Our day didn't end after the Celebration as we boarded the coach and headed back up the 212 for lunch. We ate at the excellent modern restaurant 'Ab Zab' on the southern outskirts of Loeng Nok Tha. The restaurant had a large and small dining room. In the first image, are our special guests on the day Mr Bruce and Mrs Noi Templeman. Bruce has helped OCA in the past so Lunch was the least we could do to show our appreciation. The rollover shows the larger dining room before any food was served.

We tucked in to a feast of rice, vegetables, chicken, pork and fish, to name a few of the ingredients. Cooked in various ways as the rollover shows, but with a definite toning down on the spices, ginger, stronger herbs and garlic. I can only assume the conversation in the main dining room would have gone something like it did in the small one? That being the case then it would have been about the wonderful show that had been put on for us by the people of Khok Samran and all the outsiders i. e. the dancers from Yasothon.

Lunch over it was time to depart back to the Airfield. Before we left the waitresses asked for a picture with Neil. Now I don't think it was to compare skirts but they quickly gestured for him to fire up his pipes. Neil doesn't take much persuading so the sounds of his pipes were soon echoing around the restaurant. We were all gathered round stomping and clapping to his playing when someone pointed to Aek and started a rendition of 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow' We could see how much it meant as his emotions were revealed in his face.

The rollover above was a grabbed shot by Mark Wareham. It shows not only the staff of the Ab Zab waving goodbye but also the two Policeman who'd escorted us to the restaurant. I think we'd made almost as good an impression on the people of Khok Samran as they had on us. We went back to the Airfield so that those of us returning for the first time, could explore the former Camp. People immediatley started to work out what was where by the fifty year old lumps of concrete left behind.