Death by Law

Last night I looked out my window and there floating delicately high in the sky was a small hot air balloon. Near the canal of the old city for $1.50 you can purchase a hot air balloon, the size of a small lamp shade to one or two feet in diameter powered by a can of burning material perched on a cross beam at the bottom. One makes a wish and when it becomes buoyant, release it to the breeze. It raises slowly to heights of a few thousand feet and the prevailing winds take it on a slow flight over the city. Wishing is harmless and the sight of your wish sailing the night skies somehow is a peaceful activity that lifts ones spirit along with your light ship. In America this would be against the law, fire risk, interference with aircraft and any number of statutes.
In the evening I pass clinics where the cost of a doctors visit, including medicine is less than thirty dollars and sometimes less. A stay in the hospital for a broken leg doesn't break ones life savings and despair doesn't accompany life's expected small disasters. There aren't lawyers advertising on TV soliciting law suits against faultless doctors that fail to cure or meet every expectation of patients. I'll sue isn't the mantra of greed.
Small businesses flourish everywhere unencumbered by tedious forms, permits and stifling laws. Hard work and effort can lead to a better life. Yes, there are government fees and small corruptions that the business person deals with, but they don't crush people trying to get ahead.
In any society there are benefits to law and regulations that protect the public, but has America dampened the spirit of those that it should serve?
The wish balloon floats out of my vision. Then there is another, another joins it. My sky is filled with graceful lights swaying in the night.

Animal House

Thailand has a large amount of wildlife and even in the towns on sees tropical birds and other critters. Like all people Thais have pets but a few differences from Western countries. For instance there are packs of semi-wild dogs that roam the street; they look like a yellow dingo type dog. These dogs are left alone (part of the Buddhist ethic) for the most part. You can see little dishes of left over rice and meat on the side walk, sometimes with incense sticks in them. This is part of food offerings to the spirits, a hold over of animist beliefs. I've seen dogs eat this food and even a few homeless people eat from this.
The dogs that Thais keep for pets are mostly small lap dogs and they're carried around like a child and in the mornings sport little sweaters. They lead good lives.
Cats aren't seen as often. Even cats as pets in homes are more skittish, probably from all the dogs ;) Thai cats are leaner and smaller looking like Siamese but not of the color they we see that breeders have in the US.
Horses are fewer, and used to pull small carts. Since Thailand is more mechanized today there a fewer horses than I saw in the past. Like the elephant the job of hauling loads is now done by trucks or small three wheeled vehicles with a side-car like attachment. The elephants that you see are mostly for tourist rides and show.
Well, I'm off to study now. I'll try and keep the site updated better. See y'all later.

School boy blues

School is in. I'm taking two classes at the AUA school here in Chiangmai. Two hours in the morning I learn/review beginning spoken Thai for two hours, take an hour for lunch, then another two hours learning to read and write Thai. Thai has 41 consonants and many vowels so the late afternoon is spent in study. It's hard work, but fun. When I come back to Thailand my Thai should be much improved and make visits to small villages or off the beaten track places more accessible.
The six week course lasts until just before my visa ends when I'm not sure if I'm going to Malaysia or Cambodia first. The trick of successful travel is to keep ones self open to change and new situations, so we'll wait and see.
I'll have to get on the stick and work on posting photos for everyone. It's going to take some learning and time is limited during the school week. Patience is a virtue, right? Off to dinner at a great Chinese restaurant that I found. BTW Chrysanthemum tea is really nice. It has a clear yellow color and is very refreshing. Then more homework...the school boy blues... :)

Saturday Kick Back

In Chiangmai, the largest city in the North it's a cool day today and like everywhere on Saturday one spends it kicking back a bit. After a little business I wanted to spend the day easing into the weekend. First I had to book a new room. The one that I've been in since coming here faces a noisy street requiring ear plugs. It's about $9 for fan and hot shower, but the noise is too much for us old guys ;) So, I went room hunting and found a great deal. Since I signed up for a course in reading Thai at the AUA ($120 for 60 two hour classes, six weeks) I wanted something within bicycle riding distance. Here's what I found: located along a quiet lane 3/4 mile from the school, a friendly guest house with a large room. There is air condition if I want to turn it on or a fan. I will use the fan. I'm getting use to the heat and it's really very comfortable in Chaingmai now, about 86 degrees during the hottest part of the day and 70 degrees at night. The room has a small fridge, cable TV, warm water shower and comfortable furniture. Since I was booking for six weeks instead of $10/day I'm paying about three dollars/day with electricity and water extra (less than $15/month).
With the business out of the way it was off to the local park. The grounds are groomed like the large park in Bangkok on a smaller scale. There's a fish pond in the middle. After you rent your bamboo mat for thirty cents and buy your munchies such as half a sliced cantaloupe for thirty cents, a small bag of chips for the salt and a small can of coke another thirty cents. So for a buck or less I'm all set for some serious kick back. I spread the mat in a shady spot next to the pond, put the iPod onto 14th century recorder music and watch the world go by. The kids alternate between feeding the pigeons and whooshing them to flight. An old Chinese man feeds the catfish and their antenna pop out of the water. I read and study musical theory while couples spread their mats out in secluded spots and talk. All this kicking back is getting me tired so I put my hat over my face and take a nap as pigeons fly overhead.
Since I saved myself so much money I may splurge tonight and take a two hour boat tour up the river and see how life is along its banks. They throw in fruit and drinks about midway as part of the $12 fee. I hear there are some grand old teak homes along the river bank and the cool of the evening will be welcome. Yeah, I owe it to myself. It's been a tough day in paradise.

Changes

I arrived in Ayuthaya four days ago the train trip was third class (45 cents for 50 Km thirty miles) and took almost two hours of stop and go. Next time I'll know to get "rapid class". The people on the train were friendly and I've had nothing but smiles and offers of help when needed.

I'm staying at a guest house for $9/night. The floors are all teak and the room has a large ceiling fan. It is a second story corner room and the large shutters open out to overlook a small pond full of lotus flowers and its various wild life. About 2AM a motorcycle went down a nearby street and a large bird started KEE eooo eooo eooo, Kee eeooo eooo....then joined by another bird down the street, then another until four of five spread the call, it was George of the jungle time. Then at 7AM the Government broadcasts the news from the center of town on loud speakers, with the emphasis on loud, for an hour. This practice must have started long ago when not many people had radios, TV, or the internet. Oh well, it's a good time of day it get up and walk around because by 1 PM it's HOT and one must walk slow and drink lots of water.

Ayuthaya was the Royal Thai capital from 1350 to 1767. Its ruins demonstrate the many foreign influences upon the Thai. The Cambodians were here before the emergence of the growing Thai nation state.

Surrounded by three rivers the old city was built on an island. These rivers flow further south to the Gulf of Siam. Up these rivers came Portuguese, Dutch and later English and French traders. Ayuthaya became an important outpost for the West in its growing inroads into Asia. Modern Ayuthaya is just as diverse with Chinese, Muslim and other minorities.

Well, I'm starting to get the body clock turned around, but from 9-11 AM ((7-9PM in Oregon) my mind is sluggish and I almost feel ill. It's getting better everyday and I think by next week my clock will be reset.

Where am I? Well, right now I am in Salem Oregon, two days before I cross an ocean and enter the world of SE Asia. My mind is racing back in forth planning, trying to ferret out some lacking essential in my gear, my mind is in flight. I am busy .
And the sound of the wind chimes brings back to here. A beautiful red leaved autumn in the Northwest.
My next post will be in Thailand. Sunshine to everyone. No matter where you go there you are.

A River runs through it

How does one prepare for a journey of indeterminate duration to no fixed spot all over SE Asia ? How do you proceed ? Slowly. For a seasoned traveler who has independently traveled through the worlds byways, maybe three months. Everyone else at least six months to a year of chipping away at the details and research. Accumulating all the little things that hopefully will provide great benefit down the line. Like my collection of classical music. I’m still getting new selections in and at last count I had about 130 disks on my 30 gig iPod. That’s a little over seven days of music that I have collected over the past three months. It is glorious music of the Baroque era 1600 to 1750. It includes the best composer in all music JS Bach. Bach is represented by over 30 disks. It also gives ample space to Corelli, Locatelli , Telemann and others who built a body of music that is timeless in its beauty.
Music. What else is needed for this journey floating down the Mekong. This mother of rivers as it is known to all the people it touches from the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, through Chinese territory in Yunnan, along troubled Burma (NOT Myanmar the name that the ruling murderous military gave it), Thailand and Laos share the beneficent Mekong, and finally Cambodia and Vietnam. One day soon if the preparation is there, I’ll float this river and listen to a Vivaldi recorder concerto…At least that’s the plan.