We left our lovely tented camp early this morning because we have a 5 hour drive. We are slowly making our way to Chiang Mai and the next stop, Uthai Thani, is a half way point.
We had several stops to break up the trip. Our first stop was just outside the camp, a rubber farm. The farmer happened to be there and showed us how he cut the bark of the tree and collected the rubber. He had about 700 trees and couldn’t find enough laborers to do the work. They need to collect the rubber daily before it sets to ensure a good price on the market. We went through the economics and, while it sounds profitable, the farmer clearly isn’t get rich farming rubber.
We stopped at a stand selling the bamboo tubes with the sticky rice cooked inside (we had this in Cambodia). They also made bamboo sheds.
Before lunch we also stopped at a tapioca farm. Lin saw the plants so we just pulled the bus over and walked into the field. Lin was showing us the roots when the farmer arrived. Via Lin he explained about growing tapioca. A plant matures in about 8 months and you can get about a 10 kg root at that point. The root has cyanide in it and needs to be properly prepared to rid the tapioca of the cyanide. He gave us one of his 2 month old plants so it could be prepared for our lunch later that day.
Last stop before lunch was at a little road side stand. Lin explained that they eat all the pests from the rice fields, including small birds and rats. This stand was selling both. The woman also sold duck eggs (in both Thailand and Cambodia, they eat a lot more duck eggs than chicken eggs) that are painted with limestone. The ones painted with white limestone taste salty and the ones painted with pink turn the egg black.
During our bus ride we learned about education in Thailand. School is free for children until the 12th grade but many do not graduate. Private grade schools typically provide a better education. At the college level the public schools tend to be better. Lin told us that there weren’t enough teachers in the rural districts. She also explained that children need to wear uniforms and the teachers are very strict about the length of their hair. If a boy’s hair is too long they will cut it at school so that it conforms to the rules.
We also learned about the health care system. The government pays for seniors and government employees. Most people do not have insurance. There are not enough doctors, particularly in rural areas.
Eventually we arrived at the Sakae Krang River where we boarded a traditional wooden rice barge for lunch. We had a very nice lunch as we cruised along. The Princess, the King’s sister, has a house in this town and many of the other houses are painted purple in her honor. She is liked much better by the Thai people than her brother. The King is thought to be a spoiled individual and is looked down upon for living in Germany, away from his people.
After lunch we made our way to Nakhon Sawan. This is a the halfway point to Chang Mai, so we’re only staying for one night. After checking in and getting settled we went to Sawan Park. It was after 5 and everyone in the park was exercising. There were several exercise dance classes. Lin and some of our group joined right in. We walked around and explored the park. That evening we had dinner at the hotel.
