Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Village Life

The following pictures are from the four days I spent in Ban Talae Nok and Tung Nang Dam.

One of the many traditional Thai-style meals we ate on a woven mat, laid flat on the "dining room" floor. On Xmas day we filled our bellies with a unique spread of spicy manta ray, egg and cabbage salad, dried-fried fish and cucumber.

Children in the homestay. Their strong desire to learn English and bubbling curiosity, made for a quick bond.
I arrived on the day of celebration to remember those killed by the 2004 tsunami. In this tiny village, 47 people lost their lives (17 of them were children).

Dinner with the whole village of less than 200 people. Everyone gathered - in remembrance of those passed on Dec. 26, 2004.Home in Ban Talae Nok. I learned that the man on the left (our guide) lost many family members in the tsunami disaster, two of his children and both his parents. The other man in red was our handy interpreter who also stayed in the village.