There's lots to tell about the trip to Petchabun. Briefly, there were about 50 poor Thai farmers and some urban slum dwellers and some NGO (Non-governmental organization) staff meeting from Friday to Monday in a Temple hall (there are some Buddhas and two monks, but it hasn't been consecrated yet). We were in the mountains of Petchabun out of internet contact, near a small village. This was pretty abrupt planning since J and I arrived on Tuesday (Thai time) and we left Thursday afternoon. I got back at 3:00 am today. I have a ton of pictures to download, some video, and lots of thinking to do about what went on. I do have permission from my boss to post whatever I want. So, if you want a backcountry experience with people who normally don't get a voice in the media, check in the next few days as I get a series up on the meetings. In the meantime, here's where I am and where the meeting was.
The trip to Petchabun took about eight hours. The roads are generally good, but there was some construction and much of the way was through winding mountain roads. The red dot at Pethabun is approximate. I'm not even sure what the name of the village was near where we were.
Thanks to GoogleEarth for the maps.
Wow! Steve and Joan!
ReplyDeleteBack in the 70's, I used to go to Udorn (sp?) alot as a flight nurse. It was right about where Petchabun is! In fact, I was on the last plane in and out of there, when the base closed. Indelible memory on my mind. Also went to Utapao frequently, down by Bangkok. Dianne
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that Udorn was further north.
Maybe was Korat Air Base near where you were.
I used to go to Ubon, too, that is over on the eastern border.
Nostalgia, Dianne
Used your bird book yet?
Dianne,
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to pinpoint Petchabun exactly on a large map. Loei and Khonkaen are north and northeast of Petchabun and then comes Udorn.
More coming later. I was a little disappointed with the bird watching in Petchabun each morning. I took the book with me each day. I did see a pair of black crested bulbuls and a lineated barbet. There were others I saw - mynas, red-whiskered bulbuls, swallows - that are fairly common. There was one skinny black bird I saw on a fence post, it's tail seemed as long as its body as we were driving, but it was too fast to identify it. I don't think I'd seen one of those before.
So far our view has not been nearly as good as the old one for bird watching. While we don't have a tree as close as we did, we also don't have any open distance views to catch birds flitting around in.
We did see a bracket tailed drongo up close waliking to my office the second day.