We left Ayuttayah for Khao Yai, but before leaving town we visited Wat Phanong Choeng, a famous Buddhist temple in Ayuttayah. On the way to Khao Yai, we stopped at a produce market to buy fruit for the next few days in the national park and more specifically, to find durian.
The main Buddha image in this temple is 19 meters tall (more than 3 stories).
Many other smaller Buddha images are distributed throughout the temple.
Outside the temple, Shanon and Mikayla ring bells to bring themselves good fortune.
Natalie and Lexie are trying roti sai mai, which is like cotton candy spun out into hair-like fibers on a rice tortilla.
We found durian, the king of tropical fruit. It is widely reputed to have an unpleasant aroma. Although some people regard the durian as pleasantly fragrant; 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.
Landon obviously likes it.
Maria likes it.
Jordan likes it.
Adam likes it.
Natalie likes it.
And Shae likes it.
Maybe they would prefer a little pork.
Besides durian, there were plenty of other fresh tropical fruits to be had.
Thank you for the pictures. I think they all would have preferred an apple.
ReplyDeleteBrave. I tried to eat durian but couldn't get past the smell.
ReplyDelete-Kalee (Landon's sister)