{"id":1304,"date":"2012-02-06T23:41:07","date_gmt":"2012-02-07T07:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/?p=1304"},"modified":"2012-04-26T08:07:15","modified_gmt":"2012-04-26T15:07:15","slug":"the-heart-of-southern-thailan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/2012\/02\/the-heart-of-southern-thailan\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heart of Southern Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eating Local in Nakhon Si Thammarat (Feb. 5, 2012)<\/h3>\n

The Sunday market is composed of row upon row of vendor stalls. At one end, you can find a wide range of used clothes (is this the end of the Goodwill value chain?), and at the other, you can order fresh squeezed sugar cane juice in a bottle, cup, or plastic bag. In between, we saw endless piles of fruits and vegetables, curry pastes ready to fry up, fish being butchered, and frogs knocked senseless. Of course, we also ate innumerable items as we went; one of my favorites was chicken on a stick with a sweet red coconut BBQ sauce.<\/p>\n

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\"SharingSharing photos with vendors at the Sunday market, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"DeliciousDelicious barbecue chicken at the Sunday market, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"HotHot dogs breaded and deep fried at the Sunday market, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA young candy vendor at the Sunday market, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

In search of air conditioning, I visited the IT shop across the street to ogle mobile phones, and the Robinson department store, which also had lots of mobile phone stands and shops. Apparently you can never have enough choice in where you get your next mobile. I retreated to the hotel for further cooling.<\/p>\n

The nearby restaurant Krour Nakorn had closed and reopened in a different part of town under a new name. Fortunately, we were able to find it so we could have a lavish spread of “fast” favorites. A kua kling of pork, panang curry with pork, and bitter melon with egg and shrimp joined several preparations of fish. The panang curry was especially tasty. Dessert was a somewhat peculiar dish of pea-sized pandanus colored (green) lumps of sweetened sticky rice mixed with coconut shreds. One simply eats it by the spoonful, chewing as much or little as desired (more probably is better). Of course, there was fruit as well.<\/p>\n

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\"SignSign for first lunch in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AntiqueAntique coconut graters from Krour Nakorn, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"DispensersDispensers for rolls of napkins, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"PorkPork kua kling, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"PanangPanang curry pork, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BitterBitter melon withe egg, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SaltedSalted fish, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AnotherAnother fish, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"YetYet another fish, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"CrunchyCrunchy vegetables, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"PandanusPandanus sticky rice and coconut dessert, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gender-correctGender-correct coconut grater at the men's room, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gender-correctGender-correct coconut grater at the women's room, first lunch, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Our main stop of the day was the National Museum, featuring a range of exhibits covering archeological finds from “prehistory” to exhibits showing various rituals of modern Thai culture, such as marriage and the preparation of special meals for various occasions. Good photography was not always possible, so I bought the book for later consultation.<\/p>\n

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\"AncientAncient drum, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"FrogFrog figure on ancient drum head, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ImageImage of Buddha subduing mara, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ayutthaya-syleAyutthaya-syle Buddha, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"HatHat woven from yan lipao fern stems, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BrassBrass extruder for khanom jin rice noodles, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"NiellowareNielloware rice bowl, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AntiqueAntique nielloware bowl, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AntiqueAntique nielloware bowl, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"WhimsicalWhimsical coconut grater, National Museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Dinner in the Country<\/h3>\n

Kasma has hired “Sun” to drive for her groups for about a decade now. Originally he lived in Bangkok, but to help out with family obligations he moved back to Nakhon Si Thammarat. His father divided the property among the brothers, and we met two of them along with Sun’s mother and a number of children. (I’m bad at genealogy, so it’s hard to be more specific.) After viewing the ponds where they farm catfish and barramundi, we headed back for a feast of very fresh home-grown fish.<\/p>\n

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\"RiverRiver behind Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"RoseRose apples growing at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"FeedingFeeding block ice into the chipper at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"CowsCows at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"EdibleEdible vegetables growing in a fish pond at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>

Enter passcode to show locked content for \"Southern trip, 2012\": <\/p><\/form>\n

Sun’s wife operates a small open air restaurant here, and she closed for the evening to host us. (Our apologies to customers that were turned away.) The stars tonight were small tilapia marinated in fresh turmeric and garlic, then deep fried. They were very moist and flavorful, and tender compared with other fish used in this preparation. We also had tilapia in a sour curry, and a third dish that looks like a curry but I can’t recall the details. A beef stir-fry, and garlicky soup with chicken meatballs, and mixed vegetables with shrimp were more than we could finish. And then came dessert: apple bananas cooked in salty-sweet coconut milk. Second helpings were almost mandatory it was so good. Although the food was very hot, I’d love to eat here more often.<\/p>\n

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\"RestaurantRestaurant at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TilapiaTilapia marinated in turmeric and garlic at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TilapiaTilapia in sour curry at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MoreMore tilapia at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MildMild soup with chicken meatballs at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA spicy beef dish at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MixedMixed vegetables with shrimp at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"AppleApple bananas cooked in sweet coconut milk at Sun's place, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>

Enter passcode to show locked content for \"Southern trip, 2012\": <\/p><\/form>\n

<\/p>\n

Our Temple Day in Nakhon Si Thammarat (Feb. 6, 2012)<\/h3>\n

We planned a dim sum breakfast, but at 7:30 the doors had not yet opened, so we headed back to the new location of the restaurant formerly as Krour Nakorn. Here we had a choice of the traditional regional breakfasts: khanom jin noodles (freshly extruded rice vermicelli) with a light ground fish curry sauce, or a “rice salad” featuring a bed of steamed rice and a lot of toppings to mix in, including powdered dry shrimp, ground dry chillies, thin slices of lemongrass and green beans, shreds of kaffir lime and green mango, and bean sprouts, with a slightly sweet fish sauce-based dressing. Hard to choose, so I chose to have both.<\/p>\n

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\"KhanomKhanom Jin with traditional fish curry topping, breakfast in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"CrunchyCrunchy vegetables at breakfast in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"NicelyNicely plated rice salad, breakfast in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"RiceRice salad mixed up and read to eat, breakfast in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ChewyChewy glutinous rice dessert, breakfast in Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

We headed to Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the most important Buddhist temple in Southern Thailand. There was a special activity today that involved wrapping symbolic gold cloth around the base of the main chedi (stupa). We first watched the monks blessing various volunteers, and then encountered a parade. Led by drummers and dancers (ordinary members of the community, it appeared), the procession featured long lengths of cloth held up by more members of the community. On the second circle around the temple, school children joined in. <\/p>\n

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\"UbosothUbosoth and chedi, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MonkMonk at blessing ceremony, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BuddhaBuddha image at Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BuddhaBuddha image at Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BuddhaBuddha image at Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SeasonalSeasonal procession carrying cloth around the temple, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"DancersDancers lead the procession, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"DrummersDrummers provide the beat, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"NoNo shortage of ceremonial cloth, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SchoolboysSchoolboys joining the procession, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SchoolgirlsSchoolgirls joining the procession, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TeachersTeachers preparing to lead kids into the temple, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ProcessionProcession heading up to the chedi to wrap it in cloth, Wat Mahathat, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>

Enter passcode to show locked content for \"Southern trip, 2012\": <\/p><\/form>\n

In between all the excitement, there was time to check out the shops. I bought a little brass wok, used for desserts where you melt sugar for glazing because, unlike your well seasoned carbon steel wok, it won’t discolor or add any unpleasant flavors to your dessert. Perhaps too small, but hopefully sufficient for my needs. I also picked up a bag of local cookies typical of this temple. It is customary to buy sweets for your ancestors, and there is a legend of ghosts who are always hungry because they have large bodies but tiny mouths. The cookies are made by drizzling batter into a hot wok to form thin strands, then rolling them up with a stick into a little nest. The strands harden as they cool, forming a crispy cookie. It’s tasty for the living, even if it doesn’t end up feeding any hungry ghosts.<\/p>\n

For lunch we headed around the corner to Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, a favorite local restaurant. Our spicy shrimp dip appetizer was served with fried vegetables (looking a bit like tempura) and fried fish. On our jumbo assortment of raw vegetables, we also got three little salads: thinly sliced cucumbers in a slightly sweet dressing, leafy greens in a saltier dressing, and something like seaweed with a little thin coconut milk. Always handy for cooling a hot tongue. The massaman curry chicken was delicious and fairly mild, as was the decadently fatty and nicely crunchy roasted pork. Turmeric-infused deep fried catfish topped with fried shallots and garlic, bitter melon in broth, fish and pineapple curry, and a green curry (with beef?) rounded out the set. Fruits and sweets followed.<\/p>\n

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\"CrunchyCrunchy vegetables and salads, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MassamanMassaman chicken curry, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"RoastedRoasted pork, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"FriedFried mullets, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TurmericTurmeric catfish, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BitterBitter melon, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"FishFish and pineapple curry, Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"GreenGreen curry beef (?), Khanom Jin Muang Nakhon, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Eventually, we rose slowly from our seats and drove around another corner to the Shadow Puppet Museum, built in the home of acknowledged puppet master Suchart Subsin. He was not present today (hopefully still alive and well) but his son took on the duties of showing how thin cow hides are rendered into intricately cut and painted puppets of princes, heroines, clowns, and other characters and props. We also got a brief show, which now has an English-language printed explanation. The gift shop is full of temptations, but I managed to resist since I don’t envision putting on any puppet shows.<\/p>\n

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\"ShadowShadow puppet museum at the home of Suchart Subsin, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TraditionalTraditional shadow puppets, shadow puppet museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TraditionalTraditional shadow puppets, shadow puppet museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ShadowShadow puppets as students and master, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ShadowShadow puppet scene featuring rebellious students, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BehindBehind the curtain at the shadow puppet museum, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"CarvingCarving cowhide into a shadow puppet, Nakhon Si Thammarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

After a lost afternoon of napping and\/or working on photos, we headed East to the coast for dinner in Pak Nakhon. While we were waiting for sunset, we interacted with some local residents. A family of boys amused themselves with my Thai-English dictionary (not to learn English, but to quiz one another on pronunciation), and took a few photos with my camera. I wish I knew more Thai, but then, you know that by now.<\/p>\n

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\"KasmaKasma and Michael waiting for sunset at Pak Nakhon pier<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung brothers enjoying the evening at Pak Nakhon pier<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"JeffersonJefferson and local boys at Pak Nakhon pier<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TempleTemple silhouette at sunset from the Pak Nakhon pier<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"MoonriseMoonrise from the Pak Nakhon pier<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Once the sun had slipped behind the hills, or clouds that looked like hills, we sat down for another seafood feast. We had a squid larb salad, steamed mussels with a garlicky dipping sauce, a hot and sour soup with whole shrimp (head to tail), whole shrimp cooked in a “clay pot” with transparent mung bean threads (it was a stainless steel pot, but that works), squid simmering in a sour lime sauce, fish stir-fried with black pepper and green peppercorns, and cabbage in Thai oyster sauce. For a quiet restaurant in the middle of nowhere, it was pretty good.<\/p>\n

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\"SquidSquid and shrimp larb, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SteamedSteamed mussels, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"HotHot and sour soup, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"ShrimpShrimp with bean thread noodles, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"SquidSquid in hot and sour broth, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"BlackBlack pepper fish, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"CabbageCabbage with oyster sauce, dinner in Pak Nakhon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Tomorrow we plan to visit the morning market, taking our time before departing for Songkhla.<\/p>\n