Our guide’s name today is Phon. She says just call her IPhone 

We will be going to Ang Sila where they make mortar from stone and to make special sticky rice sweets

First we stop in a market where all kinds of sweets are made especially. And, all kinds of fresh fish…. all for sale. Khaolam… rice is soaked in water first for 30 minutes then coconut milk and salt, then stirred. Then black bean and taro are added….. and sugar. It is then put into bamboo only partly filled wrapped in banana leaves & burned for 2 minutes or in bamboo for 2 hours.  So many kinds of sweet treats made with sticky rice. 😋

Next is to Ang Sila 

Before arriving we were issued face masks because there is lots of dust at the mortar “factory”.  Basically it’s a granite quarry that they make figures of elephants, Buddhas, granite slabs (for countertops?) and mortar and pestles for grinding spices, etc. Pretty much all done with hammer and chisels. There is some final work done using a grinder.

We stop by the pier where you can see fishing weirs (poles) out in the water. They are farming mussels.

It is 80 kms to Ayutthaya from Bangkok. On the way out of the city we pass by the old railway station.  King Rama 5th brought trains to Bangkok 125 years ago…. in 1880.

Heavy rains that we experienced on Sunday when I arrived and last night, were from a typhoon.  It caused widespread flooding in the city.  The lightning last evening was so close and intense that made me just about have a heart attack. 

The new train station was built outside the downtown area, about 6 years ago but in another few years they with have high speed train to, starting with China & then to Europe.  

We arrive at the site at 10:25. There were 34 kings that reigned in Ayutthuya.

King #25 (of the 34 kings)built the stupas outside of the city in 1630. He dedicated it to his mother. It was built on land outside the city of Ayatthuya, that had been hers …..to celebrate his victory over Cambodia.  The surrounding area was for foreigners. Ayutthaya city is actually surrounded but 12 km of rivers (3rivers) …..only Thai personal/and military lived in the city area. 

There are 120 Buddha images. The Burmese later burned all the buildings. 

Golden Buddha in Bangkok, was made from rings & other jewelry belonging to the people as a way for them to contribute.  When it was made of solid gold, it was then covered with plaster. It, along with all statues of Buddha were transferred as much as 528 kms to Bangkok where it would be protected by the king of Thailand (a different set of kings from the ones that ruled Ayatthuya).  While being moved to the second floor of the building in Bangkok, it was dropped breaking the plaster and exposing the gold underneath. 

In the area outside Ayutthaya city, buildings or stupas were for the keeping of the ashes of royalty. One of the princes (how dare he)had affair with his father’s concubine. He was caned….beaten and died that day while the concubine, also beaten, died 3 days later. His “stupa” is the smallest of the buildings.  All of buildings were gold plated originally but are now only brick. Some are being reconstructed. 

In 1374, the temple in the “city” was built by 3rd king.  In the museum (that we didn’t stop at) is a room where the royal jewels were kept.

One temple, in 1911 was destroyed by earthquake.

We then stopped for lunch ….

Then to most important temple (within the city of Ayutthuya) from King #8. Treasures were kept in the temple/palace. It is a massive complex. There the Buddha was 343 kilo gold 16 metres high. Our guide pointed out the burial place of kings #8, 9, 10.  All the gold was taken by Burmese….palace/temples destroyed by fire in 1778.

Ayutthuya was the capital from 1350-1767.

Don’t forget to click on the “gailstraveladventures.net to take you to the website, then click on one of the pictures and then all will enlarge.

The follow are views of the Coast Mountains returning from Cortes Island

I was a little delayed in posting. Sorry! The push was on me to get them done before embarking on another trip.

Amazing Parksville Sand Castle Competition Aug. 4/25. These are some but not all of the displays. You have to enlarge the pictures to get the detail that went into the sculptures. To do that click on “gailstraveladventures.net” that is in the email, to take you to the website. From there you should be able to click on the pictures to make them big.

Visit to Hand of Man in Maple Bay, an amazing museum of artifacts and stuffed animals Aug. 3/25

Brown’s Bay Resort August 22-September 5/25

This is predominately an RV Park on the waters of Seymour Narrows. It is just north of the site of Ripple Rock where the world’s largest non-nuclear explosion happened in 1958. Because of that explosion and consequently the elimination of the major hazard to navigation, there are many ships of all different size and purposes, that travel up and down the coast using this route. Below are some of the ships that we saw pass through. Also included are scenes in the park including some very cool wood carvings. Besides being a RV park, it also has deep water docks and a very good restaurant (as well as a fish plant).

The drive in is on an old logging road. On the drive, probably because it is a little rough, there are signs saying how far to go.

In between we drove up to Telegraph Cove to see the damage and progress that has been made since the fire that destroyed a part of the boardwalk, cafe and pub and the Prince of Whales offices and museum as well as a couple of houses, on New Year’s Eve 2024.

I will send some more sights from Brown’s Bay in another posting. I believe I have overloaded this one so it is being difficult.