The Temple of the Goddess of the Sea (Suza’s photo)
Sam San Shrine built in 1853 serves as the patron saint of sailors. Suza and I had actually skipped this stop but doubled back when we read that the temple is dedicated to “cruisers.”
Phra Phitak Chyn Pracha Mansion 9 Krabi Road
The “grandest angmor-lao (foreign mansion)” was owned by a Phuket born Chinese mining tycoon. Until recently it had been uninhabited for many years. Bearing the lucky # 9….has many Sino-Colonial features including Doric styling seen in the 3 sets of archways.
New life as a cooking school and restaurant
Maybe the next time we come it will be open. The banner said that the “soft opening “ went from February 27th to March 30th. Suza and I were a few days too early. Days later, when Randal and I walked by we saw some chairs set out in rows on the lawn, but nothing different. Cooking classes seem to be a big tourist draw here. Randal took an all day class 10 years ago during his world bike trip.
Oldest Herbs Shop in Phuket
Filling a prescription
These concoctions are used for medicine, vitamins, herbal soups, etc…. Suza and I bought some herbal soup mix and also some Goji Berries (Lycium Barbarum.) The Goji Berries look like oval shaped dried cranberries. I just took about a tablespoon of them and they taste a bit like chocolate licorice. (That’s amazing in itself since Chinese medicine always tastes terrible.) They are supposed to invigorate my liver, kidneys, and lungs; maintain a strong immune system, stabilize my blood pressure, lower my blood sugar, prevent cancer and improve my eyesight. I think there are some included in my soup mix too. I know that chicken soup cures a cold so maybe these magic berries work too. I guess I am a bit skeptical though I have no rational reason to be. I do know that when we were in China and Randal was very, very ill with food poisoning, he had great care and the doctor was wonderful. Dr Zhou.
Time for food!
A lovely and relaxed lunch
Info from the China Inn menu
It was a long, narrow, tall building. The front rooms offered items for sale. The very back was the dining area. A separate building at the end of the garden was the kitchen. We sat and relaxed and ate lunch while it rained briefly. And, although the day was mostly very sunny and hot, the shaded dining area with a few fans was very comfortable.
Ngoh-Kaa-Kee
“As a strong feature of Phuket’s unique Sino-Colonial architecture, the ‘five-foot way’, arcade or ngho-kaa-kee is the high roof covered, curved archway. This walkway allows the visitor to browse many shops without exposure to the weather. Some archways have been closed in, while others, under municipal conservation programs are voluntarily being re-opened.” www.ArtAndCultureAsia.com
Can you see the dragon’s face?
I read that many of the building fronts supposedly resemble the faces of dragons. The door is the mouth, the big windows are the eyes and the small curved windows above are the eyebrows. I can see it.
End Part 2
Ru
DoraMac