Laughing On The Road

   If you ever want to have fun take a road trip with a group of Thais!  It was non-stop laughter in the van coming and going  I enjoyed it even if I understood less than 2% of it.  There were 11 of us on the trip that included the principal, his wife and the former principal, whom I also knew.
   We went about a 2 hour drive to Saphanburi to visit an historic market.  If you've ever been to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market it's a slight taste of an Asian market.  The market sort of indoors, the walks un-roofed, is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. Off the beaten tourist track I saw no other westerners.  Buy, eat, look...Thais seem to eat all the time and that was certainly true on our trip..
   Then it was on to the water buffalo park.  I have been fascinated by water buffalo ever since seeing them pulling farm implements through the rice paddies when I was in Asia in the '60s, compliments of Uncle Sam.  When the teachers suggested we see the buffalo I quickly agreed.
    Water buffalo grow to be huge beasts and are usually placid.  It's not unusual to see an Asian childr lying on the back of one.  In Vietnam there are staged fights which I've seen on TV.  Two huge bulls, weighing a ton or more, come galloping at full speed  and hit head on.  
   The show was preceded by children doing traditional Thai dance.  Plowing, with a wooden plow, harrowing, pulling a wooden sled and grinding rice were all demonstrated.  Then they showed the buffalo doing their tricks, lifting left foot right foot, kneeling, smiling, standing in a line, climbing steps, etc.  Several were white, albino, and many had massive horns. Riding on them was largely sitting but fulfilled a long held dream of mine.  We also got a ride in a buffalo cart.  This stop was the highlight for me.
   A temple you ask?  Certainly no trip in SE Asia is complete with out visiting a temple/  The Muslim teacher and I skipped the temple.  We just looked around.
   The trip was a 'thank you' to me for teaching.  I'm not the only volunteer that comes but I'm the only one who comes back.  It was a great bonding experience.

With teachers at entrance to market...one next to me on left is Muslim.

By a Banyan tree,

Rider on an albino buffalo. (All steers, by the way.)

Giddyap buffalo.

In front of the buffalo show.

A plow more antique than mine.