Wat Panan Choeng

Before we left our hotel this morning, we took a small ferry across the river to Wat Phanan Choeng, a Chinese Buddhist temple.  Then at 9:30, we left Ayuttayah for Khao Yai National Park, which is huge and spans four Thai provinces.  There we just settled in to our accommodations, enjoyed a catered dinner, and prepared for an adventure tomorrow.

Our hotel was directly across the river from the temple.  So we took a ferry back and forth.

At the dock before entering the temple, Gaby and Franny gave the briefing.  

Wat Phanan Choeng was built in 1324.  The temple contains a 19 meter high Buddha statue which is regarded as a guardian for mariners.  Legend has it that the Thai king requested the emperor of China's daughter for his wife.  When she arrived, the king wasn't there, so she held her breath and killed herself; thus, the king built this temple at her cremation site.

Alyssa and Katie taking a selfie with the Buddha image. 

Because monks are not allowed to touch money, people can donate money by putting it on sticks and inserting the sticks into a banana tree.

Outside the temple are series of bells that you can ring to increase the chances that your prayers will be heard.

On our way to Khao Yai, we stopped at a row of fruit vendors in search of durian and to stock up with fruit for the next four days.

There are so many types of fruit that you've never seen.

We found durian, the king of tropical fruit.  It is widely reputed to have an unpleasant aroma.  Reactions to it vary. We found durian to be pleasantly fragrant; whereas others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as dead animals, rotten onions, turnpentine, and gym socks. The odor has led to the fruit's banishment from many hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.  But if you can get past the smell and the pasty consistency, the taste is a delicate medley of almonds and other rich flavors with a finish that lasts indefinitely.  The English novelist Anthony Burgess famously said that dining on durian is like eating vanilla custard in a latrine.  Mmmmmm.

This woman is cutting up a durian so that we can all taste it.  Unfortunately, this one was not quite ripe and wasn't very pungent or flavorful, yet the students still got an opportunity to try it.

Look!  Abby likes it.

Alyssa likes it.

Anna really likes it.

Alex questions if this is necessary.

Emily likes it.

Moose isn't quite sure.

Annie likes it.

Rebecca likes it.

Blaire is surprised at how good it is. 

The flavor is sneaking up on Colin.

Gabby likes it.

and Abby and Anna wanted more.

We're checked into our accommodations at Khao Yai.  This year, we were able to reserve Building 109, which is great because it has an upstairs deck, which gives a little protection from the persistent onslaught of the macaques.

Students are getting ready for an afternoon trek on a trail.

There's a nice outdoor deck on the side of the house.

Here's a pair of sambar deer near what looks like a construction site.  They are so accustomed to humans that you can actually walk up and pet them.  (Luke took this and the next photo).

A pair of Malayan porcupines were out near the guest house in the evening.  These things are huge!