ROAD BLOCK

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            The internet situation has been a bit spotty lately, so I haven’t been able to sufficiently update. We have encountered some problems. The company that was supposed to have prepared the customs documents to get the water quality testing material into the country did not do their job correctly, and as a result, the package is being held at customs. Because of my father’s schedule for work, it was most convenient that we travel to Trang sooner rather than later, so we are seeking alternatives. I am writing from the car driving to Nakhon Ratchasima, which is a town between Buri Ram and Bangkok. After having quizzed some of the locals in Buri Ram about aquaculture supply stores, we narrowed down places that would be likely to have the same test kits as the ones I ordered from the US. If they don’t have the appropriate kits in Nakhon Ratchasima, then there is supposedly some sort of aquaculture superstore in Bangkok where we can stop. In a bout of delirium, my father and I scheduled our flights to Trang without having obtained the testing kits, and we can’t go to Trang without them, so hopefully one of these two stores will have what we need.

            Assuming that we make it down to Trang today, there are still a lot of obstacles that I am foreseeing. I have plotted the location of all 75 of the sampling ponds on my dad’s GPS unit to a high degree of precision. After having looked over the areas that encompass the plotted points, I saw that most of the ponds are within 300 meters of a road, but the ponds that are farther than that could prove challenging to access. Besides what I was able to glean from the satellite imagery back in the US, I have no idea what sort of terrain we might encounter. Other logistical problems include renting a car, finding lodging in or around the three coastal towns that are my study area, and safely disposing of the hazardous by-products of the water quality tests.

            My feelings about leaving Buri Ram are somewhat ambivalent. Although I only spent a few days there, the people of my father’s neighborhood made a strong impression on me. The woman that cleaned the house and cooked meals, Apple, was quite the character, and she would always force me to try new foods. Last night there was a small barbecue for the neighborhood matriarch’s birthday. Although I cannot understand anything she says, she has an air of dignity about her that was impressive even to my ignorant eyes and ears. Like anywhere in the world, family is important here. I call this woman the village matriarch because even for people to whom she may not be directly related, she acts like a mother providing for them whenever possible. I wish I could speak Thai beyond simple phrases because I am sure that some of the members of this village family have some great stories to tell.

            Still, I am excited to get started on this project and to see more of Thailand. In contrast to the somewhat bleak and dusty rice province of Buri Ram, Trang and its neighboring province, Krabi, at only 7° above the equator are apparently tropical paradises. After the project in Trang is completed, we will travel to Koh Pih Pih, an island off the coast of Krabi, where they have some raucous Full Moon Party, and hopefully spend a few days relaxing on the beach. If there are any Star Wars fans out there, the islands off the coast of the Trang and Krabi provinces resemble the steep, vegetated rocks from the Wookiee home world (shout out to Thulnasti).