I am so Thai right now

The Chao Phraya flows upstream this evening.

There must be a big coconut tree round here somewhere because the river is full of them. Bobbing up and down on a journey to god knows where or why.

How Thai.

Anyway, back to me.

This bit of long story but, many many things have happened today. This is the story of the monsoon rainy morning, the military band, the missing amulet, the fake jade monkey, the Wat Po, my roadside kitchentress, my ferry across the Chao Phraya to the temple of the dawn across the river.

Also I went fishing today.

The idea is to catch them by hand but more of that later.

We headed out early into a deluge. Came straight back in and accepted the offer of matching umbrella.

Out we went on to Song Wat road. The band was waiting.




"We" asked them to play the theme to the lion king but they didn't know it. I even hummed the first few bars. They all just laughed and said " you don't need us you really good on your own".

 

 

Off to Amulet street.

This is the amulet I bought.

Apparently I will not have any problem at custom office.

 

 

At the Wat po



This one just a trinket...


You go by boat up a canal. Stop by a bigger boat and transfer. Then a man in Thai fisher pants and bare chest covered in tattoo of dragons and fish and gold rings on all his fingers says in perfect Thai "who want to catch the fishy? "

One of us didn't understand my answer or his question but next thing I know I am standing next to him, bare chested and in Thai fisher pant only on a wooden meshed deck over an australian backyard swimming pool size tank of dark water that moved with the motion of the boat.

He started to chant and we began to be lowered into the water. He leaned in to me and whispered " keep your pants on pharang and just relax".

The water was body temperature and smelt like a brand name dry cat food.

We went in up to my shoulders and everything was quite. I could see the grey Bangkok sky up above us where people were standing around on the sides of the tank.

This them



 

 

They were holding golden urns and seemed happy. My fishing companion called out something like "Now now now" and they all emptied the urn into the water.

 

It was a bit scary at first.


 

this me and the fishertresses down in the water.

then the fishes came out

I still cannot speak about it....

This my tattooist

 

yes that is a bamboo needle

 

and this is shrine for the shy I went to

and this is the dog that lives at the shrine of the shy and yes I let her sleep

these are past students. The did very well.

 

I climbed to the top metaphysically

 

 

I saw this

I felt this

 

and I stayed up for

my last moon in the Bang

 




I will be home for the full moon

 

 

chocks away ground crew

 

love and peace

Mruk