In Buriram 2

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Yeah, Buriram was a funny time. It was great, riding around everywhere on the back of a pickup, getting stares from all sides (Buriram is not exactly a major tourist destination), maybe getting a giggle from a gaggle of schoolgirls... it's almost like you have celebrity status! Some of the older men eye you distrustfully, while the older women will unashamedly call after you "Farang! Farang!" (white person).

We ate fried pork with rice for breakfast, noodle soup, and usually a big feast for dinner. We'd always follow it with some fruit - my favourite were the Nga - A red fruit with a really hairy exterior - and the Mangkoot - A small black fruit with a center resembling a clove of garlic - really sweet, and with great flavour.

One day we went to these old ruins from a Cambodian Wat (temple). They were massive, beautiful, and remarkably well-preserved. I've got some great shots from that day. The next day we went to an elephant farm. The highlight was definately when the elephant lifted me right off my feet with his trunk. Great shots of that too. We spent that evening playing soccer with the local thai kids, who are exceptionally good for their age. If there was any lukewarm or unsure greetings from the village before, these were obliterated when they saw us taking their kids to the park. On the way back, we got calls of "Sawadeeka!" from every house.

Buriram was a great experience. Thailand gets a bad rep because it's super commercial compared to it's neighboring countries, and in the cities, this is true. But visiting these rice farmers definately makes you realize there's a lot more to Thai culture than just markets and tuk-tuk rides.

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