Who doesn't love a giant stupa?

Another day...another daytrip....

What vacation in Thailand would be complete without seeing the Floating market? We headed down to Damnoen Saduek (about 100 km Southwest of Bangkok) to check out the canals, orchards, and Thai handicrafts that have been featured so prominently imagery advertising Thailand. Our second trip varied somewhat from our first (with my parents). On the way down we stopped by the side of the road to checkout the salt flats that surround Samut Songkhram. They pump ocean water into small 'paddies', then allow the water to evaporate and harvest the salt. As Del and I wandered around we smelled the acrid odor familiar to anyone who has driven past the Great Salt Lake on I-80.

After spending an hour getting 'hooked' by one vendor after another at the Floating market, we traveled back through Nakorn Pathom and ate lunch at KFC. (This is not your father's Kentucky Fried Chicken - who knew they made such a great flat-bread shrimp taco?) Later, I wandered off to Dairy Queen while everyone else went to Swensen's for some peanut-butter chocolate chip ice cream. When I re-joined the family, I walked into Swensen's and was met with Americana's classic photo-image of tragic disappointment. I rounded the corner to see Meg, empty waffle cone in hand, tears rolling down her cheeks, mouth agape with a anguishes howl beginning to emanate from the very depths of her soul...while at her feet a scoop of ice cream slowly melted on the ceramic tile. O, that I had a picture of her face at that very moment! (She had the exact same expression as Jazzhands when Showchoir ended and he was forced to turn in his shiny red suspenders.)

Fortunately, I knew exactly how to console a six-year old girl who just lost her ice cream cone...

...by taking her to see the tallest Buddhist Monument in the World! A few blocks from our dining spot was Phra Pathom Chedi, a giant Stupa and one of the most famous monuments in Thailand. Surprisingly, Meg chose to stay in the car while I drug Del along to take some pictures (she goes crazy for Splash Mountain but doesn't like this?). I couldn't convince anyone to climb up the side of the chedi with me, but I had to have some pictures of the monument - at the very least to use in some future World Civ class when I try to teach students about the origins of Buddhism and the meaning of a 'stupa'.

Sidenote: We also want to thanks two families in our ward for helping us meet our transportation needs during this week. One lent us their golfcart, another their scooter with two childseats on the back, both useful for getting groceries, going to baseball games, or driving Kaddi's parents outside the gates of Nichada to get the daily footmassage.

At first I had my reservations about driving the 'Mom-scooter', since it is a little emasculating for someone like myself. But when I compared it with riding around on a child's bike, suddently it didn't look so bad.