Point of View

February 10 - 20, 2016

A statue looks down on our condo from atop Pratumnak Hill.  The rental agent vaguely said it was a king when she was showing us the place.  My curiosity finally got the better of me, and with pleasant weather beckoning, I decided to make the hike up the hill.  Pratumnak Hill is ribboned with walkways that wind in seemingly random patterns, up and down and around.  I have searched in vain for a map of the hill, so I just started walking.

The incline was not too difficult, and the steeper routes were fairly easy to avoid.  Just a short distance up from our condo is a little plaza with some colorful outdoor exercise equipment than Ron and L enjoyed visiting.  From there I headed around the back of the hill, walking a rather long stretch of a road less-traveled.  A good number of stray dogs roam this area.  At one point a pack of six or seven gave me a bit of worry when a few circled in around behind me.  I was happy to come across people coming from the other direction at that point, and breathed a little easier.

Eventually I found my way to View Point, one of a couple of hilltops (The Big Buddha is on another).  I was surprised to find so much activity up here - from our window, it looks very quiet.  Several tourists were wandering around, and many shops offered food and trinkets.  A temple stood at the opposite end of the hilltop from the statue, and worshipers were wandering in and out.  Delivery trucks struggled to maneuver between parked cars and motorbikes.

Tourists must pass by a Royal Thai Navy weather station before reaching the statue. Upon arrival, I discovered that it is not, in fact, a king, but rather the twenty-eighth son of Rama V (King Chulalongkorn). This son, born Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse in 1880,is known as the father of the Royal Thai Navy. His title is Admiral Krom Luang Jumborn Khet Udomsakdi, or Admiral HRH Prince of Chumphon.  He studied at the naval academy in England, and returned to modernize the navy of his home country.  He also studied medicine, and was believed to have supernatural powers. He died in 1923, but is still greatly revered by many Thais; some carry amulets of him for protection, and many worship and make offerings at his shrine.

The statue itself is a huge shrine, like an altar, where the devoted make offerings and prayers much like you would find at a Buddhist shrine.  The lookout area is shaped like the prow of a ship, and looks out onto the Gulf, with beautiful views in all directions.  Flowers color the viewing area.  The relentless afternoon sun beat down on this treeless venue.

I stopped for a banana roti, which I enjoyed under the shade of a tree, as I watched some chickens scratching in the dirt.  Fortified, I trekked back down the hill, and with just a couple of wrong turns, I eventually found myself back in front of our condo.

Ron and L stopped back for a few days after their Asian travels, and we enjoyed a trip to the weekend night market and dinner at Elements next door.  They brought us a beautiful tablecloth from Cambodia.  Ron picked up his custom-tailored suit, looking quite handsome in his new attire.  We bade them a sad farewell and closed the chapter on our family visitors for a bit.  So happy to have had this time together.

At the night market under a full moon