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There are a couple of world class golf courses in Kanchanaburi. Located in Tha-Muang the Evergreen Hills Golf Club and Resort offers a standard 18-hole, 72-par golf course. The resort also offers a fully equipped meeting room, clubhouse, restaurant, driving field, tennis court, swimming pool, camp fire, karaoke and snooker room.

There is a restaurant between Kanchanaburi and U Thong that I have passed many times without ever stopping. And every time, I promised myself we would try it out, the very next time.

So we did.

But it wasn’t the the duck restaurant I was expecting. Nor were the boat noodles a substitute. A bit too sweet. However, that is the Thailand I have got used used to and their pork crackling alone,  was worth the stop.

The tables are set out under mango trees making it a pleasant and agreeable meal.

The entrance is easy to miss as it is off a bend on a fast moving stretch of road. The restaurant is also tucked away out of sight about 25k’s from U Thong on the Kanchanaburi rd.

Phian has 12 rai just off the main road. It is a good long term investment. But she hasn’t had much luck getting it to pay for upkeep. She dug a dam and tried sugar cane. Only to get hit by the drought. Last year she planted rice but had difficulty getting into the lands, as bad drainage made it difficult harvesting. She then decided to dig a borehole and plant sugarcane again.

They found water. But the flow was not nearly strong enough to irrigate the lands.

In desperation she made the decision to excavate and dig a bigger, deeper, better dam.

The crew consisted of a macro mechanical digger, two dumper trucks, and a tractor equipped with a grader blade and ploughs.

The two trucks carried the soil from the dam to the landfill site, dumping it for the tractor to shift and level.

 

There was much excitement when they hit water. A small spring virtually in the middle of the dam. And another in the one corner which trickled out of the dams wall.

 

Concrete pipes were lowered over the spring in the floor to create a well. Not sure how this will work out. But will wait and see.

 

After the rains, once the soil has settled, the landfill will be used for building well out of reach of any flood water.

 

The trucks shuttled back and forth for two days. After which the macro was loaded onto a low loader and off to the next job. And that was when the skies opened and the rain came bucketing down.

 

Leaving us to wake to a few large muddy puddles in the driveway.

 

Which required a bit more digging and filling. But by hand this time.

 

Thailand is home to over 1,100 species of butterflies. They can be seen anywhere: in the National Parks, in the city gardens, in beach-side resorts and all over the countryside. … the best butterfly watching National Parks are Khao Yai and Khaeng Krachan

So no, it wasn’t the Chinese New year festival, it was the Ghost Festival. Although I am damned sure she said otherwise.

The Ghost Month is the seventh lunar month of Chinese Lunar Calendar. And the 15th lunar day is the day of the Chung-Yuan Ghost Festival. That’s today and maybe that is why I misunderstood.

Although I am damned sure I didn’t.

The festival has it’s origins from Chinese Buddhism. Moggallana  was one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s best students. One day, he saw his deceased mother amongst hungry ghosts. So he descended to Hell taking a bowl of food for his mother. However turned to burning coals before it could be eaten and Moggallana pleaded with Buddha to help. But his mothers couldn’t be forgiven without the combined power of thousand monks. Buddha told Moggallana that, “the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the Pavarana Day for the assembled monks of all directions. Prepare an offering of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamp, candle… to the assembled monks. Your present parents and parents of seven generations will escape from sufferings.” Following Buddha’s instructions, Moggallana’s mother was released and similar rituals are held in the Buddhism temples on this day for the deliverance of suffering spirits.

 

Folklore says these spirits jailed in the Hell have one-month to travel to the towns in the 7th lunar month every year requiring people to prepare and offer food for them.

 

It is the time of year when Thai’s from all over the world return to their families, their homes and villages to pay respect to their elders. And to join the kids celebrating Thailands Water Festival.

Songkran is the New Year’s festival. New Year’s Day is 13 April every year, but the official holiday period includes 14–15 April as well. And unofficially stretches through to the following weekend. The word “Songkran” comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti which literally means “astrological passage”, transformation or change.

 

Mornings begin with visiting the local temple and offering food to the monks is commonly practiced. Later in the day pouring water on Buddha statues represents a way of purification, washing away the past.

It is a festival of unity.

 

People who have moved to other countries usually return home to their loved ones and elders and the younger members of the family show respect by pouring fragrant water over the palms of elders’ hands. Paying reverence to ancestors is also an important part of Songkran tradition.

Main streets in the towns and villages are closed to traffic to allow both young and old celebrate by splashing water on each other and engaging in fierce water battles. Water barrels are placed on virtually every road and traffic runs the gauntlet of laughing noisy kids armed to the teeth with an impressive array of water guns, hosepipes and fragrant paste.

 

Gunsmithing skills are also an essential service.

Ten percent of all bird species can be found in Thailand.  It is a zoogeographic crossroads or in common terms a melting pot.  This because the country’s avifauna comprises Sino-Himalayan, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Chinese and Sundaic elements as well as a large number of migrant visitors.

There are a number of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and protected areas which are the main birding spots where birds can be seen all year round.

November to February is the peak time for migrating species when most areas are good for birdwatching. In the north where the weather is cooler the most popular destinations are Doi Inthanon National Park, Doi Pui/Suthep National Park, Doi Chiengdao Wildlife Sanctuary, Doi Angkhang and Chiengsaen.

One of the best areas for birdwatching first thing in the morning is in north east at  the Khao Yai National Park. Then there is  Kroeng-Kravia ,  Tung Yai and Kaeng Krachan in the west and south west.  With Khao Sam Roi Yot a little further south.

Next at the hottest time of the year, March  to June is good for both passage migrants and resident species, which are then breeding. The best areas are in the west, south west and the south . The mangroves in Krabi, Khao Nor Chu Chi and the Halabala Wildlife Sanctuary in the far south.

July to October is the rainy season which is a lot quieter but good for resident species and breeding visitors. With sightings of passage migrants  from  August to October. The best birding spots are in the central plains in and around Bangkok and Kampangsaen. As well the coastal areas Bangpu and Samutsakhorn fromSeptember to October.