I hopped on a friend’s motorbike and headed over to a giant replica of Buddha on the side of a mountain. There were of course vendors hawking their various goods as well as food and I wandered through to see what was available. It was the typical stuff but with a tilt toward the buddha we could all see. It is a small park with a viewing area for the icon and quite a nice place. I couldn’t stay too long as it appeared a storm was about to begin and sure enough I got caught in it about midway back to the condo. Buddha Mountain (Khao Chi Chan) is an enormous, 130 meters high and highly visible landmark in Pattay. The golden Buddha image is set on the mountain, and as I learned it is also called Khao Cheejan and can be seen from miles away. Officially it is called Phra Phuttha Maha Wachira Uttamopat Satsada and was created in 1996 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession the the throne. There appears to be a bit of history surrounding this iconic tourist spot from the Vietnam War. It turns out the Thai Army used Khao Cheejan mountain for its mining efforts. There was an American army base called U-Tapao airport and the stones were used there. After the war, mining continued for construction purposes until 1976. Lasers were used to carve out the image and later gold leaf was inlaid which I hear took many months to complete. This icon, a Sukhothai era Buddha image is 130 meters high and 70 meters wide, making it one of the biggest Buddha images in the world. As I indicated the Buddha Mountain is surrounded by landscaped gardens and there are also vinyards close by. As you walk around you will see a variety of salas (open pavilions) and pools filled with lotus flowers giving the place a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. In addition there are also quite a few shrines where Thai people come to pay homage which is the norm any time you encounter a buddha type shrine. A number of signs in English language provide information about the history of the place. At 130 meters tall, this Buddha image carved into a Mountain makes it the largest Buddha Image in the world. It is is inlaid with gold and has been carved into the rock with laser technology in 1990 and was officially opened in 1993 by His Majesty King Bhumibol. Buddha Mountain or Khao Chee Chan is adjacent to the temple compound of Wat Yansangwararam. To get the the Buddha Mountain in Pattaya here are directions. From Pattaya head south on Sukhumvit Road towards Rayong. Go 9 KM from Pattaya Tai to Ambassador City Jomtien. You can’t miss the sign on the right. You will pass Pattaya Underwater world on the right and Pattaya Floating market on your left. This is just one of the many short videos I took while driving around. Watch them all and visit my other Social Media and Travel sites as I develop them. https://wp.me/P3CC9J-6vq Stay tuned for the others. Please take a minute and donate even a small amount to help me make more videos. Wizard of Where

I was on the walking street in Pattaya, Thailand during the evening and as you can imagine the environment brings out all types of people and I mean all types. People just hanging out, some trying to make a buck, others people watching, drinking and engaged in various types of activity. Every bar had women and ladyboys outside working to get the passersby to come in, some were sort of passive but others were rather aggressive. All were dressed provocatively or at a minimum in some interesting clothing combinations. If you want more info start with video 1 Anyhow, this is one of many videos, watch them all and visit my other Social Media and Travel sites as I develop them. https://wp.me/P3CC9J-6vq Stay tuned for the others. Please take a minute and donate even a small amount to help me make more videos.