I did briefly revive the helmet project in Hat Yai. There, it being rainy season and all, it\u2019s more about the diversity of the helmets and the ponchos<\/em> rather than the helmets and the faces. Ultimately, just not as much fun, so I\u2019ve let it go. Did come up with at least a few<\/em> interesting shots, however\u2026<\/p>\n Apart from trolling the markets, one may also, if willing to put it on the heel and toe for a time, find some touristy sites around and about. For one: there\u2019s the World\u2019s third-largest Reclining Buddha.<\/p>\n Walked to the temple at which a hostel staffer assured me it resided, to find that it had gone missing. A roly-poly monk (looked not unlike Potbelly Buddha, now that I think about it) told me that this was the wrong temple, and that I had to hire a driver to deliver me to the big reclining. He was a nice guy; said he wanted to take me to his home, a large place at which I could stay and eat free of charge. Don\u2019t know whether he wanted to ravish me, or convert me, or simply thought me a homeless, wandering wretch.<\/p>\n I respectfully declined his offer of hospitality, researched the true location of the big guy, and set out on foot. After about an hour\u2019s walking, there it was:<\/p>\n Colour me underwhelmed. It was worth the trip, though, as a market located adjacent the temple had a vendor selling obscenely delicious Coconuts for only fifteen Baht apiece. And so began my torrid relationship with the Hat Yai and Songkhla Coconut waters. Cannot…stop…drinking them.<\/p>\n About an hour\u2019s walk from downtown, in the opposite direction, is the Municipal Park. Too far away to be at all convenient, it\u2019s nevertheless quite beautiful. More like a nature park than a municipal park, it features a peaceful lake\u2026<\/p>\n \u2026and some nice hiking, including to two<\/em> (count \u2018em) mountaintop temples — one Buddhist and one Hindu \u2013 connected, for those too lazy to walk, by gondola.<\/p>\n The locals\u00a0 in both Hat Yai and here in Songkhla are exceptionally<\/em> friendly and helpful \u2013 even by Thai standards. Hmm, well, the moto-taxi drivers over on Ramvithi are always bumming Bananas from me; so, I dunno, maybe they\u2019ve spread the word to be super-nice to the barefoot farang. Whatever the reason, in addition to the portly monk noted earlier, there were\u2026<\/p>\n And those are just some of the more striking occurrences \u2013 smaller examples abound as well. The only thing is, the schoolchildren don\u2019t seem quite as friendly as in other parts of Thailand. Maybe they\u2019re not as confident with their English, or something? Thailand ain\u2019t perfect by any stretch; but you\u2019d be very hard-pressed to find a more friendly, genuine, delightful people — ‘specially here in the south of.<\/p>\n That said, Hat Yai, despite its charms, could only really occupy one\u2019s attentions for a day or three. The true gem of this area is Songkhla, which has, for nigh upon a week now, been holding me fast just like a goddanged magnet would do. Could easily<\/em> stay here for a very<\/em> long time, if one were of a mind to.<\/p>\n Stay tuned, and I\u2019ll goddamn prove that to you. First, a final\/fun pic from Hat Yai\u2026<\/p>\n There\u2019s not much there there in Hat Yai. Its star rose only quite recently \u2013 with the advent of the railroad, it blossomed into the transportation\/commercial hub of southern Thailand, and currently does huge business serving Malaysian and Singaporean sex … Continue reading ![\"2014-09-08](\"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-09-08-182811.jpg\" "\\"2014-09-08")
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