Snippets from Phon Phisai

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Today is our last here in Phon Phisai (the 'h's are silent) with Jeremy and his family. Our paintings are finished and drying in the sun. We're off to local restaurant The White House tonight for dinner.

So I thought I'd share with you a few miscellaneous aspects of life here including a visit to the Sala Kaew Ku sculpture park in Nong Khai. Nong Khai is the largest town in the region about an hour away from Phon Phisai. The sculptures tell the equivalent of morality stories in the Buddhist and Hindu religions and is dominated by a huge Naga sculpture - 7 headed snake.

Waree took us to a Vietnamese coffee shop on the riverfront for a welcome iced coffee.

Back in Phon Phisai (pop >100,000) we found some paper to roll our paintings so they don't stick together in a huge old fashioned stationery shop. The two young women in charge, daughters of the owner spoke perfect English having been educated at London University and Sydney. Both have business degrees and came back to work in the family business.

The Saturday market is very busy with people coming across the river from Laos to sell their goods. it used to be the other way round but now the Thai Baht is so strong they don't buy but sell. So interesting things to eat turn up, like tiny frogs the size of your little fingernail, alive and jumping around in a plastic bag, and seasonal produce collected from the wild. Even Waree didn't know the names of some them. Asian greens probably covers them all.

A border control station operates at the landing where they all come ashore in long tail boats. A huge difference here is the lack of traffic on the river, probably because the border runs down the middle.

It's been a bit painful to walk the last couple of days. Our thigh muscles are still recovering from our big climb. It is very frustrating watching the river go by on such hot days and not be able to swim!

It has been a very relaxing two weeks here (apart from having to draw and paint) with Jeremy and his family. We have really enjoyed new experiences and of course Waree's cooking. And being entertained by Cody.

Phnom Penh here we come.

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Photos

Huge Naga in the Sala Kaew Ku sculpture park
A Naga is a 7 headed serpent in Hinduism and Buddhism - a mystical semi divine being, half human and half cobra.

73Ian and Cody feeding pigeons
Prior to this they were feeding the fish

Feeding huge catfish...
...with enormous mouths

Ian offering to the monkey
He was born in the year of the monkey.

Ian with his incense sticks
It's bad luck if you don't

As you go through life
Note the high heels on the woman

Exiting the circle of life
Not literally

Comments

[Jeremy Holton]

Thanks for blog
It was great to read