An ordinary life in an extra-ordinary place
Archive for November, 2009
Or, in Thai, Loy Krathong. It’s the day when Thais stick incense sticks and candles on a little boat and launch it on the water.
This is our Krathong, attracting the attention of Tiki who attempted to eat the candle immediately after the photo was taken. It was fashioned by hand, using all natural materials, by she who must be obeyed over a period of several hours. Or, we bought it on the street and the key ingredient is Styrofoam. More >
Saturday.
Friday was spent coming down from the mountains, with stops to view more waterfalls, plus the obligatory shopping and eating breaks. Saturday was meant to be spent driving to the sunflower fields on the way home; but by the time we had had breakfast, more shopping, lunch, more shopping and eating breaks, the day seemed to have too few hours left to visit sunflowers. Plus, we were missing the cats, so decided to go straight home.
2,000 kilometres in five days. Yes, you guessed, right now I need to sleep.
Thursday.
Three hours in an inflatable boat. Forty kilometres driving on tracks that were not really suitable for driving on. Four kilometres on foot, down but more often up jungle trails. All to visit a waterfall.
Surprisingly, it was spectacularly worth it. There will be photos.
Right now, I need to sleep.
Wednesday,
About 150 kilometres and more than 1,200 corners, takes you from Tak, through mountainous countryside to Umphang.
With she who must be obeyed’s army father’s bodyguard as nominated driver, I am free to enjoy the view. In the back there is my wife, her mother and “Auntie Ning”. I have never been entirely sure about how she has auntie status, but she is pleasant enough; and the three ladies settle down to a long journey filled with snacking and a heated debate about Thaksin. Unclear as to whether it is a pro or anti Thaksin debate, but it is certainly heated.
This leaves me and the driver free to enjoy the endless bends, spectacular scenery and, because we are close to the Myanmar border, a succession of refugee camps in various shades of sadness.
There are army checkpoints too, but mention of my father-in-law is enough to have us waved through with much saluting. I must try this with the Pattaya police.
Finally we arrive at our resort which has “riverside” in the name, and indeed our chalet looks down on a little river.
Tomorrow we spend 3 hours rafting down a big river, then a drive through the jungle to a monster waterfall.
I have been told, in hushed tones, that we will not be allowed to take food into the park. Not sure how the ladies will cope with this.
Right now, I need to sleep (again).
Eight hours on the road, of which around six were spent going in the right direction. The rest was spent getting lost courtesy of the she who must be obeyed navigation service, plus stops to refill the snacks which were being constantly consumed.
620 kilometres later we arrive in Tak, just in time for the Loy Kratong competition. This involved a series of half hour shows by various districts. Dozens of dancers and musicians did their thing while a team of young men risked severe burns by feeding a constant stream of burning coconut shells into the water.
It was a great show, well worth the drive, and I will bore you with photos when I get home. For now, I am restricted to using my phone, which is where the photo has come from, so apologies for the quality.
Tomorrow we head into a national park for two days. Right now, I need to sleep.
Somewhere between here and Bangkok there is a broken fibre- optic cable. So, no internet and this is being written on a phone.
Hopefully, normal service will be resumed eventually.
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