Songkran and Sukhothai - Part 2

Did a lot of eating. May's a pretty good cook and the fish is excellent. Could live on that stuff with a little sticky rice, onions and tomatoes and I am all set. Sister Song made this delicious coconut dish with sugar and peanuts. It was delicious and still a quarter of it left when we did.

Driving around during Songkran is not for those weak of heart or wanting to stay dry. I traveled in the bed of the truck once and got soaked. The "Gangs" (all in fun) drove around in their pickups with huge water tanks or containers in the bed of the truck or set up water stations outside their homes on the street. The Purpose? I am glad you asked. The purpose is to soak everything or everyone that they pass or passes them. I saw as many as ten people in the back of the pickups. Many of the "families" were with little kids and everybody enjoyed themselves. The day we went out with Chip, Golf was in the bed of the truck with a barrel of water and a small bucket. He got soaked and so did the truck. Some of the water stations on the street were bold. They would have people in the middle of the road to make you slow down so that they could get you.

One evening coming back from shopping we took a deversion off one of the side roads. We stopped at "May's property". She has two pieces of land across from each other. One appears to be an acre of ground and she wants to build a house on it. Across the road is a small orange grove of about four or five acres. Very beautiful country up there.

Most of the day was spent leisurely around the house watching the tube or napping because this is the hottest time of the year. We did spend one afternoon visiting some of the sights. Sukhothai is the first capital of Thailand dating back to the 13th century. We visited some old ruins, mostly wats (Buddhist Temples), and fortifications. Some of the shrines sill had ancient Buddhas that are still used in worshipping.

The toilets in many older places are the squat toilets which I hate. It is a piece of narrow porcelain that you are suppose to squat over to do your business. This is difficult for us big people. You used water to wash yourself which I believe is much more sanitary that paper. The "shower" is a big troff of water that is at room temperature and you use a small basin to pour the water over yourself, soap up and rinse. I prefer hot water when I shower but what can you do?

If in the future if May and I decide to go it together and we build a home in Sukothai I know some of my requirements: AC, hot and cold running water, private bedroom and above all a full toliet. My apartment has all of the above. The water is heated with one of these small electrical heaters (smaller than the size of the monitor you are now using) so a hot water storage tank is not needed nor is electric wasted keeping it warm.

Saturday was our return to Bangkok. I didn't really want to go (neither did May) but duty calls. The grandson took us to the airport with Mama and Moon. The airport is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It also has an outdoor waiting room. Only three commercial flights a day come to Sukhothai. Two from Chang Mai to Bangkok and one from Bangkok to Chang Mai. The flight was an hour late but nobody seemed to mine. Got to Bangkok and the hustle and bustle. Believe you me I am ready to go back to Sukothai. Hey Papa tell me again about the big one that got away.

Songkran and Sukhothai Part 1

Well, it has been a while. Songkran is the Thai new year (2549 going back to Buddha's birth or death) and sort of like Christmas. Everything shuts down and everyone goes home. It runs from the 10th until the 16th of April.

Sukhothai is the province in which May's family lives. About 2/3rd's of the way from Bangkok to Chang Mai. Just at the base of the mountains and close to Burma.

We got up early (4AM) to catch a 7am flight. It was May's first time in a plane (well at least one that was going to take her off the ground). It's about a one hour flight to the Sukothai airport in a two engine prop plane wih 19 rows and 4 seats across (76 people I guess) and the flight was booked. The plane then went from Sukothai to Chang Mai. Her brother-in-law (Chip and his 2 daughters (A and M) met us at the airport) in the 5 seater pickup. It was at least an hour from the airport to her parents house. We stopped on the way to buy groceries for the family (whiskey for papa). We also ran into her oldest sister Moon (Chip's her husband). The town (name to come later) was small with about 3 or 4 thousand people. The down town area reminded me of small town America in the 50's with all of the small stores and an outdoor market that sold all sorts of foodstuffs (you could even get your stuffed beetles here).

We traveled from there to her parents home. From this point it started getting hilly - sort of reminded me of northeastern Kentucky. Her parents have a 2 story house in the middle of no where. About a mile or two back a dirt road (reminds me of the old Daniels house in Kentucky). The house had no running water (many do not) and they have those squat toilets which I hate. No heating at all which is not necessay anyway but on the other hand no AC either (fans , fans and fans - did I mention fans?). They did have electric and a frig. Cooking was by gas or charcoal. The downstairs consists of a living room, a storage room (also used to change clothes) and a dining area with the bathroom off of that. The cooking was done on the back porch or patio area. Big vessels of water were also located there used for cooking and cleaning. The upstairs has a small room (for privacy) and the rest of it was open. "Bedrooms" consisted of a floormat, a mattress and mosquito netting - a must in this climate.

The house set back (and up) from the river about 50 meters or so in the middle of an orange orchard. Her family have had the land for over 50 years but the orchard is not a commercial one at the present time. It needs a lot of attention but probably could turn a profit down the road (what about derman as an orange grower?). Also coconuts and Mangoes were in evidence with a few apple trees thrown in.

The family: Papa is 70 years old and probably weighs 100 pounds after a shower. He is retired and loves to fish (caught a couple good size catfish while we were there). Not an outgoing personality until the whiskey, soda water and ice came out. Then he would talk your ear off. A nice guy and loved by the family (most stayed away from him when he was drinking - they had all heard the same stories hundreds of times).

Mama is 60 years old (I had met her previously when she came to visit May and her sister (Bay) in Rangsit. Very nice lady and a great cook. Made sure that everyone was well taken care of and ran the household (sort of).

The oldest child is Men, their son, who is about 42. Then comes Moon who appears to be about 40ish. The middle child is Song and she is about 38. She has never married (attractive and good personality) and takes care of the house and property (come to find out that May has invested in some property and wants to build a house up there (more about that later)) of her parents and her sisters. May is the 4th child and she turns 35 on May 10th and then Bay who is 33 is the baby of the family and works and lives near May in Rangsit. May's son, Golf, is 13 and lives with her parents. A nice kid. We got along great. He seems to crave a father figure which he is not getting from his grandfather or uncle.

Part two will come in a few days - DERMAN