The People Make The Festival in Ubon Ratchathani

July 30, 2007 started out as a rainy day. Would it put the dampers on the celebration of Buddhist Lent and the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival?
No way! Before 8am the rain stopped and the sun started breaking through the clouds. What that means in Thailand is heat.

It was the day for the big parade to honor the masterpieces and the amazing craftsmanship of the candle makers.
Even though it was hot, crowded and the seats were hard, I had it easy compared to the brave participants of the parade.
I could sit down, fan myself, purchase drinks from the many vendors passing by and enjoy a great parade.

On the other hand, the participants had to be in place early that morning. Many of the girls had to start much earlier getting their hair done, getting in make up and getting into their costumes.
The marchers and performers participating came from local schools, hostpitals and outlying districts. A much varied group.

I salute everybody who made the parade a big success and allowed me a good day of viewing enjoyment. They not only did their duty honorably on this day but many had to endure numerous rehearsals before hand in preparation.

The dances and music were awesome. I love the lively Isaan music and traditional dances of the different regions. lively local music performed by young Ubon residents
Molam style seems to reflect the heart and soul of the Thai people of Isaan. The colorful dress just adds to the sensory pleasure. A very good and varied show. The dances were not only from Ubon but also from Buriram and Srisaket provinces as well.

Young Ubon musicians playing local music


I personally want to say a ver big THANK YOU, or maybe "khop Jai lai lai" or "Khop Khun Khrap", would be more approriate. I am looking forward to next year when we can do it all again.

spending their time watching the crowd
lovely Ubon girl performing dance movement, not waving hello
ubon ratchathani high school students performing local dance
Ubon Beauty Queens
Thai celebrities, Chalerm singing Molam song.



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Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007 Parade

Ubon Ratchathani Candles Festival has come and gone. The memories of the past few days will remain a lifetime. I offer just some of the images I had the pleasure of experiencing during the festival.

Just Some of the 86 Candles:

Ubon Ratchathani Umbrella Festival 2007

Today I had the honor and privilege of joining the First Annual Ubon Ratchathani Umbrella Festival. The beginning of the rainy season is the logical time to hold this event as the umbrella's will be put to a lot of use in the coming 3-4 months.

Umbrellas

I found some good seats up 3 levels which offered a good view of the parade route and easy to get out if nature called or if anything was needed to eat or drink. As the time passed the bleacher filled up and then people began lining up along the barrier that was meant to be security to keep people off the street.

More Umbrellas

Finally the parade began at 9:30 and I was glad to see I had a good place to watch and take photos. It had been raining in the morning but the rain stopped and the sun was peeking out. It was getting a bit warm but that is part of the experience. But I noticed that the people standing at the barrier decided to deploy their umbrellas. There were so many of them. Big ones, small ones, ones with designs, cartoon themed umbrellas and a wide variety of colors. It was a rainbow for sure.

Even More Umbrellas

The people in standing along the barrier proudly displayed their umbrellas for all who sat in the bleachers to see and admire. Also the participants of the parade had a good view as well. The umbrellas did a good job of blocking the sun from the small percentage of the crowd and also did an excellent job blocking the view of all who were sitting to watch the parade.

And More Umbrellas

Of course I am being a bit sarcastic here. I was actually there to watch the glorious Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007 Parade. The time for the craftsmen to showcase their pieces of art and let the public seem them up close and personal. Also local school groups took the time to rehearse local dances to show the crowd. It was hot and they had to wait a long time to begin the procession. They deserved to been seen and admired.

And the winner is.... Umbrella

I love Ubon and call it my home. I am proud of the work everyone does to prepare for this event. I do my best to also promote it to people I come in contact with from outside of Ubon. I was sitting next to 3 foreigners who came to experience the Candle Festival. They seemed excited to see the candles and the dancers and also document their memories. After about an hour of seeing so many umbrellas blocking their view they decided it would be better to go have a beer then to put up with the discourtesy.

Umbrellas Enjoying The Parade

Why would some people be so selfish and thoughtless as to interfere with the enjoyment of the masses. The other Thai people were too polite to say anything even though they couldn't see the parade well. There seemed to be a matter of "grayng jai". The umbrella group also insisted on walking through the crowded walk way with their weapons deployed poking other people in the head.

Umbrellas for all occasions

If you have a showcase event and want people to come and join in it would seem you should make it good for all. It would be a simple matter to ban umbrellas and could be easily enforced as there was an army of security lining the inside of the barrier. This is Thailand and the sun gets hot, but there are wide brimmed hats that could easily give protection from the sun.

Want an Umbrella?

To anybody and everybody who came to Ubon to see the Candle Festival Parade I apologize on behalf of the residents and expats of Ubon. I hope it didn't dampen your spirits and you go away with negative feelings.

More Umbrellas

Ubon Ratchathani and Candle Festival History Show

The other night at the Ubon Ratchathani Cultural Center I attended a show that is intended to support the Ubon Rachathani Candle Festival. The title of the show is, "Ubon's Enlightenment". It was jointly sponsored by the Cultural Center and Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University. The event was MC'd by a local radio station personality.

Ubon Ratchathani Celebrities

It began with a series of instrumentals which had been composed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The tunes were performed by a band from Rajabhat. These songs were followed by a few Ubon Ratchathani residents who are also Thai celebrities, an actor and two singers. The actor, I was told had a series on Thai TV for 10 years and he also played the part of the head monk in Nong Khai in the Thai hit movie, "Full Moon Party". This is a movie about the sacred fireball phenomena in Nong Khai each year during the full moon in November. I actually have seen this movie in Bangkok, it was in Thai but had English subtitles. It also had Thai subtitles when the actors were speaking Isaan.

Ubon Mulam Singer

The singers were both Mulam style singers, one male and one female, which is from Isaan. The songs were great and lively, which is one of the reasons I love living in Isaan as opposed to other parts of Thailand. All three also played parts in the skits later on in the show.

Ubon's Enlightenment Cast in Costume

Also included in the program were some Chinese cultural dances. The first one used a sort of puppet to do some amazing things. The second was call a Chinese Mask Dance. The participants would "magically" change the masks on their faces while performing the dance. It was very interesting and amazing. My personal opinion though, is that these should have been dropped from the show as they had nothing to do with Ubon Ratchathani or the Candle Festival.

Monks in Ubon

The show began in prehistoric times using the cave paintings from Khong Chiam to make the point. Then the timeline slowly moved forward, showing events and fashion from the periods in the history of Ubon. The Lao and Khmer influence were also made evident. A one time the area which is now Ubon Ratchathani was a minor Kingdom with a separate ruler.

Sapphasit, an influential and powerful historic figure from Ubon

After some battles the King of Siam requested Ubon join him and seems after that there was peace. Elsewhere there was fighting and Ubon was asked for its help in battling the invaders. The men of Ubon proudly went to aid and many gave their lives to protect the kingdom. The gist I got from the show was that Ubon has contributed a lot to the economy and security of Thailand.

A lovely Isaan Ubon Girl dancing well

The skits evolved to showing the history of the Candle Festival in Ubon. Also shown were significant individuals including a monk and a consort. The show ended with the Royal Anthem and the bouquet presentations to the guest celebrities. I very much enjoyed the show. It didn't seem like it lasted the two hours my watch said it did. My only recommendation would be to offer at least one program with English narrative in order to attract the many foreign tourists who come here to experience the Ubon Ratchatahani Candle Festival.

Lunch At Wrong Way Cafe Ubon Ratchathani

Wrong Way Cafe has been a fixture here in Ubon Ratchathani for more than a year now. Richard and Ting opened it because there weren't any places for expats by expats here. Since it's opening there have been minor changes in it's menu and operating hours but has continued to be a place where expats can go to engage in some interesting conversation, meet new friends, drink a cold beer and enjoy a good meal.

There is normally a special meal prepared on special days such as Christmas, Valentines Day and other Thai and western holidays. The Christmas Dinner and the Barbequed Ribs Dinner were particularly memorable.

I read that Richard had recently altered to menu significantly and also included breakfast meals, which can be ordered anytime during the open hours. Wrong Way Cafe's hours are Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 24:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 22:00. If you want to check out the new and improved menu you can go to Wrong Way's New Menu.

I decided to have lunch and see who was hanging out there. I was greeted by Richard and a group of out-of-town expats. An American and Brit from Nong Khai, an American from Udon Thani, an American from Pattaya and another Brit from Khon Kaen. They were here in Ubon to join the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007. In total, I think they had more than 100 years experience in Isaan and I enjoyed listening to their stories. They had gotten rooms at the mansion behind Wrong Way for 650 Baht per night and had plans to go play gold this morning. No idea how their games went yet. The rest of their time here in Ubon will be spent experiencing the festival and interacting at Wrong Way Cafe.

I sipped a very cold Tiger beer while listening to the "war stories", learning some things I didn't know about Thailand, Isaan and Ubon. My hunger got the best of me so I decided to try the sausage rolls and the Texas chili con carne. Both were excellent. I had wanted to 10 Inch Hot Dog, which I dubbed the "Aerosmith Hot Dog" from the Aerosmith hit song "Big 10 Inch Record", but it wasn't available. I got filled up and satisfied by the meal I did order. I hadn't had any good Texas chili in a long, long time, so it was a pleasant surprise to find it on Wrong Way's new menu.

Wrong Way is located at 49/4-5 Phadaeng Rd. You can get there during daylght hours on Line 10 or Line 11 or anytime by tuk tuk. If you need to contact them their number is 045-245291.

Special Candle Festival Dinner:

As I was leaving Richard informed me about a special dinner they would be having on July 29, 2007 around 18:00. He had procured a large smoked ham in Nong Khai last week and it would be the feature of the dinner on Saturday. If you are in Ubon then I am sure Richard and Ting would love to have you stop by, enjoy a good dinner and meet you.

Thai Phrase of The Post:

Can I see a menu, please?

khaw mehnoo noi khrap (male)
khaw mehnoo noi kha (female)

Sapphasit Apartments Ubon Ratchathani

In Ubon Ratchathani, as in many places in Thailand, it can be a challenge to find a place to live. There usually aren't local papers with "apartment for rent" or "house for rent" ads. I have yet to find a service for house or apartment seekers which could make the search easier.

The normal way people find a place to live is to drive around for hours in the area they want to locate in and get lucky or the other way is to ask everybody you know or meet if they know some place for rent.

When driving around Ubon I always have my eyes open for signs about houses or apartments for rent. Recently I have been seeing signs advertising a new apartment complex, Sapphasit Apartments. They are all in Thai but I can read enough to know what they said. Even so I had difficulty finding the place.

Finally, I saw the sign showing the entrance to the apartments, it is a very narrow drive. I went in to check it out. It is still very new and there is work being done to complete the parking area. At the entrance there is an office with staff on the left. On the right you will find an Internet room. The girl asked me if she could help me and I asked if I could see a room.

The room I was shown is nice but a bit small. It is furnished with a double bed, big screen TV, a desk with chair and a small sofa. The rooms come with air-conditioning, hot water for showers, satellite TV and Internet connection. This room goes for 4000 Baht per month. She told me the rooms upstairs are 7500 Baht per month. I don't know what the difference is as she didn't offer to take me upstairs. Electric, water and telephone are extra to be paid when you pay the rent. If you want housekeeping service I was told it is available for 1000 Baht per month extra.

Sapphasit Apartments also offers daily rooms. If you want the daily rate the cost is 550 Baht per night and includes breakfast. It seems to be a pretty good deal.

To get to Sapphasit Apartments head down Sapphasit Road, when you pass Sapphasit Hospital turn right on Phon Paen Road, the entrance is on the right hand side maybe one hundred meters from the intersection.

The location is great, very convenient. It is surrounded by restaurants, mini marts and public transportation. If you walk out the entrance and turn right, go to the next intersection you will find Risotto Italian Restaurant, a nice place with good food.

The contact information is as follows:

135 Phon Paen Rd
tel: 045-240127
fax: 045-241097
mobile: 081-967-8896

Hope this helps if you are looking for an apartment to rent in Ubon Ratchathani.

Thai Phrase of the Post:

Do you have any rooms vacant?

Mee hawng waang mai?

Cozy Restaurant Review Ubon Ratchathani

I recently spotted a sign advertising a new restaurant here in Ubon Ratchathani. The sign in Thai said, "Cozy Restaurant," Thai food and farang food. Above the entrance and a bit hard to see is another sign in English with the name of the place, Cozy Restaurant. It is a small place located on Chayangkul Road across from Swing Party House between the PT&T gas station and the open air Thai restaurant on the corner.

Sign In Front of Cozy Restaurant

I was curious so I decided to check it out. Ting and I drove to Pizza Company, parked and walked to the restaurant. Inside is small, clean, neat and cool. There are about eight tables inside with four chairs each and a table out front on the sidewalk. The walls are bare and I could smell that they had been freshly painted.

Cozy Cheeseburger

The menu offered a variety of western dishes and a good selection of Thai dishes as well. The cheeseburger caught my eye as it's one of my favorites and hard to find a good one in Ubon. The cheeseburger comes with home fries but I decided to try the potato salad as well. I was happy to see that the burger was a good size and not a baby burger which is common here. The potato salad was a good portion as well. It had onions and some other ingredients covered in a tastey dressing. The cheeseburger is 130 Baht but well worth the price.

Cozy Potato Salad

Ting decided to order the 95 Baht pork steak. It also comes with home fries. It was a good portion and the taste was excellent. There is also a smaller 59 Baht steak as well. Ting was very satisfied with her selection.

Cozy Pork Steak

The meals were great and reasonably priced. I will frequent Cozy Restaurant especially when i get a hankering for a good filling Cheeseburger. I also am wanting to try some of the other items on the menu. I heartily recommend enjoying a meal there sometime soon.

I didn't meet the owner but I saw him sitting talking with a friend at the table in front. I don't know his name but I think he is Scandinavian or European. I will try to talk to him on my next visit and thank him for opening his restaurant.

Thai Phrase of The Post:

That looks delicious.

Doo naa Taan.

Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007 Preparations

Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007 is just a few days away. It is by far the biggest event of the year in Ubon. This is the high season for tourism and it's hard to find a room or get transportation to here during this period.

Many traditional activities connected to this festival have already begun at the local temples. One example of this is the candle procession in the evenings. There are other activities such as giving cloth and candles to monks for them to use during the upcoming rainy season.

The focal point of the celebratory activities is downtown on the grounds of the Provincial Office and Tung Sri Muang Park. The Candle Festival parade, showcasing the large candle sculptures submitted by the temples, will proceed along Chayangkun Road between these two locations. Bleachers are being set up on the street for the guests to sit and watch the parade. Soon the songtaews will be rerouted due to some streets being blocked.

Activities have already begun on the grounds of the Provincial Office. If you go there to visit you will see vendors hawking their wares from stalls, games of chance set up where you can win a doll or a bottle of beer, rides (mostly for kiddies) set up and food, food and more food. The activities here began July 21 and will continue through July 30.

Across Chayangkun Road at Tung Sri Muang park they are still in the process of erecting tents but will be finished soon. The sign saw stated at the park activities will be 27-30 July.

If you are here in Ubon I hope you enjoy the festival. If you aren't here it might be possible to get here and get a room. This is the last big event before going into semi-hibernation for the upcoming rainy season. Come one, come all and experience Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2007.

Photos of Candle Festival preparations:

Bleachers on Chayangkun Road for watching Candle Festival Parade in Ubon Ratchathani

Tung Sri Muang Park being prepared for Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

Food Vendors Ready to go for the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival on the Provincial Office grounds

Kids will love these rides at the Provincial Office grounds for Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

Win a doll or a bottle of beer playing games of chance at the Provincial Office grounds during Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

The vendors are ready to sell you something at the Provincial Office grounds during the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

Sayan Tour From Ubon to Udon

Just back from a visa run to Vientiane by way of Udon Thani. I had to go to Vientiane this time because my options for Savanakhet and Chong Mek had been exhausted.

I have been to Udon Thani many times before so I am familiar with the ways to get there. My preferred way is by bus from Ubon Ratchathani. I use Sayan Tour which offers First and Second class service between the two cities. The scheduled time for the journey is seven hours and normally it arrives fairly close to the scheduled time.

Sayan Tour office is located at 189 Khuan Thani Rd in downtown Ubon across from TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). You can buy tickets there and also catch the bus there which parks on Ubonsak Rd across from the Fire Department. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time. The fare from Ubon to Udon is just less than 300 Baht. You can also purchase tickets and catch their bus at the Ubon Bus Terminal.

I chose the 10:25 bus which was scheduled to arrive in Udon Thani at 17:30. I got there a bit early by design and got some breakfast for 20 Baht in a small shop located in a small soi behind the office. The bus departed on time and headed off to the Bus Terminal for it's required stop there. I bought two seats so I could keep my bag with me but also because when riding a bus for 7 hours I didn't want stand up passengers leaning on me. It's fine on a short haul but for that long it's not something I wanted to experience.



I was on the First class service but they still load up with as many passengers as they can. This means some passengers end up standing for their journey. I think they pay the same fare as the passengers who have a seat too. This earns more profit for the bus line and for the driver and hostess.

At Maha Sarakham Bus Station vendors board the bus hawking mango slices and grilled chicken. The smell of the chicken usually activates hunger pangs in my stomach. I can see eating mango on the bus. It is tidy and easy to eat. On the other hand, the chicken is another story. There is no good place to wash up after eating and no good place to store the bones. It is a chance at making another sell and they have a captive audience for sure.

The route runs from Ubon to Yasothon, Roi Et, Maha Sarakham and then to Khon Kaen. There is a 20 minute stopover in Khon Kaen so have time to get off, stretch the legs, use the facilities or just relax. It's another 2 hours to Udon Thani from Khon Kaen. We arrived in Udon about 45 minutes late. The reason for the late arrival, for which I am grateful, is the the driver was not a horn-honking kamikaze who swerves into the opposite lane to pass, without regard to oncoming traffic. In those instances, the oncoming drivers must move to the shoulder to avoid and head-on collision. So I didn't mind that we were late.

I arrived in Udon a bit stiff but all in all it was a good trip.

Thai Phrase of the Post:

Chan ja khuen rot prajam tang bai Udon Thani dai nai?

Where can I catch a bus to Udon Thani?

Express VIP Visit to Rajavej Hospital Ubon Ratchathani

I needed to get a prescriptions refilled, so it was off to the hospital. Off to Rajavej Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani specifically. Why this hospital? Mainly because it is the hospital designated on my insurance coverage.

Rajavej Hospital is a medium sized private hospital in Ubon Ratchathani. It is located on Chayangkul Rd, just past Northeastern Polytechnic College and just before Big C. It's really a rather pleasant hospital as far as hospitals go.

I parked my motorcycle and walked up to the front door, which was opened by the door orderly. Immediately inside on the left is the reception desk. I handed the girl my ID card and my insurance card. She promptly asked me why I was there, "rup ya", I replied, pick up medicine. They processed the required information and a lovely girl motioned for me to follow here.

She took me through the nearly full waiting room to the small passage way where you have to submit to the obligatory weight and blood pressure check. During the procedure I was asked several times if I could speak Thai, "pood mai ben" was my reply, "I am not able to speak." This always is good for a laugh.

As soon was we finished I was again motioned to follow, straight to the doctors office and the girl told me to take a seat. No sooner had my cheeks touched down on the chair, she stuck her head out and told me to come into the office. I sat down and noticed it was a doctor I had seen before. He asked me a few questions, wrote something in my file and said, "that's it".

I was again escorted to the waiting room but this time asked to sit down and wait. After about five minutes someone came out and escorted me to the pharmacy. This time I waiting another five minutes until my name was called. The pharmacist gave me my prescription and I was finished. Total elapsed time, about 15 minutes. What great VIP express service and what made it even better is it was all free. My insurance covers everything.

Since my time as Rajavej Hospital was so short I had time to get a cup coffee. There is a small coffee shop across Chayangkul Rd. from the hospital, M&M. So I hopped on my Honda and rode over for a cup. Nice little place and has a good view of a U-turn point on the road, always exciting places. M&M has a nice assortment of coffee drinks plus a variety of Thai dishes. The owner was nice and speaks some English, although that is not a pre-requisite for enjoying a cup of coffee there.

It's always good to experience good service. So needless to say I was ecstatic at the experience I had at Rajavej Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani. I don't know that it will happen every time but I can at least savor this one time. I usually dread going to hospitals, whether it's for me or to visit someone else, but this one time it was a very pleasant VIP express experience.

A Traffic Event In Ubon Ratchathani

I was sitting at the bus stop in front of Lotus waiting for the Line 12 songtaew to come. A lady passed in front of me on a motorcycle pulling a cart going in the wrong direction against traffic. As it's a normal occurrence here in Ubon Ratchathani, I thought nothing of it. Suddenly, I was startled from my daydream by a loud crashing sound. The sound was similar to the noise made when you drop a lead pipe from a height onto concrete. But in actuality a pick up truck had run into the motorcycle I had just observed driving by in front of me.

I have often heard an event such as this called an accident. I did a search on the web and at Freedictionary online I found the following definition, "accident - anything that happens by chance or without a cause." According to that what I saw was no accident. I will call it an event. The lady was driving the wrong way up the road, the man in the pick up turned into the Lotus entrance from the second lane. Both were at fault.

Fortunately, nobody was injured. This was a minor event. I do believe, however, that the motorcycle and cart will never be the same again. These things happen when two people do what they want to do without regard to the laws. Such occurrences are inevitable when people drive as though they are the only person on the road. I don't see how either could have missed seeing the other but it seems it happened.

At the very least the two drivers are guilty of defying an irrefutable law of physics, "no two objects can occupy the same space at the same time." The laws of physics are unforgiving. They have been proven time and time again. I have no idea what these two drivers were thinking but I do know what this event was no accident as per the given definition and could have been easily avoided.

Is driving school in their future? Did they learn anything? Will either of them do anything similar in the future? In my opinion it should be back to school for these two with mandatory enrollment in Physics 101 to help make my home town Ubon Ratchathani a safer place to live.

Thai Phrase of the Post:

How long will it take to repair the car?

Chai welaa som naan praman thao rai?

Starbucks Coming To Ubon Ratchathani

Is it the end of an era in Ubon Ratchathani? Or maybe it's the beginning of a new era. I am not sure but coming soon to an Ubon Ratchathani near you will be a Starbucks Coffee Shop. Are you ready?



When I first starting coming to Thailand in 1994 there were very few places to get a fresh hot cup of coffee in the mornings. Thank heaven for 7Eleven. I need my morning coffee and I would go to great lengths to get it. Most of the coffee available was Nescafe but it was acceptable. I would sometimes walk for 15 minutes or more to find a place to get some coffee.



I was also in the Seattle, Washingtong area when a coffee phenomena erupted there, spurred on by the birth of Starbucks. You couldn't go far without seeing a coffee shop or street vendor selling coffee. It wasn't just coffee then, latte, mocha, cappucino and expresso. I had to learn a new jargon for ordering java. I loved the Egg Nog Lattes during the holiday season. I also loved the aroma I was greeted with when entering a Starbucks. The aroma alone would knock off the chill of the coldest winter days in Washington.



Now in Ubon Ratchathani there is a mini eruption of coffee shops and coffee street vendors. You can see many stands set up on side walks where you can get expresso, cappucino, and americana both hot and cold. Many coffee shops are springing up, some with a bakery and some that offer light meals as well as coffee and coffee drinks. The are excellent places to meet a friend for a chat, sit and think or just sit and enjoy your java while watching humanity go by.



Starbucks thrives in Bangkok, with both Thai and foreign customers. The drinks, pasteries and snacks are not cheap by any standard but many people are willing to pay. I think at times it isn't just the menu but also a status symbol. A place to see and be seen.



I am anxious for Starbucks to open and will be one of its first customers for sure. I think it will be another month or two at least until the grand opening. I will be watching the progress. It is a good location at Nevada Grand Hotel Complex on Chayangkul Rd.. It will be on the second floor with big glass windows offering a view of the complex and Chayangkul Rd.



I will be interested to see of Starbucks can survive here and maybe flourish. It is a social experiment of sorts. If Starbucks does well here in Ubon it might be that other big name chains and franchises will follow. Is the timing right for Ubon Ratchathani? Only time will tell.

Thai Phrase of the Post:

Khun dawng gaan duem arai?

What would you like to drink?

A National Geographic Day In Ubon

I began my morning in the usual way. I had prepared my morning cup of coffee and was heading out to the garden to enjoy it in the great outdoors. As I approached the gate leading to the garden I saw what looked like a big pile of dog crap laying on the landing. I wondered how a dog had gotten through my fence and into my yard to do this dirty deed. As I got closer I also spotted what looked like frog legs sticking out of the pile. A few more steps and I suddenly realized it was a medium sized brown snaked curled up having its breakfast and frog was on the menu.

Having identified predator and prey as opposed to dog crap I ran back in the house to get my camera. I have seen snakes before in my travels in forests and jungles but never had I ever witnessed an event such as this. I for sure wanted to capture it on digital. I went unnoticed as I took photos as close as I dared. As I watched the frog disappeared from sight. I guess there will be one less member of the Frog Choir tonight. Slowly the snake unfurled and slithered into the grass, with bulging belly, quickly disappearing into the grass. It was never seen again.

Quite an experience for me. All the time I have spent in the great outdoors, communing with nature in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, North America and Europe I have never come upon anything quite like this. I put my camera away and went back to enjoying my morning coffee but with that snake on my mind.

At noon I had a lunch appointment at Pae Tong Restaurant in downtown Ubon on Palorangrit Rd. It specializes in duck and dim sum. Lunch was delicious, filling and cheap. After a quick stop at the post office I arrived back home. As I entered the gate I noticed a turtle sitting on a rock in the small cement pond warming itself. I quickly parked my motorcycle, got my camera out and

snapped a few shots of the creature enjoying life. I went in the house for some water and my curiosity got the best of me so I went back out to check out the turtle. At first I thought there were two turtles in some sort of turtle mating ritual because the two creatures were sitting on the rock butt to butt, mimicking the position of dogs stuck together after their mating dance. At that same moment my brain informed me that the second creature on the rock was a frog, not a turtle.

What would bring two separate species to share this rock butt to butt, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. This day I had witnessed one from being consumed for breakfast by a snake and now I am seeing a frog sharing a rock with a turtle. What and amazing day. I felt like I
was involved in a National Geographic Special or maybe spending a day with Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet. Two strange experiences involving amphibians and reptiles in a single day. What are the odds of that happening? Maybe all this had something to do with that ring around the sun a few days back. I am glad I had my camera and it was working. It had been in the shop recently due to ant infestation which ruined the hard drive and rendered the camera inoperable.

Ants eating hard drives, turtles and frogs as friends, a frog sacrificing itself to a hungry snake, WOW. What will happen next in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand?

Thai Phrase of the Post:

Sa wat dee Khrap (male speaker)
Sa wat dee Kha (female speaker)
Hello/Good bye (one phrase means both similar to aloha in Hawaii)

A Lazy Sunday In Ubon Ratchathani

A beautiful Sunday in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. There was a break from the deluge of rain we have been receiving as of late. Good thing is the air was fresh and clean. The skies were blue and a nice breeze blowing. It was warm but not hot. Such a nice day.


Normally on a sunday like this I like to go for a motorcyle ride in the country and go lunch at an outdoor restaurant. Sit and enjoy the view while eating some good food and sipping a cold beer. But today I was feeling a bit lazy and decided just to stay at home and relax. After all I could still enjoy the day and the weather from my sanctuary and castle.

I was fortunate to find a nice house in a quiet neighborhood with a nice mango orchard in the back. Sitting out there is a gazebo or whatever you want to call it. This is my sanctuary. Often there it seems as though I could be out in a forest or jungle. This was the reason it was okay to stay at home today despite the great weather and the call of the wild.

What did I do with this lovely day? I did some reading. I listened to many of my cd's that have been gathering dust lately. I did some writing and some work on my website. I also did a necessary evil of doing my laundry.

To the left is where I can sit and think, sit and meditate, sit and drink a beer or two, sit and read or entertain some friends. It's perfect for me. I had envisioned such a place when I wanted to move and when I saw this house and garden I knew I had found a new home. It's great to have a place that's quiet and peaceful at your disposal when it's needed.

It is covered so even if it begins raining it is still enjoyable to sit and feel wth wind and watch the rain. This sanctuary even comes with enclosed bathroom with shower, a covered area with a sink. Who could ask for anything more?
It is easy to enjoy a day at home when there is a garden sanctuary available and such beautiful weather. It is very inspiring for writing and getting new creative ideas. There are also 2 small cement ponds, one in the front and one in the back. Usually occupied by frogs and snakes. Today though I got a surprise, in the front pond I discovered a turtle in it. I have no idea how it got in and how it will get out. I was going to take a pic of the turtle but the battery died and it was getting to dark after I recharged the battery. I will try again tomorrow.

A great Sunday of relaxation in the life of an American Expat living here in Ubon Ratchathani.

Why Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand?

My first sight of Ubon Ratchathani came out an airplane window as Thai Airways flight TG031 began it's approach to Ubon Ratchathani International Airport. After landing I collected my bad and was wisked off to the Nevada Grand Hotel, my home for the next two weeks. It was March 1999. There was a joint US Thai training exercise going on in which I was a participant.

I spent about time when I wasn't on duty exploring this new place. I began to feel comfortable and really at home. All if Thailand in endeared to me but I have a special feeling for Isaan and Ubon is the heart of Isaan.

I sadly left when the training was complete and the last US soldier had borded a plane to return to the states. I was off to Bangkok to close things out for a few days and then back to Hawaii. I didn't have long in Hawaii as I was returning to Korat for Cobra Gold 99, my last duty as a soldier.

Back in my hometown in California I was missing Thailand but trying to make a new life as a civilian. After 10 months which included a holiday to Thailand for Songkhran I began looking for a way to come live here.

I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered a job teaching English at Northeaster Poli-Technique here in Ubon. That job got me a visa and a work permit in November 2000 and except for a year living and teaching in Bangsaen, Chonburi I have been a resident of Ubon ever since.

To keep my visa I taught at Rajabhat for 4 years and Anuban for 1 year. Now I am just a tourist enjoying my "retirement". I decided to share my experience and knowledge of Ubon with visitors and the expat community here using this blog and my website http://www.weloveubon.com and hope can help or at least entertain a crowd.