Goodbye to Hua Hin

With only a few days remaining of my week's holiday in Hua Hin, I thought I should shake off my slothfulness and make an effort to see some of the 'sights'. Fortunately, given my tight timeframe, there aren't very many must-sees in Hua Hin apart from the beach. However, I was keen to see Baan Silapin a local artists' collective on the outskirts of town. There were a couple of fabulous paintings on display, which I managed to resist, but it was still a fun and colourful place to visit.

Heliconias in bloom

Can you see a black and white 'something' near the bottom of the stairs in the distance? It warrants closer inspection.

At another end of the property... Why do I feel that face looks familiar?

Of course, the divine Miss B... I wonder what those two are up to while I am off working in foreign climes to support them in the lifestyle to which they have grown accustomed.

Just so long as no one is sleeping on the newly recovered sofa that isn't even in its official position yet!

But I digress....  My second and final port of call on my visit to Hua Hin's tourist spots was to the King's Summer Palace - Phra Ratchchaniwet Marukhathayawan - built by Rama VI. The teak buildings are connected by a series of elevated, covered walkways and surrounded by lush gardens.

t

The sparkle of blue plumbago in the garden bed.

You can just catch a glimpse of the sea to the left behind the ancient frangipani.

I love this building set to the rear of the palace, presumably for officials. It's too big to be a cottage and too pretty to be barracks.

The submerged terracotta pots catch the rainwater from the downpipes.

It's official: I am a failure as a butterfly photographer, but I had better hone my skills quickly as I have an exciting wildlife adventure coming up soon!

Finally, a look at some of the other blooms around Hua Hin that caught my eye.

The Queen's Flower Lagerstroemia regina

The always fabulous Hammerhead Frangipani Plumeria pudica

A rather lovely white Ixora with a very narrow petalled, starry bloom compared to the one I have.  Here is the link to an earlier post of mine so you can see just how different the two are.

 

It was also quite tall. This was the growth above what was a five or six foot fence.  (The gorgeous veined leaves of the tree above are of a breadfruit.)

So it is goodbye to holidays, Hua Hin, and Thailand for now, and hello once more to my working life in Jakarta.