Specifically, to see whatever stuff looks interesting, which usually means details rather than the big picture. Cycling really is the best way to travel for this. Slow enough to spot the little things but quick enough to cover a good distance.
I headed roughly north from home following the local Petchaburi river but not actually seeing it much except when crossing its bridges. The area is a flat rice-field landscape, rural but well-populated and with Buddhist temples always just around the next corner.
Roadkill always interests me as a good way to see some of the less obvious local wildlife. Of course, it's more about getting to know the fauna of an area than wanting to see it like this. I don't enjoy finding squashed corpses with splattered entrails but I do enjoy knowing what animals have been trying to cross our killer roads recently.
Today started with a very flat turtle. Possibly a rice-field terrapin, hard to be sure. I quite often find these and always wonder about the driver who hit it. Turtles are slow and bulky enough to be fairly obvious, surely the driver must have seen it. Perhaps at night it happens too quickly but I think there must often be a bit of intention in driving straight over one.
This was quickly followed by a recently squashed and twisted rainbow water snake - I apologise for the graphic nature of these two photos. Snakes are less obvious than turtles and their quick movement perhaps makes it harder to avoid them without taking dangerously drastic action but on the other hand I suspect many drivers actually try to hit them if given the chance.
A sign to one of our local attractions, Khao Luang Cave, caught my attention. It is still legible but beautifully weathered. Heavy white cracks all over the blue background with finer cracking in the lettering. Many of the road-signs in our area end up like this and I say long may it continue!
Another roadkilled snake, this time a Jodi's pipe snake and not so fresh.
The whole country is rich with bananas and I never tire seeing a large bunch hanging next to the road. An amazingly versatile plant/fruit that's good for wildlife and so easy to grow. These are the most common variety in Thailand, "nam wah", which are shorter with a slight tang and different texture to the more commonly known Cavendish variety.
I popped into a riverside temple for a quick look around. It's two bridges are a contrast in styles which made me wonder why one had a high-arch as if to allow boat traffic through but it's neighbour doesn't. Maybe aesthetics, maybe structural, maybe an attempt to make the local residents exercise more. It could be that the river is hardly used for transportation any more so the newer bridge was built flatter.
From the bridge I was sorry to see lots of water hyacinth floating downstream. This is an invasive, non-native plant that has blocked many of Thailand's lowland waterways.
Another metal sign at the temple had a different style of weathering on the back. Rich rusty tones blending beautifully with the sign's blue base colour.
At this temple I also loved this little wooden lion striding around with purpose and attitude. At such sites it's always worth taking your eyes away from the striking main temple buildings and looking for the little details where the character lies.
After a quick stop to admire a lovely display of morning glory flowers I went into another riverside temple.
Many trees in temple grounds are blessed by being wrapped in saffron cloth. When new it looks okay but once the tree has worn it for a while it looks much more comfortable to me. This is a Bodhi tree, the type of fig under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.
I am not always a fan of the often gaudy colours and decoration of Thai temples but I was quite taken with this one, which was a dazzling mix of old and new, bright and more subdued.
With some nice little details as well.
Moving on, the river braids as it nears the coast so the channel is actually narrower than upstream and its banks look a very pleasant place to live.
My final stop before riding home was yet another temple. Highlights here included some very characterful animal statues (of the twelve-year cycle), a Bodhi tree looking badly restricted by its tiled base and an incongruous replica of the Eiffel tower!
There was also this old hermit resting in a shelter but it looks like he had kicked all the previous occupants out.
And tucked away in a corner was an irresistible old car with some great patches of flaked-away paintwork.
Unlike the first two temples this one has a large population of long-tailed macaques, which always provide some interest and entertainment.
There were also a few other animal residents. One hoping I had food, another quick to run away from me, and the third enjoying some monkey poo.
On the way home there was time for a bit more roadkill: another Jodi's pipe snake that almost looked like it was still alive but definitely wasn't plus another rainbow water snake in a bow.
I cycled about 33km but with all the stopping to look at stuff it took me well over 3 hours!
