The morning in Phatthalung.
In the morning, I was tired, so I thought I might oversleep, but I woke up at around 6:20, almost on time.
I got ready and left.
I've become quite accustomed to it, so I was able to leave at 7:00.
There were no tire troubles like yesterday.
I went out onto the road and went to see if the market in front of the station, which was held recently, was open, but it was completely closed. It was in a state where cars could pass through.
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I decided to head towards HATYAI, and started driving towards the main road that leads to the suburbs.
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A little ways away, a breakfast shop had opened in front of what appeared to be a store. I decided to eat breakfast there.
They were serving that familiar porridge-like dish that I had eaten a few days ago.
I ordered that, and then I was told to choose some shumai or something like fish cake. I chose two.
And I think I ordered tea, but coffee came instead.
The rice porridge was delicious, just like the one I ate the other day.
However, unlike the one I ate the other day, there was no sugar in the seasonings, and instead, there was pepper.
I thought, "It was delicious when I mixed sugar and fish sauce..." and ate my meal while reminiscing.
The kamaboko-like food tasted bland.
It had a processed food-like taste.
I normally don't (can't) drink coffee, but I mixed in one milk stick and one sugar packet and tried it, and for some reason, I was able to drink it without any problems.
Is this Thai magic?
Since coming here, I've been able to eat spicy food, and another strange thing has happened with my sense of taste.
And after finishing the meal and paying, it was 50 baht.
Perhaps the rice porridge was 20 baht, and the two items that looked like fish cakes were 10 baht each, and the coffee was 10 baht.
It's a strange price.
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The road is crowded with motorcycles and truck taxis.
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This is the place where the festival was held last night.
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In the distance, a large, large portrait can be seen.
(Photo, center)
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The main roads, as usual, have very little elevation change and are extremely comfortable.
90 km to Hajai.
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The road is extremely comfortable.
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A certain temple and a school.
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On the way, there was a beautiful temple along the road, so I stopped and looked at it.
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A magnificent building.
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It seems that there is an elementary school for lower grades located next to this place. It feels natural to think that either a temple is part of the school, or the school is located within the temple. The reason for this is that, quite often, the entrance to the school displays photographs of what appear to be members of the royal family. While I was thinking about this, and just as I was about to finish taking pictures and leave, a group of children suddenly approached me.
That round, innocent-looking gaze, and for a moment, I felt dizzy, "kurakurakura."
Some environmental NGOs and NPOs repeatedly engage in missionary activities, claiming "for the sake of these innocent children," and some of these organizations even reach the level of religion. I have only slightly, just a tiny fraction, understood the meaning of "these innocent children."
The purity of these children resonated in my heart to such an extent that everything I had previously thought about the double-pricing merchants near the station disappeared from my mind.
I was shocked. I never thought something like this would happen.
No, perhaps I am traveling in search of this.
And perhaps I had forgotten about it.
I came to Thailand, and during my travels, I experienced a sense of being an outsider and receiving a distant gaze. However, when I saw the pure, round eyes of these children, I couldn't help but feel that everything had been "saved."
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While savoring such lingering feelings, I rode my bicycle.
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Today was particularly hot, and there was almost no rain.
I wonder if the climate is different from around Phuket.
That evening, I saw a news report that there was flooding in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.
I wonder if it's a characteristic of the region, or if I was just lucky.
Hot Springs (Onsen) Part 1.
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Eventually, suddenly, a sign that said "Hot Springs," which was also marked on the map I had brought, appeared.
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As for me, I love hot springs. When traveling in Japan, I try to go to a hot spring at least once every two days; I like hot springs that much. Therefore, the moment I saw that sign, I felt like, "How can you travel without going to a hot spring!" and I was almost certain that I would go to the hot spring.
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I am entering here.
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I saw, during my travels, a place where geese (probably) are raised.
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It's just a little bit more.
I have entered a small downtown area.
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In this city, I bought and drank a juice made from crushed sugarcane from a store set up in the back of a truck. It was also delicious. It costs 5 baht in a cup. It seems to cost 10 baht if it's in a bottle. This is probably the right price, as a roadside vendor's sign also said 10 baht for a bottle.
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A sign for tourists.
There is 1.75 km left.
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And, following the signs, I proceeded towards the hot spring, and when I approached a crossroads without any signs, I tried to ask a person at a shop on the corner about the location of the hot spring. However, my English was not understood. I somehow managed to find out the direction, thanked them, and started running. Then, a woman on a scooter came from the right, and she said she was also going there and would guide me. This was a great help.
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While being led by a motorcycle, I am moving forward.
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Gradually, the scenery has been changing.
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After turning at two intersections without any signs, we finally arrived at the hot spring.
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The hot spring was like a small church.
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Hot Springs (Onsen), Part 2.
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This sign says the following:
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| English. |
| THE HOT POOL IS SITUATED AT THE SLOPE OF CHAISON
HILL. IT IS BELIEVED BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE TO BE SACRED
WHICH CAN HEAL SOME DISEASES. THE TEMPERATURE
IN THE POOL IS NOT OVER 60 C. ABOUT 700 METRES
NORTH OF THE HOT POOL IS THE THAM PHRA(PHRA CAVE)
WITH A COOL POOL INSIDE. THE COOL POOL IS ABOUT
1 METRE DEEP AND HAS WATER ALL YEAR ROUND. |
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| Japanese text. |
| The hot pool on the hill in CHAISON is believed by local people to be sacred and capable of curing some illnesses. The temperature of the pool is not higher than 60 degrees Celsius.
Approximately 700 meters north of the hot pool, there is a cool pool inside the THAM PHRA (PHRA Cave). The cool pool is about 1 meter deep and has water throughout the year.
(Automatic translation + slight adjustments) |
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The temple is very magnificent.
It is said that it is sometimes considered a sacred thing. |
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The aunt who led the way also showed me around inside.
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And then, I walked a little bit and was shown the place where the hot spring water emerges.
But, it looks incredibly dirty, and I don't think it's possible to get in. Also, it doesn't seem like there's much hot water. |
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While thinking "I wonder if it's okay...", I told the old lady, "In Japan, onsen are like public bathhouses," and apparently, there is a place where I can go in.
"Ooh," I thought, feeling excited. Then, pointing to a certain ramshackle structure, he said, "You can go in there too, but it's dirty." Then, pointing to a place that looked like a pool where several people were soaking their feet, he said, "There are places like this too, but they're dirty." Next, he pointed to a building over there and said, "That place is clean, so you should go in."
Next, I was shown around the building and given an explanation. Apparently, you can enter the purified hot spring for 120 baht per hour. According to a notice posted there, the hotel rooms start at 500 baht per night. I suppose that's to be expected in a hot spring resort.
And when I decided to soak in the hot spring for 120 baht, the young man who was in charge gave me a bottle of cold mineral water and said, "Please have this."
Oh, I think he is considerate and kind.
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Inside this, there is a bathtub. |
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And then, when I was shown to the entrance, there was a bath, different from Japanese bathtubs, with a shallow and wide bottom, without a hand bucket, and it was like a smaller, shallower version of a Japanese public bath.
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But, even so, that was enough. I started filling the tub with hot water, intending to soak in it. Soap and shampoo, and a bath towel were also provided, so I washed my hair and body, and then, taking my time, I lay down on my back and immersed myself completely in the tub, enjoying the hot spring. Although it wasn't as deep as a Japanese bathtub, so I couldn't feel the water pressure, I was able to fully enjoy the comfort of the hot spring.
I achieved my first experience of visiting a hot spring overseas, and I was quite satisfied.
Around the hot spring.
A peaceful landscape spreads out. |
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| Hotel room.
It seems that they are in separate buildings.
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A magnificent building. |
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And then I returned to the area where the bicycles were, and I had lunch by eating the salad-like food that the lady was making at a stall, and I put rice on it.
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However, this was a flavor that made it difficult to finish eating. It was subtle. The Pepsi was also 10 baht, which is a tourist price, so it was a bit disappointing, but since hot spring areas are definitely tourist destinations, I feel that it's unavoidable in such cases.
In Thailand, or perhaps outside of Japan, kindness and gratitude are generally limited to the moment and do not linger for a long time. I felt this when interacting with this aunt. The reason is that when I returned and tried to express my gratitude or was considering doing something in return, the aunt seemed to have a subtle expression and attitude that made me feel like she was wondering, "Why are you still here?" It was an experience where I subtly felt the difference in culture.
PHRA CAVE
| There was a cave called PHRA CAVE right next to the onsen, so I decided to stop by. |
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There were many dogs here, but they were not attacked.
By the way, I was thinking that while bicycle travel in Asia is often said to involve being chased by dogs, I haven't been chased by dogs very much this time.
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Climb the stairs and enter the cave.
Inside, there are several small huts, and by reading the characters written inside, one can see things like, "On ○○ day, ×× practiced here."
It seems to be a cave for training. |
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Inside, there were several buildings, and eventually, a staircase leading upwards came into view.
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Along the way, there were many sculptures of trees and rocks.
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There were also many pictures.
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Symbolic staircase.
It might mean something.
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Furthermore, I continue to go up the stairs.
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And then, suddenly, when I reached the top of the stairs, I saw this, a reclining Buddha statue!
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Wow, that's amazing! This Buddha statue is the best!
Thailand, your sense of humor is the best! It's so much fun! As expected, it's truly the "Land of Smiles."
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Around it, there were many such religious paintings.
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The scenery seen from that high place.
A peaceful scenery spreads out.
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The complete appearance of a Buddhist statue.
The shape of the feet is very cute.
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This statue, too, feels like something special.
And then, I left this cave.
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COOL POOL (COLD STREAM)
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After leaving the cave and walking a little, there was a sign that said "COLD STREAM".
It seems to be the COOL POOL that corresponds to the HOT POOL mentioned earlier.
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There was a good view and a pleasant atmosphere.
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At the base of the rock face, water spread out there.
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And then, we left that place and started heading towards Hajai.
The road to Hat Yai.
And then, after leaving the hot spring, it's off to HATYAI.
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For a while, we will proceed along a narrow road towards the direction of Hajai.
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Good view.
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Comfortable road.
Although it was a road not shown on the map, I continued forward without worrying about it, as the direction was correct.
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And then, we merged onto the main road.
Now, let's go to Hajai.
During the journey, the sunlight was stronger than before, and I felt the intensity of the sunlight near the equator.
Water, I drink it as if I am bathing in it.
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A spacious and good road.
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A vast, expansive sky.
White clouds.
Green trees.
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Eventually, we pass a sign that says, "WELCOME TO SONGKHLA."
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As I got closer to Hajai, the number of cars and motorcycles increased.
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As for the schedule for today and tomorrow, I considered going to SONGKHLA today and HATYAI tomorrow, but I thought that it might be nice to relax a bit on the last day, so I decided to go directly to HATYAI.
KHONGKHALEAB TEMPLE
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In the suburbs of Hajai, I saw a very impressive religious tower, so I decided to go closer to it.
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"KHONGKHALEAB
TEMPLE" is written. |
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The entrance is also very impressive.
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Impressive tower.
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A magnificent building.
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The Buddhist statues are also much more magnificent than other ones I have seen before.
As expected, Hat Yai is the second largest city in Thailand. Even in the suburbs, there are magnificent temples.
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A slender Buddhist statue.
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Several impressive buildings are standing side by side.
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Here, there was also an interesting Buddhist statue that was lying down.
I think they have a good sense of humor.
And, I also think that this form of faith might be suitable for countries like Thailand, which are in tropical regions.
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These seem to be Buddhist statues, each representing a day of the week.
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Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
They are lined up in a row.
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A Buddhist statue with a large body, resembling a daifuku.
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It was hot, and the rainy season was ending, and I visited a temple. I couldn't help but feel the great influence of the climate, which affects human thinking, as I was exposed to this intense sunlight.
HATYAI arrival.
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And then, we get closer to Hajai.
It's just a little bit more.
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Gradually, the number of cars and motorcycles is increasing.
But, the downtown area was not like this.
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In this area, there are still not as many cars and motorcycles compared to the city center.
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As you get closer to the center, there are more cars and motorcycles, so it is dangerous, and I did not take pictures while riding.
This place was truly a large city.
As expected, it is the second largest city in Thailand, after Bangkok.
When entering intersections, I needed to be more careful than ever.
Right in front of me, a motorcycle that was trying to change lanes was suddenly hit from behind by a car.
The motorcycle suddenly changed lanes from the left turn lane to the straight lane, and while the left turn lane was in a "go" state, the straight lane was stopped, so the motorcycle was trying to stop and turn left, and a car that was turning left from behind hit it.
There was a loud sound, but the motorcycle seemed to just look at the car, and the car quickly drove away.
The motorcycle didn't pursue it any further and just drove away.
It's a dangerous town...
Because I have a bicycle that is somewhat conspicuous, drivers were somewhat considerate of me.
However, basically, it is necessary to drive it like a motorcycle, so I had to repeat sudden starts, sudden accelerations, and sudden stops, which made it feel more tiring than driving on main roads.
Eventually, after reaching what seemed to be the center of town, I tried to ask someone on the side of the road for the location of the train station. However, my English was not understood. It seems that Thailand, which maintained its independence during the Age of Exploration, is not very proficient in English, just like Japan. Eventually, two women who appeared to be acquaintances passed by and helped me. I asked again, but the term "rail station" was still not understood. I tried to show them a map of HATYAI that I had brought with me, hoping to indicate my current location, but they didn't understand my intention. Finally, when I used the Thai translation of "train station" in six different languages, they understood, and they laughed.
And, furthermore, I had a young man who passed by write a map for me, and by following that map, I was able to reach the station. Yay. The street in front of the station had many one-way streets, and I even went the wrong way, but that is within the acceptable range in Thailand.
And, I looked for tourist information centers nearby, but I only found travel agencies. Perhaps there was one inside the station.
I went into one of the agencies, and they said there was a room for about 200 baht just two blocks from the station.
When I asked about other places, I didn't get any answers.
I had planned to stay in a slightly better hotel for the last day of my trip, but I couldn't ask.
Even when I said "middle class," they didn't understand.
Does "middle class" in Thailand refer to something around 200 baht? Or maybe they just didn't understand.
Well, I decided to leave.
Then, I went into a shop right next door and asked if they had any tours for just the morning.
But they only offered tours that lasted a full day.
So, I decided to go back to the street and look for a hotel again.
I walked a little, and there was a large, prominent building, so I decided to go there first.
When I tried to go to the front desk, one of the two people at the front desk was Japanese.
I looked around, and I saw people who looked like they were Japanese.
It seemed like a very luxurious hotel, so perhaps it's a place often used by Japanese people.
Even though it's luxurious, I thought I could probably stay there since it's in Thailand, but I didn't want to be in a Japanese environment just for the sake of it.
So, without asking about the price, I decided to leave.
Now, I wondered what to do, and the next place I tried was a hotel called GRAND PLAZA HOTEL, which was located nearby. The entrance wasn't that big, but the front desk was quite impressive. It costs 780 baht per night, so it's a decent rank. Since it's the last day of my trip, this is more than enough. In Japanese yen, it's less than 3000 yen, which is a perfectly acceptable level.
I checked in and brought the bicycle inside. I placed the bicycle next to the front desk, and the porter carried my luggage. I didn't know the standard tip amount, so I probably gave too much, but I gave him a $10 bill (because that's all I had). Then, when I went to the front desk, the staff seemed to pay more attention to me. So, this is the effect of tipping.
I entered the room and, before going out, decided to order a Thai massage from room service to relax my tired body. It costs 120 baht per hour, with a minimum of 2 hours for 240 baht.
A woman, who looked to be in her 30s, came to the room, and her impression of the Thai massage was simply "painful."
Indeed, it loosened my muscles, but perhaps because my body is stiff, it caused quite a bit of pain.
The woman laughed at my reaction.
Two hours felt like it passed in the blink of an eye. In Japan, the average price for a massage is 100 yen per minute, so a 120-minute massage would cost 12,000 yen. However, here, if you can get a massage for 240 baht, which is about 700-800 yen, it's significantly cheaper.
During the massage, it was impressive that the therapist was giving the massage while occasionally glancing at the television.
It was also impressive that after the massage, the therapist said, "Let me see it for a moment," and watched television for a few minutes.
And after the massage, I went out into the city.
In the downtown area, the number of open stores had decreased compared to the time I arrived.
Just like in the towns I've visited before, I realized that even in this large city, many stores close around 7:00 PM.
And, I decided to have a meal at one of them. I ordered two side dishes, but two bowls of rice came with it. It seems like I made a mistake. And, when I ordered water, it added 90 baht to the bill. That's a bit too expensive. It was a Chinese-style restaurant, so I experienced a little bit of how Chinese businesses operate.
As I said before, if you do things like this, you will be looked down upon by foreign tourists.
Unlike before, I don't get as angry about it.
That's also thanks to the effect of the "round eyes" I saw this morning.
While I was out, I was thinking about what to do for sightseeing tomorrow, so I went into a travel agency nearby. It seems that the half-day tours only include visiting nearby temples and caves. Also, it's expensive if you go alone, 500 baht. It's cheaper if there are more people.
I decided to give up participating in the tour tomorrow.
At that store, I was also offered a dance show. There are two options, one for 600 baht and one for 500 baht.
When I thought it was expensive, I realized it was a nude show.
I see.
But the posters weren't to my taste, so I decided to pass.
And, when I tried to look for a market with food stalls, I found that except for the one near the hotel, which was somewhat open, there were hardly any food stalls if you went a little further away from the hotel. So, I ended up buying things near the hotel.
And at this time, I encountered the most interesting situation yet.
Previously, I had been ripped off, but I had never been unable to eat something.
This time, the fried chicken I bought was so hard and frozen that I couldn't eat it at all.
I was completely defeated.
If a business operates like this, it is only natural that people would avoid it.
In fact, it is my duty to spread information so that people will avoid it.
We must eliminate unscrupulous merchants in order to normalize the market.
Even so, there is no information board for backpackers, and all I can do is write about it on the website.
In the end, the chicken I bought from a street vendor for 20 baht was hard and inedible, so I threw it away. I went outside again and bought coffee milk (450ml) for 18 baht, beer for 30 baht, and snacks for 10 baht at a 7-Eleven. I also bought three pieces of Kentucky Fried Chicken for 35 baht.
In the end, there were hardly any things I could buy at the street vendors near the hotel, and most of the shops in this area are overpriced, so I didn't feel like buying anything, and I ended up going to a chain store.
My current feeling is, "You street vendors, you have strangled yourselves and driven away customers."
Today, I had fewer negative emotions compared to yesterday, and I was also able to use a clear "no" gesture towards vendors trying to overcharge.
I was thinking that it was time to learn negotiation skills, but now the day is approaching when I need to return home.
After seeing various things, I feel like I can now focus on this country and understand it more deeply.
However, at this point, I don't have any particular interest in anything else.
This country, which I feel is not ideal for tourism.
Tomorrow, I plan to go to the zoo (?), visit a temple (WAT), and if I have time, visit a national park before heading to the airport.
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<td align="Left" valign="Middle" rowspan="2"> <p>At the departure gate at Narita Airport.
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<td align="Left" valign="Middle" rowspan="2">And, I will board a Korean Air flight from Seoul to Bangkok.
