Chonburi to Cha-am, Phetchaburi

Due to a miscommunication I left Pattaya way later than planned. Being my least favorite place on the planet I wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. But ’twas not to be.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog post that after finally escaping from Bangkok’s horrendous traffic, I found myself – for more than an hour – on a new eight-lane expressway with a 120kph speed limit. I wouldn’t call it nice, but it certainly was relaxing. Of course, I had the option of returning that way, but it would have thrown me back into the jaws of the Bangkok traffic monster. So, I elected to use half of it, and then head across country on minor roads, staying as close as possible to the Bay of Bangkok.

Another Epic Fail!

Immediately I left the expressway I was back in the jams. For hour after hour. I didn’t even stop for lunch. I just wanted to get away from the mess as quickly as possible.

But I confess, I did have two of 7/11’s delicious pineapple pastries with me. Of course, they hadn’t been wearped, but the sun shining through the windshield and with the outside temperature nudging forty degrees they were at least warm. And if you don’t live in Thailand, you’ll be wondering what wearp means.

Thai people will tell you it’s an English word. In a way, it is. It’s microwave, shortened to wave, and pronounced wearp. 7/11s have a whole bank of microwave ovens, so you pass your food to the cashier and shout “wearp.” Two minutes later you have delicious hot food. Super-efficient. And the service is free.

Anyways, the luke-warm pastries sufficed, and several hours later than expected, I found myself in Samut Sonkhram province, heading down a minor road, as close to the coast as possible.

Samut Songkhram Salt Farms 13.340138, 99.930057 or anywhere on highway 2021.

Have you ever wondered where sea salt comes from? Those of you who said “the sea” can go and stand outside the Principal’s Office!

In fact, it’s seasonal (pun not intended!) Early in the year, the salt farmers make shallow “fields,” cover them with plastic sheeting, let the sea cover the plastic, and then in the hot dry season (i.e. now) they wait for the water to evaporate.

Then, it has to be raked into piles, like this…

After which, the real backbreaking work begins, as it has to be carried into a rough structure which I suppose you would call a warehouse…

I’m assuming, hoping even, that after this it is somehow cleaned. If not, then I’d suggest you don’t eat yellow sea salt any more than you’d eat yellow snow!

I found all this by accident, as I was heading to…

Wat Pak Ao. 13.26468, 99.94286

Not sure why I bothered with this one. It looked nice on Google Maps. Well, it wasn’t too bad, and the sea/river views were nice…

…but it was overrun with monkeys, so I didn’t linger. I’d actually planned to have lunch at a small riverside restaurant, but by the time I reached there, it was closer to supper time. So, I had time for just one more visit, and headed down to…

Wat Petch Suwan. 13.24664, 99.95746

Still under construction I think. Looks nice from the air…

Maybe I’ll go back when they’ve finished.

That left me with an hour of so before sunset. Just enough time to take some country roads down to my hotel in Cha-Am…

…the story of which I’ll leave for Day 4’s report.