Memo #6 in Hat Yao

Halloh. I am beginning to think I've been forgotten over here. Who needs friends when I've got Sang Som and bla muk (squid).
I had another fun overnight train trip to Trang. My bar car companions were a large group of Belgians. I arrived in Trang refreshed. I found lodging in a very nice guest house managed by a lovely tall slender Thai lady, or Khatoey, I never could quite tell. Her name was Emma. I spent the night and explored this clean friendly town. There was a theatre showing the new Bond flick . Emma was sure it was dubbed into Thai, so I didn't see it.
There are many beaches (hat) and islands (ko) near Trang. I decided to go to Hat Yao. There also, is a large city called Hat Yai and another beach town called Hat Jao. Damned if I didn't go the wrong mini bus station and book a ticket to Hat Yai, two hours south near the Malaysian border. There was no Roman script at the station or on my ticket. The ticket was only $3, and the driver thought it was so funny he payed for my ticket back to Trang. I did however, miss the last bus to Hat YAO, so I stayed one more night in Trang.
I am at a small non profit 'eco' resort. I'm not sure what makes it an 'eco' resort. They use rain water roof runoff for bathing and toilet, but lots of homes and guest houses do that. Part of their mission is to train local young people in the skills of the tourist industry. Prices for food and drink here are about twice everywhere else in town. So I'm dining at local eateries, and contributing to the resort by paying for expensive sattelite (sp) internet. I intended to send recent photos, but the connection is so slow, it couldn't download Picasa. The internet company is owned by Thaksin Shinawatra. Anyone know who that is?
Hat Yao is an old pirate village. The people who live here are decendants of those pirates. There is a large cave nearby where they used to hide their ships, booty, and captives. The cave can only be reached by boat. The resort wants $25 to hire a plastic sea kayak for a day to paddle to the cave. They offer a light so you can paddle at night! Anywhere in Thailand you can hire a motorbike for $6 a day. I am my fathers son, and $25 is absurd.
In Trang I had TV with BBC and Aljazeera news. I was able to catch up on all the polical stuff here. There is a retired professor, who volunteers his time to the resort. The weather has been bad, so we have been chatting at great length about politics here and around the world.
Until moments ago, I was the only farang (westerner) in town. Two young couples have now arrived. People here are friendly. In Trang, some were, and some just stared at me. I have already booked my trains north, for Dec 2 (overnight to BKK) and Dec. 3 to Chiang Mai. The weather shows no sign of improvement, so I may change my plans.
My Thankgiving dinner was bla muk (squid), sauteed chinese greens and steamed rice. The lady let me drink my own Regency brandy. She had no ice (nom kang) so I brought my own.
When I find some faster internet I'll send photos of this nice little town.
Bye for now, Doahlah

Memo 5, ketchup, oddz an enzz

Hello. I'm not going to bother with photos. Thai computers are slow. I would have to download Picasa. That takes about 10 minutes. Then I would have to download my photos. That takes more time BKK internet is twice the price as in other towns. I am sending photos on the 'small size' setting. Are they OK?
I made my getaway and got to Surin. The city is a provincial capital but doesn't warrant a map in the Lonely Planet. I wandered the town looking for a hotel, keeping in mind where the bus station was in case the town was booked. I found the New Hotel, and it was next to the train station. The train I would want was 7:50 A.M. Perfect! The hotel was also next to a round about which would become an elephant staging area for the weekend. There was a stand for folks to climb and mount elephants for rides around the neighborhhod. For evening rides some of the mahouts attached blinky red lights to the elephants tails so the wouldn't be rear ended by cars. There was a restaraunt next to the hotel and several foodstands with seating. It was a great place to hangout. Very few Thai in the countryside speak English. Sometimes the menus and street signs are in Thai language only.
My room was dreary but clean. There was one big cockroach in residence. With a sheet of paper I pushed it into the hallway. The first evening I watched War of the Worlds dubbed into Thai. In the rooms, the top two feet of the walls to the hallway were open. I could hear all my neighbors noises. One couple was making love at 5 A.M. They 'finished' at the same time. One guest played his TV WAY too loudly. Another guest was a farting machine.
One of the fun bits of the big show was a staged tug of war. A 6000 lb bull with massive tusks was harnessed to a long rope. Forty young men grabbed onto the rope. The bull hardly worked at pulling away. The announcer called for volunteers from the audience. About 25 more people came onto the field and grabbed onto the rope. The bull nearly raised onto his back feet. He had to pull hard, but it only took about 10 seconds and the whole bunch were flat on their faces in the grass.
I hoped to train to BKK and get a connecting sleeper train south. The train was full so I stayed one night at the Presidents Inn. They know me so well, I simply call and say American Douglas is coming. I will take tonights sleeper train to Trang. Its far south near the troubled provinces. There are many beaches and islands near Trang. It will be a new area for me to explore.
The PAD, Peoples Alliance for Democracy is staging another march to try to topple the government. It might be a good time to get out of town. More for Trang later.
Doahlah

Memo #4 more elephants.

Hi again! Elephant handlers are called mahouts. The same mahout will work with an animal its entire life. It becomes more like a friendship than a master and animal. Elephants often live be be 100 hundred years old, so most outlive their handlers.
Elephant eat 500 pounds of food per day, and drink 60 gallons of water. They sleep only about four hours a night and can walk for three days without 'taking a rest'.
After the show, one mahout brought his preeteen bull up into the stands. He would lay down and let his charge lay on him, but not to squash. It was fun watching him go down the stairs. The young ones do most of the trumpeting. They are quite playful.


This last photo is not part of the show. These two young ones broke from formation and galloped to the exit. These young mahouts are having a time of it. They got them to stop outside the stadium. After the show another young one made a run for it. His mahout was an old timer and couldn't run after him. I'm sure they met up later.
OKAY! enough. I'm hungry and I'm sure you're bored. Or as my Thai friends ask, "Are you boring"?
Ducklass

Memo #4 Elephant Roundup #1

This event was much more of a spectacle than I had expected. There were more than 2000 participants and 300 elephants in the show. It began at 8:30 A.M. That was a good thing because it was very hot by the 11:00 finish.
One event was elephant soccer. That was fun. Whenever red #1 got the ball she rolled it into her trunk and ran for the goal. What a chearter! Many of the players could kick with front or rear legs. The blue tean won 1 to 0 on a penalty kick. The players shook trunks at the finish.
Another spectacular part was a battle reanactment. There were some grand parades of young people in traditonal costumes celebrating historical cultural ceremonies.
After the show many of the elephants were saddled up for rides around the stadium. I still haven't mastered the insertion of more than four photos. Jonathan sent me instructions but my print out in at the hotel. I'll make another short story with more photos.

Doahlah

Memo #3 On to Isan

Halloh. I met Pen in Bkk. The plan was to go to her families village in eastern Thailand and celebrate her birthday. Then up to Surin for the elephant roundup. The bus went closer to her village than the train. I hate Thai busses but agreed. The ride wasn't frightening like the trips in the mountainous north. The driver stopped early to buy two red bulls to guzzle. Not a good sign. He dozed off later. I noticed when he began changing lanes for no apparent reason. I could see his face in the rearview from my seat. I walked forward and tapped him awake. He adjusted the mirror so I could no longer see him.
Her family is poor. Both of her parents are worn out farmers. Her poor old dad cuts rice for $5 a day. Her mother looks after Pens three children and another left there by a friend. Pen has an older brother that lives there too. His wife ran off with another man. He was heartbroken, quit his job and became a drunk.
I soon I realised that I was expected to buy all the food and alcohol as long as I visited. I fed her family and many of the neighbors. I spent about $100 on the first nights party and Pens birthday the next day. By the second day, her father wouldn't look at me. I don't know if he was insulted at the expensive meat and liquor Pen chose, or if he was embarrassed that he couln't afford such a spread.
There wasn't room for me at the house so I was sent to the local motel. Pen called it 'the resort'. It was five motel rooms in a cement building nearby. Not one person the entire time offered even a casual 'thank you'. By the third morning, I was so fed up, I packed my bags on grabbed the first Sawngthaw back into town. A Sawngtaw is a covered pickup truck with rows of seats in back. I got into Pa Sat and caught a local bus to Surin. A clean getaway!
The second photo is Pen frying some grasshoppers. They were 'harvested' right on the family property. They tasted ok. The legs don't chew easily. Pens brother offer to cook rat. I said if he cooked it I would eat some. He was always too drunk to accomplish much of anything.
This is brother No Aay posing.
The last photo is some of group having a fine time.
Bye for now, Ducklass

Memo 32, On the beach

Halloh. Sorry! Upon review, I realised the first photo in the first story is upside down!!! Oh well! The first photo here is in Bangkok at a famous outdoor bar called Cheap Charlies. Until recently there was no WC at all. There has been some upgrading, but not to four stars yet.
This is the bell to announce train arrivals in Hua Hin. "Don't touch". Yum Yum! Thai food!
These are my digs in Ko Tao. $25 U.S. per night. Hot water shower, TV, and a million dollar view. The TV was all Thai channels and all stations were covering Princess Galanas six day funeral and cremation. She died in January. I believe she been lying in state since then. Many provinces banned booze and musicfor two days. In Hua Hin the bars were shuttered. I did find one that was serving, but with the outdoor lights off and the doors shut so to not alert the police. One Englishman was quite irate, blaming the lady bartender. Like it was her idea. I didn't see the fuss. I got his beer so relax, huh???
I'm heading back to Bangkok to meet Pen, a friend from Chiang Mai. I will accompany her to Surin, in Isan to see the big elephant roundup. 200 of the beasts painted up, playing soccer, probably elephant polo, and who know what other shenanigans. That should make for some good photos. Maybe, even right side up. More then.
Doahlah

Memo #1 Loy Krathong

Halloh. I arrived in Bangkok during the festival of lights, Loy Krathong. Thai people make or buy premade floats decorated with flowers leaves and candles. The candles are lit and these little 'boats' are launched into any wateray accessable. You make a wish and send it off. Most are made floatable by blocks of styrofoam. The aftermath of this festival is very messy. The canals and rivers of Bangkok are clogged with tons of of these little floats.
The city is trying to make the festival more 'green' by urging people to use floats made of biodegradable materials. I saw them in stores. They looked as though they had been made of bread, baked into loaves looking like flower pedals. They are then spray painted to further look like flower bouquets. The buyer then further personalizes with flowers and candles.
I understand that in Ching Mai it's quite a spectacle. The river Ping flows through the city making an ideal launching area. With 170,000 people in Chiang Mai, it must make quite a mess downriver.
I rested in BKK for two nights and hopped a train to the beach. Next stop, Hua Hin.
Bye for now, Doahlah