…Except – This Is Where Everyone Goes.

How often have I commented on the fact that even the most interesting & spectacular tourist attractions in Thailand are ignored by tourists? No, I don’t know either. But, a lot. Well, that’s because they are all in Khiri Wong. At least, they were on Saturday.

Yes, I’ve been here before and I’ve commented before about the number of tourists, but on this visit it seemed like the whole of Southern Thailand was there, or trying to get there. The jams were silly.

But, a friend wanted to visit, and it’s one of my favorite places, so we ignored the people and enjoyed the river views and the small town…

People were even lining up on the bridge for selfies and photos…

Freshly picked fruit was on sale everywhere, especially durian and mangosteen. Here’s some of the latter…

I admit I’d never tasted it. They used to be banned in North America to prevent Asian fruit flies reaching the continent, and I don’t recall seeing them in Europe. But that was in a previous lifetime. Having now tried them, I have to say, I’m not a fan. Edible, but I wouldn’t eat them out of choice. The mangosteen toffees were good though…

Here’s a few photos of nothing in particular as we wandered around the town…

One of the most interesting parts of the afternoon, was a quick stop for coffee and snack at a place filled with antiques and rubbish…

That thing on the right, above, is an ice shaver. Put in a large block and grind it down into tiny pieces. But, perhaps the most interesting and surprising piece was this…

It was far darker in the coffee shop than it looks, so I’m afraid they are not very good, but these are photos of a very early plate camera. Focusing was done by sliding the whole camera forwards and backwards, and by cranking the wheel to raise and lower. The whole photographic plate was fitted in the back. Following a little research, I’d date this as somewhere around 1890. It must be worth a fortune.

Slightly less ancient was the only item of food on the menu…

…which seemed to consist of small slices of stale bread, a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a covering of caramel sauce and sprinkles. It tasted a lot better than it sounds.

Last but not least we found a handicraft shop selling things like dreamcatchers (do the Ojibwe Indians know about this)…

…and some (unfortunately) not-for-sale ancient oil lamps…

Even as we left, people were still pouring into the town, and probably straight back out again, as there was no place to park.