Surin

We shouldered our packs and bade Rakhon Ratchasima a fond walking farewell.  Keeping to the shade to dodge the late morning heat, we stayed under the trees as much as possible.  In this part of the world, every growing thing is trying to wrest the terrain back from human interference.  It would not take too many years for the strong roots of plants to overwhelm a Thai city.  Even the wonders of Ankor Wat were almost completely submerged in jungle growth when they were "rediscovered" by Western archeologists.  

Our train station.  Most of the stations look like throwbacks to a colonial era, which is exactly what they are.  Quaint and relaxed (outside of Bangkok), the trains are a wonderful way to travel.  Without the highway clutter typical of Thai roadways, the train offers views of the countryside and landscape that are far superior to most bus rides.  Train routes are limited, but when they are available it is my first choice for a mode of transport.

This is what a typical 3rd class coach looks like.  Open windows, no aircon, rotating fans on the ceilings, this is our choice for a best ride.  The aircon in the 2nd class can freeze a rider to the bone.  Outside the coach, the food vendors are waiting on the arrival of the Surin train.  They have already worked the standing coach.  We were sort of adopted by the food vendors and the platform guards.  They were all very concerned that the poor lost Farrang got on the proper train.  Everyone was incredibly smiley and very interested in the weirdness of two western travelers riding the train during the rainy season.

Even the local cops checked us out, a slightly more pronounced police presence than the last time I was here.  The Military and police seem to be putting on a more public face since the last series of political upheavals in Thailand.  My One was a bit miffed that the cops took pictures of us, but they then redeemed themselves by saluting us (at attention no less) and asking us to pose with them for a group portrait, all with thumbs up, of course.  Welcome to Thailand.  

Soon we were rolling across the Isaan countryside, rocked by the narrow gauge rails and serenaded by the sing-song calls of the food vendors plying the aisle.  Isaan is flatty-flat flat-flat and Hotty-hot hot-hot.  For three hours we watched the rice paddies and sugar can fields roll by, broken only by swollen brown rivers and marshes.  Water buffalo floated around in the ditches, happy to escape the heat and flies in the swirling chocolaty water.  Here is one of the reasons that this region is largely ignored by the western tourists:  nothing much happens here.  The attractions of Isaan are much subtler than, say, Chiang Mai or the Islands.  There are no yoga classes here, no cooking courses, not much of anything in the way of "Big Sights."  This region is about people, a slow and friendly pace of life, and incredible food.  With a slight shift away from itinerary-based travel, Isaan becomes a paradise of discovery.  

Switching the trains the old fashioned way, real cable and lever track switches!!

Small shrines are a ubiquitous part of everyday Thai life, even in the Surin train station.  The english language signs, well, not so common.  

We stepped out of the Surin train station into the blast of the afternoon heat and humidity.  Surin's claim to fame is the elephant.  Chang, the Thai word for elephant, are a big deal here.  There is a huge Chang festival in November, the busiest time in Surin.  Elephant statues, signs and posters are everywhere.  Other than elephants, Surin is a smallish provincial Thai town.  There is nothing much happening here except for the elephant thing.  But I love smallish provincial Thai towns.  Some of my best adventures in Thailand have been in towns given the brush-off by Lonely Planet.  The fine folks at Travel Fish (highly recommended) are more open about the joys of these quieter places.  

A shortish but sweaty walk led us to our first choice for a guesthouse, which turned out to be closed for the season.  Fortunately we had a second choice.  More walking until we were drenched in sweat.  We dropped our bags in the shade and plopped down to consult the map.  Oh so close, but where was it.  Then we noticed two Thai ladies at the noodle stand across the street.  They were smiling and nodding and pointing up the small street we had stopped at.  We pointed the same way and they nodded and waved us on.  What else could a couple of Farrang with backpacks want but a guesthouse?  A short walk up the side street proved our directional angels to be correct.  We were soon ensconced in a fine aircon room, complete with a balcony, for a mere 450 baht ($13) per night.  This place would go for 2000 baht in Bangkok.  Another benefit of Isaan and the off-season.  Showering away the sweat and travel grime, we were ready to relax and take on the streets of Surin.

Step one in a new Thai town:  find the guesthouse.  Step two:  Find the market.  When one finds the public market, one finds the grub.  In this case, an incredibly friendly group of folks in the semi-darkness of the covered market area.  This guy was great.  With our bad Thai and some sign language we were soon digging in to plates of stir-fried wonderment.

The top plate is a mix of meats and seafood in a spicy Isaan base.  The lower plate is a mix of seafood.  Both were delicious.  Total cost for the meal was 90 Baht, about $2.50.  Yeah, Baby!

As the night comes on, the market scene changes.  No photo can capture the energy, sights, smells, or press of the crowd in a Thai market.  It is something that simply has to be experienced.  Stopping at on stall to admire a sweet rice cereal sort of concoction, the stall woman pressed a sample on us.  We were all smiles over the sweet treat.  She then insisted on gifting us a small bag of the treasure and refused all attempts at payment.  During the entire afternoon and evening, we did not see a single westerner on the streets.  

The last of the gloaming of the day.  If you look closely, you can see My Heart under the lights.

The only thing better than a Thai market is two Thai markets.  The day market is usually geared towards produce, meats, and edible goods.  Of course there are food stands to feed the hungry shoppers.  The Night Market is more of a social event, with food stalls and clothing for the locals.  Why shop during the heat of the day when you can enjoy the relative cool of the evening?

Sated, tired, and a bit footsore, we made our way back through the darkened streets to our nice cool room.  Another great travel day in Isaan comes to an end.  Tomorrow we will venture out into the countryside to try a visit to a Khmer temple located in the middle of nowhere.  But that is the stuff of the next blog post.  For now, as always, I bid you Ciao for Now!