In transit--Krabi-Bangkok-Chaiyaphum

Today’s agenda: Pack up for the flight back to Bangkok, then a 5 hr. van ride to Tak’s family farm.  The actual wedding ceremony is now about to take place.

So, a series of “lasts”--last glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, last good wifi (so you may not see postings anytime soon…) last walk along the beach, last confrontation with those crazy monkeys.

Last look at the morning sun as it shines on the dock and karst

The contents of my bag seems to have grown, for it took me a full 10 minutes (complete with straddling the sucker and squeezing it closed with my calves) for it to zip shut.  Think the issue is that my carry-on is nearly empty, so I’ll have to readjust before the flight home.

Hot, hot.  I guess I’m ready for my next Thailand experience--going in-country to Tak’s childhood surroundings and enjoying the rural life--and the wedding!

Later:

Our final boat ride to the pier, then vans to the regional airport.  No bullets in the luggage this time around, so all went smoothly.

The brothers, Chris and Alex--just chillin' 

Lee saw this at the airport and without missing a beat said, "Well, THAT answers the age-old question!" 

So what does one do with 90 minutes until take-off? 

The cramped one-hour flight back to Bangkok brought us in on time.  When we’d all assembled at Door 11, Tak and three vans arrived to whisk us up to her stomping grounds of Chaiyaphum.  The vans were decked out with strobe lights, random decorations and hanging ornamentation.  But, comfy seats and competent drivers.

The van interior--the blue vertical item is the gear shift

Our first pit stop was a truck-stop sort of place and I rolled my eyes at the extra-crispy small crickets and silkworms to munch on--either in cheese, barbecue, or seaweed flavor. I opted for a fairly innocuous iced mocha.  Bathrooms? One could choose the traditional seated version, or the standing one.

Check out the fine print in the black circle--crickets, silkworms, anyone?  See weed, cheese, or barbecue flavors.   

One can practice doing squats on this version

As the sun set, we rose higher into the hills.  We slept, laughed, chatted, and finally, five hours after leaving the airport, we pulled into Tak’s state of Chaiyaphum.  Though it was 9 pm, we had a full dinner they’d ordered for us--a Korean barbecue (Thai style).

So how does one make a Korean barbecue?  First, you place a bucket of lit coals into a recessed square in your table,  Fitted over the fire is a grill grate of sorts, as well as an area for broth. Then they bring out thinly sliced meat and vegetables.  You grill the meat over the fire, and the vegetables and noodles are cooked in the broth.  In other words, you work for your meal. In addition we ate rice, fries, tempura (vegetable and shrimp), drank beer and enjoyed ourselves.

The fire is placed in a rectangle cut into the tables

Veggies and noodles sit atop a bowl of fresh pork to grill

Meat cooks on the domed grate over the fire.  Broth, simmering around dome, cooks the veggies and noodles you add. 

Irene--ever the great cook

The vans brought us to our rooms in a nearby pension, and we got our keys, dialed up the air conditioning, and called it a night--for we had to be ready for the vans to transport us to the wedding at 5:45 am. Yes, that's early morning, folks!