Thai Village Re-visited

Freshly killed duck. The bowl holds drained blood, to be used in cooking.

Captivated by my first visit to a small Thai village near the Cambodian border, I returned and found that the village life pulled me even more into its embrace. As a second time visitor, I was allowed a more intimate look at their way of life. I was humbled and honored to be so accepted. One person gave me the ultimate compliment: "Khun pen krung Thai!" (You are half Thai!) I left with a deeper appreciation of the life of most country Thais, one that is not generally apparent in the sprawling city of Bangkok. I will certainly go back many times.

These photos and captions serve as a tour of two tiny villages in Isan, the northeastern agricultural region of the country.

Making "khao neeow" (sticky rice) by steaming over a charcoal burner.

This concrete structure is for making charcoal. The wood source is in the foreground.

Common kitchen utensils. The one in the middle is used for scraping out the coconut "meat."

Scraping the coconut.

Family using the typical mode of transport. I cringe every time I see this, which is most of the time!

Preparing small fish for grilling. It will be chopped and mixed with rice to be fed to the family dogs.

Village Thais are very superstitious.
Hanging red shirts outside the house protects from evil spirits.

Silk products for sale at a nearby town market. Silk from the Province of Surin is of high quality.

Lottery tickets

Creative hen's nests

An outdoor cooking area

As most village homes are open air, mosquito nets are common, but surprisingly not used by all.

A simple bamboo platform and mat used for sleeping.

The hands of a 78 year old former Muay Thai boxer. "How are your hands now?" "They hurt a lot."

Stairs at a mountainside temple.
People ring each bell (over 300 on each side) as they approach and leave.

I did not watch TV nor use my computer while there. I just enjoyed simply "being:" sitting on porches, talking with people, eating on a mat on the floor, drinking beer, and laughing quite a lot.