prakan province into Chachoengsao province, turn right (South) and the chedi is 1.7 km by road from hwy 3. There is ample parking before you reach the Wat.
One of the many interesting place on the road from Bangkok to Pattaya. I passed many times, and from elevated highway once saw a golden spire on the horizon that must have been Wat Hong Thong.
Aerial view from sea side, taken from a friend's drone. Many thanks! You approach the Wat from the north, hence most of my photography is against the sun. With a drone, you can take aerial pictures and with the sun!
Statues at the parking lot:
Access to the Chedi via pier with Naga:
Character from poems (details see link):
Boat shaped shrine on the sea side:
English language articles about this temple:
http://www.thailandphotomap.com/2015/09/07/exploring-chachoengsao-province/
http://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/Wat-Hong-Thong-Wat-Klang-Na--2975
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Gay saunas, bars and magazines in Phnom Penh
Details about Amam, Arthur & Paul, Galaxy Khmer closed permanently, Space bar.
Sunday 03.01.2016
Amam spa 18:38-20:24. Entry 4 USD (discount? Regular entry is 5 USD). Everything as I remember from last visits Jul 2014: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/07/cambodia-day-2-phom-penh.html
http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/08/cambodia-day-3-phnom-penh.html
About 20 customers throughout my stay. All in towel, often change underwear under towel in locker room. Sandals provided, but clean enough to walk bare feet. Free cold drinking water at bar. I didn't see condom and lube.
Layout:
1st floor = ground floor reception, locker, steam room (light only through glass door), sauna well lit and thermometer shows 63 deg C, cold showers, internet corner.
2nd gym, rooms, TV.
3rd Jacuzzi in operation but cold.
4th private rooms and dark group room.
Small and big towel of good quality. Locker size ok. Jacuzzi and showers unlit. Steam generator is coal fired (watch employee adding coal to combustion chamber).
Verdict: recommended. Basic but clean.
Monday 04.01.2016
Arthur & Paul 17:08-18:32. Entry 5 USD.
1st floor = ground floor entrance, reception, shop.
Underground bar, lounge, gay books, big locker with 1 big towel of good quality.
1st floor rainfall public shower (for 3) with shower gel and warm water, Jacuzzi hot and operating, private rooms (3), hot steam room (light only through glass door).
I didn’t see condom and lube. Upper floors accessible, contain hotel rooms. Various animal furs on floor.
About 15 customers, half of them locals, in towel or underwear. No free drinking water. Management seem to be very concerned about people urinating in the poor or Jacuzzi (“This pool has sharks. They come out when they smell urine” “This Jacuzzi is fitted with a urine detector”). This is just to scare customers, there is no urine detector: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine-indicator_dye
Verdict: Nicely decorated and luxurious, but lacks volume / area / customer numbers, rather a wellness area attached to a hotel and open to general public at an entrance fee than a dedicated sauna.
Continue to Galaxy Khmer Sauna #18, 246 street. Building is closed and a fence in front. I could not find number 18 on that house, but from the sequence of numbers and asking their neighbor it fits; later confirmed by checking on google street view: it was Galaxy Khmer on street view.
Currently there seem to be 6 gay saunas in Phnom Penh:
Arthur & Paul #27 Street 71,
AMAM Café & Spa #20A Street 390,
Hatha Khmer Spa, Sauna and Gym #59 Street 350,
Khmer Sauna & Spa #26B Street 410,
M Health Spa #175 Street 254 (corner of 51),
CLOSED Galaxy Khmer Sauna & Spa #18 Street 246 CLOSED,
Love Spa For Man #103 Street 105,
and various gay massages (not my area of research, didn’t go to any of them).
I went to LOVE Spa For Men in Jul 2014: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/07/cambodia-day-2-phom-penh.html, other information from: http://www.travelgayasia.com/phnom-penh-gay-sauna-spas/
and http://www.gaycambodianews.com/gay-phnom-penh/
Walk past Blue Chili 19:50, spot 2 boys.
Walk past 2colours 20:55, spot 4 boys and 1 customer.
Space bar 21:10-45, orange juice 3 USD. 6 customers and 5 boys, increasing to over 20 combined during my stay. Music style ok, a bit too loud.
Walk past Blue Chili 21:58, staff and customers combined about 15.
In all these bars, nobody my type.
In Arthur & Paul, I get copies of Q magazine (first and only gay magazine in Cambodia) and Gay Map Of Cambodia by http://www.gaycambodianews.com/
Q magazine has a website http://www.qcambodia.com/ without content (just front page and email). In issue 5, I saw this picture in an advert, which I would call marriage material:
from: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1035824526461603.1073741946.162271240483607&type=3
The place is a hair saloon. http://www.thedollhousecambodia.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Dollhouse-Cambodia-162271240483607/
Issue 4 has nice pictures as well, see here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1031267293583993.1073741944.162271240483607&type=3
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC except for last picture
Words of praise: Bepanthen creme
My butt hurts. Unfortunately from walking, and not from fucking.
Alternative wording by a native speaker: "I have a pain in the arse, but not in a good way, but from walking too much."
When I walk an entire day, I often have butt cheek chafing, which makes walking and bottoming unpleasant. When I told my mother about this problem (sans the fucking), she recommended Bepanthen creme and even had a tube for me.
And it works great! It works in advance: a dollop between my butt cheeks before walking prevents chafing; and it works afterwards: if I forget to use it before walking, my butt gets better with Bepanthen over night, without it would take two days.
Available in Thailand:
บีแพนเธน http://www.bepanthenthai.com/
There jokes with similar subject on the internet:
"Dad, I just had sex for the first time"
"I am proud of you son, sit down and tell me all about it"
"Well, sitting still hurts .."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/32xmc6/a_kid_had_sex_with_his_teacher/
Language note. Original in German:
"Mir tut der Arsch weh. Leider vom Laufen, und nicht vom Ficken."
When I told this to a German friend, his Thai boyfriend listened and understood and laughed. However this does not translate well into Thai. Thai has two words for "hurt".
Thai2English:
เจ็บ jèp [to be] hurt ; injured ; in pain
ปวด bpùat [to] ache ; pain
Ask an educated Thai friend about the difference:
jep is hurt from accident or external action,
pbuat comes from being sick.
When you hit your head on a door frame, it's jep hua,
whereas if you have headache, it's bpuat hua.
Ask another educated Thai friend:
jep is outside pain,
pbuat is inside ache.
"Thai for Beginners" by Benjawan Poomsan Becker p170/1 similar explanation.
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Quiz: What is this?
Full story and solution in one week here.
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Dating Thai boys (37) changing phone number
I don't know why some of my Thai friends change their phone number often (and thereby spamming my phone and Line directory with dead numbers). One idea is that they lose phone and SIM card, another idea is their SIM card expires. I would be grateful if others shared their thoughts.
The phone number gets assigned to a new SIM card, and someone buys and uses it. Then I call the number and ask for my friend and either get information that they don't know him, or after some mutually incomprehensible exchange the other party hangs up.
For Line, it is more interesting. I get a message that a new user registered on Line, and sometimes you can see a new profile picture which gives a hint that the phone number is now used by someone else. But to make sure, I write "hello" and see what happens. Or I wait until the other party writes something. In most cases it is quickly established that we never met, but here is an interesting one.
18Nov2015, by chance I met an old acquaintance* (name Copy mocy driver at Hua Lampong), and he introduced his friend Wan to me and we exchanged phone numbers. Nothing happened for weeks, but then he messaged me (at least I think it was him, because now he calls himself Golf, but mocy taxi fits). My translations after original text in Thai, comments in italic.
2015.12.23 Wednesday
23:00 Golf HL กอล์ฟเอง It's me, Golf.
(Profile picture is a Thai girl.)
2015.12.26 Saturday
15:38 Golf HL ไม่ตอบเลยนะ Why don't you reply?
(I read the message, but was busy and wondering who this is.)
2015.12.27 Sunday
00:01 Christian ผมชื่อคริสเตียนครับ My name is Christian.
00:11 Golf HL นี่กอล์ฟปี้เองที่ขับวินอ่ะ This is Golf. The mocy driver.
(I have no idea who he is.)
00:13 Christian Photos
(I send a face pic, hoping he would send one in return.)
00:13 Christian กอลฟ์หยู่ไหนครับ Where are you?
00:14 Christian ผมยุ กทม สาทร I'm in Bangkok, Sathorn.
01:12 Golf HL จำได้ป่าว Do you remember me?
(N.b. question about his location is not answered.)
03:24 Golf HL อยู่บ้านพรุ่งนี้ผมไปขี่วินมาหาผมสิ I'm home (where???) Can you come to see me at mocy taxi stand tomorrow? (where???)
09:37 Christian วินอะไรครับ Which mocy taxi stand?
(message read, no reply)
14:06 Christian Hello
16:50 Christian Wan Hua Lampong
(Now I finally have an idea and write it down here.)
16:50 Christian ส่งรูปนะครับ Send a picture please.
17:13 Golf HL จำผมได้ปะคับ Do you remember me?
17:14 Christian เปล่า จำ ยอด คอบบี้ วาน
No, I only remember Yot, Copy and Wan
(names of other mocy taxi drivers there I have met before)
17:15 Golf HL มาปะคับ Will you come to see me?
17:15 Christian ที่ไหน Where?
17:29 Golf HL
Im his wife.
Please dont disturb my husband ever again.
(Text was in English, my bald emphasis. Hilarious!)
17:31 Golf HL Call Time : 00:27
(He or she calls me, incomprehensible.)
Out of curiosity, I made some more attempts that led nowhere.
Not sure what to make of this. Why didn't he send a photo, or at least write where exactly he is, I asked several times?
(You need a smart phone for Line, it should have a camera?)
*Original story here: Foursome with mocy drivers at Hua Lampong 05.10.2013 http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2013/10/foursome-with-mocy-drivers-at-hua.html and http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6103
Another case is the boy Z. He calls me from different mobile numbers, sometimes from landline. That got me thinking: When I'm traveling in a noisy environment, I don't answer calls regardless of caller. But when I'm in comfortable environment, I take all calls from unknown numbers out of curiosity, but would not take calls if I see who's calling and I don't want to talk to him (which applies to Z).
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Aircraft used as decoration (1)
During my travels in Thailand, I have come across many an old aircraft used as decoration. Here some pictures I took.
No attempts to identify these aircraft was made.
Ramkhamhaeng between Soi 103 and 105
aircraft boneyard 13.7650408,100.6523414 Update 2023: all gone.
The most impressive one I know, and has been covered extensively by others:
http://wheresidewalksend.com/bangkok-airplane-graveyard/
https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/aeroplane-graveyard-bangkok-thailand/
and previous short post by me:
http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/03/aircraft-boneyard-in-ramkhamhaeng.html
Now the place is inhabited* and not open to public. There is a fence and a closed gate (with note in Thai: private property, do not enter) that you could easily climb over, however there are people living there. When I took these pictures from main road, one of the dwellers came back from buying food and offered me to enter for 200 THB, I declined. I have been there at night a year ago when it was open, anyway 200 THB (probably open to negotiation) seems very expensive. As far as I could see from main road, everything as I remember from previous visit and as reported in links above and as can be seen on satellite pictures.
Many buses pass on Ramkhamhaeng road and give good view; 600 m walk from Wat Sri Bun Rueang pier ท่าเรือวัดศรีบุญเรือง (end of Saen Saep แสนแสบ boat line). The aircrafts are on northern side of Ramkhamhaeng road.
*Reports in media here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/15/travel/bangkok-plane-graveyard/index.html?eref=rss_asia and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3232250/Inside-bizarre-Bangkok-aircraft-graveyard-families-live-decaying-passenger-jets.html and
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/22/bangkok-airplane-graveyard-home-for-impoverished-familes_n_8174520.html
and several more (all same story and pictures, who copied from whom?). From reading these reports, the people seem to be homeless and just occupied the land, and now try to charge tourists an entrance fee?
Ramintra between Soi 45 and 45/1
Police Flying Devision กองบินตำรวจ 13.8539435,100.6171293
Can be easily seen from Ramintra (airplane is on northern side), many bus lines pass.
Aerothai Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Company Limited in Sathorn 13.7154241,100.5401819
On northern side of Nang Linchi road ถนนนางลิ้นจี่,
bus 22, 62, 67, 89 pass.
DCA Department of Civil Aviation กรมการบินพลเรือน
in Sathorn 13.7176896,100.5426396
Ngam Duplee road งามดูพลี, no public transport, but in walking distance from above Aerothai. East of public park.
Airplane not visible on satellite image,
website https://www.aviation.go.th
Wat Phuet Udom วัดพืชอุดม in Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani 13.9574945,100.8865747
Helicopter not visible on satellite image, no public transport.
And many more I spotted driving past, but did not have chance to take a picture:
Civil Aviation Training Center - สถาบันการบินพลเรือน
Pahonyothin road, a bit south-east of BTS Mor Chit
Udon Thani Wing 23 (Thai airforce).
Others have reported aircraft used as decoration or for living as well: Pattayadays
http://www.pattayadays.com/2014/04/pattaya-sheep-farm/
http://www.pattayadays.com/2014/12/no-need-for-roof-tiles/
http://www.pattayadays.com/2015/07/the-orange-air-flight-from-who-knows-where-is-now-landing/ http://www.pattayadays.com/2015/08/return-flight/
http://www.pattayadays.com/2015/12/swiss-sheep-farm-pattaya/ (one picture without comment)
This website has an extensive list of locations and identification of old aircraft all over Thailand:
http://www.thai-aviation.net/Wrecks_and_Relics.html
http://www.thai-aviation.net/files/Thai_Preserved.pdf
Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC
