The sun in Northern Thailand, at 4:30pm on December 25, has not yet begun to set, but is low enough to be casting crisp dark shadows to the east. The wind is still and the sun reflects warmly off the face of the middle-aged man I see still working in his field. I am on a light mission, steering my borrowed jeep down a thin stretch of dirt road in search of a thatched hut restaurant aptly named Ban Suan. I have foggy memories of coming here before, on a Thursday afternoon earlier in the year while my friend and I escaped our responsibilities to a rich dish of chocolate ice cream.
Not caring as to the fruitlessness of my search, I have chosen this worn path off the main road and it has taken me down dark muddy brown rice fields and into a small village. A sleeping dog does not flinch at the sound of my wheels crunching the strewn pebbles of the road, but a small households' flock of colourful roosters run in front of my view and spreading their wings wide, as if to invite me in for holiday turkey dinner. The nose of my vehicle peaks a small hill and a woman on a bicycle smiles at me as I attempt to navigate a meager bridge. Were it any narrower, I would have to fold in my side mirrors less they catch in one of the holes carved in the castle-like stone rails. My engine must be the only noise for miles, and I feel rather sorry that my presence should break this peaceful silence.
It is the end of the work day and suddenly a stream of scooters, laden with two to three passengers apiece, are wrestling me for space on this obscure little dirt path. Their faces are aglow with the excitement of the release of the end of the day, the landscape speeding by, and the wind whipping their black hair turned red by the powerful rays of the sun. I have turned around to head back to the main road and in my absence the village has turned into a bustling centre, loud with chatter and music. Men are playing bacci ball, children are racing the dog and roosters, and a mix of people are negotiating the price of their dinner at the market. The smell of sweet spices engulfs my little vehicle as I pass through the smoke from a firepit. Everyone is smiling tonight and I can't help but to stop and try some rice, nuts and coconut milk roasted together in bamboo - one of my favourites.
The sun is now beginning to set, and although I may be sad that the day is done, I am eternally thankful that I was a part of it in the first place. Although I never made it to my destination, I achieved a goal that I wasn't aware I had set in the first place. |
