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Bathing in the Mekong

The kids have been pestering me about going to Chai Hat (the beach) and as we are several hundred kilometers from the nearest sea I assumed they meant the Mekong River.

We stopped in the shade of trees at a Wat overlooking the Mekong, which even in a dry season with one of the severest droughts for years, must be a kilometer wide. At this point it is even wider due to a major tributary coming in from the Lao side of the river. On the far bank in Lao I could see houses along the river bank with beautiful large spreading trees.

We went down the 15 meters cliff to the beach which was a large sandbank with a large covered area giving shade with the usual collection of stalls selling food and drink. We ate a meal of Issan style sticky rice, delicious fish and papaya salad which I washed down with a bottle of beer.

We all had a great time messing about in tyre inner tubes and inflatable mattresses that you can hire for a few cents. Tipping each other up and splashing. The water was interesting warm for the first 10 cms but then quite cold and the current was very fast so you were quickly swept down the sandbank to the back eddy downstream where everybody accumulated in the slack water.

It was a great day.

 

Jeremy Holton
http://www.jeremyholton.com

The kids enjoying the Mekong River

Bathing in the Mekong

The kids have been pestering me about going to Chai Hat (the beach) and as we are several hundred kilometers from the nearest sea I assumed they meant the Mekong River.

We stopped in the shade of trees at a Wat overlooking the Mekong, which even in a dry season with one of the severest droughts for years, must be a kilometer wide. At this point it is even wider due to a major tributary coming in from the Lao side of the river. On the far bank in Lao I could see houses along the river bank with beautiful large spreading trees.

We went down the 15 meters cliff to the beach which was a large sandbank with a large covered area giving shade with the usual collection of stalls selling food and drink. We ate a meal of Issan style sticky rice, delicious fish and papaya salad which I washed down with a bottle of beer.

We all had a great time messing about in tyre inner tubes and inflatable mattresses that you can hire for a few cents. Tipping each other up and splashing. The water was interesting warm for the first 10 cms but then quite cold and the current was very fast so you were quickly swept down the sandbank to the back eddy downstream where everybody accumulated in the slack water.

It was a great day.

A funeral

Aou’s funeral is taking place just up the road. I can hear the monks chanting at Aou’s and I want to shower and film the proceedings.  Aou hasn't died and I think the funeral is for her husband who died a few year's ago.  It seems strange to me but they often celebrate somebody's death long after they have died, perhaps when they have the funds.

From dawn to dusk, there was a steady stream of people going in small groups up to the funeral at Aou’s. They all carried ornate silver (I presume aluminium) bowls and Waree tells me that these contain gifts of money to the funeral. Later I would see them come back with their bowls full of food, some with little but others with great quantities.

In a true Thai fashion those who can afford give more and those who have greater need take more. A truly communist society where without coercion or even social pressure the rich give more and take less while the poor give what they can afford and take what they need. In doing so they all gain merit which is more important than wealth or possessions.

A truckload of monks (about a dozen) chanted at Aou’s house in the early evening and everybody sat with templed hands.

That night there was entertainment all night with the street completely blocked by a stage and huge banks of speakers with dancing girls musicians and singers all playing in the lovely Issan style. Vendors line the road with their three wheeler motorcycles and stalls. Everybody sits on rush mats in the road and it goes on all night again.

Waree tells me that the people in the house will have almost no sleep for the 3 days of the funeral.

At the same time there is another show near Joi’s shop in about half a kilometer away. This one is bigger with more dancing girls and we travel between the two on our motorcy.

The next morning at Aou’s there is more chanting from monks and more eating but by the end of the day everything is back to normal.

Since I have been staying here these celebrations have been taking place in the village or nearby villages every week or so. They involve hundreds of people in preparing, sharing and eating food, worshiping together and being entertained. It must be a fantastic unifying force within the village as everybody is involved in these activities on a regular basis.

Aou’s funeral is taking place

Aou’s funeral is taking place just up the road. I can hear the monks chanting at Aou’s and I want to shower and film the proceedings

From dawn to dusk, there was a steady stream of people going in small groups up to the funeral at Aou’s. They all carried ornate silver (I presume aluminium) bowls and Waree tells me that these contain gifts of money to the funeral. Later I would see them come back with their bowls full of food, some with little but others with great quantities. In a true Thai fashion those who can afford give more and those who have greater need take more. A truly communist society where without coercion or even social pressure the rich give more and take less while the poor give what they can afford and take what they need. In doing so they all gain merit which is more important than wealth or possessions.

A truckload of monks (about a dozen) chanted at Aou’s house in the early evening and everybody sat with templed hands.

That night there was entertainment all night with the street completely blocked by a stage and huge banks of speakers with dancing girls musicians and singers all playing in the lovely Issan style. Vendors line the road with their three wheeler motocycles and stalls. Everybody sits on rush mats in the road and it goes on all night again. Waree tells me that the people in the house will have almost no sleep for the 3 days of the funeral.

At the same time there is another show near Joi’s shop in about half a kilometer away. This one is bigger with more dancing girls and we travel between the two on our motorcy.

The next morning at Aou’s there is more chanting from monks and more eating but by the end of the day everything is back to normal.

Since I have been staying here these celebrations have been taking place in the village or nearby villages every week or so. They involve hundreds of people in preparing, sharing and eating food, worshipping together and being entertained. It must be a fantastic unifying force within the village as everybody is involved in these activities on a regular basis.

Loud music

I just wrote this to my cousin Paul in Canada where it is minus 12. Yes sunny days in the low 30s here. Some blue haze probably due to some burning off as its still the dry season. At the moment its pitch black though as its only 5.30 am.

The water supply is off again same as yesterday early in the morning so havent been able to shower and shave yet. I am usually first up as people here sleep 9 hours a night as well as having a siesta which is a bit too much for me. We dont have any hot water so my shower is cold. I could have a heater fitted but I like a cold shower. The air temperature is warm anyway and after the intitial shock the shower is stimulating.

The monks in one of the temples sounded their great gong at 5am but for the moment it is quiet except for a cock crowing.

A friend of ours Aou just up the road is having a funeral for her husband who died two years ago in a motorcycle accident (a common occurance). She could have had this celebration at the time or one, two, three years later. His ghost will still be around anyway. Yesterday 50 to 60 ladies were preparing food at her house, mostly sticky rice with banana in banana leaves tied up in little bundles and cookedn but also a freshly slaughtered pig.

A few men about drunk on Thai whisky. It will last three days and they have blocked off the road with a Marquee (they always do this) and have huge speakers blasting out Issan music (not thai but local from the NE - Issan). I love the music but its quite clear from our bedroom and it only stopped at about 5 am. Before that people were singing Issan songs karaoke style into the early hours. In western terms the noise polution here is incredible with trucks going up and down the street all the time blasting out Issan music and advertising their wares, fruit, eggs, rice, furniture, clothing, childrens toys, icecream (tricycle) and my favourite roti, made with eggs butter and condensed milk - definitely adictive.

Tonight there will be more music and dancing with professional musicians at the funeral and more eating and drinking. The more people eat the more merit for her and her husband and the more there will be for his ghost to eat. So everybody mucks in and makes food and eats and gets lots of merit. I think I need a lot of merit not to come back as a slug but never mind. The ghosts are always with us here in rural Thailand. After a time even sceptical Farangs may start to believe.

Back in Thailand

I just wrote this to my cousin Paul in Canada where it is minus 12.

Yes sunny days in the low 30s here. Some blue haze probably due to some burning off as its still the dry season. At the moment its pitch black though as its only 5.30 am. The water supply is off again same as yesterday early in the morning so havent been able to shower and shave yet. I am usually first up as people here sleep 9 hours a night as well as having a siesta which is a bit too much for me. We dont have any hot water so my shower is cold. I could have a heater fitted but I like a cold shower. The air temperature is warm anyway and after the intitial shock the shower is stimulating.

The monks in one of the temples sounded their great gong at 5am but for the moment it is quiet except for a cock crowing. Makes a change a friend of ours Aou just up the road is having a funeral for her husband who died two years ago in a motorcycle accident (a common occurance). She could have had this celebration at the time or one, two, three years later. His ghost will still be around anyway. Yesterday 50 to 60 ladies were preparing food at her house, mostly sticky rice with banana in banana leaves tied up in little bundles and cookedn but also a freshly slaughtered pig. A few men about drunk on Thai whisky.

It will last three days and they have blocked off the road with a Marquee (they always do this) and have huge speakers blasting out Issan music (not thai but local from the NE - Issan). I love the music but its quite clear from our bedroom and it only stopped at about 5 am. Before that people were singing Issan songs karaoke style into the early hours. In western terms the noise polution here is incredible with trucks going up and down the street all the time blasting out Issan music and advertising their wares, fruit, eggs, rice, furniture, clothing, childrens toys, icecream (tricycle) and my favourite roti, made with eggs butter and condensed milk - definitely adictive.

Tonight there will be more music and dancing with proessional musicians at the funeral and more eating and drinking. The more people eat the more merit for her and her husband and the more there will be for his ghost to eat. So everybody mucks in and makes food and eats and gets lots of merit. I think I need a lot of merit not to come back as a slug but never mind.
The ghosts are always with us here in rural Thailand. After a time even sceptical Farangs may start to believe.

Jeremy