Wat Pasak Banthi is where Pasak School is also located. This, you may know, is where I work as part time, volunteer, English Teacher. Whilst at school this week, I noticed the construction of large marquees in the school sports field and was informed that there was to be a Tamboon ceremony, to raise money for new building work at the Temple.
Last night was the first night of the ceremony, which involved several Monks from many different Temples in and around Chiang Mai. We took the children from Stratton House up, knowing that many of their school friends would be there.
I thought that we may see the start of the ceremony, but discovered that it would not start properly until 9pm, and by then we had returned to Mae Salab so the kids could get their sleep.
Still they had a good 2 and a half hours playtime with the other children there and May and Yong made merit by putting money in the collection bowls.
This is a particular method of merit making and the smallest denomination coins are placed symbolically into each of the many bowls laid out on the tables.
To take part you pay 20 baht for a bowl of the small satang. There were other ways of giving, such as the slot machines that when fed played recordings of Monks giving blessings. There was also a catch net held by a group of straw village folk.
This morning was time for villagers to come to make merit by offering food to the Monks and listening to the blessings.
All the school children were involved.
Our lad, Jack, had taken 4 packs, prepared by Wasana, our house mother, and shared them with some friends who had less to give.
The Monks chanting was very relaxing and for a while I sat in quite deep meditation.
I am not sure how many days this ceremony will run for but was interested to see the temporary accomodation for the visiting Monks.
Very simple cubicles constructed with rough wooden poles and brown paper, straw laid out inside for sleeping on.
There was a big turn out and I felt lucky to witness this cultural event.
At the end of the mornings ceremony all the people stood in line, forming a pathway and waited for the Monks who walked through collecting the food offerings.
For more photos please visit our photobucket album here.
Part of the joy of running The Stratton ABC Foundation is getting to see yet more of what goes on in Thai society. Last week was the culmination of many weeks practice at school for the children, when a major inter school running competition was held for the local schools in and around Banthi, over two days.
Held at the local Government Office grounds, it was quite an impressive event. Commitments here at Stratton House meant that we could only manage afternoons, but we got to see plenty of the excitement.
There were stands and awnings erected around the outside of the sportsfield for all the different schools and their supporters.
All the children taking part put their heart into it and I think winners and losers alike should all be very proud of themselves.
A little further we rode through a delightful village and came across further stages in the coffee production process…..
There is something about the lush green mountain forests and those twisting roads with their overhang tree ‘tunnels’, brightly coloured flowers and sounds of the wide variety of bird and animal life that means that I can never get enough of it.
The road appeared to be in mildly better condition than the previous time but there were still stretches of potholes that would appear suddenly; stretches where the forest was doing its place to reclaim the road, making it very narrow at times; and most concerning, places where the mountain was reclaiming the road.
We did stop for lunch at the National Park restaurant which sits beside a delightful mountain stream and we spotted many varieties of rarely seen birds as we ate.
Before reaching Huai Kaeo we stopped to see Mae Kapong waterfall, which is just a few metres from the roadside and then stopped at a wonderful new coffee shop in the village that has a great balcony overlooking the main village in the valley below.
If my Mum is looking in, (I know its not the official day over there, but you know what I say, everyday is Mothers Day), this improvised message is for you, and will soon be delivered to several Thai Mothers in and around Banthi.
—-(students name not to be published), was the first one to finish and present his card, so he gets the photo spot; good work —-:).
At the Arcade Bus Station Boon stood inline for about twenty minutes, only to be told that parcels got taken to the main office, about 5 minutes away.
We had arranged to meet at the point where we had parted company last week.
Ally had promised more hills, lakes and a Cave Temple this week, so off we went heading out towards San Kampaeng Hot springs but almost immediately turning off onto a dirt track that follows the irrigation canal there.
Whereas the terrain along this canal route was not especially exciting , sometimes it is enough just to be away from the main drags, surrounded by trees and passing through genuine rural communities, and then out of nowhere coming across…a Temple.
With no English translations we had to photograph the Temple name sign for translation later to Wat Doi Zill.
Reaching our first planned destination was delayed a little when we took a diversion, turning right, across a small bridge over the canal, to another reservoir, that appeared on Allys GPS, as Thi Reservoir; not to be mistaken for the Thi reservoir we visited last week, a few miles away at Banthi.
The track ended up veering off into the forest, and although we continued into the trees a ways we turned back when it was clear that there were no other visible motorbike tracks.
Heading back to the canal and soon returning to tarmac we headed right,up to Huai Hong Khai 7 , a huge reservoir. Riding into the government buildings there, Ally pointed out the restaurant. Food at last!
The coach party were clearly late and the caterers took pity on us and promptly laid out 4 different dishes plus rice and water. A much nicer lunch than we would likely have bought elsewhere. The chef and waiter were very friendly and chatted with us for a while and refused to let us pay, although we did insist on leaving a tip.
It was not so far then to the 3005 where we went to the 196 Coffee Corner. Ally is now good friends with the proprietors, Khun Keung and Khun Chai, a lovely Thai couple. Whilst we chatted and drank our coffee they handed us bananas from their own trees, deliciously sweet and great with the coffee.
Be warned, the steps here are deceptively steep, especially if you’re an out of shape smoker. Luckily there are not so many. But still, by the time we got to the viewing platform I did wonder how on earth I made it up the 
The bigger problem for me was more steep steps to the lower levels.
We detoured on the route home, through San Kampaeng, navigating our way through the Saturday Street Market and on to a Coffee shop on the way to Bo Sang.
Heading over towards San Kam Paeng on the Banthi road, I should have remembered from Saturdays ride out with Ally, the distinct lack of decent eating stops along this road.
On the way back we called up to Wat Pa Tung and I got a photo of one of the possible sites for our Foundation plans.
As apposed to the normal ‘splash about’, I actually did about half an hours serious swimming.
Our other lunchtime companions were the cafe cat, who happily ate our leftovers, and a beautiful yellow and black butterfly, possibly a cousin of that hairy caterpillar.
On the way home we called in at Chompoo where we fed the fish and I bought a new Moneybox.
We also saw these amazing looking toads.
oh, and watching Wispa playing with her latest buddy, Fleabag.
