110. STREAM GARDEN

see: post 90 - Phuket

 

 

Hadyai is pretty much a cowboy town, not much has changed since my last visit more than a decade ago, just a lot more muslims running small businesses. Most visitors are Malaysians these days. 

 

 

This is the closest I've come to a Thai pretty boy. He works at this pub where this troubadour, on recognising Singaporeans, donned his cap with Singapore on it...and started singing in English and Mandarin...!

As with elsewhere in Thailand and as reported in this blog in my earlier posts, the Thais proudly show off their cultural heritage every chance they get. Young and old train and perform together...this troupe is from a performing arts school in Hadyai town...at the other end are their famous transvestite shows in every major Thai city. This one in Hadyai has been around for a long time and I'm amazed it's still looking good, hasn't become tacky yet...

 

   

The motley bunch from Singapore...

While the Thais could sit upright on the floor for the longest time, the city folks from Singapore couldn't and ended up with their carcasses sprawled on the floor...

 









 











Alien life forms - the US spend millions exploring space for life - the truth is they hope to colonise what they find - when strange life forms can be found right here on Earth - on land and the oceans...

 

My pet toad watching my front door every night and a lizard with spots shared my dorm room

The Thais dived in while I watched and communed with Mother...

This private retreat is an hour's drive from Hadyai, South Thailand. It's tucked amidst greenery and a stream. An hour's trek took me to a waterfall. The trek was across some treacherous parts where the rocks under water were slippery. I amazed myself and my fellow trekkers that I completed the trek without any fuss. It was too much for 1 person - an ex-Singaporean turned Canadian who was ready to turn back! 

 

 The living areas

A meditation room secluded in a corner of the retreat for quiet solitude for those so inclined... 

 
The glorious view from my verandah - rolling hills in the back...when it rained, the rain splashed right up to the room door on the verandah.
The freshness was invigorating...when the rain stopped, the air was charged with new energy... 

The sleeping quarters were cosy, comfortable, basic with hot showers - from singles to doubles to dormitories - the Thai owner thought of everything...the vegetarian meals were wonderful - fresh from their smallholding, the positive effects of raw wholesome fresh food was felt by my body... 

Rabbit food - I ate flowers....

The Mind is like a Parachute. It works best when it's Open - Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama