Mai Sot thoughts

[friscofrankie]

You could upload them to the TD gallery

[Mathos]

Yes, I rather think that would be more appropriate FF I'll see what I can do, in the next few days.

I'll stick a couple more photographs on for tonight, but I'm not doing much to be honest this evening, in a nut shell I'm knackered.

[Mathos]

This was a strange set up. Tucked away high in the mountains, some kind of still I think.

We came across it like you do most unusual things, purely by accident.




Flobo went down whilst I kept a good look out from the higher ground and she showed them the camera, gave the lady at the house a few baht and asked if we could take some photographs. There was no problem, but we still were not certain as to exactly what was going on and decided it must be some form of moonshine factory.

In any event it was certainly a good set up of mechanical ingenuity.

Henry Ford would have been proud of that little lot.

[Mathos]

It wasn't just the sound of the engine on the little tractor unit driving all the presses and grinders etc but the fire belching away and the slurping noises made it somewhat unusual and unique in it's obvious originality to us.

[Mathos]

It never ceases to totally amaze me as to how the originality of the creators of these cottage industries set themselves up.

It could have been just about anything at all that they were making.

Truth as they say, is much stranger than fiction.

[Mathos]

This and a couple of interesting shots below the same, sum it up for this evening.






The hilltribe lady as shown below appeared to have her own little cottage industry going too. It is like taking a step back to the stone-age at times.




It's anybodies guess what was going on here too. Quite often in the hills though you can see people driving or walking about with all sorts of weapons.






Finally, I came across one with a bit of weed growing on it, I have some with acres of the same on, but have not come across them as yet.

[Mathos]

Some people say a man is made outta' mud
A poor man's made outta' muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, what do ya get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"

You load sixteen tons, what do ya get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Can't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line

You load sixteen tons, what do ya get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't getcha, then the left one will

You load sixteen tons, what do ya get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store.


They were great words and a great song.

I've felt like that since I came back from LOS.

Grand though isn't it.

I still enjoy a good days manual work though, the harder the better, I feel its like going to the gym and does me good.

I still help out at the Boxing Gym four nights a week I get a great deal of enjoyment from that too.

But it's five until seven thirty or eight o'clock if we run a little late, then by the time I get home and have a bite to eat, its got to nine o'clock before I can get on here.

Then before i know it its bloody bed time.

Some nights if there are contests on it can be midnight by the time I get home. Have to make sure the young lads are delivered safely to their parents, we can travel up to a hundred mile for a major contest as well. Weekends can also be taken up with contests, especially the Schoolboy Championships.

Anyhow, I'm simply trying to explain why I cannot give the thread as much time as I would like to.

There is so much to write about and so many pictures to show.

Cambodia, which I spent a great deal of time in last year and prior to that, has so many extremely interesting topics.

The Killing Fields.

Angkor Wat

Tonle Sap Lake

The actual country and people.

Umphang in Thailand.

Mae Sot and so much more information and photographs I obtained from the refugee camps in the area. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

The loony on River Island who tried to rob me!

Kanchanaburi.. Brilliant stuff again.

All good fun and more besides.


This was a simple route up a waterfall but it was a great climb for us both in the heat of the day.

Photographs rekindle good memories.



Lets see what I can get going with tonight though.

[Mathos]

I have just been looking at a few more photographs of the "Still"

It's amazing what a photograph can show up if you study the same for a while.

The white stuff she is playing with, could be coconut I suppose, but I doubt it.
There is quite a bit of interesting stuff on these photographs take a close look yourselves and study them. The pen and notebook look interesting for a "Still" in the middle of nowhere. A packet that looks like a bag of plastic bags on the deck.

Allo! allo! allo! What's going on here then?




The next one gets better.





I'll let you come to your own conclusions.

[Mathos]

Thought one of the fire and wok contents was interesting too.





It rather looks to me like the shack could be their place of residence too.

I have noticed the locals using mosquito nets much more this year, the problematical diseases are obviously becoming an issue again.

[Mathos]

This is quite a decent snap of the working machinery too.




I rather think the contents of the wok, the scales and all the other paraphernalia are somewhat enlightening myself.

[Mathos]

This guy looked a real character even to the tattoo on his torso.

I got the feeling he was on another planet to be honest with you.

We treated him in any event and Flobo also gave him some of the fresh fruit we were carrying at the time.

[Mathos]

We both love Elephants, they are superb creatures.

We don't like seeing them kept as circus toys, but working in the countryside with their mahout is a pleasure to behold.






This beauty looked great and the mahout appeared happy with his little lot.

Some years ago, Flobo was almost trampled by a mother cow though.
We were trekking in northern Thailand and stayed overnight in a large 'longhouse' virtually attached to a working jungle Elephant camp, high in the mountains. There were numerous elephants there.

One of the cows had a thirty five day old calf by the river, we had arrived at the camps just prior to nightfall, well knackered, sticky and sweaty etc. We took a bath in the river, the water was really cold, straight from the snowy mountains no doubt.

We dined well and retired to the 'longhouse' for the night, there was a fire burning on the floor which I kept going all night, it really went down to freezing during the night and we would have been very cold indeed without the fire, out bags were only light.

The following morning we saw the baby calf with mother cow by the river, she was drinking and spraying herself, the calf was under her front legs taking milk.
Flobo went down with the camera, she got quite close and took a snap, it was not full daylight and the camera flash startled the calf which cried out.

The cow raised her trunk, bellowed and ran at Flobo, she in turn ran like hell and leaped up the banking, the cow stopped there, it was only a few feet from her and although I was running towards her, there would have been nothing I could have done had it got to her.

It was quite an experience and we still get the 'strange feeling' when we think back to that episode in life.

I think I have a photograph of the cow and calf somewhere, I will enter it up in due course.

[Mathos]

I would love to buy one of these 'Old Isuzu' wagons. I think they are brilliant.

If you see one in good running order going really cheap, let me know.





I'm just leaving you with a great scenic shot for the night.

[Mathos]

I was checking out some old hard copy photographs earlier this evening, this one compliments the one i put up a night or two back of the Vietnamese Army underground operating table, it is a cabinet containing all the operating equipment and tools for amputations etc.

[Mathos]

This would have been a very cleverly disguised entrance to a section of the underground tunnels.


Other entrances had traps with spiked bamboo sticking up which would have been coated with human excrement to ensure infection of any cut or piercing etc.

Nasty.

Again I do have some photographs I took years and years ago of the traps and devices used, I will locate them eventually and let you have sight of the same.





The chopper is one of the casualtiy aspects of the war, it was riddled with bullets. I may have some close up photographs of the same somewhere along the line.





War is a terrible part of our existence.

[Mathos]

Just came across one of Flobo crossing a river on a man made teak log tree trunk.

We have done a few of these over the years.

This particular one had been blessed with foot holes being chopped into the same, in the wet season, or following a shower or morning dew even, the same can be treacherous.








Just to let you see we haven't always been golden oldies either, this one is a few years back taken in Mae Sarian after a few days in no mans land.





This is one of the pair of us, bright and early one morning,


This one was in or very close to the Burmese border high in the hills .

There are times when you very easily loose your bearings out there, believe me, even with a compass .

[Mathos]

I was transferring some of my hard copy photographs to the PC when I came across this particular one from a view in the Mae Hong Son area and thought what a grand couple of satellite dishes for Jizzy.

Isn't that a view though, what do you think?




Actually it is a really beautiful area of Thailand.

My wife really loves it there, after some of the mountain places we stayed in and there was some crap, believe me. I usually treat her to a few special days in Tara.

If you haven't been to Tara it's a beautiful Resort. We always take a suite and I always manage to get a good deal. I'll stick a few photographs on and show you what I mean.

Nice place all round.



The veranda overlooks the pool which is also nice, I'll find some photographs of the same.



Full kitchen facilities on the other side of the breakfast bar as well, including a full sized fridge.



There's everything you need, and the service is second to none.

[Mathos]

There are some gorgeous views in the area, the mountains are superb.

Mae Hong son was always referred to as the 'Land That Time Forgot'

It's a tabletop plateau atop a mountain range with more mountains and phenomenal picturesque panoramic views from start to finish.




Above is the pool at Tara, the water is taken direct from the river and it is extremely cold, even on the hottest of days, you never find too many people hanging about in there. If you enjoy a good swim and aren't too bothered by very cold water (I happen to like it that way) then it's a great spot for an uninterrupted swimming session.

The grounds as you can see below are very nice and extremely well maintained.




This is a nice view as well typical of the area landscape in general.

[Mathos]

The views of a morning (early on) are obscured by mountain mist, it burns off as the sun gets stronger, but most mornings are like this.






They still make nice photographs though in their own manner don't you think?




Flobo, just sticking her head over my shoulder telling me to put another one of the room on...

Yes love...







There's a nice lake virtually in the middle of town, really nice it is too.

This is a photograph taken of an evening. The Temple looks beautiful.







They have an evening market in town too. Its located around one of the roads by the lake, very pleasant.

The whole town has a nice atmosphere.

Flobo buying key rings.

Then she says its not my fault when I have to buy extra luggage and pay excess baggage charges on the way home.





This is the lake and some of the embankment buildings during the daylight hours.

[Mathos]

The town itself has a few nice bars and restaurants, prices are very reasonable and of course there are several street stalls here and there selling the usual take-a-way goodies.

I must say though the food at Tara is probably as good as you would get anywhere.

They do an amazing buffet most evenings, absolutely top notch, you could stick it alongside The Ritz in London for comparison (I jest not) and it would hold its own. Everything you want on the same, European steaks, (sirloin) cooked while you load your plate with all the other attractions and there are some, roast chicken, fish, salmon soups, salads, three or four different rice dishes amazing selection of sweets.

I don't usually go over the top regarding food in many places, but this place deserves more than a mention.

Scouts Honour.


There's a Temple high on a hill just outside the town too. Well worth the walk to the top, but it is a hard slog.




This snap represents the last few steps.




You can see the lake in the town centre on the above and or the one below also the airport runway.

All in all it has some great view points on the way up and from the actual top.



A bit of information on the Temple here for the erudites among these Holy Pages.

[Mathos]

Once you reach the top and by pass the Temple sights and sounds, there is a great little snack bar, with a brilliant view point precariously balanced over the edge of thin air. You just happen to be so knackered though you don't give a damn and collapse in a heap with a nice cup of tea or whatever.







The couple behind Flobo (without a sweat on) were either very fit and didn't sweat at all or they drove up in a Honda Saloon via the road which runs up the back side of the mountain.

I didn't think that was very fair at all. In fact I consider them to deserve a



The last snap for tonight shows the steps as they are about a quarter of the way up the mountain. When you reach the top which you can say, you turn right and hey presto theres another million of the bloody things to climb.

[Mathos]

Looks like I duplicated a couple of snaps and missed the one for the erudites.

That is probably because I'm a bit brain damaged as Flobo says!

Sorry about that.






It probably explains why I don't get many greens as well.

[gusG]

More, more.

[klongmaster]

Mathos: I have not been able to see any pics from post #173 -200...

is it only me or are others having the same problems...

it's good stuff so I would like to see them...

cheers
KM

[Thetyim]

^
They are all there for me