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The rain, the catfish and the chedi


Rain. I associate it with a weekend spent with friends frolicking with an army of tame fish in a national park. I remember it because that was when I learned that to deliberately stand in the rain just for the fun of it is sheer joy. The other reason was these delightful swish-swooshing catfish 


They sense it when people approach. They come near as if they know dinner is served.  We fed them string beans. What a greedy bunch!


Further up a slope as we continued to hike we found this moss-covered chedi made from laterite. It was built to commemorate King Rama and Queen Sunantha's visit to the park in 1876. Queen Sunantha drowned when the royal boat capsized in the Chao Phrya river. 

A Wikipedia entry describes the drowning, "despite the presence of many onlookers they were forbidden on pain of death to touch the queen - not even to save her life."  Nearby is a sign that forbids anyone to come near if they are not properly dressed. I took this shot using my phone from a distance. Perfect thing to do after the rain has stopped.

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  1. WendyJuly 13, 2013 at 12:33 AM

    Catfish - yuck. Can't stand those "whiskers" and big mouths!

    And how sad for the queen. Too important to be touched by the lowly citizens?? Or would saving her be seen as interfering with "God's plan"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hazel CeejJuly 13, 2013 at 6:45 PM

      There must be some answers to your questions somewhere.

      Delete
  2. Brett PayneJuly 13, 2013 at 6:54 AM

    That seems extraordinary, that death would preferable to being touched by a commoner. I like the idea of feeding string beans to catfish, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hazel CeejJuly 13, 2013 at 6:49 PM

      I think so too. Someone said, 'I wonder what was the queen thinking while she was drowning.

      Delete
  3. Alan BurnettJuly 13, 2013 at 5:53 PM

    Fascinating photographs. The would seem to capture the time and place so well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carol L McKennaJuly 13, 2013 at 8:03 PM

    Love the 'vintage' looking photos and delightful memories ~ Happy Weekend to you and thanks for the comments ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  5. PostcardyJuly 13, 2013 at 8:50 PM

    I thought the string beans sounded strange at first, but maybe they resemble water plants that fish eat.

    ReplyDelete
  6. KathyJuly 13, 2013 at 11:34 PM

    Great photographs and interesting stories to go with them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. barbara and nancyJuly 14, 2013 at 2:30 AM

    Catfish and string beans. What a wonderful dinner!
    That story about the queen is too weird. But the monument to her is beautiful. Maybe that makes it all worthwhile.
    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Little NellJuly 15, 2013 at 5:08 AM

    How strange that a monarch should die rather than be saved, due to some antiquated protocol.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bob ScotneyJuly 15, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    I've caught a catfish or two but not on string beans. They did like sweetcorn thought. Fine monument.

    ReplyDelete
  10. tonyJuly 18, 2013 at 10:25 PM

    Being Regal Is Sometime,I Guess?, A Mixed Blessing......

    ReplyDelete

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