Nothing Stays the Same, Living is Changing - Part 2



Harvesting and Threshing Rice in Tavan, Vietnam

For our first dinner during our 36 hour stay in Hanoi, we took a taxi to one of our old favorite restaurants for pizza - Al Frescos.  Whenever the gang from the jobsite went to Hanoi, we invariably had a meal at Al Frescos.  After a short ride we arrived at Al Frescos - just across the street from St. Joseph Cathedral.  That was a little odd to me, of all the times that we had eaten at Al Frescos, I had never noticed the landmark cathedral.  We entered the restaurant and it looked very familiar even down to the upstairs dining area where most foreigners end up eating.  If there was any change, it appeared that the restaurant was a little bit smaller.  I ended up asking our server and found out that this was actually a new location for Al Frescos!  Yet another change from our previous visits to Hanoi!

The Asia Queen Hotel where I had a run in with a "rip-off" taxi driver on our last visit, is no longer in business as well as Trang An Hotel, where we typically stayed while in Hanoi, are no longer in business - even more changes.

On our second night in Hanoi, we took the overnight train to Sapa (Sa Pa).  We had taken the train seven years before.  Based upon our experience of sharing a roughly 5 foot wide by 6.5 foot sleeper cabin with two strangers along with their luggage seven years ago, I purchased all four beds in a compartment going and returning so that Duang and I could be relatively more comfortable.  This was a welcomed change for both of us!

Speaking of change - there is now a highway from Hanoi to Sapa (Sa Pa).  Buses and charter vehicles offer a six hour alternative to the overnight train.

On this journey to Northern Vietnam, we got to visit and experience the Saturday Market at Can Cau and the Sunday Bac Ha Market that we had planned seven years ago but did not achieve.  On Sunday afternoon after the Bac Ha Market we went to Sapa arriving around 4:30 P.M.

The weather in Sapa is and was very unsettled in early September - with rainy days and most days with some brief showers most days, in between the showers there can be low clouds, fog, and even some sunshine!  I had done my research and tracked the weather for over a month as our planned departure approached.

I was dealing with a dilemma - I wanted to photograph the golden rice terraces of Sapa region and I wanted to photograph people harvesting the rice - most importantly threshing the rice by hand.  From my extensive Internet research I had determined that the best time for what I wanted would be the first week of September - it appeared that the first week is typically when the harvest commences.  I believed that if I had made a mistake in the timing, I still would have great photographs of golden terraces filled with heavy heads of rice ready to be harvested.

Unfortunately early September is typically wetter than later in the month.  I do not particularly enjoy photographing in the rain but I can deal with it.  The problem is ... the rice can not be harvested in the rain.  The rice must be dry to be harvested.  The harvesting typically recommences 24 hours after the rain has stopped and  dried by a combination of sun and wind.

Upon checking in to our hotel, the extremely helpful hotel manager booked my choice of a trek for the next morning.  I expressed my concern about the weather - he assured me that if there was some rain it would be over by noon.  I told him that I was relying upon him to make it happen and I would hold him accountable.

Our Hmong tour guide, Pang, arrived 10 minutes early at our hotel the next morning.  We set off together headed west out of town along a paved road.  We had hiked along the same road seven years ago only under a sunny sky. For this trek, I had selected a tour that not many tourists take - I was excited about the opportunities that such an itinerary would present for capturing more realistic glimpses of typical life.

Not too long, perhaps 30 minutes, into our hike, it started to rain, not heavily but enough to merit wearing a raincoat and to wet all exposed parts.  In a short time we arrived at the guardhouse to the valley.  To enter the valley around Lao Chai, non-residents have to purchase a permit for a nominal amount - 50,000 VND ($2.25 USD) per person.

Duang Showing Photos On Her New Smartphone

We were met by two Hmong women near the guardhouse.  One woman was young with an adorable baby strapped to her back and an older woman.  They set off along the road and trail with us.  I was prepared for this.  On our previous trip we were accompanied, more like hounded and harassed, throughout our stay by Hmong women and sometimes Hmong children wanting you to buy whatever they were offering.  I do not necessarily enjoy this but if they leave after the third time that I decline I can accept it.  If they persist I then become sarcastic in my conversation with them to be followed by silence.  My annoyance is tempered by the realization that they have a much more difficult life than I have ever experienced and that they are just trying to make a living perhaps to just survive.

I realized that these women would tag along with us along our trek and at the end ask us, if not expect us to buy some things from them.  I was prepared for that and did not have an issue with that as long as they were not pushy ... besides they would be good models along the way.

We set off of the road to travel along an extremely rough trail through a forested area headed towards two small villages where tourists do not often visit.  The rain had picked up in intensity and forced me to place my camera back into my pack for protection.  My typical camera backpack weighs around 15 to 20 pounds.  For the trek I had pared it down to 15 pounds for the scheduled 8 hour tour.  Eight hour tour?  Haven't I heard that before?  The theme song to the television show, "Gilligan's Island" which starred Alan Hale?  Was this a forewarning?

The trail that we hiked along was very steep, in many locations a 30% slope, and extremely dangerous.  The trail was filled with ruts - just right for twisting ankles.  The trail had many loose rocks and stones which created many opportunities to roll an ankle.  There were many streams of flowing water on the trail softening up the surface thereby making it more unstable for footing. But most of all there was the mud - thin so as to not even providing some traction by getting your boots stuck in it, nice thin slippery as snail snot fine clay mud.  How slippery was it?  A couple of times I was standing still and started to slide down the slope.

Trekking the Rice Terraces of Lao Chai District

Very quickly I realized that things had changed over the past seven years.  Sure it was dry back then and it was very wet now.  However it became very evident and personal the thing that had changed most of all was ... me.  At 66 years old (67 years old in Thailand) I could no longer do what I had done 7 years ago when I was 59 years old.

I am not as stable now as I was back then - the problem being my knees.  Pang and the older Hmong woman realized my difficulty and distress.  Pang offered to carry my backpack which I finally relented to allow  her to do - not a matter of masculine pride but rather my policy to be solely responsible for any damage that could befall my camera equipment. In not much time of carrying it after my first refusal, it became very evident to me that the gear was at a much greater risk and that I physically was more susceptible to injury carrying it myself than having Pang do it.

Lysa

My humiliation was not over.  I had intended to buy a walking stick from the children that congregated at the old intersection of the main paved road and head of the trail that descended into the valley.  More changes - that route is no longer used and that jumping off point has been abandoned.  As for the children ... Pang told me that since it was Monday, all the children were in school.  We came upon a bamboo fence along the trail, we ended up "borrowing" a piece to be a walking stick for me - something to stabilize my gait and a device for me to lean on to resist falling down or to the side.  The walking stick definitely helped and I carried it for 3/4 of our trek.  However the walking stick was not all that I needed to safely navigate the trail and slopes.  The older woman who turned out to be 47 years old, Lysa, offered me her hand.  As it turned out we ended up holding hands for almost one-half of our trek. Lysa, several times, saved me from falling down or slipping over.  She was strong and most importantly very sure footed.  I know that without her help as well as Pang's help. I might have injured myself or even worse - damaged my camera gear.



Duang and the Others On the Trail

It was miserable and I suspect it was almost as bad for the others.  I saw Duang almost fall a couple times and we were all getting rained on.  I was furious and livid.  Without doubt Duang and our trekking companions were aware of this. I was furious and livid.  The weather? No.  The steep trail? No. The dangerous conditions? No!  I was furious and livid with the painful and fearful realization of the changes ... my changes that were making it so difficult for me to do what I had done seven years earlier, changes that now dictated and forced me to rely upon others along with the assistance of others. Perhaps I was also upset with the perceived loss of some independence and self-reliance.

I made it a point to convey to our fellow trekkers and ensure to them that I was not upset or angry with them but I was angry with myself.

We came to a fork in the forest and stopped.  Pang said that we could continue on the trails that we were on, or take an abandoned road that other tourists take for about another hour at which point we could continue with the remainder of the scheduled trek to Lao Chai Village and Tavan or at that point we could be met by a vehicle to return us to our hotel in Sapa.

I decided to take the road more traveled with the option of returning to the hotel being a very definite possibility.  We made it to the abandoned road and walking became somewhat easier.  Shortly before arriving at a small hut overlooking the valley but more importantly a place where you could buy ice cold drinks and sit under cover, the rain stopped and the sun almost came out.

The Girls At the Best Refreshment Stand In Sapa region

Goal #1 - Achieved, This is one of the photos that I had as a goal

After a nice rest at the refreshment stand, with no rain I was able to take photographs once again. I thought of all the people that I have known in my life who did not live long enough to be 66 years old let alone to be 66 years old and to attempt such a trek in such a beautiful place.  I thought about how few issues I do have and of those how minor they really are albeit annoying.  The more photographs that I took, the more fortunate I realized that I was.  My mood improved even to the point that I was able to joke ... "You know why not many tourists visit those villages?  It is too damn dangerous!"

There were more slippery and dangerous descents to survive before we reached the valley floor.  Although I was still resisting and not accepting the changes to my body, I was in a better mood helped a great deal by seeing people in their 20's and 30's with large mud stains on their bodies from where they had fallen.  I could not help but think that if they had used a walking stick and held the hand of someone like Lysa they would not have fallen.

The Trail to Lao Chai and Tavan

I decided that we would continue on with our scheduled trek especially the part about having lunch in the village.  The weather was manageable now.  The rain stopped around 11:00 A.M. almost as promised by our hotel manager! Things were literally and figuratively looking much better.

As we trekked along the river at the valley floor, I realized that I had chosen the right time to photograph the harvest.  The harvest had just started perhaps one week long that had been slowed by the weather.  The rice terraces were a bright gold from heavy headed rice stalks awaiting harvest.  Some terraces had been harvested and were quite ugly - denuded mud flats with short stubble of harvested rice stalks - not great main subjects for a photographic composition but a useful element, albeit a small element, of an interesting composition.  For me, the opportune time to photograph Sapa rice harvest is just before or just after the start of the harvest rather than later in the harvest.  We had hit the right time.

As we were walking along the flat road towards the village of Lao Chai, I told Duang that our travelling companions were going to ask us to buy some things that they were carrying in woven baskets.  I told her that we would not bargain with them because they had really helped us out and we needed to show our gratitude.  We entered the Hmong restaurant and were brought to a large table at the back of the restaurant.  We invited our trekking companions to join us.  Lysa and the young woman with the adorable baby on her back showed us some items for us to consider purchasing.  I had a certain amount of money that I thought was good amount for each of them and good for us.  We purchased sufficient items from Lysa and met my budget.  She, on her own, tossed in some items for free.  With the other woman we ended up spending a little more than Lysa and she also gave us some free items.  It was a good feeling to have paid what we were willing to pay and what we thought was fair and to get something from them as an expression of their gratitude.  I realized that we had purchased more from the young  woman who had not really helped us compared to Lysa.  I asked Lysa if she was satisfied and happy with what we had done.  She said that she was happy and her smile confirmed it.  The young woman said good bye and left.  Lysa and Pang left us to join the other Hmong eating their lunch at a long table at the front of the restaurant.

After a delicious and abundant lunch of 6 different dishes, we continued or journey to the village of Tavan.

Goal #2 - Achieved, This is one of the photos that I had as a goal

After 9 hours, we crossed back across the river to the meeting point for the vehicle to take us back to our hotel.  After a couple of nice ice cold Pepsi, our vehicle arrived.  We gave Lysa a ride up the road a ways where she got out to walk down to her house.

Handmade Clothing For Sale In Lao Chai

If an artist must suffer for their art, I was definitely in that category after a full day trekking.  However on the first full day of three scheduled days in Sapa, I had gotten the specific photographs that I had planned on and hoped for on this trip.  It was a great relieve to know that whatever happened in the next two days would be "icing on the cake".

We arrived back at our hotel to face the stairs up to our room on the fourth floor room.  I struggled up the stairway - my knees aching and my quadriceps screaming from the exertions of the day.  Duang had a cold and needed some medicine, so I made it back down the stairs to the ground floor in search of a pharmacy.  The desk clerk directed me down a flight of stairs to the restaurant, out of the building, down two flights of steps to a street below, and across that street to two adjacent pharmacies.  After painfully making may way back to the hotel, I stopped at the restaurant for a simple meal of a ham and cheese sandwich on a great fresh baguette and three Pepsi.  Duang stayed in the room for a simple meal of fruit and fresh cake provided each afternoon by the hotel for their guests.

The next day was a washout - literally and figuratively as well as thankfully!  It rained just about the entire day.  I could hardly walk.  Duang was exhausted.  We were content to stay in our room with the curtains open and watch the ever changing cloud formations obscure and revel the surrounding mountains.  I spent the day on the Internet - since we had an upgraded room, there was a computer in the room for Internet access.  I had vowed to be off the grid for our entire Vietnam trip, but the previous day's physical exertions changed all that.  I was happy to check up on the outside world as I contemplated all the changes in my current life.

After a great night's sleep, I was not all that accepting of the changes that prevented me from doing what I had been able to do seven years earlier but I was now determined to adapt to the reality of the changes.  I wanted to return to Lao Chai and Tavan.  As it turned out Duang wanted to return too.  Although she had been very busy taking photos with her new "Appo"smartphone, the day before she wanted to return to have lunch one more time at the Hmong restaurant - as good a reason as any to return!

I spoke with the hotel manager about hiring a taxi, if the weather was acceptable the next day, to take us to Lao Chai village and to return us to the hotel.  I knew that we could see and do everything that we wanted to do, by getting dropped off and hiking along the roads rather than hiking down the rice terrace trails to get to the roads. We would then meet our vehicle at the rendezvous point that we used two days before.  It was possible and the very helpful hotel manager made it happen for us - but that is all for another blog entry.

Those who follow me know that I have written about the Buddhist belief that all life is change and changing, along with the impermanence of things.  I have also stated that the ability to accept and adapt to changes is the key to happiness.  This is easier said than done, but not impossible.  I had to practice what I preached.  Knowing, if not quite fully accepting, the changes that prevent me from doing some of the things that I could easily do seven years earlier, I focused on adapting to the reality.  In the end our day with using a taxi and using roads much more travelled, we had a great day that exceeded all our expectations and made us both very happy.

Nothing Stays the Same, Living Is Changing - Part 1

Feb 23, 2007 - Red Beer Microbrewery



Dec 9 2007 - Painted Baskets In Old Quarter of Hanoi

Buddhists do not believe in a permanent and fixed reality.  To them everything in this world is subject to change as well as alteration.  Impermanence and change are truths in our existence according to Buddhism.

As a non-Buddhist, I struggle with both the changes as well as accepting many of the changes I realize and encounter in my life.  Change is inevitable - we all know that yet we spend a great deal of time fighting change and spend a great deal of resources to resist the effects of the changes.

The ability and skill to adapt easily to changes are keys to happiness.

Earlier this month, my wife, Duangchan, and I returned to Vietnam for the first time in seven years.   Our last visit to Vietnam in late April 2008 did not go as well as we had expected or even planned.  For that trip, I had planned to visit the Can Cau Market and the Bac Ha Market.  I trusted someone to make all the arrangements for me since they were Vietnamese and involved in the travel industry.  In the end my wife and I adapted to the changes and enjoyed ourselves despite not getting to see the markets.  Duang, based upon that experience and some others while we lived in Vietnam, vowed to never to return to Vietnam.

On the late April 2008 trip, we visited the rice terraces of the Sapa (Sa Pa) region.  The terraces were filled with water and covered with newly planted stalks of  rice.  After seven years respecting Duang's vow, I determined that I wanted to return to Sapa to photograph the rice harvest and to finally visit the Can Cau and Bac Ha markets.  I told Duang that I was going and that she could come with me if she wanted to.  She changed her long standing vow to never return and agreed to go with me.

Unlike eight years ago, I handled all the arrangements myself.  After extensive research on the Internet I had found some highly recommended inexpensive lodgings and restaurants for our entire trip.  Our trip would be 9 days with 7 days in Vietnam.

After flying and staying overnight in Bangkok, we flew on an early flight to Hanoi.

Everything in this world is subject to change as well as alteration.  Impermanence and change are truths in our existence.

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, our introduction to the changes in Vietnam commenced.  We arrived at the newly opened (8 months old) international terminal, "Terminal T-2".  Terminal T-2 cost almost one Billion US dollars to construct. It was bright, immaculately clean, and extremely efficient.  We went through Immigration with no troubles at all.  Duang, being Thai, did not need a visa - since our last visit the ASEAN community has evolved to the point where citizens of member nations do not need visas to enter other member nations.  I still needed a visa which I had obtained prior at the Vietnam Consulate in Khon Kaen, 90 minutes drive south of our home.

Upon arrival in the Immigration area of Noi Bai, there was a large line of people waiting to be processed due to the arrival of several international flights.  Off to the side I saw some officials surveying the situation. Two minutes later, 5 uniformed people hustled through a door into the processing area and quickly set up 5 additional processing stations.  A Supervisor motioned me to stand in line at a station designated "Vietnamese" - it was obvious that their goal was to speed up the processing for everyone.

Processing was quick and efficient - conducted by pleasant and friendly government agents - an unexpected surprise and welcomed change. After clearing Immigration, we went to the baggage carousel and found our two bags circling along  the conveyor - it could not have been more than 15 minutes after docking of the plane at the terminal.

After meeting our car and driver from the hotel, we left the airport to encounter more change in Vietnam.  The old secondary roads from Hanoi to Noi Bai have been superseded by a new super-highway (Vo Nguyen Giap) - wide, smooth and fast.  Vo Nguyen Giap is 6 lanes wide plus 2 lanes for emergency stopping lanes. Rather than crossing the Red River using the old historical bridge Long Bien Bridge, we crossed an extremely modern suspension bridge, Cau Nhat Tan Bridge, 8.93 Km long and cost $639.2 million US dollars.  The bridge was financed by Japan and resembles the modern bridges of Japan as well as the New San Francisco Bay Bridge in the USA.

Surrounding the superhighway are small villages, bright green rice paddies and vegetable gardens.  On small country roads, people on bicycles and motorbikes could be easily viewed going about their daily life.  All in all it was quite an impressive introduction to Hanoi as well as Vietnam ... even for someone who had been there a few times before.

The weather had not changed much from when I first arrived in Vietnam in September 2007 - heavily overcast with scattered showers.  Just as before, the weather was constantly changing throughout the day.  From previous experience and my Internet research, we were prepared physically as well as mentally for the less than "ideal" weather.

We stayed at a small, highly recommended, hotel in the Old Quarter.  Upon checking into our room, I was shocked to find a computer in our room.  I excitedly pointed out to the clerk that someone had forgotten their computer in the room.  Very tactfully, he informed me that we had a "Family" room with free WiFi which includes a computer in the room (pretty darn good for our $21 a night room) $21 a night?  That's correct - that is what it cost us.  Using the appropriate Internet discount lodging websites you can get rooms for 40-60% off listed/walk-in rates!  It is the only way that we travel!

Duang Resting At Our Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel

The hotel staff was extremely friendly and more importantly, helpful.  In the end, they arranged transportation for us from the hotel to the train station on the night of our last day at the hotel.  More importantly they arranged for their car and driver to pick us up at train station 6 days later at 5:30 A.M. and drive us to the airport.  We were charged the going rate for the transportation but without the risk and worries of arranging it on your own.  The increased service and friendly attitude of hotel and restaurant workers was definitely a change that we could easily accept - a much welcomed change!

Some things have not changed ... yet.  A traveler has to be aware and cautious of transportation scams in Hanoi - especially with taxis.  On our last trip I realized that we were being taken for a ride one night when I recognized that we had passed the same location along the lake for the third time. I confronted the driver and when we got to our hotel I refused to pay him.  We ended up inside the hotel with a heated discussion.  He threatened to call the Police.  I said "Good, I want to talk to the Police!"  I then paid him what I thought the trip should have cost it had been direct.  The hotel staff then said some things and the driver left.  Unfortunately, this still occurs in Hanoi. Arranging transportation through a highly recommended hotel is one way to avoid such problems.  I had also determined the names of some reputable taxi companies on the Internet.  On this trip we had no issues - even when got confused, or was it lost, on our walks throughout the Old Quarter - we hired "cyclos", Pedi cabs to get us back to the hotel.

I had developed a walking trip of the Old Quarter from my Internet research.  The end product was a three page Google map with notes added  for what the street was once famous for, locations for specific items, and recommended highlights.

Life Along Hoan Kiem Lake

Early into our first walk around the Old Quarter changes were apparent.  The French pastry and ice cream stands at the southwest end of Hoan Kiem Lake are gone.  My plan was to have lunch a beer or two at Red Beer Microbrewery at #97 Ma May Street.  When we got to #102 or some number close to that, I realized that we had walked by what was THE PLACE in 2008 to enjoy some beer and food.  We turned around and realized when we got to #87 that we had missed it again.  Once again we reversed direction and stopped where it should have been.  Perplexed I asked some people where was "Red Beer".  Most people had no idea what I was talking about even despite my best efforts to pantomime the signature poster for the brewery. Perhaps if I had taken off my shirt when I struck this pose they might have understood.

Signature Poster for "Red Beer" in 2007

Eventually, one man said that he remembered the place, that it had moved, and he did not remember where it moved to.  This was a change that I had not anticipated but I could easily adapt to.  In my research that had confirmed the location of "Red Beer" (????) I found an appealing restaurant with good recommendations called "Moose and Roo" also on Ma May Street.  We were hot, thirsty, and hungry so we went into the restaurant.

Duang With Her Lunch and Eventual Dinner at Moose and Roo Grill

We enjoyed a very nice lunch and I also enjoyed a free beer because of their promotion that day for Pulled Pork Sandwich.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering about following my walking tour map.  Wandering following a map?  Yes.  I know it had to be me but it was like  there was some reversal in the magnetic fields that was interfering with my internal navigation.  For the two days that we were in Hanoi, I was dazed and confused.  I was following the map but after a block or two, sometimes three, I would realize that we were headed in the wrong direction!

Some Things Have Not Changed - Thankfully!

Perhaps my inability to precisely and efficiently navigate the streets of the Old Quarter was attributable to the confusion and distractions all about us.  The narrow streets of the Old Quarter have not changed.  Many of the streets change their name Hang Bo becomes Hang Bao, Hang Be becomes Hang Dau but not to be confused with Hang Dao which is on the west side of the lake and not the east side!

The throngs of cars, vans, motorbikes and buses still clog the streets and constantly honk their horns - honking to tell people to get out of their way, honking to tell people that they are going to turn, honking to let other people know what they think of their driving skills, honking and honking some more.

The sidewalks are clogged with either parked motorbikes or "cafes" set up for people to drink tea out of glasses.  I was often left wondering if anyone actually worked in Hanoi other than shopkeepers and "café" workers.

More than once I have offered advice to people about crossing streets in Hanoi - "Don't expect anyone to stop or even slowdown for you to cross the street.  Watch the traffic very carefully.  When you anticipate that it will be safest for you to cross, make eye contact with the oncoming traffic, and give body language that you intend to cross, then commence crossing the street in a steady and determined pace - do not slow down and do not speed up - the traffic is aiming(?) to be where they have calculated where you will not be when they get to you"  That has not changed and remains very good advice.  However it did seem to be a little less difficult than our last visit - I suspect because there may be more one way streets - less confusing when you only have to be stressed out in only one direction.

On the second day in Hanoi, we went to another restaurant that I had researched over the Internet.  I did not plan to go there but there was an intersection of time and place in our wanderings which made it a good spot for lunch.  In the back of the restaurant, on the wall of a staircase leading upstairs, I saw four old and dusty hand painted baskets - the first ones that I had seen during this trip.  In 2006 -2008 these handicrafts were everywhere, often covering the entire exterior wall of a building.  I asked our server about why I had not seen any and where I could find them now.  She replied that people weren't able to sell them before so now they do not make them very much.  The Free Market making changes - no doubt!

One change that has taken place in the Old Quarter which I do not like, or rather struggle to adapt to, is what I call the homogenizing of the area. Before, even in 2008. the various streets retained their unique craft (guild) identity. Hang Bac - "Silver", Hang Bong - "Cotton", Hang Bo - "Baskets".  Along the streets you would find shops catering to a specific commodity or product.  Today the streets are becoming less and less unique with one street being pretty much as the other street.  One transformation is the proliferation of two types of shops - small travel shops offering tours of Halong Bay and Sapa and specialized coffee shops.

Coffee Shop - Selling Weasel Coffee

The specialized coffee shops sell various coffee paraphernalia, ground beans, and whole beans.  The rage now is selling "Weasel Coffee" - coffee beans that have been eaten by a certain animal (I believe more like a civet than a "weasel"), digested, and eliminated.  The "processed" beans are collected and processed by people to produce a very special and expensive coffee. These shops seem to be on every street ... both sides of the street.

Hat Shopping in the Old Quarter

The quaintness of the Old Quarter is evolving, albeit changing for the worst in my opinion however there are still many pockets, oasis, where a vision and flavor of the past remain.



Bamboo Vendor Enjoying One of the Fruits of His Labor

The Beer Man Cometh

Hanoi Delivery Man

Hanoi, despite the changes, remains an exciting and extremely interesting place to visit.  It remains one of my favorite destinations for people watching and interacting with the people.

The Huc Bridge

There were additional changes to discover during this journey ... changes of places, things, and people - some of them much easier to accept than others, some of them much more personal than others, but all of them offering opportunities, rewards, and alternative adaptations.  But that is for Part 2 to be shared.

Feeding the Spirits - Wan Kao Saht 2558 (2015)



A Villager Makes Food Offering At the Base of A Tat for the Spirit of a Departed Relative

Sunday was a special day in Isaan.  September 27 2015, 2558 BE, was Wan Kao Saht.  It is the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival.  For Westerners it is the "Harvest Moon".

On this special merit making is performed in offering food to the Phii (ghosts).  People also earn merit through offering a special treat called "Kao Tawtek" to their local Monks.  Kao Tawtek is a mixture of freshly popped rice, caramel, peanuts, shredded coconut and millet.  It is made in backyards, front yards, and side yards throughout Isaan just prior to Wan Kao Saht - typically in huge woks over wood fires. It is also traditional for older people to give gifts of Kao Tawtek and money to children.

Like many things here in Thailand, Wan Kao Saht seems to be adapted and amalgamated from other cultures. The Chinese celebrate a Hungry Ghost Festival and "Ghost Day" around the same time.  In Vietnam, the second biggest holiday with an emphasis and focus on children is celebrated at this time of the year.

I drove out to Tahsang Village, my wife's home village, early this morning to be able to participate in the daily merit making ritual of offering food to the Monks.  Although I left early in the morning, I was not as early as Duang.  She left our home at 6:00 A.M. to prepare for the ritual at the Wat outside of the village.  I drove through the bright green rice paddies, "high as an elephant's eye" sugar cane fields, and muddy fields lying in fallow, before I arrived at the "Outside" Wat (Wat Pha That Nong Mat).

On Wan Kao Saht, in addition to earning personal merit, the participants earn merit for the spirits of their dead relatives.  In the Lao Loum culture, as well as other Southeast Asia cultures, the people have to take care of the spirits of their family as well as other ghosts.  Spirits need merit in death as well in life to assist them in their journey to enlightenment.  Merit is the basis for determining what form and status a person will be reincarnated as.

Typical Daily Ritual of Making Food Offerings to the Monks

The villagers, in addition to the normal offerings of food for the Monks, had brought baskets of special foods wrapped in banana leaves.  The baskets were carefully placed on the floor of the incomplete Viharn (several years under construction but it does have a tile floor now) next to a concrete column.  A sai sin (sacred cotton string) was placed across the tops of the baskets.  The sai sin ran up the column, across the Viharn and ran down a second column near where the Monks sat slightly above the villagers.  The sai sin terminated in a ball placed on a plate at the side of the Wat's senior Monk.  The sai sin connects this world to other worlds, the laypeople to the Monks and conveys the merit making to the deceased people.

Baskets of Food Offerings for the Phii (Spirits)

Many of the women were dressed in white uniforms like the attire that Duang wears just about every night when she conducts her ritual upstairs in our home where my roll top desk has been converted into a shrine.  The women, including Duang's mother, were participating in a women's retreat at the Wat.  They spent the remainder of the day and most of the night reading and studying the scriptures and receiving lectures from the Monks.

In Buddhist Rituals, You Can Smile and Even Talk If You Want To

The offering of food to the Monks was a typical daily ritual with one exception, while the Monks ate their one meal of the day, the women in the white costumes along with a couple of Brahmans chanted in Pali for most of the time.

At the end of the ritual, the villagers gathered up their baskets and went outside.  The villagers scattered throughout the Wat grounds selecting specific trees to stop at.  My mother-in-law and several other women selected a large bohdi tree (Ficus religiosa).  She squatted down next to the exposed roots of the sacred tree.  It is considered sacred because it is said that Buddha sat under bohdi trees while meditating.  Yai Puh, Grandmother Puh, laid out food for the spirits of deceased family members.  The food was placed upon banana leaves and consisted of peeled fruits, sticky rice, chili sauces, dried fish, and other typical Isaan foods.  Off to the side was a banana leaf with betel-nut chewing items.  After the foods were laid out, water was poured over them as the family members said things along the lines of "You come down now to eat.  Good for you.  I miss you.  You look after family.  Good luck for you.  You go back up to Buddha. 



The offerings to the spirits also included two lit yellow candles and two sprigs of "dogkhut" - I suspect Thai jasmine buds.  When offerings are made to the Buddha, three of each item are offered - one for Buddha, one for the teachings of Buddha (Dhamma), and one for the Buddhist religious community (Sanga).  For spirits the offerings are in pairs.



After the family spirits had been offered food and drink, the people hung filled thin banana leaf packets in the trees throughout the grounds.  The banana packets contained food offerings to the other spirits.

Placing Banana Leaf Packets of Food for Phii

Duang and some other women, made food offerings to the spirits of relatives whose bones are kept in highly decorated steeple or spire shaped structures called "Tats".  Tats are reliquaries for bone chips of departed ancestors.  More affluent villagers have a free standing tat and those less affluent will often have a niche inside of the block walls that surround Wats.

Food Offerings At A Family Tat

Duang Making Food Offering to Her Father's Spirit

After a while, perhaps ten minutes, one of the men rang the Wat large bell three times signifying that the spirits had completed eating.  The small banana leaf packets were quickly removed from the trees and returned to the family baskets.  The packets will later be placed in the sugar cane fields, rice paddies, and other lands to feed the spirits (ghosts)  that inhabit them.  In return for feeding the hungry ghosts, the people ask that the spirits watch over the land and its crops bringing success as well as good luck to the owners.

Offerings to the Ghosts

The villagers returned to the Viharn to have a community meal with the food leftover from the offerings to the Monks.  There is always too much food offered to the Monks and since they are allowed to take only what they can eat that morning for their one meal of the day there are always "leftovers". The food, that the Monks have not taken, is eaten by the laypeople in a community meal in the Viharn after the Monks have left.

We returned to our home for a relaxing afternoon.  In the late afternoon, Duang offered food and drink outside our home to the spirits of our land.  After dinner she put on her religious attire and performed her nightly ritual which lasts about one hour.

Life goes on here in Isaan measured in part by the seasons of the crops and the cycle of religious events.  Whether it is the seasons of the crops, the cycle of religious events, or personal life milestones, life here always is interesting and is often "enlightening".

Sailfest Fireworks 2015

We returned from our annual visit to the USA two days ago.  I had not planned on doing to much traveling during this visit which turned out to be prophetic - my father died 16 days after our arrival.  We consider ourselves fortunate to have spent some time with him before he got sick and died.

One goal that I did have for our USA trip was to photograph the Sailfest Fireworks in my boyhood home of Groton on 11 July which turned out to be the night of my father's burial.  I had some new equipment along with some refined technique that I wanted to try out.

Eight days earlier I tried out the new equipment and refined technique to photograph the 75th year anniversary fireworks display for Ocean Beach Park in New London from Eastern Point Beach in Groton.  That trial run produced satisfactory results and increased my eagerness for the grand display associated with the annual Sailfest celebration.

Duang and I hiked from my parent's house to our favorite viewing location inside of Fort Griswold State Park.  Once again, I pointed out landmarks from my youth, my elementary school, my high school swim coach's home, the package store (liquor store) where I used a doctored-up ID, the location of my friend's pizza store, ..., along with tales of long ago times.

We walk because of the difficulties in parking and the heavy traffic around the viewing areas along the Thames River in Groton.  Although we were some of the last people to leave the confines of the fort at the conclusion of the fireworks program, we arrived at my parent's home while many people were still stuck in traffic.

I ended up taking 204 photographs during the 20 minute show.  Shooting 4 second exposures, I was essentially pressing my remote trigger as soon as the previous exposure had been completed. Since I had set up my equipment and tested it out prior to the start of the display, once the show commenced I could sit on our saht, look up and enjoy the show - watching the camera display above me in order to press the remote as each previous exposure was completed.  My research, experimentation and preparation were well rewarded with some very nice exposures.

My latest gallery on my website shows some of the results.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Sailfest-Fireworks-2015

I hope that you enjoy the photos.

Memorial Day - But Different

Ruesi In Front of New Chedi At Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang

June 1st was a sort of Memorial Day here in Thailand as well as many other countries in which Theravada Buddhism is dominate.  The day was a special day not related to soldiers or the sacrifices of soldiers in wars for their country.  The day was a special day to pay homage to three milestones in the life of Lord Buddha.

There are three holy days for Theravada Buddhists.  Unlike Catholic "Holy Days of Obligation" when people are obligated to attend Mass and behave a certain way for the day, Buddhist Holy Days are special days, public holidays in some countries, where the people show their devotion and earn extra merit in their journey to enlightenment.

The three special days are denoted by the word "Bucha" which means "pay homage".  The days are Makha Bucha, Asaraha Bucha, and Visakha Bucha.

This year Visakha Bucha fell on 1 June.  The date varies each year in synch with the lunar cycle - it is the full moon of the Indian lunar month of Wisaka.  Indian? Yes, Buddhism started in India or rather what is called India today.  Buddha was a crown prince of the Kingdom of Sakyas.

"Visakha"?  "Wisaka"?  "Wisakha"? Further manifestations of the common Thai expression "Same Same but different."  One of the issues with living in Thailand is the many variations in spelling for Thai words that have been converted to the Latin alphabet.  In the case of these three words there is the added complication that the word was originally an Indian word.  No matter the case they all refer to the same day.

Crown Prince Siddharta Gautama, who became Lord Buddha, was born, became enlightened 35 years later and died at the age of 80 - all on the same day of the year.  All three anniversaries are celebrated on Visakha Bucha.

Devotees Attending Late Morning Ritual

Visakha Bucha is a full day of celebration and ritual.  People dress in white for the day which starts with the daily merit making of offering food to the Monks, parties and parades often take up the day and during the evening at many locations there are candlelight processions of devotees.

During the evening, the devotees carry a lighted candle, three smoldering Joss (incense) sticks, and a Lotus bud.  In homage to the three gems of Buddhism - Buddha, The Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community), the devotees will walk three times clockwise around the shrine of the location.

After the procession there are often religious lectures as during the day.

Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang was having another special ritual for the day involving the new chedi on the grounds.  Construction of the chedi, also known as a stupa, has progressed well since our last visit.  Although not 100% completed, the structure has been painted gold and the scaffolding had been removed.  Later I walked onside at the grade level and discovered that the tile floor was almost completed.

Ruesi Lights Candles For Ritual

The Ruesi and Tapatakao who performed the consecration ritual previously were present to conduct the new ritual.  Several Monks, including the young Monk from Tahsang Village were seated on cushions placed upon a rough wood raised platform underneath a large awning located in a small shaded area off to the side of the chedi.

Some of the many Pahn (Pha Kwan) 

Once again there were several tables set up as an altar or shrine for the ritual.  However the altar or shrine was much larger and grander than during the consecration.  In particular there were more, larger, and much more intricate pha kwan (pahn).

Peelawat and Duang Making Offerings

Off to the side of the main shrine there was another shrine consisting of many Buddha statues - 8 of them, one for each day of the week, each with a unique posture associated with that day. 8?  Aren't there 7 days to the week?  True, however in Buddhism there are two Buddha postures associated with Wednesday - one for AM and another one for PM.  In front of each of the statues, all 8 of them, were symbolic Monk's bowls.  The bowls were smaller than actual Monk's bowls, highly polished rather the the dull finish of real bowls, and gold colored rather than the steel grey color of real Monk's bowls.  The small bowls are for offerings of coins from people to help support the maintenance of the temple.

From one of the women that we met during our last visit to the Wat, we learned that the purpose of the day's special ritual was to call down the angels and spirits to come down from the heavens to pprotect the people from bad luck, misfortune, and evil ... especially evil spirits.

I learned that there were 16 levels of "heaven" in Buddhism - 16 planes of heavenly beings outside of the "sense world".  There actually 31 planes of existence in Buddhism - 1 is the plane of humans.  There are four planes of deprivation - sort of like hell - if there was such a place in Buddhism.  The other planes are for concepts that I do not understand ... yet

No matter, the Ruesi with the assistance of the tapatakao performed a ritual in conjunction with all the offerings on the shrine or altar to beseech the angels and heavenly spirits to come down to help the people and to occupy the chedi.  Throughout the ritual, devotees raised their heads and shielded their eyes glazing up at the Sun.  During my last visit, I was told that when the spirits and angels come you can see changes in the light and manifestations of them across the Sun.  Again as I have written a few times before, I do not necessarily believe but I strive to accurately share what I am told or see - with no judgements.

Shrine with Offerings of Burning Joss Sticks, Food, Flowers, Pahn, and Fanta (Pineapple, Orange & Banana Flavor)

Many of the devotees used their cellphones and small digital cameras to photograph the Sun - more specifically the area of the sky near the Sun (directly photographing the Sun would damage their cameras as well as their eyes).  One person commented that with my camera (a full frame Nikon digital SLR) I should get some good photos of the spirits.  I was not so optimistic nor was it my intention to try.

Part way through the ritual, for some unknown reason, I entered the chedi.  I entered at the ground level - the first of three levels. No doubt the three level being in recognition of the Three Gems of Buddhism.  The first level had a ceramic tile floor not much different than you can find in a typical home.  There was no access to the floors above the ground floor.  However in the center of the room there was a hole in the ceiling.  The hole was directly aligned with another hole in the ceiling of the second level as well as the ceiling of the third level which through a small diameter tower ended up beneath the "eye of the Naga" which had been installed during the chedi consecration.

I thought that it might be interesting to take a photograph of the sky directly up and through the "eye of the Naga"  To ensure that I got the proper orientation as well as alignment, I laid down on the tile floor to take the shot.  It did not see all that special to me, so after three more shots I moved on to other things of interest.

After the ritual concluded, Duang spoke with the Ruesi about our up-coming trip to America.  He ended up giving her a blessing for a safe and happy trip.  We have a division of labor in regards to our travels.  I do the planning, and making the arrangements.  Duang tends to the spiritual aspects.  It works out well.

That evening at the Wat there was going to be an ordination of some Buddhist Nuns.  It sounded like a great opportunity and experience.  However it had already been a long day, another very hot day, and our grandson had school the next day so we decided to head home.

In the past week I have been busy editing and post processing photos from several days.  I eventually got around to doing most of the photos from Wisakha Bucha day.  I shared the results with Duang as I do with all my shoots.  She is always very complimentary and supportive.  However there was one photo that she was particularly excited about - the photo taken inside the chedi up through the "eye of the Naga"

Where I, from my perspective and experience, saw some reflection and refraction of sunlight through a glass ball, Duang saw manifestation of the arrival of angels and spirits from the levels of "heaven"

We all make our own reality based upon our individual perspectives and experiences.  Who is to say that anyone person's reality is more real or superior than another's?  

What I do know is that life in "Allen's World" is much more interesting knowing and sharing in other's "reality"  Just as there are many roads as well as paths to a destination, and many ways to accomplish a task or goal, there are many different beliefs.  These are all aspects that make life interesting.