Top Twelve 2019

In my annual review of pictures this year, I tried to contain myself to 12 photos, but in the end I ended up with a baker's dozen.

January - Follow your heart in Phu Ruea

For my birthday, I told Ingrid I wanted to go to the mountains. Going to the mountains isn't as easy here as it was in California, where I could be in the mountains in just over an hour. From where we live now, we are talking about a 5-hour drive or longer.

We decided to go to Phu Ruea (pronounced poo rur-ah), which means "place of the boat." We've driven through Phu Ruea on several previous occasions, traveling back and forth to Northern Thailand. I had always wondered how a mountainous area is named "place of the boat," a name that would seem more fitting for a beach town. It turns out that viewed from the valley below, the mountain is shaped like a boat.

There are several national parks near Phu Ruea, one of which bears the same name. You can drive almost to the highest point in the park. From there, you can hop on a tram (pickup truck with benches in the back) or walk to the summit. We opted to walk, and we had the trail mostly to ourselves, as most people took the tram.

Phu Ruea has a flower festival over the New Year's holiday, and we came in on the tail end of it. So many flowers! The dominant flowers were poinsettias in red, pink, yellow and white. The main theme of the flower festival is hearts. Flower gardens shaped like hearts. Big heart-shaped signs. And even heart shaped pavers winding through the poinsettias. For more photos of Phu Ruea, see here.

Heart-shaped pavers in Phu Ruea

February - Phu Phrabat

Our second entry also has a "Phu" in it. (December's entry does as well.)

In February, we had a visit from a couple from Canada. They are friends of our co-workers and we were told that they like outdoorsy stuff. Since we have a vehicle and know about many of the outdoorsy activities to be had in the area, our co-workers made us responsible for one day's activities. So we put together as list of possibilities and presented it to our visitors. They decided to go to Phu Phrabat.

We like Phu Phrabat because it has some of the most well-groomed sets of forest trails for walking in the area. The park is considered an "historical park" and is run by the Arts and Culture ministry rather than the forestry department. That must be why the park has one of the classiest restrooms in Thailand!

The geology of the area includes some hard layers of sandstone which are underlain by softer material. This has contributed to the formation of lots of unusual rock formations. Several hundred years ago, these features were used for human settlement, either for living places, animal shelters or religious worship sites.

The picture below is from one of the most famous structures on the park. It is called Hor Nang Usa (หอนางอุสา), which means, "Ms. Usa's Tower". Nang Usa is a character in the anecdotal stories of the history of the structures.

More pictures from Phu Phrabat can be found here.

Hor Nang Usa - what would happen if you jumped up and down on the part that sticks out?

March - Tokay Geckos

Anybody want a pet lizard? I'd be happy to part with these cute, (no so) little, lizards. The tokay gecko is the type species of the gecko family, hence its scientific name, Gekko gecko. I like the Thai name, tookay (ตุ๊กแก) because it aptly describes the sound of this creature. Nothing like the "tookay, tookay, tookay" blasting from the ceiling from above your bed to wake you up at night.

The home of the creatures in the photo is above our front porch. They even have a trail mark from the hole where they get in and out. I would seal it, but I don't want them to die in the attic because the smell of rotting gecko bodies makes the fragrance of a dead rat like sweet perfume in comparison. Mama and papa had two babies this past year, one of which shows in this photo. They are cute, in a way, with their turquoise colored bodies covered with bright red spots. (The photo doesn't really do it justice.)

Calling Geckos on the wall of our house

April - Pretty in Pink

We're always in the mood for a good coffee shop. When your home is your office, sometimes it's nice to have an "away office." There are lots of chain and independent coffee shops in Thailand, but price, coffee quality and quality of internet connection vary greatly.

Sometimes on our day off, we drive north to a place called Pak Khat for dinner. Along the way there is a small town called Rattanawapi. There are several coffee shops in the town that have closed, but one day we noticed a new one, Ban Card Coffee. For a while it seemed like this one, too, succumbed to poor planning because it closed down soon after it opened (a common occurrence with restaurants and coffee shops in Thailand).  But then, to our surprise, it reopened.

The staff in this cozy establishment are friendly and they make our coffee the way we like it. Prices are good and so is the internet connectivity. And it has some cuteness value—especially if you bring along a pretty girl with an outfit to match the decor.

May - Dining Adventures

On most Thursday evenings, we meet a with a couple that helps lead our church, Tha and Nok. Nok is from Laos and she comes from a poor background, so she has learned to live off the land. She amazes us with the food she can prepare from whatever they caught or scrounged up in the forest on any given day.

One day, we were presented with a plate of...

   ...something.

April is the season that the termites swarm. These species of termites (Macrotermes sp.) somehow manage to acquire wings and they gather by the thousands around light sources at night. The Thai name for these, Malaeng Mao (แมลงเม่า) refers to their appearance being like a way that rice is sometimes prepared (Mao). The insects are very fragile and usually the floor under a light is covered with the bodies of these creatures, On many individuals, the wings may have already fallen off.

It is easy to gather a huge bowlful of these creatures. After pulling the wings off, they can be stir-fried and served with your meal.

Bon Appétit!

June - Cutting the Cord

On a steamy Wednesday morning, several of us piled in the truck and headed off to Ban Klum Pattana—a village about 14 kilometers north of the main town of Phon Phisai. We were on our way to visit some people who were interested in hearing the story of Jesus.

Our first visit was to a man who has had difficulty walking for several years due to a motorcycle accident. The second was to a woman who had an inoperable condition in her spine. In each place, we explained the gospel message to the people, then they prayed to confess belief in Jesus.

What happened next was the string cutting. Sacred strings are tied around the wrist to indicate a binding commitment. In most cases, it is as symbol of belief in Buddhism. But even some Christians will use these cords as part of a marriage ceremony, akin to the wedding ring used in western weddings. To cut the string means to say you no longer trust in the old way of doing things as a way to earn religious merit. Instead, you confess that you are now placing your trust in Jesus.

The man we visited first that day later bowed to pressure from family and reneged on his decision. The lady, however, has remained true to her new faith.

For more about family relationships and choosing Christ, click here.

Tha cutting the string from Bor Wan's wrist

July - Seven Hearts

In a previous blog, I wrote about our Sweetheart Plant (Hoya kerrii), and the patience it took to wait for a leaf stuck in the soil to take root and start growing. Once the vine started growing, however, it put out new leaves relatively quickly. By July, about 11 months after it started putting out its first leaf, the Hoya had amassed seven leaves.

Seven leaves. Seven hearts.

I grew up in a family of seven, and while my parents are no longer with us on this side of heaven, I still think  of our family as a family of seven. So my Hoya with seven hearts was a symbolic reminder to me of family.

Interestingly, the vine has not made any new leaves in the six months since then. It still sits in its small pot with seven hearts attached to the vine.

August - Celebrating Life

We had big plans for our 25th anniversary. But when the time came around, our life was full of too much uncertainty, and not much happened. So we figured, maybe we'll do something big for our 30th. But when that came around, we were in the midst of a very hectic schedule and settled for a couple of days in Monterey, California. Five years later we took a few days attached to a retreat I was on in Switzerland, but it was still not what we had in mind. So we figured we'd do something special this year.

We made plans to visit some relatives who live in Jordan, and to combine that with some visits to some Biblical historical sites.  We had most of the details figured out, but had no peace about them. "I need to visit George," I told my wife.

My brother-in-law had a rare form of cancer, and we did not expect him to be around much longer. Better to visit him while he's alive than to pay homage to a box of ashes after he's gone.

George was not very strong during our visit, but he did rally a bit and made it to church one Sunday, when this photo below was taken. I'm glad we went. A month and a half later, George opted for a better life with neither pain nor sorrow. Since I could tell his days remaining were few, I penned a eulogy ahead of time, so that he could read it. Better to enjoy the company of our loved ones while they are with us than to regret it later.

Enjoying our last weekend with George

September - Yung Thong Waterfall

Our wet season this past year was less than spectacular. The rains were fewer and they stopped over a month sooner than usual. Usually, September and October are a great time to visit waterfalls, because it is the end of the wet season and the rivers are at their peak.

In spite of it being so dry, we decided to visit a waterfall a 3 hour drive west of where we live. The last time we visited Nayung Namsom National Park it was dry season and the waterfall was nothing but a rock bluff.  This time around, things were slightly better. The climb to Yung Thong waterfall is challenging in some places, and we did not go all the way to the top because my knee had still not fully recovered from an injury incurred while in California the previous month. We did make it to the main viewpoint of the waterfall, though. And while the waterfall was not spectacular, as waterfalls go, if was a nice quiet day for a walk in the forest. And a bonus was that we did not have to pay to visit the park!

Yung Thong Waterfall in Nayung Namsom National Park

October - Reunion with Friends

Shortly after we moved to Phon Phisai, we made friends with the proprietor of a coffee shop in town. Yai is a man from the southern peninsula of Thailand. Yai's wife, Rung, is a police captain. Rung had recently been transferred to Phon Phisai.  They have a daughter named Khao Hom. Khao Hom came to the English / Bible story classes we had and often her mother would stay and listen to the stories as well. Rung is originally from Kalasin province, about a four-hour drive south of Phon Phisai. About once a month, they would travel there because they were working on building a house there so that at some point, Rung could move back to her hone area.

It seemed like we were just getting to know this family when Rung got a transfer to Kalasin province. Since they were the closest friends we had made, we really missed them.

The missionaries working in the Isaan region gather to pray together about three times a year. We meet in various places. We don't get to join with them all of the time because of our schedules. In October, the meeting was in Kalasin. We made use of the opportunity to visit Yai and his family. We had not seen or spoken to them since they had moved, but they were happy to see us again.

Rung Arun, Khao Hom, Ingrid and Yai by their new home 

November - Nong Ngaeng

One of my favorite bike rides is to follow some irrigation canals to a pond called Nong Ngaeng. (That's okay,  I can't pronounce it either.) The Acacia mangium trees planted along the east side of the pond provide a shady respite from the tropical sun. Often, while riding under this treed canopy, I will take a break to enjoy the peaceful setting.

November happens to be the month with the clearest skies. The rainy season clouds are gone and the smoke from burning all the forests and fields hasn't started to build up much yet. On this day, it was early enough that the morning breezes had not picked up yet and so the water was very still. The blue skies reflected in the pond made a nice backdrop for the red boat.

Red Boat in Nong Ngaeng

December - Phu Tawk

My photo for December is similar to my photo for November, last year.

In December, my sister came to visit from California. It was her first time traveling internationally by herself since her college days. Originally, she had hoped to come to Thailand with her husband, but that was not to be.

On one day during her visit, we visited Phu Tawk (variously spelled Phu Tok or Phu Thok). The skies were nice and clear and the cooler than normal temperatures made it more comfortable to climb the hundreds of stairs.

Phu Tawk is not for people with a fear of heights. Our teammate, Somdy, was with us and he was  constantly commenting about the safety of the handiwork. I've never heard of anyone dying here, so I'm guessing it must be fairly safe, even if it doesn't always look that way.

The mountain is a sacred site, and there are several shrines scattered about. They say there are seven levels, but I'm not sure how some of the "levels" are called such, except that seven is a sacred number (though 9 is more so) so it helps it the top is level 7, I suppose. Probably most of the people we saw were at the mountain as part of a religious pilgrimage, hoping to obtain special merit by making an offering  at level seven, if they make it that far (there are merit making opportunities on several of the levels).

For us, it was an opportunity to get out and get some exercise and marvel at the handiwork—not so much of the people who put all of the walkways together, but instead at the handiwork of God, who put the mountain together.

For more photos of this big, red rock, click here.

Ingrid and Dawn on the wooden walkway

December - Bonus pic

With our last wet season being not so wet, I was surprised at the number of people planting irrigated rice in the dry season. If water is less, why are we irrigating more? I've seen people pumping water in places I had not seen since moving here.

The reason for more off-season planting is that because the rains quit early last summer, the rice harvest in the area was much less than normal. Some fields were not even harvested because there was nothing to pick. Those fields that were harvested had a smaller crop than normal. For this reason, many families did not harvest enough rice to eat, let alone sell. So there is a push to get another crop in. We pray that the water supplies will last, because even the Mekong is at its lowest level Inver 50 years--and there are still several more months of dry season left.

A side benefit for us, though, is that even our neighbor decided to plant a second crop. So he plowed and smoothed his paddies, making a nice reflecting pond for us, at least until the rice crop comes on. So we finish up the year having to put up with sunrise views from our house like the one below.

Sunrise reflections in the rice paddy

And so another year has gone by. Some things have gone as expected, many things have not. There have been good times and challenging times. All of which makes it a normal year.

I count it a blessing to finish the year with the same wife that I have shared the past 36 years with. Not everyone is so fortunate.

I also thank God for His faithfulness in helping get through some challenges during the year. Several times, I have wanted to give up, as my faith and strength were not up to the task. Fortunately, God is up to the task.

There is a saying that God does not give us more than we can handle. I'm not sure where this comes from, for my understanding from scripture is that God never gives us more than He can handle. As Paul writes, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."  (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV)

We don't know what the coming year will bring. My prayer is that, no matter what happens, good or bad, we continue to rely on God.

Happy New Year

Bookends 2018

How do we look at life? Are we pessimists or optimists? Are we stuck in the past or are we hopeful about the future?

For the past several years I've done a blog with photos from the beginning and ending of the year.  As I was looking through photos, trying to decide what to pick, I realized that my choices show how I look at my life.  Someone else might have chosen different pictures.  (A saying I have is: There are two kinds of journalists.  Those who are biased and recognize what their bias is--and tell others.  And then there are those who are biased and don't think they are.)

I could have done nearly-identical pictures.  On January first, we had several of the youth over from church to make fritters or, as some call them, New Years cookies.  On December 31st we were making a batch for a New Years eve service at church.  These would be people oriented photos.

But I decided to use some different photos. I'm not a great people photographer.

While we tend to choose our sandwiches based on what is in the middle, we also want to choose our bread.  So while these photos don't represent the meat of what happened this year, they are like the slices of bread I choose to put the meat between.

January 1st falls close to my birthday. I told my wife that I don't really want to acquire things for my birthday. I'd rather just go to a park somewhere.  So we decided to go to Phu Phrabat Historical Park. It turned out to be the first of three trips to the park that year.

Phu Phrabat Park is focused around some interesting rock formations that were used as housing and places of worship many, many years ago.  There are even red-colored petroglyphs which have a character similar to those I would see in the American west.  If you want to see that side of things, as well as photos of the fancy restrooms, check out my flickr album from the park.

What I like about the park are the nice walking trails with varied scenery.  It just happened to be the season that some of the dipterocarp trees were blooming.  I picked up a blossom and stuck it in a mossy log, because I like the color contrast.

Dipterocarp flower on mossy log

Dipterocarp trees were once very common in northern and northeast Thailand.  They grow in humid climates with long dry seasons.  They don't seem to be bothered by the fact that it doesn't hardly rain for six months.  They just drop their leaves to cope with the dry season much as trees where I grew up would drop their leaves to cope with the cold.  There are many species in the plant family Dipterocarpaceae.  Most have winged seeds; the seed pictured below is the same species as the bloom above.  We big kids sometimes enjoy throwing them in the air and watching them helicopter down.

Dipterocarp winged fruit

Most species of the Dipterocarp genus get quite tall and the branches tend to be clustered at the top. This can make recognizing species difficult because it is often hard to see the leaves on the tree-you have to look at leaves and flowers that have fallen to the ground.

One thing that is nice about the Isaan region (as opposed to central or northern Thailand) is that the farmers often leave native trees in their rice paddies.  So one sees perhaps more of the big giants that used to cover the region before they were all cut down to put in farms.  Sometimes I'll even see masses of the pink flowers that have fallen off a tree onto the road.

Which brings be to the photo for the end of the year.

While many of our Canadian friends and relatives might be whining about the cold at this time of year (I would be if I was there), here in Thailand we are enjoying the cold winters.  It's nice when the temps drop into the 60s (15-20 C) at night.

While I tend to ride my bicycle all year round here, it is perhaps most enjoyable in the winter.  And so I found myself doing a leisurely bike ride on New Years Eve day.  This day I was staying on the dirt roads as much as possible because of the very busy highways during the New Years Holiday season.

My trip this day brought me past an old oxbow of the Huai Luang river that they put a dam in to form Huai Kan Lueang Reservoir.  The reservoir is on both sides of a minor highway and right now they are excavating dirt on one side to make it deeper and using the dirt to fill in the other side.

A consequence of this dirt fill operation is that I can now get up close to water lilies that used to be in the middle of the swamp.  On this morning, it had started out cloudy, but the clouds were moving off to the west so the flowers were in the sun.

Pink water lilies

The water levels in Huai Kan Lueang have dropped considerably since wet season.  As the water levels drop, some of the area is used to grow rice, as pictured below.

Ironic that this area was under water a few months ago. Now the farmer is using his tiller motor to drive a pump to irrigate his rice paddy.  Along one of the berms there are palm trees.  These are oil palms.  The fruits are are crushed to extract the oil. There is a significant acreage planted to oil palms in this part of Thailand.

Rice paddies and oil palms

Oil Palm Fruits

And so my year has brought me from the forest to the field and lots of places in between.  But when I woke up on January 1st of this year, I was happy that some things did not change.  I woke up next to the same wife.  The sun rose again like it has everyday.  And God's great love for us was still there.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  1 John 5:9, 10

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Top Twelve 2018

It's time for my look back at the old year through pictures.  Picking out a dozen, or baker's dozen of pictures from a few thousand is a fun way to reminisce about the past year.  Pictures are not necessarily chosen for photographic quality but for special memories they evoke.

January - Red Lotus Lake

November through January is the best period to travel around Thailand.  The air is cooler and the smoke from all the burning usually has not built up much yet.  One of the travel bloggers in Thailand had posted pictures of a place in Isaan where there were lots of water lilies.  We did some research and found that the place is called Red Lotus Lake and is about a 2-1/2 hour drive from our house in the next province to the south. We didn't know much about the lake or what to expect, we just took off to investigate.

We arrived at the lake about 11 am.  We found out that it was almost too late in the day, as soon the water lilies would close up for the heat of the afternoon.  Nonetheless, we hired a boat and joined the myriad of people who were out on the lake,  It was really amazing to see all of the pink water lilies.  We ended up going back about a month later when we had some people visiting us.

If you're ever in Thailand between Mid-December through February, this place is worth a visit.  Perhaps a nice Valentine's date.

February - Baptisms

For those in the business of church planting, one of the greatest activities one can have is baptisms.    We've had several baptismal ceremonies since coming here, but this one was a bit special because of the testimony of one of the people getting baptized.  Her story is one about how God is already doing a work and that we just join Him in what He is already doing.  You can read more about that here.

March - Torch Ginger

In March we had the opportunity to take one of our church members to some training in Chiang Mai.  The training was called "Multiplying Disciples" and we enjoyed having our friend meet some of the many others in Thailand in a situation similar to his.

The training was at a place in the mountains with nice landscaping throughout.  As is my usual practice, I like to get up early and go for walks and enjoy the wonders of God's creation.  I found a little used path and was pleased to discover a small grove of torch gingers that had been planted.  The blooms on these plants can be quite spectacular.

The ginger family is one of my favorites because of the diversity of styles of flowers.  I just wish I had a place to plant them all!

April - Team Hope

One of the parts of my job that I enjoy is being a catalyst.  I don't necessarily have to do everything myself, but I can help facilitate bringing people together who can help each other.  In April, we were pleased to bring a team from the Hope Center in Chachoengsao up to Phon Phisai to do some training.  These are people we know well from having worked there in the past.  This group of mostly young people came up to give training in various things.

One type of training they gave was guitar and music.  Boat is a young man who studied music at university.  While I sometimes have difficulty getting the young people in our church (mostly female) to come practice music, Boat, being young and single, had no problem getting them to come.

They even remembered some of the stuff he taught after he left!

May - Phu Phrabat Historical Park

It was our day off, and we were looking for a new place to explore.  We made plans to go to a park a few hours drive to the south, but due to road construction, we lost a lot of time in the city of Udon Thani.  So we changed plans and decided to head to Phu Phrabat Historical Park.

We had been to the park before, which is mostly known for its interesting rock formations.  There are also lots of trails, and we decided to try some we had not been on before.  There had been some early wet season rains, and things were a lot greener than during our previous visit during dry season.  We hardly saw anyone on  the trails that we followed.

Phu Phrabat Park, being an historical park, is not under the Forestry Department, but is under the Ministry of Arts and Culture.  They have a bit of a different take on things.  While most parks tend towards rustic, this one has the fanciest restroom I have seen in Thailand that even has piped in classical music!

June - Rice Planting

One day I decided to try a bike route I had not been on before.  This trip took me to the next district north called Rattanawapi and a village called Nam Pe.  It was the beginning of wet season, which means it was time to plant rice.  Most people start their rice plants in nurseries and then transplant out.  Here I passed and area where they were gathering up the seedlings to be brought to the paddies where they would transplant them.  Young rice plants have a intensely bright green color, which doesn't always capture well in photographs.

July - Mango Baron

Sometimes we see things and, at first glance, aren't sure what to think.  Is it a plant or an animal? If an animal, what kind is it?

Turns out that this particular creature is a caterpillar that favors mango trees.  It is covered with lots of fine hairs which, if touched, can be quite painful.  Or so I've read.  I wasn't really wanting to test that theory because I've had run-ins with venomous caterpillars before and I am quite amazed at how much pain a tiny little hair can cause.  While venomous, the mango baron caterpillar is at least pretty to look at.

August - Boat Race Practice

One thing we like to do when we have the opportunity is to go for an evening walk along the Mekong River.  It is only one kilometer to the river from our house.  During the rainy season, if there are breaks in the clouds, the sunsets can be quite spectacular.

On this particular day, we happened upon the boat racing team practicing.  They have long-boat races every year in October during the Naga festival at the end of Buddhist lent.  It's a lot of work to paddle these boats, but I'm even more impressed at the coach who balances himself on the very narrow tail of the boat.  I may not be able to paddle a boat very well,  but I can sooner do that than stand in the coaches place.

September (Thailand) - Phon Phisai Flooding

Wet season was extra wet this year.  There is an area north of our house that does not drain very well when the Mekong River is running very high—and this year it was the highest it has been in at least 10 years.  So we had a very big puddle—about 1 kilometer wide and two kilometers long.  The puddle came up to the edge of the property we live on, and onto our road just a little bit.  Other places did not fare so well.

I would bicycle through the puddles if they weren't too deep, but it's not so much fun if my foot goes under water with every turn of the crank.  The house in this photo (to the right of the tree near the middle), actually had a boat tied to its stairway.  At least the owners were smart enough to have a house on stilts.

September (Europe) - Brienzersee

I'm cheating and adding a second photo from September from our trip to Europe.  I had the opportunity to attend a men's conference in Switzerland along with another of our missionaries from SE Asia.  My wife and I went a week early to celebrate our 35th anniversary.  Picking only one picture from that trip was quite a challenge.

We didn't know much about the area we were going to and we were looking for an affordable place to stay near Interlocken.  We found a small village nearby named Ringgenberg whose better years were behind it.  As for us, we enjoyed the nice quiet atmosphere of the town.  We stayed at the Hotel Bären (Bear), whose host was quite friendly and helpful. There was even a small grocery/bakery across the street from our hotel where we could get nice breads, cheese and chocolate (the essentials of life).

Ringgenberg is on the northwest shore of Lake Brienz (Brienzersee).  One evening we walked up to an old castle turned Protestant Church overlooking the lake.  We had the place to ourselves.  It was so quiet and clean.  The blue-green color of the lake was amazing.

We had initially only booked two nights in Ringgenberg, because we did not know what it would be like.  We ended up staying four nights.

October - Sam Roi Yod

Each year, all of us MB missionaries from Thailand gather for a time of resting, connecting and encouraging one another.  The place we meet varies from year to year.  This year, the organizers decided to go to Sam Roi Yod, which happens to be one of our favorite places in Thailand.  We were quite happy with that.

My usual habit when in Sam Roi Yod it to go for a morning walk and watch the sunrise from the beach. On this particular day, the tide was out and the wind was still so there was actually nice reflections from the shallow water on the shore.  And the clouds were amazing as well.  Probably the most awesome sunrise I have seen from the beach.  Sam Roi Yod certainly did not disappoint.

November - Phu Tawk

In November we had a visit from a second cousin whom we'd not met before.  Patricia stayed with us for a few weeks.  One day we took her to visit Phu Tawk, an interesting mountain in nearby Bueng Kan province.  It was our second time there—our first being during rainy season when the skies were cloudy and the humidity oppressive.  This time was quite different.

Phu Tawk is considered a sacred site and the monks have constructed seven levels of walkways on the mountain, a couple of which are tacked onto the side of the cliff.  This is not a great place to visit if you are afraid of heights.  Or if you don't like stairs.  There is an unbelievable amount of stairs to get to the top.

But for us it is worth the climb and the occasional dizziness from the drop-offs.  The views are awesome.

December - Nong Khai Aquarium

December 5th is the birthday of the previous king of Thailand and is regarded as Father's Day.  Since the kids have off from school, we asked if anyone wanted to go to the aquarium in Nong Khai.  Several were free and went with us.

The aquarium is on the Nong Khai campus of Khon Kaen University.  There are basically two categories of fish here—endangered fish species (both salt and fresh water) and fish that are endemic to the Mekong River and adjoining  waterways.

There is one big tank with a glass tunnel that you walk from top to bottom.  In the big tank are several  Mekong Catfish—the largest species of freshwater fish in the world.  (The world's biggest freshwater fish was caught in the Mekong River near Chiang Khong about 15 years ago.  It was about 9 feet long and weighed 646 pounds.  Imagine the fish fry you could have with that!)

It was fun to see the delight in the eyes of the young people as they marveled at the awesome creatures that our God thought to create.

Recycled

The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10 (NIV) 

This past week marked a significant event in my life, I celebrated my 5th cycle birthday.

In Thailand, there is a recognition of the Chinese zodiac, though the zodiac year begins on Sonkran (April 13) and not according to the lunar calendar as they do in China.  Because of this, cycles of 12 are more significant than the cycles of ten (decade) that we follow in the west.

I was born in the Year of the Rooster and this year is the Year of the Rooster (until April 12).  Maybe this explains why I naturally get up so early in the morning.

This year was even more special because 5 cycles coincides with 6 decades (5x12)=(6x10).

To celebrate this occasion we went to Phu Phrabat Historical Park, located in Udon Thani province, about a 2 hour drive from our home.  When you're walking around some features that were made by humans 2000 to 3000 years ago, you don't feel so old.  In this case, humans made modifications to some unusual geological features that were there already.

Tower of Nang Usa, one of many ancient features in Phu Phrabat Hirtorical Park

Section of trail in Phu Phrabat Park

Following our morning at this park, we drove north about an hour to Nayung-Namsom National Park.  We had hoped to check out the waterfalls there, but they had already succumbed to dry season and they were now just cliffs in a canyon.  Still, the 2.5 km trail to the falls looped around to Pha Daeng Viewpoint.  We climbed a lot of stairs!

And because there was no water, the park was only kinda open, so we did not have to pay an entrance fee.  The parking area was at the Park Headquarters and one of the staff was very helpful in explaining things.

Pha Daeng (Red Cliffs) Viewpoint in Nayung Namsom National Park

After climbing a while, we got to the steep part.

After the stair climbing, it was time to celebrate in style-stopping at Swensen's in Nong Khai on the way home.  Swensen's may no longer be a thing in North America, but there are quite a few here in Thailand.

I ordered their chocolate lover's sundae with the malted milk balls, because they didn't have what I really wanted.

What I really wanted was a chocolate and coffee lovers' sundae, which would be a modification of this, from top to bottom:

chocolate wafer and cherry

chocolate chips

whipped cream

chocolate covered coffee beans

kahlua

chocolate ice cream

whipped cream

malted milk balls

chocolate syrup

coffee ice cream

hot fudge

Now that's what I want for my birthday!
Are you listening Swensen's?