Recovery..... Overnight my medical issues seem to have cleared up but as the the night wasn't totally uninterrupted, I'm prepared to wait a bit before venturing out. Now we are set up in the room with all we need, I try taking in solids again and by 10.00 am there's no further issues. The plan today is to spend some money and there's an ideal place to start.
Chanthaburi - Gems and Jewelry Centre..... While we won't be able to attend the weekend gems market, the only other option is to head for the Gems and Jewelry Centre known from our last visit to Chanthaburi. With our first wedding anniversary only a week ago, I'm on the lookout for a suitable gift and in fact any gift ideas for family at Christmas. We arrive at the centre during an international gems fair which adds interest and I leave Katoon to do some window shopping while I search around for other gifts. After what seems to be ages, I see my lady is attracted to something that sparkles and it's not Christmas decorations. I've noted that here there is a gem for every month of the year and that narrows things down a bit. Working around lunch after nearly three hours we walk out with a blue sapphire ring.
While we've been here before I don't believe then that there was a gems' museum here, and I find the information about the natural processes that formed gemstones and the locations where they are found totally fascinating.
I can sum up this centre as being a place where there is serious money changing hands, so valuable are some gems, but that should not to put anyone off coming here since there are jade or silver items here for quite small money. Talking of smaller money I now head for the market's area.
Namphu Market..... Namphu Market is an old market, and I'm here to pick up some dried seafood to take home. It does seem an obvious choice, but there's not the selection I hoped for but managed to fill a bag anyway. I had planned to spend a good hour here but find no inspiration as to what more I can add to my take home list. With the time still only 2.00 pm I play a wildcard which would trump nothing if the weather continued as it had, but there is a break in the cloud, and now it's quite pleasant so let's just head for the coast!
Laem Sing..... Laem Sing needs no introduction to this site but boasts a number of attractions both historical and natural on Chanthaburi's coastline. I could spend time here talking about how a defeated Siamese army recovered here after the fall of Ayutthaya or how French occupation at the turn of the 20th Century left its mark. However, I'm here again just to look out across the ocean for what's likely to be the last time this year. Leam Sing has a long quiet sandy beach while to the west is the peninsular, from where it gets its name, and the estuary of the Chanthaburi River.
Chanthaburi River..... We first arrive at the fishing port at the river's mouth and I get hypnotized by the offloading of crabs being sorted and loaded onto a truck. This fishing is activity as old as humanity itself. The work though soon ends, and we head for the beach.
Laem Sing Beach..... Laem Sing Beach will experience popular times, but we're still in the monsoon season when the beach is practically deserted. Today however, a lot of effort has been put into create a walking-street right on the beach which is cute but more essentially covered to reduce the effect of bad weather. For me this works but judging by the footfall right now others don't think so as vendors supplying a wide range of food and drink struggle to make ends meet. Maybe these folk would rather be in Pattaya but not me. I could sit here all day.
By snacking and buying from food stalls we avoid a time-consuming and often costly meal. Back at Bluebed I'm out like a light blue stone. Tomorrow we're taking a long trip into Isan for a special event before retuning to Bangkok and the final days before I return to the UK.

Source: Visit