Did I tell
you that there is some nice fruit in season at the moment? Well, on the
previous visits I recollect that Thailand
seems to have a permanent abundance of good fruit available for that healthy
munch break. My personal favourites are Dragon fruit, which always looks the
most exotic of fruits, Rambutan, always delicious at 10 baht a half kilo,
Mangosteen and Longans. Mangoes and Bananas are everywhere and cheap.
Mon 20th Jul - The train surprised me by not leaving the station until
8:10pm. That's 35 minutes after the scheduled departure. Now I thought that
they were more punctual than that? Before I got on the train I was sat on the
balcony area having a coffee when the lovely Robyn passed by. She was the girl
who joined me on the first day in Bangkok and had just returned from
Kanchanaburi. She would be heading to Chiang Mai tonight with a possibility
that we may overlap on our travels later on.
Aboard
the train my carriage seemed rather empty but collected a few more passengers
along the way. Once the journey got under way for proper, the beds were made up
and the food service came around to take orders for dinner, which I didn't need
as I had brought on enough snacks and drinks. Once everyone was tucked in bed,
and frozen by the aircon, the guards come around and wash the floors and
collect rubbush. It's all very thai and part of the excellent service.
I
was freezing all night and hardly slept at all as a result. Why they have the
aircon so cold escapes me. I don't think anyone likes to be that cold when they
are trying to sleep. The view from the train window was pleasant. Out of the
city and into the rambling greenery of the provinces is a stark contrast, and a
nice scene to start the day. Train 13 Arrived at Lampang at 8:15am, over an
hour later than the scheduled arrival. It did set off late, but cannot be that
critical of timing as it is a long journey of around 600km I think. I was to
stay at the 'Riverside Guest House' on Thanon Talat Kao, and overlooking the
Mae Wang river. Outside the station the Sawngthaew wait and only charged 20
Baht to get to the guest house. Flexible route so you just say where you want
to go and they drop you to the door. Greeted by the pleasant owner Lorenza. Had
to wait a little while until my room was ready, but an ideal time to chill by
the river. The location is lovely and peaceful, with nice garden and
comfortable seating to kick back in. As with all places in Thailand and
especially of this type (as opposed to sterile hotels), the atmosphere is
friendly and the guests are happy to chat to each other. I paid 500 Baht for a
large fan room.
On
the bank of the river opposite where I sat, two fishermen were casting nets
whilst stood in the water up to their waists. Fishing the traditional way.
This
road is referred to as a 'Walking street'. Chiang Mai first coined this, and on
weekends it is closed to traffic and fills with market stalls and street
vendors. Thanon Talat is an interesting street full of old shop houses.
Following on from a busy weekend, today the place is quiet, and most places
were closed until later.
The
sky was very overcast and looked possible for some rain later. Didn't hang
around and set off for some sightseeing....
Lampang is small by comparison to its neighbor
Chiang Mai at little over 50,000 population. Its main claim to fame is for
being the only place in Thailand where horse drawn carts or Meung Rot are still used for public
transport albeit mainly for tourism nowadays. I gather that a 1 hour trip
around the sights should only cost about 300 Baht, but I decided to walk as I
believe you see more that way. The town was built as a walled rectangle along
the river Mae Wong. Back in history the British were here. They brought with
them their expertise in the timber industry and favoured the use of local Teak
for construction. They brought in Burmese companies who were experts in
construction of temples and built some impressive buildings in the region.
First place I visited on the northern side of
the river was Baan Sao Nak, In the
old Wiang Neua (northern) section. Admission 50 Baht. Built in 1895 in
traditional Lanna style. A huge teak house supported by 116 square teak
pillars. Once owned by a local Khunying
(equivalent to an English Lady). It is now a local museum. There has been much
renovation over the years but most is still unadulterated.
Slightly
further up the road is the sprawling Wat
Phra Kaew Don Tao. Built 1436 to 1468. On the northern side of the Mae Wong
river. In the past it housed the Emerald Buddha statue which is now located in
the Bangkok Grand Palace.
The
main Chedi apparently shows
Hariphunchai influence, whatever that is? The Mondop which is a square, spire-topped shrine room, Is decorated in
Burmese style with a Mandalay-style Buddha image. Filled with Lanna style
artifacts.
Admission
was supposed to be by donations, but I got charged a fixed 20 Baht. A lucky
timing of my visit was that the main compound was filled with Buddhist students
under instruction. The head Monk was teaching one group under a gazebo. Other
groups were reading and copying the various signs around the site. I got
chatting to some as they were excited to see a Farang!
On
the way back I took a couple of diversions and had to backtrack. I am not
usually put off by barking snarling dogs, but there were so many here that I
didn't trust, so decided to avoid them instead as a few lunged at me even
though I tried to do the best thing and ignore them.
Opposite
the Ga-o-In coffee shop is a turning
to another temple, which looked interesting from a distance. It was completely
empty, except for one monk who made a line for me and started chatting in
English. I was lucky as we spent a fair time talking about him, his family
history and Buddhism in general. He was Burmese and was ordained when he was
10. He was now 30 and had occasional visits from his family who still reside in
Burma. The crazy thing was that he learnt English from a family member who
lived in Birmingham UK of all places. Small world really. Very gentle and
elegant man who was a pleasure to chat with.
Time
for a coffee break at the Ga-o-In and
take in some quiet Thai music with the tinkling waterfall in the background.
Time on-line to catch up with Shiera back home. It is putting a strain on
things a little, as she is on her own back there. A big house can feel very
empty when there is nobody to share the space with.
Walking
back to the Riverside was pleasant as there are many temples, including a
Chinese Taoist one and plenty of old Burmese style houses. Too many temples for
one day I think.
A
nice social break chatting to some other travellers staying, and then out for a
meal at the Riverside restaurant about 150 metres away as darkness descended.
Tue 21st Jul - Headed out of town to visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. Hailed as the most beautiful wooden
Lanna temple in northern Thailand. Located about 18km south west of Lampang in Ko Kha area. In town it is easy to get
directions to where the tuk-tuk stop. I paid 60 Baht to get all the way there.
Could have stopped in Kho Ka and got a motorcycle taxi from there, but no
point. The driver offered to wait for an hour and bring me back, but wanted 300
Baht for that. Seemed too much, so took my chances on getting back easily,
which proved to be a correct decision.
The
temple complex is actually two separate temples in their own compounds. One is
a dazzling gold and red monument to everything bold and is just one of those
wow buildings. Another of my favourite temples in Thailand is Wat Rong Khun near to Chiang Rai. That
one is a must visit place and I have been a couple of times already. The one
here at Luang is the golden version, and I rate it as just stunning.
The
main pull for tourists though is the old temple. Built in 1476, the main Wihaan is a triple-tiered wooden roof supported by teak pillars. The
architecture is beautiful and has paintings from that era depicting the
Buddha’s lives. Old and weathered, it is a lovely piece of history to preserve.
The main building isn't what I would call spectacular compared to others I have
seen, but it has great character. A 45m high Chedi behind the main building is
currently under renovation, so is covered in scaffolding and netting, making it
almost impossible to what is underneath.
The
Thais are devout in their worship, and many Thai Lu weavings are left as
offerings along with golden Buddha statues of various sizes and designs. It all
makes for a tyical place to watch Thai people at their most devout, and get a
little closer to their psyche.
A
small white building at the rear corner of the site is a bit odd at first.
Accessed by steps, it just seems to contain a white hanging sheet. What is less
obvious is that it is displaying an inverted image of the Buddha that is
projected via a hole in the wall. Missed that one completely and wondered why
they would bother to hang a white sheet in this building!
Easy
enough to work out how to get back to Lampang. The square in front of the
temple is surrounded by eateries and souvenir stalls. Next to the road i picked
up a motorcycle taxi for 40 Baht back to Ko-Kha. The driver dropped me at the
tuk-tuk stop, which charged 30 Baht back to town. So, all-in-all a better
option than 300 Bath the outgoing driver wanted as it only cost me 130 Baht
round trip.
Back
in town I was dropped at the bus station and walked the rest from there. At
Thanon Duangrat, Horse carriages park under the double golden arch presenting the
usual photo of the king. Dinner time, so they all had their heads down in bowls
of fodder. It had begun raining earlier and I decided against taking the
carriage back, preferring a break at the nearby Wawee coffee shop instead for some people watching. Coffee
shops, especially the better quality ones, are always used as meeting places.
People being interviewed for a job, others maybe meeting from a matchmaker type
of agency, some just carrying out their business meetings over a relaxed up of
coffee away from the office. An hour or more can just vanish.
Well
the rain kept coming, and my stomach kept calling, and so it wandered the
street to find some local food. Randomly picked a place for a bowl of noodle
and chicken stuff. They always put in a couple of lumps of what I can only
describe as slithering brown grunge. It is some part of an animal I think, but
after my first try of it, I decided I didn't like it much and so leave it
alone. It is probably the bit with the most protein, but the texture makes me
want to puke, so it's off my list of desirables.
No
umbrella, and only mid afternoon, so watched the rain and put my brain into
neutral and drifted for a while. Then got bored and decided to rush back in the
rain to the Guest House and spend the afternoon writing and rain watching from
the verandah of my room instead.
Dinner
at the Riverside restaurant again; this place seems to be about the only decent
venue to eat at in town, and tonight had a very nice band performing easy
listening music. The lead singer was a pretty lady with an equally pretty and
capable voice. Combined with a nice meal I felt satisfied after a pleasant day.
Rather
than go back to the Guest house I wandered around the town, to see whether it
had a nightlife. Surprise... It does. Obviously predominated by local Thais,
there are a few nice bars playing live music of an easy going style. A
foreigner walking in brings giggles as they have no real idea how to
communicate and you stick out from the crowd, especially if you are on your
own. To be honest, I don't get on so well these days going out on my own in the
evening. Much prefer to be with others and hope Chiang Mai to be better socially
than here due to the increased numbers who are either foreign or can speak
English. Whislt walkign I was stopped by three lads who pulled up by me and
asked me to fill in a questionnaire. The amount of times I recently where I
have been asked...what is your name, where are you from...what do you think of
Thailand....and can I take your photo? It seems like the only questions the
teachers can come up with. And they have no idea what you have written as an
answer of course. To be honest, they won't learn much from most of the answers
they have been given, especially mine. I was tempted to offload something that
has been niggling me for days....when is Thailand going to destroy or at least
enforce the muzzling and typing up of all of its dogs? My reasoning being that
so many of the snarling little buggers have lept out of alleys, and between
cars at me recently that I thought I must be wearing some of that 'I now hate
Dogs' scent of mine. Having nearly changed sex and given birth at the shock
(figuratively speaking of course), it has caused me to change direction on my
walks so many times when a pack of them lay ahead. I have given advice to
people in the past to just ignore the foaming beasts, which is sometimes easier
said than done. One dog I passed ran down the owners pathway and launched
itself at the meshed gate so hard, that I think it left a criss-crossed pattern
imprinted on its nose. For some reason I now just want to poke them in the eyes
and kick them in the nuts if they have them. It is one aspect I have come
across in many places in Thailand, for which it gets a big black cross on the
list of likes.
The
nice owner of the Guest House informed me that if I had walked on further than
I did, towards the market, then at night it isinteresting to see all the trucks
coming down from the mountains loaded with stuff. Too tired to bother walking
back again.
Wed 22nd Jul – Seen enough of Lampang now, and rather than do some more
sightseeing from here, thought I may as well move on to my favourite city in Thailand
of Chiang Mai. On the way there, I could make a number of stops, but the one of
most interest is the Thai Elephant centre, which is located around 28km North
West of Lampang outside of Thung Kwian (at the 37km marker). The bus from
Lampang to Chiang Mai goes past the road to the centre, and so a good
opportunity to stop off with my luggage whilst I visit.
I
had also heard there was an option to hire a blue sawngthaew for 300 Baht or
jump on a Chiang Mai bound bus or Sawngthaew for 26 Baht from the main bus
terminal. Obviously chose the latter. Was chatting with a girl at breakfast who
had chartered a bus directly there with her mother, but didn't fancy paying the
higher price although more convenient. Fortunately, Sawngthaew stop right
outside of the Riverside Guest House in the morning, so no need to struggle to
get to the station (20 Baht). Explain to the driver to tell me when to get off
and then wait for the bus to gather more passengers. They leave about every 30
minutes, so not kept waiting for long. One point to make here is that most Thai
public buses have no English signs whatsoever. English speaking people are also
difficult to come by, but you work it out eventually, as long as you have done
a bit of homework in advance.
One
of the options at the centre is to take a Mahout (elephant caretaker) course.
Can be from one day to a lifetime if you want.
A
few of the Showtime displays are bathing at 9:45am and 1:15pm, and 'circus'
shows at 10am, 11am and 1:30pm, where these gracious creatures can be seen
playing oversized xylophones and painting! To be honest, whilst I have griped
about this in the past, they are stuck. There is no more use of them for
commercial logging anymore thanks to eco-development. Tourism nowadays is the
saviour of the Elephant and government sponsorship along with tourism income.
The same story is true elsewhere of course and there is little alternative.
What
is nice about this place is that a high proportion of the show elephants are
driven by trainee mahouts. Students mainly who are on either 1 or 3 day
courses.
I
arrived at the ticket booth (around 500 metres from the bus drop-off on the
highway) and left my baggage in the booth whilst I visited. Entrance is 60 Baht
which is 40 Baht for the centre plus 20Baht for the shuttle bus that loops the
site. There is a visitor centre adjacent which shows the evolution of the
elephant from mammoth days through until now.
The
shuttle bus arrived at the showground area just as the first bathing session of
the day was nearing its end. The trainee Mahouts were drenched through but
having a great time. The elephants are all in wonderful condition and fed very
well. In line they then exit the bathing lake and stroll to the showground. In
typical children’s story like fashion where each elephants holds the tail of
the one in front, it is a cute introduction.
The
show itself is a tribute to the intelligence of these animals. Yes, we know
they were historically used for logging and hunting, which is displayed to
perfection. But, here they do amazing artwork with a small brush, the sales
proceeds of which go back into the project (500 to 1,000 Baht a picture). As
mentioned they ring bells, turn on and of taps to wash themselves, play
xylophones, bow for applause, gently place a hat on someone's head and other
little masterpieces of dexterity. What this all shows is the amazing
maneuverability and power of their trunk. The concentration of muscles in the
trunk allows them such precision to do almost anything with it.
Elephant
dung...now there's a load of crap...big loads of it! Well if you have such vast
quantities of it...heap big piles of crap every day..then you may as well make
paper with it. Yep, paper. It is something that is common, but another way for
the centre to get funds to plough back into the project.
Apparently
there was an eclipse at 7am this morning. I only know that because the owner of
the café I had lunch at was asking me all the technical terms for the event to
expand his English. Giving a science lesson at an elephant centre, now there's
something to write about that doesn't happen often!
Waited
around 20 minutes and flagged down an aircon bus for 60 Baht to take me to
Chiang Mai.
Well
in typical tradition, got to the Arcade bus terminal and the usual gaggle of
taxi drivers mobbed the bus. I have been here before so now the ropes. To get
to Tha Pae gate where I stay is only around 20 Baht, but they ask 80 Baht or
more. Stand fast and only pay the 20. They agree of course and onto the public
Sawngthaew and off we go.
Soon
after setting off, the heavens opened with full-on style and continued until I
was dropped off. Fortunately, I always stop at the same place around the corner
from the drop-off. The Boonmee Guest House is like a home from home and the
owners Florence and Sam are always welcoming and recognize me now. Got my usual
room for 300 Baht complete with free Wi-Fi and nice facilities. They have done
some work on the place since I was last here, and built a swimming pool plus
some redecorating of the rooms.
Nice
to catch up with a few past acquaintances in the evening; a lady running a bar
that hadn't changed at all, but her life was not going to plan and she had
taken to regular meditation and giving up drinking as part of her healing process.
Another friend who had only just opened up his own bar with his thai wife. She
is still doing all the work and running around, whilst he does all the drinking
and sorting out the hassles. Nothing much changed from last year. A few places
under new management, others making alterations to their businesses. The usual
come-on calls from the girls in the bars as you pass. All very tame and part of
the night scene.
Thu 23rd Jul - After a reasonable night's sleep, off to find a place I
had remembered for a good breakfast, to find it had been knocked down. Now that
was a shock. Found somewhere else that happened to be in a good location to
watch the fiasco of the police trapping motorcyclists for not wearing helmets.
It wasn't surprising to see that a majority of those they stopped were very
pretty girls, who they then got into long conversations with. A few foreigners
who should know better got stopped too. On the spot fine for them and easy
pickings. Within half an hour the two policemen must have netted around 30
offenders. Not bad work to swell their funds.
Off
for some 'Watting'. Chiang Mai has the highest concentration of Wats in
Thailand, and so for any budding and enthusiastic photographer, it is click
click click heaven. I have my list of personal favourites, so drop down a gear
as it is really hot today, and saunter around a circuit draining batteries,
draining energy and people watching. Now I have a little moan, which is unlike
me...I am one of those photographers that will always spot a couple or a group
of people and ask if they want a group or couple shot with their cameras. They
always say...oh thanks...that will be lovely. Guess how many times they ask if
I would like one in return...Never! The selfish gits never think to return the
favour. Not that I am too bothered, but isn't human nature selfish sometimes.
So consequently, unless I specifically ask someone, I never appear in a
photograph when I am travelling alone. Anyway, moan over and on with the
watting.
Wat
Singh is my favourite, but 'Wat This', ‘Wat Who’ and 'Wat That' are close
favourites too!
Fri 24th Jul - Had a restless night with many trips to the toilet in the
early hours. My system continues to be a mess these days. Got some advice to
purchase some 'BioGen' from the pharmacist and try it twice a day for up to a
week. It was like drinking sludge, but often things that supposed to you good
don't taste good.
Yesterday
I had a plan to do all sorts of things today, but it has evaporated as don't
feel in the mood. The strain between Shiera and I is growing as each day
passes. When you love someone, spending time apart is a difficult emotional
situation. It puts things to the test. It hasn't even been 2 weeks yet, but
this is the longest since we met. I can handle things and still function as
being away from the people I love is a normal state of life. Had to clear my
head so went for a walk to the Buak Haad
park in the south western corner of the old city. A quiet place with a couple
of small lakes and flowerbeds with plenty of people escaping from the heat and
relaxing under a tree.
Had
to visit the Dentist today as I had either dislodged a filling or chipped a
back tooth a few days ago. Couldn't work out which. Good standards here, so
ideal place to have it attended to. Cost me 1000 Baht, but that included the
anesthetic, filling, x-ray and deep root desensitizer thingamajig. They were
digging around in there for ages and came out with lock-jaw, but hopefully they
have sorted it.
Sat 25th Jul - Felt like getting out of town somewhere today. Had read a
little about the Handicraft village at Bo Sang, and thought that might offer
some nice photographic opportunities. To get there is easy enough by getting a
Sawngthaew from the flower market by the Mae Ping river. First though, was a
stop at another favourite temple of mine on the Tha Pae road at Wat Buparam.
This one is different than most in that it is fronted by a garden with models
of animals and Donald duck. It is actually two temples on the one site, but the
larger ornate one is more of a museum. The older one is of typical Lanna style
and really quaint. Sat on the balcony area were a couple of friendly Buddhist
monks, one of which was very chatty and nice to spend some time with. The
normal initial questions of where I am from and what am I doing here, but it does
get more interesting once you pass the initial stages. They are really nice
people and love interaction with foreign people, as many like to practice their
English.
The
flower market is a pretty place, as the Thai's love their flowers. Some unusual
ones that I wished I knew the name of. Will try to search on-line to find out.
The
Sawngthaew was the white one and cost 20 Baht, shared with a group of ladies
who had been doing their vegetable shopping, so it was crammed with bags and
not much legroom. Arriving in Bo Sang wasn't what I expected. I did think it
would be a traditional village. Well it is of sorts, but more like a busy major
road with some side roads. Very quiet and most of the stock looked a bit jaded
after sitting out in the sun for too long.
Bo
Sang's main claim to fame is its nickname of the 'Umbrella Village'. Wandering
off down a couple of alleys lead me to some production places where people were
busy making and painting umbrellas. Made of bamboo and coloured material and
spread out for display is an attractive image, so got some nice photographs.
There was also a paper making factory, using the traditional technique of
spreading dyed wood pulp onto mesh sheets, which are dried in the sun and then
peeled off. Many nice designs of products. Would be nice to buy some of this
stuff but it then comes down to having to carry it the rest of the journey.
Back
to town and a walk through the area that becomes the night bazaar. Empty during
the day other than by folk setting up their stalls ready for later. Time for a
Thai I'll massage. Of course these are done fully naked and in a private booth.
They inevitably ask whether sir would like a special massage? That happens
almost everywhere, but they are ok when you tell them you just want the normal
massage. Nice and relaxed, time for a meal. Seems odd but had another
breakfast. One of the bar/restaurants is run by a guy originating from
Macclesfield in the UK, and the cooked breakfast is one of the best in town. Got
chatting to an American guy who buys one of their largest meals regularly, and
it is humungous, but never finishes half of it. The sort of guy who, when you
ask a question never seems to answer it. Goes the long winded way around what
you have asked and says almost nothing in the process. I am sure you know the
type. Another guy was from Hawaii and looking to do some English teaching
here. A great chat about that as I had looked at doing it myself in the past.
There is a Language Institute here plus some smaller ones, dedicated to
teaching any language you want. The prices seem a bit high compared to other
places, but it depends on how serious you are and the quality of tuition.
A great evening at the Guitar Man on Loi Kroh road. It was one of my favourite places when
I was last here and it was good to see it still going strong. It is a jamming
venue, so anyone can get up and join in, singing or playing and instrument.
They have plenty of guitars there and drums so you don't need to bring your
own. The lead singer tonight was a guy I had met last time and we had a mutual
friend in common who now lives in Ireland, so it was nice to catch up. He was
working on recording a CD of children's music and a really nice guy and superb
musician with his own style. It also happened to be his 39th birthday and so a
celebration was in order with a cake and free meal given out to everyone there.
A wonderful evening with meeting nice people.
Whilst I think of it, the night bazaar is one
of those places that always seems to be full of life at any time of year. Been
here many times now, and it never changes. The most amusing point I think is
that you get loads of tribal dressed women walking through the crowds selling
amulets of a tribal nature, but what you actually remember is those sill
frogs....you probably know the sort...made of wood and you scrape a stick down
their back to make a frog sound. They are everywhere, and it seems to add a
musical track to the hustle and bustle of the market. Just stop anywhere and
you are almost certain to hear the sound. I wonder if everyone in the world has
secretly got one of these frogs tucked away somewhere...go on you know you want
one. I am seriously resisting, but have been tempted many times.
A late night of discussion with Shiera over
the net. I miss her and it is putting a strain on things me being away. The
annoying thing is interfering people who begin to sow doubts into a
relationship just because you are upset when you apart. Why can't people just
keep their noses out of your lives without ending up making things worse than
they already are? A restless night as a result...
Sun 26th Jul - Today is market day in Rachedamnoen street;
otherwise known as a 'walking street'. It usually begins at 2pm, but the
vendors begin setting up early morning. I was out by 9pm and some were already
there. No business yet as most people were out late last night and don't get
out of bed until late.
Sat having breakfast and a van passed by
advertising the 'Longan fair'. The Longan is in season now and everywhere, but
they actually have a fair...why? I have no idea as they are just another fruit
that happens to be available, so why celebrate it?
The
market in full swing later and off to saunter and take photos. Not interested
in buying anything, but it is very tempting as there is so much attractive
stuff. Many musicians, including many blind manage to find their little niche
amongst the crowded street, and are very proficient and nice to listen to. The
main problem is the narrow street which is too crowded to listen for long. The
street continues all the way through the Wat Phra Singh. At night a golden monument
fronted by a shrine with many worshippers praying and clutching closed Lotus
flowers.
Along
Rachedamnoen is another of my favourite music venues called the ‘Garden Café’.
They actually have a live webcam on the internet showing their performances.
Music began as instrumental with traditional Thai instruments plus saxophone accompaniment,
followed by a blues band. All of the members I had seen the last time I was
here. All very high standard and time to kick back over a beer and listen. A
surprise when a lady and daughter I had bumped into many times came by and
joined me for a meal. Made for a nicer time with some catch-up conversation.
Remember me commenting earlier about those frogs the tribal ladies sell. Well
they flood the place on Sunday, and the croaky sounds of the frog chorus can be
heard everywhere. They wander into the Garden café and try to sell to the
captive audience and are very persistent. Which for me is a challenge on how
long I can stand my ground. Tonight I did buy a bracelet. I had the same design
a year ago and threw it away when it got worn out, so it was nice to get a new
one…well two, for when the first one wears out again!
Plenty
of side stalls selling great snacks so was kept fed all evening. Wasn’t that
tired so had a night out around the bars and didn’t get to bed until 3am. Haven’t
stayed up that late for a long time, so that made a change.
Mon 27th Jul – Everywhere seemed quiet this morning as I went for
breakfast. The sweepers were there cleaning the roads after the mess left by
the Sunday market stalls. Had some duties today and ticked them all off my
list, but had the most wonderful breakfast with an old Thai lady who had so
much to talk about that we were there for over an hour chatting away. I miss
that sort of breakfast when not travelling. You learn a lot about the cultures
and also about people’s individual lives and issues. She had many passports
gained through the many husbands she seemed to have collected over the years…Swiss,
Dutch and Thai of course. Stories about each of her long marriages and the
legacy of how her life had been affected following the break-up. Children
mature now but still I contact. Financial issues when things went wrong. One
big event when she lost some property to the Tsunami that almost wiped her out
financially. But she recovered due to her persistence and need to work and
change direction. A really interesting lady and full of knowledge and great
communication of her thoughts.
On
with the rest of the day….
I
will leave this posting here for now. Haven’t had time to post any photographs
yet, as I have taken so many it will take me ages to sort them out. Will try
soon, so bye for now.
