Thailand - Chinatown and shopping

This morning we took a walk around Chinatown and visited a Chinese temple in the area, Wat Leng Noei Yi officially named Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. We spent some time walking through the market lanes almost down to the river. Later that evening we went to the Paragon shopping centre.

Thailand - Chinatown

Me in the Market lane.

Thailand - Grand Palace

Spent the morning having a look at the more modern side of Bangkok and went to the Chit Lom Skytrain station, then walked around the area. Spent a short time at the Erawan Shrine amongst the incense smoke, then had a very delightful lunch at one of the more upmarket restaurants nearby.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon at the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha temple. The large gold stupa is Phra Siratana Chedi. It is part of the old temple complex of the Grand palace.

Thailand - First Full Day

Went to Chatuchak Markets (where else on a weekend) and had a look around for a good part of the day. Later we took a Tuk Tuk to Silom Village for tea. Silom Village is on Silom Road and consists of a number of antique and ther shops along with a few good eateries. There are traditional dancer there every night. I had a nice chilli chicken but swallowed a whole chilli by mistake. I won't do that again in a hurry!

A night amongst the rocks

Rough Bullseyes (Pempheris klunzingeri) once again at Marino Rocks but at night this time. Saw a Fidler Ray last Tuesday but the water was so mucky that I couldn't get a good picture. A new and interesting experience, snorkelling in the dark. This time I stuck to the rocky areas and where the water was only about 1.5m deep. Plenty of Bullseyes of various levels of maturity including a "school" of several dozen no more than 30mm long. They were concentrated at the bottom of a small hollow between the rocks. The very little ones are mostly transparent like the one to the right. The slightly pink one is about 80mm long and they grow to about 200mm when full grown.

Jimbles

Jimbles (Carybdea rastoni)

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For a change at Marino Rocks, snorkelling after work.
The Jimble belongs to the cubozoan order of jellyfish. Cubozoans have a box-shaped body with tentacles at each corner. They have painful stings and are related to the more dangerous Box Jellyfish found in the tropics.

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I was very wary trying to get these pictures as I was worried I would end up in the middle of a swarm of the creatures while I was concentrating on the camera. I think they didn't like the flash of the camera. They are usually found near the surface but as I was photographing them they often would move away or even head for the bottom.

A Night Dive at ...

...Port Noarlunga! Who woulda thought it.

An interesting invertebrate. This example was with a few others out over the open sand about 40 metres south of the jetty. A few bubbles detract from the shot, but worth it for the glow around the eyes.

Red Mullet. There are three fish in Australia known by this common name. This one is actually Upeneus tragula. The most obvious feature of this fish is its whskers (but they don't show too well in this piccy). They are used for fossicking through the sand for food.

A Baby Blenny at Port Noarlunga

A baby Blenny (about 50mm long). The rotten little thing wouldn't stay still for long, zipping around in the fine sea grass on the limestone rocks of the reef. Just below the intertidal zone.
Parablennius tasmanianus ?

Another Blenny hiding in it's hole (picture taken by Uschi) Parablennius intermedius maybe

Another fish, about as long as my forearm. I wish I knew what sort :-)

Taken about 4m down.

Neuroodla

Insulator from the railway telegraph line.

-

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings,
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Ozymandius
by: Percy Bysshe Shelley

A view of the siding at Neuroodla. Nothing left of the siding other than a sign and platforms. 40 degrees, brings to mind Shelley's poem, despite lack of lone and level sands. At least today. Abnormally green due to last weeks rain.

A Back Road Near Leigh Creek

Driving over 1600km in 3 days visiting various sites in the north of the state.