~ Sepia Saturday ~
Rain. I associate it with a weekend spent with friends frolicking with an army of tame fish in a national park. I remember it because that was when I learned that to deliberately stand in the rain just for the fun of it is sheer joy. The other reason was these delightful swish-swooshing catfish
They sense it when people approach. They come near as if they know dinner is served. We fed them string beans. What a greedy bunch!
Further up a slope as we continued to hike we found this moss-covered chedi made from laterite. It was built to commemorate King Rama and Queen Sunantha's visit to the park in 1876. Queen Sunantha drowned when the royal boat capsized in the Chao Phrya river.
A Wikipedia entry describes the drowning, "despite the presence of many onlookers they were forbidden on pain of death to touch the queen - not even to save her life." Nearby is a sign that forbids anyone to come near if they are not properly dressed. I took this shot using my phone from a distance. Perfect thing to do after the rain has stopped.
Catfish - yuck. Can't stand those "whiskers" and big mouths!
ReplyDeleteAnd how sad for the queen. Too important to be touched by the lowly citizens?? Or would saving her be seen as interfering with "God's plan"?
There must be some answers to your questions somewhere.
DeleteThat seems extraordinary, that death would preferable to being touched by a commoner. I like the idea of feeding string beans to catfish, though.
ReplyDeleteI think so too. Someone said, 'I wonder what was the queen thinking while she was drowning.
DeleteFascinating photographs. The would seem to capture the time and place so well.
ReplyDeleteLove the 'vintage' looking photos and delightful memories ~ Happy Weekend to you and thanks for the comments ^_^
ReplyDeleteI thought the string beans sounded strange at first, but maybe they resemble water plants that fish eat.
ReplyDeleteGreat photographs and interesting stories to go with them.
ReplyDeleteCatfish and string beans. What a wonderful dinner!
ReplyDeleteThat story about the queen is too weird. But the monument to her is beautiful. Maybe that makes it all worthwhile.
Nancy
How strange that a monarch should die rather than be saved, due to some antiquated protocol.
ReplyDeleteI've caught a catfish or two but not on string beans. They did like sweetcorn thought. Fine monument.
ReplyDeleteBeing Regal Is Sometime,I Guess?, A Mixed Blessing......
ReplyDelete