MONDAY 5th: Consistently hot, 35º - 38ºC. Just another day around the farm, but below are some observations and information:
I have to accept that all things are different here in deep rural Thailand. The customs, way-of-life, beliefs, diets, all so very different from farang-land. I have to turn a blind-eye to some of the goings-on about the farm which are, at times, a bit "basic" especially this far from any major town or city.
One thing one can be sure of is that any chicken-based dish served is guaranteed to have derived from a VERY fresh chicken as they're caught at random, have their necks wrung, de-feathered and in the pot within a very short time. Still strange to be eating something you saw strutting around only hours ago. Other oddities (to me) is the occasional 'hunt' at night for frogs after a bout of heavy rain. These are caught, dismembered and ultimately served as a delicacy. On appropriate nights a recording of Mole Crickets (Tinglit in Thai) insects is blasted out under a bright light which attracts hundreds of the real thing. These are dutifully captured and stuffed into a bag for future eating. Very nourishing, I'm sure, but not to my Western taste. I'll gladly eat 90% of Thai food, but I have my limitations.
Mole crickets (Gryllotalpidae) are thick-bodied insects about 3-5 cm (1-2 inches) long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. Mole crickets are omnivores, feeding on larvae, worms, roots, and grasses. They are relatively common, but because they are nocturnal and spend nearly all their lives underground in extensive tunnel systems, they are rarely seen. Mole crickets are a popular and nutritious snack in Thailand. When shallow fried or baked and mixed with Thai herbs or other seasoning they have a pleasant taste and contain a good source of protein and vitamins.
Almost all the food eaten on the farm comes from the farm; chicken, eggs (of course), turkey, geese, Guineafowl, fish, all vegetables & fruit (papaya, mango, cabage, herbs & spices).The only thing the farm does not produce is red-meat. There used to be pigs on the farm, but no longer. The farm's cattle are there for breeding and selling on; they are a good source of income. There's an abundance of fish that live in the deep ponds and irrigation canals around the farm. These deep ponds are used to pump put water and flood the rice-fields.
Here's a short movie showing Jack feeding the catfish.
TOP LEFT: Papaya tree
TOP RIGHT: Sugarcane plantation on the left; young banana trees in the centre and rice 'paddy' on the right.
SECOND ROW LEFT: Cassava plantation. SECOND ROW RIGHT: Cassava edible roots.
THIRD ROW LEFT: Rubber tree; sap collector. THIRD ROW RIGHT: Banana trees with unripe fruit.
FOURTH ROW LEFT: Unripe Coconuts.
FOURTH ROW RIGHT: Banana, coconut and a Thai lady.
BOTTOM ROW: Yours truly after a foraging trip around the far reaches of the farm.
*Cassava: Cassava (also called manioc, balinghoy, mogo, mandioca, kamoteng kahoy, tapioca and manioc root) is a perennial woody shrub with an edible root, which grows in tropical and subtropical areas such as here in Thailand.
It is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins B and C, and essential minerals. However, nutrient composition differs according to variety and age of the harvested crop, and soil conditions, climate, and other environmental factors during cultivation.
Apart from food, cassava is very versatile and its derivatives and starch are applicable in many types of products such as foods, confectionery, sweeteners, glues, plywood, textiles, paper, biodegradable products, monosodium glutamate, and drugs. Cassava chips and pellets are used in animal feed and alcohol production.
Late afternoon saw the arrival of one of Aom's best long-standing friends, Meow (yes, it's Thai for "Cat") who popped in for a visit. I've known Meow for 5 years and can vouch she's a lovely girl and crying out for some lucky farang's attention. How she's not been snatched-up yet remains a mystery. [update: July 2019, Meow met an American guy and is now married with a daughter and lives in San Diego, USA. You've missed out guys!]
Aom with friend Meow.
TUESDAY 6th:
Day started cloudy but very humid, but by 09:00 the sun was blasting its way in full bringing the temperature back into the mid to high 30's. However, by noon there were rumblings of thunder and rain appeared; at least the temperature dropped a little.
Rumblings of thunder re-appeared and the sky became very threatening. The storm never did quite reach us, but someone somewhere was having a bad time of it; all we got is a couple of heavy showers.
Last full day here for a week or so as we're off on a week's holiday to Krabi with young Jack tomorrow. The afternoon was spent getting some belongings together for the trip. It'll be a bus trip from Pratas to Bangkok, an overnight stay in the capital followed by an Air Asia flight from Don Muang Airport to Krabi.
By 15:00 we were 90% packed and ready. We would have preferred a mini-bus pick-up. The advantage of this would have been we get picked up at the house and driven to Bangkok. Alas, there were none available so we had to resort to being dropped off in Pratas and jump a standard coach/bus.
However, things did not go exactly to plan:
In Pratas Bus Station there must be around 5 or so different bus companies with transport to all parts of Thailand. Some so-called VIP (posher coaches) others a bit along the lines of a bone-shaker. Unfortunately, all the VIP buses were booked unless we wanted to wait until 23:00 (it was 20:00 at the time), so Aom opted for a service we'd used before due to leave at 21:30.
21:30 came and went. By 21:50 a guy from the ticket office came over to apologise about the delay and at least another 20 minutes beyond that. Reason for the delay? A wheel had come off our bus!
Eventually, a replacement bus arrived which was indeed a VIP one. I must say the driver made up time and drove the bus like a bat out of Hell.
Next stop Bangkok... again.
WEDNESDAY 7th:
Leaving Pratas near 22:20 on the replacement bus, the driver made good a time and we approached Bangkok at the ungodly hour of 04:10. What we did do is ask the driver to drop us off before reaching Bangkok's Main Bus Terminal. The reason for this was to avoid the manic queuing system at the Bus Terminal for a taxi; it can take over an hour at times. True to his word, he dropped us off in the Rangsit area and, as if by magic, a taxi was waiting. Again, at this early hour, the driver drove like a mad-man through the strangely quiet city roads arriving at our hotel at 04:45. Too early to check, we dropped off the cases and relaxed in the lobby until the breakfast buffet area opened.
Plenty of time to kill today. Took a BTS (Skytrain) and MRT (underground) trips to Fortune Store Mall. I was looking to buy a replacement camera as one of my compact cameras became terminally ill. No joy as the model or price I wanted wasn't available.
Back to Nana area and the family caught up on some sleep after the bus journey.
Around 4pm we popped into "Hilary 1" bar for a couple of beers then off to Soi8 for foot massages; very relaxing.
Early night in order as we're up handy for breakfast, packing and ordering a taxi to Don Mueang Airport in the morning.
THURSDAY 8th:
Awake early at ca 06:00. Packing cases easy as they're relatively untouched. Down from 7th floor at the Ibis (one of smallest hotel room I've ever been in) to a reasonable breakfast.
Final check and weighing cases then down to the lobby to await our ordered taxi.
Usual battle through the Bangkok traffic but we got to Don Muang in plenty of time. Bit of a misunderstanding over which terminal we had to go to but easily rectified.
At this point I have to say how daft Air Asia's check-in process is. I'd already checked-in online but we still have to go to a machine to punch-in numbers or scan-in I/D's to be given a luggage tag. Then go to a check-in desk as any 'normal airline' to have the check-in attendant weigh the baggage. Why oh why can't Air Asia just do away with the machine queues and do what all other airlines do and simply go to a check-in counter and do it all there?
In the event our flight was delayed by 25 minutes or more. Time spent imbibing coffee at "The Coffee Club". I'd rather have spent that 25 minutes at our destination, Krabi, but that's life.
coconut and a Thai lady.