Up bright and early (by my standards) for our drive from Ayutthaya to Dan Sai. But first we had to source a vital snack.
It is a given that, when travelling with a Thai, stocking up with snacks is as important as filling the tank with fuel. But we weren’t looking for any old snack, we needed to buy from the best roti samai shop in Ayutthaya.
Roti Samai can best be described as a candy floss wrapped in a thin pancake. It should be slightly crispy when you first chew on it, and then it should just melt in your mouth. Usually, this doesn’t happen. But there is one stall, out of at least a hundred Roti Samai stalls, inexplicably situated opposite the hospital in Ayutthaya , that gets it just right. She who must be obeyed knew exactly where to go, but so did everyone else; so when we had visited the previous evening, they had sold out. But early on Saturday morning, production was underway…..
….and there was plenty of stock. We bought several bags, enough to keep us snacking for a couple of days.
Loaded with snacks, we headed north for several hours until we were close to Dan Sai. There was then another phone conversation to try and ascertain where our bed for the night was located. It was hard for the resort to give my wife instructions on how to get there because, as usual, she didn’t know where she was; but eventually we found it. Unlike the previous night’s accommodation, this place was clean, the aircon was cool, and the water was hot. It was also much more expensive because all the hotels in the area doubled their prices during the weekend of the ghost festival. Not an unpleasant view out of our window though:
Off to Dan Sai town to check out the festival site, and then it was time to find some dinner; but the town seemed to be short on restaurants. She who must be obeyed was back on the phone and we were soon sitting down to an excellent meal.
Who did you call to find out about this restaurant?
The police.
The police?
Yes, I dialled the emergency number 191, and when a policeman answered I asked him for some tips on where to eat. Policemen always know where to get a good meal.
But the emergency number is only meant to be called in an emergency!
It was an emergency, I was very hungry!
So, while victims of muggings and rape held the line, she who must be obeyed had an animated discussion about recommended eateries…. Only in Thailand.
Back to the resort for the night and I discovered that a comb had been carefully placed next to the door:
Was this a Feng Shui artifact, an offering to the ghosts? Nope, it was a security device.
Apart from cleanliness and a lack of smells, my wife is also reasonably paranoid about security. Our condo door has a monster lock, a chain, and a couple of bolts; all of which have to be secured before she feels safe, although she still worries about someone abseiling down from the roof. The resort door only had a push button lock on the door; completely inadequate for our safety.
Why the comb?
Well, if someone tries to open the door, it will jam against the comb and stop them.
I opened the door and the comb just slid across the floor. Her next proposal was this:
I opened the door and the expensive tube of cosmetics slid across the floor.
Her final solution was to wedge a chair against the door. I didn’t like to point out that we were more likely to need to escape in case of a fire than to have the door broken down by an enraged robber, and a chair blocking the door would not aid our escape. It made her happy and she was asleep and snoring in no time at all.
Tomorrow was the ghost festival and we were going to see dead people!
Comments 🔗
2010-06-15| Lloyd saysWhat happened to the amazing mapping application for the iPhone to help you navigate in such circumstances?
2010-06-15| Billy saysHaha
2010-06-15| Billy sayshaha … Like
2010-06-15| Spike saysI knew exactly where we were. Getting my beloved to examine our GPRS position and use that in a conversation with a resort who didn’t seem to know where they were situated… A hope too far.
2010-07-04| Pete saysJust found these. Don’t need to put combs on the floor anymore. I’m sure SWMBO will like some of these ideas!!
2010-07-05| Spike saysInteresting site. The majority of the “best of”; “funniest”; “longest” etc. categories seem to feature breasts. A coincidence no doubt.
2010-07-06| Pete saysI give you a link to some pictures of funny and innovative door stops, and you find the breasts in other parts of the site. What are we all to think? Maybe it’s a coincidence you found them?