Happy New Year 2008
Greatest happy new year of the greatest year 2008. Wish the greatest love of all to all of greatest lovely friends, folks, and families for greatest achievement and fantastic fortune all along the mighty year and forever.
(this is another topic that I wrote after the actual day)
Trick or Trip?
My family agreement is we have new year vacation together. At least once or twice a year that everybody lives together for a while... lol. This year we choosed Nongkhai. Why? I heard that this place is one of the best weather in Thailand. I mean it's not coldest place, but really nice to live, clean air, cool temperature, moderate windy, nice sky and sunshine. This is a good place to make yourself lazy at home. There is not many tourist place to visit. If somebody expect to visit vary attractive place everyday... may be this is a wrong place.
My dad drove the van from Bangkok on Fri 28th Dec 2007 afternoon. Ofcouse, a lot of traffic along the way, especially after Kangkoi, Saraburi. The road is small, and up hills. Anyway, we have dinner at Pak-chong, Korat, then drove ahead to Udonthani. We arrived at 2 am after midnight. Such a long journey.
Piggy in the Temple
Next Morning, after hotel breakfast, My mom's friend in Udon took us tour around. As usual, I'm the main driver from now on... lol... We visited a temple in Nong Bua Lam Phu. We just found this PIG... this is really BIG... he just walk around where we parked the car.
After tour around, we were heading to Nongkhai... Mae Khong river side... Unfortunately, I arrived at dark, so we couldn't see the sunset view on this day T.T
Mushroom Farm in Nongkhai
Actually today is my birthday. As usual... I always stay with family somewhere outside Bangkok on my birthday. This year is Nongkhai.
We have a friend in Nongkhai... I can't see that we can call him foreigner... He is French who works for German company but lives in Thailand for more than 20 years, and lives in Nongkhai longer than 15 years. He has a family, wife and son. has a company that is a mushroom farm in Nongkhai.
This place is really amazing. There must be some documentary program have to interview this place. It just like a great inventor in a small village thatyou always seen in the comics. He lives in Pakkad, Nongkhai (อ. ปากคาด จ. หนองคาย). Just only few kilometers from Mae Khong river, but 90 km from downtown. In the former times... there are only 3 mobile no. in the district. 2 of them belong to him... lol Esan always have the problem about the water shortage, but not in his home. He has 3 artesian wells, and water storage towers, all of the water usage are managed to use it twice. the second use will be use in the plant fields. On the roofs of his house, and mushroom houses, there are rain water groove to collect and convey the rain water from the roof to water reserviour!!!
In his area, there are few mushroom houses, water reserviour, fish pool, para rubber field, and amazing rice field!!! I like to take a picture but it not nice to take it... lol just a small 30 sqm green rice field pops up in the middle of grassfield in his home. He said he just put plastic films in the ground to make the soil reserved the water.
After he took us have a well-education tour around his home. the lunch is ready... Yep we came to Mushroom Farm. Starter is a deep-fried japanese mushroom. It looks small here, but believe me, it's really big bowl. And 3 bowls in total! I already full just because of this yummy mushroom. Yeah, it's fresh, and very tastety!
In the afternoon, we said goodbye with a big thanks to our friend and drove back into the city. Then we decided to heading to looking for ice-cream birthday cake. So, we went to Swensens at Tesco Lotus Nongkhai before dinner. Yep... we have cake before dinner... lol The ice-cream cake was Macadamia & Green Tea Flavor, serve in 12 pieces. But we have only 7 persons. (My family = Dad, Mom, Myself, and another 3 sisters. Including my mom's friend) Yeah, the cake was tastety... but just a bit too much... Anyway, I and my youngest sister finished 2 pieces... lol
Trip to Lao
We went to Lao on 31th Dec 2007. Just a regular guide tour. There was a van from Lao picked us up from the hotel, Took a tour around Viang Taine, have lunch, and we went to Jamo Coffee somwhere close to Mae Khong River side area that there are a lot of foreigners live over there. Then the van sent us back to the hotel.
Countdown in the Hotel
We went out again for dinner in the city. I asked the waitress in the restaurant, where the people will go to countdown? She said... in the temple... yes... in the temple. Wat Phra Sai. The major temple in Nongkhai. Actually we just went there yesterday, in the Morning of my birthday. So, we go there again with highly expected that there will be a hugh new year fair. But, there is just a small stage with local singer and just a few hundren of adult people. The music just finished when we arrived and the monks just started the blessing ceremony. My sister didn't want to stay, then we left to the hotel again.
New Year Morning in Tah Sadet
Anyway, just a quiet countdown this year. But I love this new year morning. I and my parents woke up early and we went in to the city again to sai baht (ใส่บาตร... ไม่รู้จะแปลยังไง: to provide foods to the monks) Such a nice religious trip for me but my sisters already bored to visit temples again and again. Nevermind, at least I and my parents still willing to make it. We went to the market and bought some food and went to Tah Sadet on Mae Khong river side looking for the monks. Yeah, we found them and succeed what we need. At least, this year we start with a good thing... ^^
Mountain Adventure Experience
I know that my sisters already getting bored in Nongkhai. So, we plan to move south and find some other place to stay tonight. We voted for Nam Nhao National Park... but we changed the target during lunch time to Khao Kor instead because of accommodation.
It's not an adventure actually. my mom overruled and manage all accommodation stuff. So, it's not a tent camping at the top of the hill or in the jungle. It's a nice house resort with 3 bedrooms, 3 restrooms with hot water... What we got is just a nice view and nice cold weather... lol.
VT Namnueng: The ultimate namnueng in Udonthani
We have been in VT Namnueng restaurant in Udonthani, I think this is the most well-organized and product developed namnueng restaurant in the world. It's like a factory more than kitchen. High-Luxery decoration restaurant compare to the selling price that just slightly expensive but reasonable. If you visit Udonthani, and looking for namnueng, don't miss this one.
Link: http://www.vtnamnueng1997.com
Best driving experience
On the way to Khao Kor. I drove continuously from Udonthani to Lhom Sak, Petchaboon, 3.5 hours and 250 km without stop. (there is no place to stop... lol). Actually this time and distance is about from Bangkok to Rayong included damn traffic on the highway, but it's totally different feeling... lol. The 1st half way, from Udonthani, pass through Nong Bua Lam Phu to Choompae, Khonkaen, mostly are passed all the small villages, so I couldn't drive fast, many cars along the way. But from Choompae to Lhom Sak is one of the best driving experience in my life. I have to drive pass through the mountain area in Nam Nhao National Park, the view along the way are very very beautiful. Unfortunately, It was dark before...
1st Night of the year
After dinner at Lhom Sak, my dad ask for driving by himself... I mean, he bored to sit in the van along the way I drove... lol. We arrived the resort 1 hour later. I just jump to bed because somebody start to open the television... I hate television. I don't know what to do if they are watching TV. Anyway, I didn't expected to sleep... but just fell a sleep and woke up in the morning... Gosh... I planed to fight with cold temperature outside the house at night... but... no chance... lol
Back home and prepare for next trip to Holy Land
We travel back home on 2nd Jan 2008. From Khao Kor to Bangkok. Yep... I'm the bloody driver... lol. After drove out of Khao Kor area, there was just straight way from Petchaboon to Saraburi and then direct to Bangkok. There were only few hills along the way. So, ghost raider is coming... (How fast i can drive a heavy van anyway... just about 120 kmph... lol)
We arrived home in the evening... but I have to prepare for the next trip. That's why we came back on 2nd Jan... Because I have to fly to Tel Aviv, Israel on 3rd Jan... T.T
Anyway, Happy New Year.... ^^
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Follow me on Twitter
Face me on Facebook
Link me on Linkedin
