| Isaan Life
- New Year |
| PHACHANADAI CLIFF- Ban
San Som |
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| Words and photos by Eli Sherman |
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| There are places along Isaan's Korat
Plateau, framed by the wandering Mae Khong, dotted
with centuries-old rice paddies, lumbering, long-horned
water buffalo and forgotten villages influenced
by the Lao culture to the north that are so stunning,
so awe-inspiring that words are inadequate to
describe them. Phachnadai Cliff, 45 kilometers
from Khon Chiem and a six-klick hike straight
up from Ban San Som, a sleepy 200-member farm
community of wooden huts built on long poles,
is an unusual place to greet the New Year. But
then Isaan is an unusual place, a special place
and teetering and shivering through the night
toward dawn in a brisk, cold wind on the edge
of a 15 meter black cliff with a dozen friends
and 200 strangers was the perfect way to greet
2008/2551, a year sure to be filled with beauty,
adventure and opportunity. |
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| Our journey began 175 kilometers
away at my home in Ubon Rachathani in southeast
Isaan on the north bank of the Mun River, a tributary
of the Mae Khong. We traveled north by motorcycle
toward Ban San Som, a village that does not appear
on any western map buts sits less than an hour
from Laos. Neither Ban San Som nor Phachanadai
Cliff produce even one hit on a Google search.
It is not a destination resort. It is however
a very special place to welcome the New Year. |
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| Ban San Som in January is surrounded
by freshly harvested rice fields and wandering
water buffalo, eyeing the newly harvested rice
strewn through the fields. In theory, there are
two ways up the mountain. It's a six kilometer
hike straight up or a 13 kilometer overland trek
by motorcycle. In reality, the hike is probably
the way to go. A combination of laziness and rapidly
disappearing sunlight produced a quick decision;
the motorcycle seemed a quicker, less strenuous
option. Unfortunately we were not ready for the
unbeaten, unmarked track that lay in before us. |
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| There is no visible road up the mountain.
There are ruts and rocks and roots that slowed
our progress to a crawl. Deep sands as shifty
and slick as sheer ice blocked our path in places
reminding me it's the heart of winter back home
in Vermont, USA. And at times murky brown water
covered the track making it impossible to know
how deep and passable it was at any given point.
Nittaya Saebut, a fourth year student at Ubon
Ratchathani University, described the journey
charitably as "unpredictable." Surasak Witton,
a third year at Ubon Rachathani University, carried
Sukie, a second year student from Rachabhat University
who knew the area quite well. He said his rider
made it hard to focus on the path. Surasak explained,
"It was hard for me having Sukie on the bike because
she would tell me about different areas of the
mountain and if I took my eyes off the road for
one second conditions would change and a different
type of terrain would jump up in front of me." |
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| We made it to the top in darkness;
the view would have to wait until morning: the
New Year. A sheer black rock covered the peak,
a lava-like geological formation though there
is no volcano near Phachanadai Cliff. The difficult
path to the summit didn't keep some 200 others
from making the journey to greet the New Year.
Camp fires fueled with wood scavenged from nearby
forest sprinkled across the black rock lit the
landscape like lights on a Christmas tree. There
was even New Year's entertainment on the top of
that mountain. A stage set up in the midst of
the waving fires offered an assortment of colorful
dancers and songs through the evening. There was
even a "Cow Gee" eating contest which I entered
immediately as the journey produced a severe hunger
deep in the pit of my stomach. Cow Gee is sticky
rice grilled with egg. I stuffed my face full
of the deliciousness |
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| and finished
second among 16 other contestants. My stomach full I
realized I'd won 200 baht! Being paid to overeat; Isaan
is a wonderful place! |
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| Sleeping was
impossible! The wind howled constantly sending a chill
deep into my spine. At 5:30 a.m. everyone that wasn't
knocked out from the New Year celebration, clustered
on the 15 meter cliff to watch the sunrise. The cliff
drops straight down to the ancient Mae Khong. The rising
sun slowly revealed the misty mountains of Laos covered
in early morning fog and produced an immense cheer from
the crowd. It brought a tear to my eye, and I wished
everyone "Sa Wa Dee Bee Mai." Happy New Year 2008/2551.
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About the
author:
Eli Sherman
is a graduate of Montpelier High School in Montpelier,
the capital of the state of Vermont, USA, and a "young
blood writer" living in Ubon Ratchathani, Isaan - Northeastern
Thailand. He's been to Isaan four times in his short
life. Once on a cross cultural exchange with Montpelier
to Thailand Project; once coming for five months as
an exchange student at Benchama Maharat school in Ubon;
and again coming as a guide for Montpelier to Thailand
Project. He now works as a volunteer at the Institute
of Nutrition Research Field Station, Mahidol University
in Ubon Ratchathani and is writing to present Isaan
Life to the world, and especially KhaoSanRoad.com visitors. |
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| More by the author:
Isaan Life
- Harvesting Rice | Isaan
Life - Graduation | Issaan
Life - New Year |
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