Mourning Gory

My carefully laid satellite navigated holiday itinerary has been blown out of the water, we are now in the village after rescheduling everything.

Monday morning and we are packed and ready to leave Hua Hin for our flight to Udon Thani. Wonderful Wi rings her mama who has been cleaning our fishing pond, home to Wi’s cherished goldfish…..Shock horror…..during the big clean five of her fish have died and her mama has eaten two(gory thoughts)and is gonna give the listless three to the village monks.

Wi entered a period of mourning and deep thinking. We decided not to stay in Udon Thani city but to go to the village for five days where upon Wi can try and reconstruct the mess her mama had probably made of our home and garden. No problem to me, I like village life, it’s a relax don’t do it scenario for me.

After a one hour delay at Bangkok airport we flew to Udon Thani and arrived at 6p.m. rented a Honda Vios for one week (125 euros)and set off on the 65 kilometre drive to the village stopping on route at Udons Tesco Lotus supermarket. As I viewed the fish counter I considered buying salt, vinegar and french fries for mama but decided Wi wouldn’t see the funny side to it.

Driving in darkness along the dirt track about ten minutes from our home the car headlights picked out something slithering across the road. Black and white stripes, about 1.5 metres long and with a fair girth, the dreaded snake, what breed I still don’t know. I shut my eyes and half hoped we’d run over it, it didn’t happen but it was a sharp reminder for the days to follow. Tomorrow I needed to wear a big bell around my neck and smaller ones on my shoes and walk slowly making as much noise as possible. If a country ever needed Keep Off the Grass signs then I was in it.

Last couple of days have been spent at local towns looking around and Wi buying plants and flowers. Today we replenished the fishing pond with seven goldfish and a couple of terrapins, I’m sure I saw mamas mouth watering at the thought of the water going green once more.

Thailands still gripped by one mother sucker of a heatwave, when the locals start dripping there ain’t a sweat bucket big enough in your suitcase to cope, you’ve just got to get on with it and sweat, sweat, sweat. Wherever you are in the world, good luck and I hope your bells ring loud. Hoo Don.

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