After arriving back on the Thai mainland in Chumphon, we ate lunch at a KFC (shame on us!) and jumped in the car to continue our southern journey. Today's leg took us to very old and historic Nakorn Si Thammarat.
On the way, we stopped in Chaiya, one of Thailand's oldest cities. We visited two temples here -- one very old and one very recent, but still well-known. The old one is called Wat Phra Boromathat and was built in the Srivijaya style (8th-10th century).
The newer temple is called Wat Suan Mokkhaphalaram. It was founded this century by a monk named Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, one of Thailand's most famous monks. He had interesting ideas of how Buddhism should be practiced -- with a blend of Zen, Taoist, and even Christian concepts. The main building at this temple has a facinating collection of wall paintings representing all of these different religions.
But now, we have made it to Nakorn Si Thammarat. We will explore the city tomorrow and then continue south to Hat Yai.
