Turning an Errand Into a Journey

On Thursday, we had to go to the transportation office in a neighbouring district. The motorcycle in the photos is Ying's and it has been here at her house in Chiang Mai ever since she left. So, we had to go and pay its taxes and renew its permit. We drove through this beautiful country road through the hills and mountains. Birds chirped the whole way and butterflies were constantly flying in and out of view. I really enjoyed the drive.

I always thought that if I were super rich, I wouldn't have a driver. Why give the joy of driving away to someone else? I could understand paying for a private chef. Cooking can be fun too, but sometimes it would be really convenient just to have someone make your food as you got ready to go out. Sometimes there's little to no time to cook. However, either way you need to drive to wherever you're going. You might as well be driving because it's fun.

Why this is relevant is because we had actually made another stop before going to the transportation office. We went to this place in the village to check the state of the motorcycle. They would have checked the state of the vehicle at the transportation office either way but it was way more convenient to get it done in the village first. The girl at the check centre in the village told us that she could bring the motorcycle to the transportation on our behalf if we wanted. We actually sat and considered it for a minute but something in my gut told me to just do it ourselves. Thank goodness we did because it would have been a waste to pay someone to drive that beautiful route for us. 

We reached the transportation office and got everything done surprisingly fast. The fact that we had the bike checked in the village helped to move things along quickly. After we were done at the transportation office, we realized how good it feels to be out of the house. Like many people during the lockdown, we've been staying at home. And even though we're in this new province full of attractions and places to visit, we've been staying safe inside. Once we did finally get out two days ago, we took the opportunity to roam around a little. After we were done at the transportation office, Ying wanted to show me around.

This is that beautiful country road that took us to the transportation office. 

The front of this temple building is also protected by Payanaks and lions.  

We spotted Erawan(เอราวัณ), the giant three-headed elephant who also makes an appearance in the Ramakien.

If I remember correctly, the Erawan that appears in Ramakien isn't the actual one but an illusion created by Tossakan and his army of giants to trick Ram's men.

Ying stands by the gates to the temple, also protected by a Payanak to the left and a lion to the right.

Got Some Teeth

I Want To Give You Devotion

This reminds me of that picture where Ying has just gone through the ritual to enter a monastery for a temporary stay. That picture can be found in this post.

Sitting at the Buddha's Feet.

Comfortable Among Lions

This photo was sponsored by the sky.

Visiting Buddha

Bird Guy

Giant Bird Guardians

The Farmer

Wide As The Sky

I found a new job out here in Chiang Mai. Tell my school not to wait for me.

Peaceasy

First, we went to this temple. I asked Ying for the name of the temple just now as I write this. She doesn't remember either. This is a highly decorated temple. There are few temples like this in Hatyai. The whole place is guarded by lions, Payanaks(พญานาค), giant birds, giant elephants, and other spirits. We couldn't stay long due to a chance of rain so we took some photos, Ying offered prayers, and we left. 

As we travelled back on the road that led to the temple, we saw a field and stopped to take photos. After a few snapshots, we got back on the road jack and Ying led the way to a cafe she remembered around there. We drove for a while, passing village after village, until Ying started expressing her doubts about the cafe's whereabouts. It has been years since Ying lived out here in the north so it's totally understandable. Plus, lots of things changed. Places close down and other ones open up. And she kept noting the high level of development she observed the whole time we weaved through the villages. Apparently, tonnes of new places have opened up and new buildings have been built.

Finally she said to drive up to that big building down the road and just return if the cafe doesn't appear by then. As we got close enough to the big building, she expressed her excitement of having found the cafe we were looking for. The big building was the cafe. It was a cafe restaurant with an amazing view of a nearby mountain. We took some photos before sitting down. We ordered some food. She got an ice coffee and I got some fresh watermelon juice. We ate and then left without paying. Just kidding.

This was part of the view from the restaurant cafe.

The cafe had three floors. The highest floor was best suited for taking photos while the 2nd floor is where we sat to have our meal.

The World In Your Hands

On our way home from the cafe, we did a U-turn to stop at a marijuana drink stand on the other side of the street. We had seen it on our way to the transportation office. We stopped and bought three drinks. One was just plain ganja while the other two were ganja mixed with chrysanthemum tea and ganja mixed with anchan lime. Ying talked to the owner of the stand about franchise opportunities. Actually, she got pretty excited about the thought of opening up a marijuana drink stand back in Rattapoom. She said it would be the first one there. 

Now that marijuana use has been legalized to some degree, lots of ganja cafes are opening up. This one was the first one we saw out here in Chiang Mai. There are two cafes that I'm aware of back in Hatyai and probably a lot more that I'm not aware of too. The legalization process is a step-by-step movement. This is exactly how it went down in Canada too. Things happened step by step until it was fully legalized. After a few more steps here and a few more loosening of the knots there, marijuana will most probably be fully legalized in Thailand as well. There are certainly enough people campaigning for it to happen.

After some chitchat with the marijuana drink stand owner at the side of the road, we drove back home. We drove through that lovely country road once again, breathing in the natural air and basking in the beauty of the mountains in the distance as sunshine beamed on their peaks. We got home and sat on the deck. I started drinking the plain ganja tea as she continued drinking her ice coffee. Then something else got her attention. It was the buzzing bees. 

And no, I'm not alluding to a track I released with a similar title. I'm talking about the little bees that had made their beehive inside the planks of wood that cover the house. Recently, Ying took an online class about bee farming this particular species of bees. She also ordered a beehive box, apparently called hive bodies. The bees are called Channarong(ชันโรง) in Thai. I had to look up their meaning in English and apparently they're called stingless bees or meliponines. They're very small and according to Ying, they're easy to capture.

That became our excitement as Ying got the clay ready and told me to knead it. She brought the hive body and a pair of scissors to cut the tube into a desired length. I brought some bricks from under the staircase to create a foundation for the hive body. Once everything was ready to go, Ying inserted the tube into the mouth of the beehive. Once it was in all the way, she quickly used the clay to cover the top of the entrance. Now the bees have to travel through the hive body on their way in and out of their natural hive. We had taken the first step towards colonizing the bees.

I felt bad about colonizing them. When you think about it in those terms, the word 'colonize' has nothing but horrible connotations - unless you're arrogant and proud of your colonial history(I've heard these people expressing their pride so they are out there). However, Ying reminded me that the bees came and created a hive inside the planks of her home. It's not where you want a beehive to be. So the bees walked into this one - literally, as they now have to go through the hive body to reach their natural hive. And so, I'm confident the new hive body will provide a more spacious place to produce their honey. Apparently, it will take a few months for them to start creating their new hive in the hive body.

Ying is preparing the clay in this photo.

Here, Ying is sticking the tube into the mouth of the hive. The bees will now have to use the tube to go in and out.

The tube is connected to the hive body. For the first few months, they will just see this place as a lobby or foyer. They need to get through this part to reach their hive. According to Ying and her new knowledge, the bees will eventually start creating a new hive in here after a few months.

Here, Ying is sealing the top of the entrance to the hive so the tube becomes the only way in and out. "My way or the highway."