12 O'CLOCK and All is Well

It's that time of the year here Like the 4th of July watermelons back home in the USA

bananas fried or fresh are always a good seller

Waiting for that 1'o'clock train,, hopefully, there will be at least a few folks coming for a visit and a look see. and ride a elephant or float down the river on a raft, and spent a peaceful night in one of the many resorts on the banks of the famous River Kwai.

The sunset over another beautiful day in our quite and peaceful (at the present time ) village and home.

Everything looks real peaceful at this moment in time down at the city square and park

With a lot folks calling and asking how we're doing , I thought I should do a small up-date and report from down town Whang Pho .We're doing just fine here , not much talk of the problems that is happening around the Big Mango (as Martyn calls it ) and Thailand , and if there is any it's in the privacy of your own home . Of course all are sad about all the unrest and lost of lives and burnings in Bangkok. The only really affect it has had on the present time is the lack of tourist and visitors to the bridge and railroad , that means a lot of jobs lost for the locals, as for the future damage from all this , I think it will be several years before things are back to where it was , of course BKK has had it's problems for years , but in just the last few months, has it had the terrible trickle down effect , like never before and this has uprooted folks and effected families, communities, schools , hospitals, everything to do with living. I was just looking around our little town the other night and I saw lots of folks buying food and selling food on the corners and from under little tents that I have never seen before , our little town has added a lot of folks, displaced from who knows where and they have, as the ole saying goes, " the chickens have come home to roost."I predicted this growth as a result of the first yellow shirt thing , 2 years ago , but never imagined it would swell as fast. As I looked around , I did not see any RED shirts or Yellow shirts anywhere , In fact some are wearing no shirts at all as it sooooo hot here in Whang Pho, and some that have come home have lost the very shirts on their back , and I have never saw sooo many new pretty young girls in all my 6 years here, where did they come from ????

Well thats my report from the streets of Whang Pho and as you can read , All is Well on the Home Front , at least for the time being . Hope all is well with all of you and that you are staying close to home till all this blows over and don't be to quick to get out and see what all the noise is about , it might mean trouble for you and yours , a mob is uncontrollable and some folks in the mob are there just to do damage to everything and everyone just for the thrill of it watch yourselves . Malcolm

If you need to get away from it all and just relax , you can find some great deal and rates at the resorts located here and near , E-mail me if you need help with any plans .

HAMMOCKING----(the art of ) bringing back a oldie

After six years of trail and error , I now consider myself and expert in the Art of Hammocking . You don't just jump in a hammock and lay down and think that you have mastered it , hammocking is like riding a bike , learning to canoe, or kayak you can't just jump in, you might just fall right out , it takes control , thinking, and planning and a little common sense. First you have to come to a understanding that a hammock is a piece of canvas, ropes platted or, bamboo strips interwoven to make a banana shaped container to hang between two, trees , poles or ,on a frame which ever one you have available( myself I like it somewhere with lots of shade, a tree if possible .This banana shaped basket is tied at either end with some kind of rope or chain, and will swing easily in the breeze, and being banana shaped and swinging in the breeze you don't just jump in , you have to walk up slowly and turn with your back to the hammock some where near the middle of the banana shaped swing (thats what a hammock really is ) and slowly lower yourself down in a sitting position as close to the middle as you can figure out , and then with one sweep swing a leg over the other side like you were riding a horse and then very slowly lay back and then bring your legs up onto the hammock , remember that the hammock is banana shaped and your head and legs are going to be higher that the rest of your body, (now you are in), this takes a little getting use to and some folks with back problems just can't get the hang of it . All the while you are laying there enjoying the rocking motion of you hammock , you have to be careful, not to make any sudden moves ,or over you head looking as you might just roll out of the banana shaped contrapition you are laying in .Many folks I know have fell out and brusied or some have even broke a wrist or fingers trying to catch themselves , some like me have landed on their elbow and brusied or cut it pretty bad and required a hospital visit. When I told the nurse how it had happened , she told the others and they had a big laugh , my friend said I should have told them some machoo story , like I fell off my motor bike trying to avoid an accident with a dog or something , anything BUTTTT I fell out of my hammock . ha ha ha .
If you have followed my advise and instructions very carefully , you too may someday become as good as I am at the art of napping in a hammock or just relaxing and watching the world go by in front of you , remember don't try to look to much to the sides and especially not behind, as you might just roll out. OH I almost forgot , if you like the rocking motion you have to learn how to hang one leg over the side from time to time to give yourself a push to get the rocking going , and then bringing it back up into the hammock , you can't leave it hanging over as the side of the hammock will cut of the circulation to your leg and it will go numb and when you get out of the hanmmock, very slowly just like you got in but in reverse, your leg will be asleep and you will fall on your face , I almost did that one to , BUTTT now I'm and expert and that comes with , time and experience and being Retired in Thailand and Loving It .
I am posting a few pictures of the Art of Hammocking for your viewing and hopefully enjoyment. Malcolm

FISHING TRIP AND PINIC WITH FRIENDS

My friend Jerry bought a new to him pick-up , on his try it out trip , he went past Erawan Water Fall to the dam and across a lake to a little cove , Soooo this week was time to take Me his friend on a fishing trip to see if this was indeed a great fishing spot. We left at 7 am and drove to Kanchanaburi, turned left and headed toward the falls, pass the falls we came to a road that goes on the other side of Srinakharin dam and lake and made our way about 25 kl. to a little turn off that took us down to this little cove . The road looked more like a trail and would have been a good place to go 4 wheeling , but Jerry being the expert driver that he is, he manuvered that pick-up this way and that way and what do you know, we were there at one of the most beautiful picnic, camping , and hopefully fishing spot I have seen in a long time.We made a lean-to for protection from the sun and put down mats for the girls to sit under the shade (both Thais) and talk a lot and fix the lunch from all the food we had brought , you would have thought we were going to stay a week ha ha , while the men folk fished . The weather was great for the first half of the day , Butttt then the wind really started to blow and almost blew our shelter away , we tryed to wait it out , but it was a big blow and rain was in the clouds coming in fast. We packed up and said our good-byes to the fishing place (no fish ), but promised to return another day to give it another try with maybe a little different bait . All in all we had a great time , and if we were there only for a picnic , we could'nt have found a prettier place and hopefully next time we'll land a big fish or two. When you take a good look at the pictures you'll see another reason why I'm Retired in Thailand and Loving It. Malcolm

JACK-FRUIT----(THE LARGEST FRUIT TO GROW ON A TREE)

The heart of the jackfruit is also used to make the yellow dye for monks robes

My computer table and desk , I cut a jackfruit tree down and had the wood sawed into boards and gave to man to make me a table , I love the color . No stain was added to color the wood all natural color

Another shot of my desk or table

I don't know how the limbs can hold these heavy fruits without breaking (some can weigh 50 lbs.)

This is younger fruit

Small pieces cut from the fruit to get to the eatable part of the fruit

These are the small segments or pods that are eatable and contain the seed

The seeds are good to eat , roast them and they taste like a chestnut

These pods are very sticky and you have to be careful not to get on your counter and knife .

This pictures shows the prickly side of the fruit, that you have to cut thru to get to the pod segments inside . These are very sweet when ripe and a lot of folks like to cook them green as a subsitute for meat , and also to boil and put in a Thai soup.

Yesterday Ciejay went in the field behind our house where there is a huge jack-fruit tree and cut off one of the fruits ready and ripe (you can tell by the smell), and you can't believe how big it was , it must have weighted 25 lbs. at least.
I love jack-fruit , but it is really hard to peel and cut and get the fruit out as it is filled with a rubber juice that keeps most folks from cutting and eating them , but Ciejay has a way of doing it and does not get to much rubber on everything .We had it for a fruit dessert after dinner and it was the sweetest one I have eaten in all my 6 years here in the LOS . Not only was there enough for us , but she divided it among all the neighbors and they were all thankful, that they did'nt have to cut and clean out for themselves . Not only is Jack-fruit great to eat but the wood from the tree is prized for it's quality to make musical instruments, the wood has a wonderful yellow color that makes beautiful furniture (see the picture of my table) and the heart of the wood is used to make the dye to color the robes for the Thai monks.
Jackfruit
By Darlene Schmidt, About.com Guide
Definition: Enormous and prickly on the outside, jackfruit looks somewhat like durian (though jackfruit is usually even larger). Once a jackfruit is cracked open, what you will find inside are pods or "bulbs". Often referred to as the seeds, these bulbs are actually a kind of fleshy covering for the true seeds or pits, which are round and dark like chesnuts. The fleshy part (the "bulb") can be eaten as is, or cut up and cooked. When unripe (green), it is remarkably similar in texture to chicken, making jackfruit an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat. In fact, canned jackfruit (in brine) is sometimes referred to as "vegetable meat".
Jackfruit can also be purchased frozen, dried, or canned either in brine (usually unripe) or in syrup (ripe and sweet). If using fresh jackfruit, it's a good idea to oil your knife and hands first before cutting, as the fruit is very sticky.
Jackfruit contains many vitamins and minerals, and offers numerous health benefits. The fruit's isoflavones, antioxidants, and phytonutrients mean that jackfruit has cancer-fighting properties. It is also known to help cure ulcers and indigestion.

FOOD TO GO (TAKE AWAY)

The famous Thailand Binder or Tie-----------------THE RUBBER BAND

Take Away and bring home

Red Curry Pla(fish)--Red Curry Guy (chicken)-- Tai Palo (boiled egg with pork and to-fu )-- Coke Zero---butter rolls--and fresh boiled white corn on the cob

Seems like a lot of my post have to do with food lately , well can I help it that food is one of the favorite things I love about Thailand , and the experts say that the color Red makes you hungry , soooo with all the Red Shirts on T.V. and the Net , I seem to stay hungry all the time . I'm going to miss them when they go, then we will be back to the colors yellow , blue, and pink , and they say these colors make us feel full , maybe that will help this ever expanding waist line of mine , ha ha .

Not only are there little restaurants on ever corner , in our village (and most villages in Thailand) they all have take away as they call it here in the LOS. Whatever you order from the menu they will put in a plastic bag and tie, with a hundred tight twist of a rubber band, and a knot that I have yet figured out how to untie , sooo I end up cutting it with my knife and sometimes makeing a mess of things in doing so . Do you hate the rubber band ties as much as I do?, and every where you look around the kitchen there are rubber bands .

But, take away is very convenient, when it's to hot to cook at home (or to lazy) and to hot to eat outside (or to many bugs) , and it's sooo easy to say "take away ".

I did just that the other day for dinner and was able to buy enough food and drink, for Ciejay and Me for less that 100 baht , now you can't beat a deal like that and a few of the little food tables will even have their kids deliver it to your house on their Honda's or bikes . I love it and thats why I'm "Retired in Thailand and Loving It". Malcolm

AND SEEING RED

info from www.colorschemer.com/blog

What do Safeway, Walgreens, and Costco have in common? The obvious answer is that they are all large operated American supermarkets. But do you think it’s any coincidence that these three grocery stores – along with others like Winn-Dixie, Wawa, Giant, and Supervalu – all use red in their logo?
A color psychologist would tell you that this is no surprise: red is the color that makes people hungry. Red instantly attracts attention and it also makes people excited, energetic, and increases the heart rate.
In the fast-food industry, look no further than McDonalds, Wendy’s, or Burger King as prime examples of this. These massive companies all have a large amount of red in their branding as well, which subconsciously lets customers know that the chain is high-energy, bustling, and most importantly fast.
Red seems to have color dominance with regards to actual food products, as well. If red foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, and apples aren’t a natural part of the product, often times red packaging is used instead, such as with Coke, Skittles, and Campbell’s Soup. Mmm… maybe you’re hungry now?

RIVER TRAVELS AND SIGHTSEEING

WHAT A WAY TO TRAVEL, AND WHEN IT'S PARTY TIME

THREE STATE ROOMS ON EACH SIDE

GREAT FOR A GROUP OF FRIENDS WHO WANT TO TRAVEL AND SLEEP AND ENJOY THE RIVER IN LUXURY AND STYLE

EVEN A SMALL LONG TAIL FOR EXPLORING THE SIGHTS

THE FAMOUS RIVER KWAI FROM THE VIADUCT IN WHANG PHO

A NICE LITTLE RESORT ,RIGHT ON THE RIVER

THESE RIVER ROOMS ARE NICE WE STAYED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE END ONE ,AND I FISHED AND SWAM

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE RIVER RAFT ROOMS

LOTS OF PLACES TO CHOOSE FROM CLOSE TO PEOPLE,OR, IN THE WILDERNESS ALL ALONE.
LONG TAIL BOAT IN KANCHANABURI , FOR A HOUR OR TWO RIDE ON THE RIVER

THE HAPPY BOAT, NOT ON THE RIVER , BUT NICE ROOM AND THE RIVER AND ADVENTURES ARE ONLY A SHORT WALK

FOR A TOUR GROUP OR FAMILY TO TAKE A AFTERNOON TRIP UP THE RIVER

WE'LL STOP ANYWHERE YOU WANT

RIVER TRIP AND LUNCH OR DINNER ,IT DON'T GET ANY BETTER

Well, just as I said"a blast from the past". I am always giving reasons why I love it here in the LOS, and being able to get out and enjoy Thailand and nature and all the beauty that is soooo close by is just another one .

Ever since the beginning of time man has looked for ways to enjoy nature up close and personal, well, here in Thailand and especially here on the Famous River Kwai , there are sooooo many ways you can travel up and down the river anywhere from a hour or two ,to a week long vacation on a real Thai river boat ,complete with all the conveniences of home , while all the time being as close to nature and the outdoors as you can get ,most trips on the river, include,or for a little extra baht, rafting ,swimming,fishing , a elephant ride and even a chance to swim with the elephants ,if you are a really brave soul.

There are lots of different ways to enjoy the sights in Thailand , and I hope you get out of BKK and your hotel room and the comfort of a five star hotel or Resort and Spa in the middle of town, and that you take a day or two and get up close and personal with this wonderful place we call, The Land of Smiles and Gentle People ,Thailand and what better way to do just that than to get on the river, Mark Twain once said that there was no better way to see the world than on a river boat , and after living here in Whang Pho on the banks of the Famous River Kwai ,I am inclined to agree with him. Have you ever took a boat ride down a river near you ,or spent the night in a floating raft hotel room?, and if so , did you enjoy it? and did you like me day dream of owning a house boat and living at least part time on the river ? I have a few pictures of various ways to travel and vacation on the river , Hope you enjoy,almost all the pictures were shot from the bridge at our village . Malcolm
A couple of the pictures taken in the next village  on the river .