The Temple of Truth

The Temple of Truth

The Temple of Truth is an impressive, cathedral like temple on the outskirts of the seaside resort of Pattaya. Completely made of wood,not a nail in sight.

I struggled with my dish of Phad Thai in a small open fronted restaurant near the wooden temple that juts into the sky. A glass case containing noodles and offal fronted the entrance of the eatery, adjacent a wooden chopping block had an evil looking meat cleaver embedded. Offal,noodles and Singha beer, Thai style. My companion,Nong,an appetite,a bottomless pit, as she tucked into a second helping of some strange creature and rice. Nong watched me play with the noodles.
Nong starts to give me odd looks.
“You look like James Bond!”
“No I don’t, I look like the other bloke. The one from London,who wears glasses.”
“Yeah, James Bond!”
I roll my eyes.
"You want to eat ant eggs ?Aloy, mark mark." She asked.
I raised my eyebrows and blew out cheeks.
"No thanks Nong I'm not hungry right now. What does aloy mean?"
"It mean tasty, ant eggs are tasty, them do with garlic." She screwed up her brow.
Yum, yum thought I, the Beluga Caviar market had better watch out for competition.
“Thanks for the offer Nong.” I continued to poke my noodles around the plate.
Chop, thud, chop,thud, I watched the lady cook fiercely attacking a pig's stomach on the chopping block.
"All the King's horses, and all the King's men, couldn't put Humpty back together again." I said in a quiet half voice.
"Jeembo, allo Jeembo my friend, you dreamin' ? Who Humpty ? Why you King not put together? Mai khao jai - not understand."
"It's a song young children at school learn, nonsense really." The meat cleaver attacked the offal again.
"Why you teach school children nonsense ?Farang school crazy, Thailand better."
Thud, the cook then proceeded to chop up a boiled pig's face into fatty slices.
Nong's phone started to play ‘Welcome to the Hotel California’. She answered it immediately. "Ka, ka, ka, ka. Good, OK ka!"
“OK my sister arrive, she is a great guide, we go to the temple now.”
I gazed at the huge magnificent wooden structure before me, an explosion of carving and angles trying to reach the heavens.
“Joop, Joop, I want kiss please,” said Nong.
You are a funny fish, young lady.

The loud alarm bell broke the dream,it was a cold wet early morning in London. I had to go to work for another day of drudgery.
Oh for another dream in Thailand, and a kiss from someone special.

WTM Badge Number 75515819

World Travel Market 2012

This year, I received a rather special reception committee from Thailand:-

Irresistible

Travel Minister Marianov from Bulgaria

 

 

Another good presentation from the Bulgarian Tourist Office. The wine tasting helps of course. Gone are the wines of the 1980's, now they are quality, real quality, but difficult to find in the UK. Wine merchant and show provider Tzvetan Angelov of Bulgarian Heritage wines would be your contact: www.bulgarian-heritage.com.

 

Bulgaria is great value at the moment, affordable for those on a tight budget.It also has many cultural attractions as well as the beach! Bulgaria would like to attract tourists from Asia and the Far East. As would other European countries. They are now the ones with disposable income.





 



 

 

 

 

Standing proud at Etihad Airlines is a Rugby Cup, before the visit of the Harlequins rugby team. Much to the excitement of the pretty Etihad stewardesses.



 





 



 

 

A regular visitor is the Thai Princess Ubonrat. It is always a joy to see her as she lights up the place with her positive character. She is after all, also a film star !

 





 

 

 



 

Princess Ubonrat didn't do any dancing, unlike the three pretty Thai girls above. Events like these lighten up the proceedings.