Day 9, Tuesday, 12th March - Narathiwat

Setback....... This morning I woke with foot pain which developed suddenly overnight. This has all the hallmarks of gout and I immediately start taking colchicine. Today we had plans to leave Narathiwat and head for Sungai-Kolok but there is still work to do around the city and I just cannot take the chance of this being a long day. That means asking for an extra night at Nara Pattra Hotel. I just hope that the medication acts quickly so the delay won't be too long. However, Nara Pattra has one of the nicer rooms we've stayed in and the outlook from the balcony over to the forest is great consolation. We stay in the room all morning but common sense goes out of the window and I decide to go out exploring despite the pain. Naturally though we won't be going that far.
Wat Khao Khong Buddhist Park....... Khao Kong Buddhist Park, located south of the city in Lampoo Sub-district is where Phra Phuttha Thaksin Ming Mongkhon Statue is situated. The area used to be a major landmark for Buddhism as ancient Buddhist items were found here. The construction of this Buddha image was between 1966 and 1969. King Rama IX had placed Buddha relics here in 1970. The park houses different structures including a chedi and relining Buddha recently added.
Tan Yong Mat Railway Station....... Tan Yong Mat Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Narathiwat as the railway bypasses this city on the way to Sungai-Kolok and is 13 km from the Buddhist Park. I need to check it out to keep the flow of videos going. Fortunately with this station on a single line route being a cross-over point, there is a train waiting for a local service to arrive. This is ideal as I get to see two trains for the price of one. With a limited amount of time today I head back to the city within easy reach of the hotel.
Chao Mae Tubtim Shrine of Narathiwat....... Chao Mae Tubtim Shrines are found in many locations in Thailand. Goddess Tubtim is associated with fertility so it's normal to find a linga in her temples. The shrine here is wonderfully decorated in Chinese art form and shows that there is a mixed community here. My left foot is really getting painful now and I can't consider anything else today that requires walking about. That rules out the New Central Mosque eventually, as in any case I find the Central Mosque but not the new one I was looking for. The consolation with my condition is that we get mixed up in traffic and can't park up.
Old Central Mosque (Al-Jum'iyah Mosque)....... At the Old Central Mosque I just get the minute I need to take some photos from the entrance. That will have to do.
This original wooden mosque was built here in 1938 in the Sumatran-style and is the burial place of the old city Lord, Phraya Phu Pha Phakdi. Usually there is only one provincial mosque, but because this mosque is quite small, a new mosque was built at the mouth of Bang Nara River. However, this old mosque is still highly respected by locals and is regarded as the central one. I got there after all!
Normally, I would not call it a day so early and normality has its way. There is one more attraction out of town that hopefully is a drive-past.
Ao Manao Beach....... Ao Manao Beach is a long sandy beach east of Narathiwat and the Bang Nara River Estuary. At the eastern end is the Ao Manao-Khao Tanyong National Park where you can use a walkway around it's edge facing the bay for free. Ao Manao Beach is one of the nicer beaches in the region. All I can do is take a few photograph as I struggle to do more.
I head back to Nara Pattra Hotel. There will be no meal tonight at a cosy restaurant. The best I can do is reach a 7-Eleven. Back in the room I can at least get off my feet and prepare for what must be a difficult night.
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