Monday, March 9

Having met a number of scam artists in Bangkok, I was at first reluctant to believe she wanted me to meet her family. Surely there was a catch. But she didn't have any large red pieces of glass that she was trying to sell as a ruby. She hadn't performed any fantastic or erotic feats with her genitalia before throngs of foreigners. But I had already met her sister, Som Jai, who had welcomed me to steamy Bangkok with a bottle of cold water on my first night in Thailand, and so I bought two bus tickets to Lampang. 

This was several days ago, and we have just arrived at the Lampang bus station after an overnight ride from Bangkok. Kutiya discussed the fare with a sleepy looking cabbie and we took off for her family's farm. The sun still hadn't risen when we arrived, and we quickly went to her room. She was naked by the time I climbed into the mosquito netting, waiting for me in the solitude of the peaceful early morning. Some time later, we fell asleep as the roosters began to crow. 

I awoke hours later to the sounds of the farm. I could hear several women cooking below, and a small engine was sputtering next door. Kutiya had already left the room; she may have been on vacation in Bangkok, but she had work to do here on the farm. 

We are in a compound in the middle of the farm. There are about five houses surrounded by a wall. The rice paddies are on one side, and a road that heads towards the smoky mountains on the other. Inside the compound, chickens, pigs, and a few dogs scurry about, avoiding the vehicles and several tail-pulling kids. 

I saw Som Jai again. She lives in the house next door with her German husband Stefan. They have a beautiful baby girl and nice home. It is quite large by Thai standards, with doorways that tall Germans can easily walk under, and also has a large tv, VCR, telephone along with wonderful tiles and wood floors. They also have a brand new pickup truck. Stefan was a mechanic in Germany, and he was repairing a small motorcycle. 

After a short while, lunch was served on a platform under one of the houses. Several of the houses are on stilts with either storage or gathering places underneath. The meal consisted of Thai sticky rice that we rolled into little balls and used to scoop up some of the various highly spiced foods being passed around in small bowls. Before long, my mouth was on fire, and Kutiya's brother offered me some Thai rice wine. It is at this point that Stefan begins to explain things to me in English. He starts by telling me about the rice wine. It is fermented from rice, but because of prohibitions against its production, or simple impatience, it never quite finishes fermenting before it is put into tiny sandwich bags, tied closed with a rubber band and then drunk at meals. The result is that all the active yeasts add a little fun during the digestive process. Drink more than a couple of bags worth and you'll be feeling it for a few days. 

Stefan then told me who's who in the compound. They are all offspring or married to offspring of Kutiya's father and mother. He talks very little but commands great respect for his hard work, experience, and wisdom. On the other hand, Mom has a tendency to drink too much and then talk too much. Now that his father has gotten older, Kutiya's brother basically runs the farm. He is not a big man, but has tremendous strength and stamina. 

We went shopping in Lampang for the night's meal. Kutiya, her nephew, and I climbed aboard her tiny 125cc motorcycle and made the journey into town. There were other tourists and travelers in Lampang, but watching them take carriage rides around the downtown area made my experience on the farm all the more special. After we returned, Kutiya made a wonderful meal of beef with cucumbers and tomatoes and a clear broth soup.
 
 

Tuesday, March 10

Wednesday, March 11

Thursday, March 12

It had certainly been fun. As I settled down for the bus ride, I re-read my travel guide for tips on where to go and what to do in Koh Samui.