Deep Esarn

Esarn. Isaan. Isarn. Isan.  However you translate it into English, I call it home.  The dry, north-eastern region of Thailand that boasts many unique traditions and customs.  Esarn has its own style of music, its own ethnic groups, its own foods and its own languages.

Our starting point:  home sweet Pakchong.  Yes, this really is the Pakchong Country Club.  Yes, this really is an active golf course.

Ryota and I took a road trip into deeeeep Esarn.  A place of mystery and wonder? Our goal:  to reach Nong Khai and laze about along the Mekong River.  The Mekong itself is a place of legends and mysteries.  From the Mekong comes the phenomenon of the  Naga Fireballs.  These are pink balls of light that shoot from the Mekong river about 20 metres into the air, creating no noise or smell.  Local people believe that these balls are created by the mythical naga serpents who wish to show their respect to Lord Buddha.  The fireballs always occur At the end of the Buddhist Lent.  Skeptics say the fireballs are caused by underwater methane deposits or a spontaneous combustion of butane and oxygen.  But always on the same day??  Others claim human involvement, though the river is quite full and deep with a heavy current, so it would be impossible for humans to shoot them from under the water.  The mystery continues....

In the dry season, the Mekong lowers about 30 meters.  During this time, you can see the Phra That Klang Nam, the Holy Temple in the Middle of the River.  This Lao temple has gradually slipped away from the bank and now rests squarely in the middle of the Mekong.

We only had one day in Nong Khai, due to the constraints of a two day holiday and the reality of 400 kilometers to cover each way.  But we did have a nice stroll around the French colonial architecture and enjoyed browsing through the Russian and Chinese goods at the market.

All along the Friendship Highway that cuts through Esarn to Laos, you can find vendors selling their goods.  It's hot; it's dusty.  I reckon it's extremely hard work.  Kudos to the hard-working vendors.

The water buffalo is an enduring symbol of Esarn.  Driving through this region, you are sure to see more than just of few of  them. These friendly beasts can be found taking it slow throughout the region.  The water buffalo is used for field work, transportation, and dinner.  Although his role is somewhat diminishing as modernization sweeps through Esarn, he is still an important asset.

And speaking of transportation, I have fallen in love with Esarn tuk-tuks.  Unlike the flashy, modern tuk-tuks of Bangkok, these tuk-tuks have a charm all their own. I think this must have been how the original tuk-tuk looked:  a variation on a motorbike.

Super-cool Esarn tuk-tuks:

flashy Bangkok tuk-tuk:

This is just a picture of some Buddhist monk robes drying in the sun.

For me, the highlight of our trip was in the town of Udon Thani.  We made a detour to the nursery of Udon Sunshine, and my outlook on life was forever changed by this cute little flower.

This flower has been bred by crossing some of the more sensitive gyrant plants found in Thailand's jungles.  Here's where things get amazing:  it responds to human voices.  If you thought there might be something to talking to your plants, you were right.  The plant responds to high, gentle voices by folding and unfolding its leaves.  It is not creepy in a Little Shop of Horrors way.  In fact, it quite endeared me to plants in a whole new way.  I found myself caressing the orchids throughout the nursery and I now tend to coo to flowers everywhere.  These plants will seriously make you rethink everything.

These are the little leaf pairs that open or close if you talk to them.  It is especially charming when you say 'bye bye' and it waves bye bye to you. Pretty unbelievable stuff.

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