My mouth is alive with the spiciest dish I've eaten in Thailand so far: Pla Gung. It's made with raw lemongrass, shallots, garlic chives, red chilies, dried chilies, and it's served cold in a coconut milk sauce with what tastes like tamarind and lime juice, though the menu mentioned something about lemonade. I've never eaten anything like it. Absolutely amazing...
I spent the morning exploring the ruins to the north of the city, stopping to meditate at Wat Mae Chon before wandering slowly up to the ruined temple of Wat Phra Phai Luang. There's a new temple adjacent to the ruins, and I stopped to watch a saffron-clad monk burning fire-breaks in the temple gardens. There are Buddhist proverbs on the trees here too and I strolled around reading them, followed by an extravagantly sociable cat. From there I cycled to Wat Si Chum, where a vast Buddha sits in serene subjugation of Mara, the evil one. When I first arrived a chattering crowd of Thai schoolchildren were surging out of the temple, their heads bowed as they passed the waiting tourists. The German-speaking guide who was waiting to take a bus-load of tourists into the temple explained that the children were expected to lower their heads out of respect for their elders, and for foreigners. Three minutes after they went inside they filed out again and I was left alone in the cool stone space, which had been transformed instantly to a magical place of quiet contemplation. The Buddha is perhaps the most peaceful I have seen, his open eyes gazing down, compelling respect and instilling quietness. His serene gaze was a gift of calm, and his quiet smile brought a sense of warmth and comfort.
After paying my respects I continued north, following a bumpy path between paddy fields, past jungle ruins and a bright green sea of rice. When I turned around and came back I found a motorbike parked beside the road. Balanced on the seat was a basket containing a machete and a large comb of wild honey, a few lonely bees crawling confusedly in and out of the cells. Its owner emerged from the jungle carrying wild nuts and added them to the basket, along with some broken coconut pieces.While I had been waiting for him I'd looked for a place to sit in the shade, hoping he might have some more honey that he could be persuaded to sell. I was about to sit down on an ancient brick wall when I noticed a pile of animal bones. Looking closer I saw half-buried sacks, and brittle white skeletons littering the pit that was once part of the temple complex. Now it looks like somewhere for local people to deposit the remains of cats and dogs that are too slow for the night-time traffic.
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