Sunday 29thof January 2023and I woke up at 4 thirty, 30 minutes before my alarm was set to go off. So, I had plenty time for tea and omelette and a shower before my friend come to pick me up. I prepared my camera but I could not find the top for my tripod so I will have to leave my tripod at home.
My friend arrived a few minutes before seven but I was not ready until a few minutes after. But we were soon on our way to Samut Prakan to see MAMA GOD. And we will have to stop to buy batteries to my flash as well. But we have plenty time.
He is waiting on the parking lot
We stop to buy batteries in Samut Prakan
We arrive to MAMA GOD and they prepare a sofa for us. We take a seat and they roll out a small table and we are getting tea. It is a gorgeous morning and it is a very comfortable temperature so it was really nice to sit outside drinking tea.
We are watching while they make the last preparations for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony.
We reach MAMA GOD's house
Ganesh stand-by
Ganesh stand-by
My friend checking out Ganesh
They have prepared tea for us
Pictures has to be taken
Pictures has to be taken
Honey, milk and water
Lucky coins
MAMA GOD come to show us the different things and she bring a tray with honey, milk and water. We will drop a little honey on Ganesh with a spoon. Then we will pour a spoon of milk over the honey and rinse with a spoon of water.
She bring “Lucky coins” and this is something I see on every ceremony in Thailand, so the “Lucky coins” are very important.
She also explain that I will have to start the ceremony by lighting candles, not all of them, all participants will have to light candles and I will light up two or three candles.
Preparing for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา
Preparing for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา
Preparing for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา
Pictures have to be taken
Pictures have to be taken
Waiting for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา to start
Waiting for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา to start
Waiting for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา to start
Waiting for the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา to start
We can start the Ganesh eyes opening ceremony / พิธีเบิกเนตรคเณชา
My friend lighting candle
My friend lighting candle
I light a few candles and I hand over the candle to my friend so he can continue with the lightning ceremony. My friend hand it to next and soon all the candles are burning.
After this MAMA GOD pray for a long time so there was nothing to do until she was ready. Drinking tea until she was ready and the fun could start.
We got the tray with honey, milk and water. We put a little honey on the Ganesh and then milk. Then we take a spoon of water to rinse the Ganesh
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My friend with the honey, milk and water
My hero's turn with the honey, milk and water
My hero's turn with the honey, milk and water
My hero's turn with the honey, milk and water
My hero's turn with the honey, milk and water
My hero's turn with the honey, milk and water
My friend's son
After the honey it was time for fire and smoke. MAMA GOD but fire to something in a tray and we had to move the tray in circles above Ganesh. Completing this, before handing the burning tray to the next person in line we had to wash ourself with the, what I suppose is “holy” smoke.
When the fire and smoke ceremony was completed they started to throw the lucky coins. And they made sure I was lucky and I got a whole bag of the lucky coins.
These coins should be kept with Ganesh so I will have to buy a holy bowl. And as we will go to visit Wat Chang Hai (Elephant give) (วัดช้างให้) in Pattani (จ้งหว้ดปัตตานี) next week this might be a good opportunity to get a holy bowl for the coins.
Fire and smoke
Fire and smoke
Fire and smoke
Throwing lucky coins
Throwing lucky coins
Throwing lucky coins
Throwing lucky coins
Collecting lucky coins
Now it is time for something red
Now it is time for something red
Now we offering something looking like candy
Now we offering something looking like candy
Now we offering something looking like candy
Now we offering something looking like candy
Now we offering something looking like candy
My friend offering something looking like candy
My friend offering something looking like candy
My friend offering something looking like candy
My friend offering something looking like candy
My friend's son offering something looking like candy
Holy flowers
Holy flowers
Holy flowers
Holy flowers
When they were ready with the coins we offered something that looked like candy and it was the same procedure as with the fire. We moved the tray above Ganesh. We were showered with holy flower after the candy offering.
I have one Ganesh that caught the eye of MAMA GOD since the first time she laid eyes on it back when we delivered the Ganesh to her house. She said it has very strong power and she really like this Ganesh.
Touching the Ganesh every chance she get. She walk around with the Ganesh that we have to touch while she is praying.
One of my Ganesh with very strong power
My strongest Ganesh
My turn to touch the holy Ganesh
We finish the ceremony with a prayer and incense
When the prayer is over we put the incense in the Ganesh snacks
When the prayer is over we put the incense in the Ganesh snacks
When the prayer is over we put the incense in the Ganesh snacks
Each snack should have one incense, except one that should have three sticks
MAMA GOD thanks us for participating
Last moment of the ceremony is a prayer with incense and when the prayer is ready we have to stick the incense to the snacks offered for Ganesh. But I was instructed to put three sticks of incense to one of the flower arrangement. This needed three sticks, but the rest only one.
We have to shake a cup with numbered sticks before we left, the numbers on the sticks falling out of the cup was very lucky. People took pictures to remember the numbers for next time buying lottery tickets.
We are ready with the ceremony
We are ready with the ceremony
We are ready with the ceremony
I give MAMA GOD one Ganesh
I give MAMA GOD one Ganesh
I give MAMA GOD one Ganesh
I give MAMA GOD one Ganesh
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
We start to pack Ganesh in to boxes
Loading the car
Loading the car
Time to go home
Time to go home
Time to go home
Time to go home
Lunch
Lunch
I give one of the Ganesh to MAMA GOD and we leave to bring back the Ganesh to my room. I guess Ganesh have been very home sick the last week.
We are hungry but as we cannot stop at any restaurant risking Ganesh to be stolen we buy food at TOPS and I cook lunch for us when we are back home
+++++++++++++++
Monday 30thof January 2023and I will be picked up at the gym 11 thirty. Then we will go to Samut Prakan to pick up our friend before going to the bird hide at Wat Tham Prathunto have a look for birds.
The driver had bought half a kilo of worms for me to be used as food for the birds.
We arrive to Wat Tham Prathun and it was an instant disappointment. 3 cars parked, but I decided to go have a look in the hide, it was almost full. But it was a very friendly crowd and I was offered a place to sit down. I brought out my Swedish walkstool®
There is flimsy plastic chairs in the hide, but in order to avoid any embarrassments I bring my own stool. It is very light weight so it is no problem to bring it to the field, and comfy to sit on as well. Turned out this was well invested money.
Arriving to the bird hide
There was a lot of Bulbuls in the bird bath. I asked if they had put food and they told me it was not necessary as they came to bath. But they told me to put my worms and I went out to pour half a kilo of worms in different places.
I returned to my walkstool in the hide and it did not take long before birds came to check out the worms. There was birds that turned out the be Black-headed Bulbuls, first time for me to see this bird. So, it was a good start.
I had seen on internet that there had been a few flycatchers in the hide as well, so I was hoping for them to show up. This was the reason I had brought the worms.
The first picture - Oriental Magpie Robin / นกกางเขนบ้าน
I was soon counting my second bird for today that I had never seen before, the Chinese Blue Flycatcher / นกจับแมลงพันธุ์จีน. I spotted a bird jumping down to grab a worm and the quickly up to the branch again. When the bird was perching on the branch she was out of sight.
The Thai group in the hide was very friendly, looked like a Guide with a group of retired folks from Bangkok. They moved over so I could move a little and the bird was in my sight and I could get a few pictures.
I was soon counting my third bird that I had never seen before in my life. The Verditer Flycatcher / นกจับแมลงสีฟ้า and it is three new birds for me:
• Black-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดทอง • Chinese Blue Flycatcher / นกจับแมลงพันธุ์จีน • Verditer Flycatcher / นกจับแมลงสีฟ้า
Wat Tham Prathun (Tham Prathun Temple), Chon Buri, TH 30 Jan 2023 14:26 - 15:51 Protocol: Stationary 17 species
Asian Emerald Dove 1 Coppersmith Barbet 1Heard only Malaysian Pied-Fantail 2 Ashy Drongo 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 1 Racket-tailed Treepie 4 Black-headed Bulbul XMany Bulbuls and not possible to count Black-crested Bulbul XMany Bulbuls and not possible to count Sooty-headed Bulbul XMany Bulbuls and not possible to count Stripe-throated Bulbul XMany Bulbuls and not possible to count Yellow-vented Bulbul 1 Streak-eared Bulbul XMany Bulbuls and not possible to count White-crested Laughingthrush 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin 1 White-rumped Shama 1 Chinese Blue Flycatcher 1 Verditer Flycatcher 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I was very happy when I turned off my eBird app 10 minutes before 4 o'clock. I had seen many birds and three of them I had never seen before. So, it was a good day. And the company in the bird hide had been very nice and I had enjoyed my time at Wat Tham Prathun.
I asked my friends what they wanted to do, go eat at the Swedish place in Jomtien or to go to Lat Krabang for bird watching. Well, by the time we will reach Lat Krabang there will not be much time with day light remaining. So Jomtien it was.
We will not come back here again
We will not come back here again
Last time I gave the restaurant full pot on my review. From top to “never coming” back. The food was cold, not like cold, but like “ICE” cold. This was it for me, they will never see me again. My friend was also very disappointed.
We drove back to Bangkok and we dropped my friend in Samut Prakan before continuing to lower Sukhumvit. My friend will come tomorrow to stay the night and we will leave for the South early morning on the 1st of February.
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 31stof January 2023and I came home from the gym at 12 thirty and the washing machine Technician arrived not long after that. Took him a few minutes to repair the washing machine and he was gone.
My friend arrived and I made dinner that we enjoyed, well, at least I enjoyed the food. My friend usually shovel in, but I don't think he was very hungry. Or more likely, he did not like the food.
No, he don't look like he like the food
But the whiskey is OK
Looking at Thai amulets (พระเครื่อง)
Looking at Thai amulets (พระเครื่อง)
He manage to finish his food (long after I was ready) and we moved in to my storage room where I have a desk and we could start to study Thai amulets (พระเครื่อง). Pretty much the same activity as we did during the eveningsin my room on Roy Mærsk.
And HomePro had delivered a desk light. My friend arrived and it was toodark to study so I called HomePro, and for a delivery fee of 100 Baht they delivered the lamp after an hour. Same lights I ordered for Karen Mærsk.
CLAMP LAMP HATASHI MT-800 CLASSICS METAL BLACK
Very good light and the price is 20 US Dollars. I ordered 6 or 8 lights in Singapore and they delivered sh*t and they charged 120 dollars for each light. Daylight robbery as they could not be used for anything. So I ordered 8 lights first thing when we came to Thailand.
The Pilot in Map Ta Phut send me pictures every time he see Karen Mærsk at TTT 2B in Map Ta Phut. And it is very nice to be home and I don't miss the ship at all. Having the time of my life and I don't even think about the ship. No matter how many pictures he send.
Karen Mærsk at TTT 2B in Map Ta Phut
Karen Mærsk at TTT 2B in Map Ta Phut
Alarm clocks are set to go off at 4 o'clock and we will take off at 6 o'clock. ClickHEREto find out if we can take off towards south of Thailand in time.
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can itbe? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun[in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGINlate 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!