Thailand

(boys checking out some very smelly dried fish)

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a city full of strong smells, traffic, and people selling everything and anything possible. We were met at the airport by Bart’s brother, Maarten, and we were able to catch up with him for a couple of hours that evening and then spent the whole next day with him. Maarten walked with us through Bangkok, showing us the streets and how the locals shop and eat. The streets are completely packed with people selling food, animals, clothes, teeth (no kidding), and anything else you could think of. They set up their handmade carts back to back right in front of the stores and restaurants that line the streets. This allows for only a very narrow path to fit in between the two! Everyone seems to be trying to eek out a living by offering something to sell. We saw two woman in a slightly quieter corner sleeping on the street with a little baby lying in a makeshift hammock. They had two cages with a few squirrels they had caught to sell. So many cities are the same, with such a strong contrast between the rich and poor passing each other everyday on the streets, but I’ve never been anywhere like this before. They seem to have so little in the way of material things, but almost everyone is trying to work and make a little money to survive. We saw almost no begging.
Thai people love children, but all the attention the boys are getting takes some getting use to! Men and women reach out their hands and touch their cheek or shoulder as we pass them on the street. The people here are wonderful though. Most are so friendly and helpful. We've always talked quite a lot to the boys about how blessed they are with what they have... a house, food in their bellies, a mama & papa who love them and care for them... but now they are getting to experience how blessed they are. They are now face to face with reality and they are now starting to understand. Their heartfelt prayers every night have been for these people that have so little, but seem so happy.


(boys on the very cool local bus)

River Kwai, Thailand

We finally escaped Bangkok and took a local bus to Sai Yok, which offered us a wonderful opportunity to sneak a peek at how the locals live outside of the city. We passed trucks piled so high with various goods, that they looked as if they may topple over at any moment. Many are laden with bamboo 15 meters high (for you Americans, that’s 7.5 times Bart!). We also passed small pickup trucks riding on the highway with two or three cows standing in the back. School children, dressed in their tidy uniforms, were sandwiched together in open aired trucks on their way to school. Whole families squeeze themselves onto their only transportation... small scooters. It’s not uncommon to see a family of four or five packed onto a scooter with the Papa driving, holding a baby between his legs, a toddler behind him, and then the Mama hanging on the back with one in her arms. In my humble opinion, the Dutch still have them beat with the balancing act they routinely perform on their bicycles! A baby on the front, one or even two on the back, a stroller hooked to the side, a basket with groceries, and all this while holding an umbrella! That takes a skill that is hard for foreigners to duplicate! We later glimpsed children huddled together on the ground in their schools; which consists of only a roof and dirt floor. Open not only for the world to look in, but for the kids to look out. I know I have at least one little boy that would be so distracted by everything he could put his eyes on, that he would never get any of his work done! Everything is dirt. I think we only saw one yard with grass. Our bus had to stop on two different occasions to allow long eared cows and then later people riding elephants to pass.

At the end of our bus ride we then transported our luggage and ourselves into a long boat that carried us about 15 minutes up the River Kwai. Where we were staying is quite remote and the the only way to reach it is by boat. This area is surrounded by mountains and lush green foliage on the river banks. We have to eat dinner were we are since we are so far out, but the days are spent exploring. The boys are quite content because they also have a pool that they are in the process of wearing out!
Today, we went to the jungle for a hike and swim in the Erawan Falls. When we first arrived, our driver attempted to tell us through hand gestures and Thai (with one or two English words thrown in) to be careful of the monkeys. He said the monkeys bite and we were to hit and kick them and look for a stick if necessary. I later saw a sign that said ‘Beware of the Fierce Monkeys’. I was excited to see my first wild monkey, but after the boys heard the bus driver, they weren’t as excited as me. The good news is that no one got bit... the bad news is that we didn’t see any monkeys. The air was full of their chattering, but they stayed hidden in the tops of their trees. I think the boys were pretty glad about that.

(Ash getting his feet 'kissed' by the fish)

It was a spectacular hike up to the top, passing a total of 7 waterfalls the entire way. The path was narrow and filled with twisted roots and boulders made smooth by the footsteps of everyone who has been before us. Sunlight dappled the path and played off the river beside us as it filtered through the canopy of trees overhead. We stopped at every waterfall, taking in the beauty all around us, and swimming and playing at our favorite ones. The boys found a waterfall that cascaded over a rock that they were able to use as a slide. They had so much fun sliding down into the pool of water below and then climbing back up to the top. I do believe that was the highlight of their day! As soon as we put our feet into any of the pools of water at the bottom of the falls, little fish would come and nibble on them. Mthijs got pretty good at staying still and had them sucking all over his feet! They tickled so much, I never managed to keep mine in longer than 5 seconds! In Bangkok we saw the newest trend being advertised on the streets. It was to have “your feet kissed by hundreds of little fish as they suck the dead skin off your feet” (yuck!) To think, we were getting the newest trend in foot care done for free!




The next day we took a long boat up the river to the next village and walked around a bit. The way the people live is so different than what we know. Afterwards, we floated back down the river with a raft, made out of logs, following behind. Unlike all three boys, I’ve never been very comfortable in water. I can swim, but I’m more worried about all the critters that may be swimming in there with me that I can’t see. So, as I’m trying to put mind over matter, I ask Bart if he thinks there are any crocodiles in Thailand. Well, you would hope they wouldn’t let foreigners go floating down the river if there were, but you never know. Now, let me tell you what I have seen in the river since this day... you know those HUGE monitor lizards that are just as big as a crocodile? We were in a boat today and I saw one, plain as day, his whole body, coming out of the water! He was huge! Can you imagine, I’m in the water, wondering about crocodiles and then that thing could have went right by me! I would have peed in my bathing suit and had a heart attack all at the same time!

We are staying where there is internet again, so hopefully, I can have another post in the next day or two! We love to read all your comments! There's not enough time to respond to them all, so I'll just say a big Thank You and we love hearing from you all!