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Bridges
 Primitive
bridge over the River Sangskar in Ladakh
Man is our planet’s only species which concerns itself
with lasting architecture. Certainly beavers and termites are engaged in
building structures, but their designs are biodegradable. Sometimes our
building passion is a tribute to great love, sometimes to great faith. And
often it is simply a manifestation of immense ego. But mostly, it arises from
practical need. The bridge is in that category.
 Wooden
Bridge in Bhutan
During the 20th century, most of the building which will
stand the test of time are bridges. Of course, in times of war, the bridge
becomes a priority military target, so many of them are destroyed. For
example, of the 43 bridges that spanned the Rhine River in Germany before the
Second World War, not one has survived. But new ones have been built, bigger,
better, and stronger.
 Bridge
on the River Kwai
A sojourn, for a traveller, is a personal thing. Some
people have a thing for islands, hopping from one to another around the world.
South East Asians love shopping tours. Other individuals scorn the art and
culture of Europe and instead eat and drink their way across the continent,
that bastion of fine wines and cuisine. Some of the more fit and robust
collect mountains, others, national parks. I once travelled through the
Himalayas with a friend who had a passion for firehouses. It seems he hunted
them down in the manner of a true connoisseur. I still have his photo, posed
wearing a fireman’s hat, standing in the firehouse of Kathmandu.
 San
Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge
A bridge, to the romantic with a passion for structures,
can be a living thing. A bridge lover rarely wants to drive across a massive
suspension bridge, for example. He must pass under such a bridge, as a boatman
or a rower, if he can. All those piers, and pylons, roadways and cables
produce a physically flowing and floating sensation. Some bridges which cross
great spans, the older ones, are amazing structures of riveted steel or stone,
solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. New ones which cross water over islands have
cables which produce whole cacophonies of sound. But not all bridges are built
for motor traffic. Some are primitive, and are simply there for people to get
from one side to the other. Variety is the spice of bridges. I often wonder
just when in our historical development the human race decided not to get its
feet wet.
Around Town
By
Lesley Warner
On Sundays I have to do something, I can’t sit at home,
so this week I thought of ‘sport’. But I wanted something not too hard, so
I came up with fishing. Well, it is classified as a sport!
 Relaxing
atmosphere - as Miss Terry Diner always writes: “Highly Recommended”
When I enquired as to where I might do this activity I was
directed to Jomtien Fishing Park, Soi 14 off of the Jomtien Beach Road. So
armed with my pillow and a book (I didn’t say I was going to do the sport)
off I went. I was pleasantly surprised at the place, as it was so quiet and
peaceful.
 The
place is easy to find
The equipment was easy to hire at reception with food
guaranteed to attract the fish, which consisted of two loaves of bread and two
bags of an undistinguishable smelly mixture. I decided I should at least make
an effort and as I stood there looking at the fishing rod and collection of
edible delights I must have looked as perplexed as I felt, because the
gentleman working on the individual little huts you get to sit in as you fish
came to instruct me. A bit like baking a cake, knead the ingredients together
(great for the nails) with water and somehow make it stay on the metal spring
on the end of the line. As you can tell I have never fished in my life, as I
swung back the line and watched in horror and embarrassment as it dropped in
the water about 3 yards in front of me I picked up my book!
 My
catch - well, at least with the camera!
It was a cloudy day so it was slow fishing, at least
that’s what I was told, and all I wanted was someone to catch a fish to wake
me and everyone else up. The resident dog decided she would go and see what
was happening with the fish, it obviously worked, as soon after someone caught
a ‘whopper’. As I went running round the lake yelling “don’t put it
back yet!” The Thais resignedly obliged the crazy Farang woman, while she
made them pose for photo’s probably thinking I was a tourist gone berserk or
just with a fish fetish.
Somehow I don’t feel that this is the sport for me but
for a day relaxing in a nice peaceful setting with reasonable food and drink
and a good book, I can recommend it.
Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel. 66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax: 66-38 427 596
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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