Sabbath has ended with the booming of thunder, an amazing lightening
display in the heavens and rain on the tin roof above me. I'm all
cosy in my bed, underneath my pink mosquito net - feeling very much
like a princess - and I'm looking forward to lights out shortly,
either by choice or storm related power cut. I'm lost somewhere in
the mountains of Chiang Rai amongst the hill tribes. Pieter and I
are the only farang here, which we're thrilled about and the place
is totally breathtaking, photos can not capture the grandeur of the
vista about us. It feels like the top of the world here - mountains
lush with jungle and bamboo. Lychee orchards are prolific on the
steep mountainsides, in fact it seems every tree we see are dripping
with the small fruit, and this is the place to enjoy the
sweetest offerings of this delicacy in all of Thailand, so I'm told,
and we've travelled 1000's of km's to taste them - we were NOT
disappointed!
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| My little hide-away under my pink mosquito net with the natural light from the outside taking away the total darkness of a day or two without power. |
We're visiting our Thai co-workers family and village nestled
amongst the hills. They speak their own dialect, so Thai doesn't
really help but I say it all the same, when I remember a word or
two. To my surprise both Pieter and myself were given a room each,
such a privilege! I've been sharing not only a room, but a bed with
Goi for 3 weeks.
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| Walking up to church behind the house with a lovely view over the village |
Today is the day we attend church, and yes, there is actually a
church here
and a Pastor. We've meet before, he's about my
age, speaks English well, and really easy to talk with. I laugh to
myself after we climb the hill behind our house to church, a small
building with wooden window shutters - and no seats inside. My body is quietly rebelling at sitting on the ground - again. Mats
are rolled out and we all sit on the floor. I tell my body to shush. This is the smallest
congregation I've joined in with since arriving in Thailand - there
are 11 of us, including the Pastor and Nana who is completely deaf
and excludes the breast feeding toddler and the puppy who followed
us. The Pastor can speak the 3 languages represented and does a fine
job in including us all. 3 songs are sung in the tribal tongue, they
sound really lovely. Prayer - I've not yet figured out what to do
with myself while prayer is offered in a language I don't understand
and I usually find myself talking to God also "I've no idea what
they're saying Lord, but I say Amen". Off course the Pastor wishes
both Pieter and myself to share our testimonies while he translates,
that fills the next 20 or so minutes then we turn to the text he
wants us to read and we all take a turn and read a verse in our
various tongues, then he preaches - that's where he lost me... as
he's speaking the local dialect again. But it was an experience to
be sure. Everything is finished at 10am and we are asked if we wish
to have lunch. No we didn't as breakfast was only a short while ago.
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| Our little get-together. The Pastor center showing us the church and preaching while sitting on the floor - Love what they've done with the furnishings. Nana who was deaf and the boys sitting together through worship. |
We know we're welcomed as Goi's family are bending over backwards to
make us feel at home. Goi tells us that her father has been cooking
for us, which is very special and very delish. They seem to take
great delight at my facial expressions and exclamations of the level
of chilli I've just eaten. Goi's teased me this whole trip with my
vocal level of "no chilli please" with "A baby could eat this!". I
must say I am getting used to some chilli and it's most reassuring
of the hospitality being offered as people run in all directions
falling over themselves in getting me some water to drink as I've
accidentally eaten something I wished I hadn't in the chilli line
and my face is screwed up, tears are rolling down my cheeks and I'm
making sucky noises. I think they find me rather amusing. Silly
fergan. Still I love their food.
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| The lovely view over the village from the porch |
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| The wonderful kitchen where the rustic open fire made our meals, even with no power and all things were completed while squatting. Though I loved the table with chairs to eat...sigh |
Our outing for today consisted of us being driven over mountainous
terrain to visit Grandma and her Lychee orchard in another village
where there is only solar power... cool. 4WD trucks are very cool to
stand in while driving the 14km to her village, something we can't do at home, so you'll always see Pieter and I standing on the back. Something grabbed at
my mind - these Lychee orchards are on steep hillsides. Well, yes,
and when we got to our one it was no different. Once the truck could
no longer follow the path, we walked.... straight down! O boy. Going
straight down meant only one thing - climbing straight up
afterwards. I made it half way down, told everyone to go on without
me, climbed back up - died - revived - continued - died again and
made it back to the truck (so pleased no one saw the state I was in) and spent a wonderful time hearing nothing
but nature. It was truly wonderful - once I'd recovered. Before too
long everybody made it back all hot and sweaty. The young men were
first carrying large sacks of Lychee and looked totally pooped but
bounced back soon, as young men do. The Pastor had picked me a bunch
of lychee... ummm yum.
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| The mountain vista, the road traveled while standing in the back of a ute and Lychee orchard |
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| Then it rained. And rained, And rained some more. See Pieter washing his feet? |
Later, after my much needed nana-nap, I found Goi and her mother around a
small wooden crate with a plastic top which had two wholes cut out.
It turned out to be a makeshift sauna for us to enjoy. They were
prep-ing it, building a fire, getting it all hot and
fed it while both Pieter and myself sat, sweated and cleansed inside.
They'd also re-modelled the crate from one user to house two of us
with a dividing wall and two doors. There was some special herbs
wafting around us mixed within the smoke, something like sage, but
not, and as the sun was setting and the lightening begun we enjoyed
the unexpected blessing. It was amazing. Afterwards we both went and
had a cold bucket bath which was freezing after such a hot
experience. Then as we sat down to dinner this sense of being 'high'
overcome both of us. I was all giggly and light headed while Pieter
was asked if his camera was in his room and answered "I don't know
what's in my room but I'm really happy right now" which set us off
into fits of giggles again.
So here I am ending my Sabbath, under my pink mosquito net, enjoying
the pelting rain, wishing I didn't have to get up to turn the light
out as I'm all comfy. I'm feeling all internally cleansed, wholesome
and sleepy.
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| Our treat for the night - a homemade sauna with the special 11 herbs and spices added |
This part of our trip has been an absolute highlight. Tomorrow we're off to find some elephants.
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