2 weeks Ago
I have just spent a month in Chaiyaphum and during that time visited Loei province and the Mekong River town of Chiang Khan on the border with Laos. It prompted memories of my first trip to Loei many moons ago. While working at the Bangkok Post in the early 1970s whenever possible I would hop on a bus or a train to explore new provinces.
One place that intrigued me was Loei primarily because even amongst well-travelled Post staff I couldn't find anyone who had been there. That made me all the more determined to visit the place. So when I had a few days off, after an overnight train to Udon Thani and a painfully slow cross-country bus journey I arrived in Loei provincial town.
It was pretty quiet so I boarded another bus for the 50 km journey up to Chiang Khan which was even quieter. But right on the river bank there was a small wooden hotel where I got a room for just 50 baht. Waking up the following morning I was greeted by a stunning view across the mighty Mekong to the majestic mountains of Laos.
Taking in such a tranquil scene it was hard to imagine the Vietnam war was still raging not far away. When I returned to Bangkok a colleague persuaded me to write a piece about Loei for the travel section, although I hadn't written anything for the Post before. Anyway my humble offering on Loei was the first article I had published in the Post.
For my efforts I was paid the grand sum of 250 baht. I had finally hit the big time. The bus boys On that same trip I experienced an eventful bus ride from Loei town to Lomsak in Phetchabun province.
What I didn't know when I boarded was the highway had not been completed and the tarmac soon gave way to a dirt road and being the rainy season a very muddy dirt road. We climbed a tortuous route through the mountains and I began to get a little nervous as the bus started sliding all over the place. At one point we got totally stuck and when the driver revved the engine the bus slid alarmingly towards the edge of a deep ravine.
That's when I jumped off. I didn't want to be another "bus falls into ravine" statistic. When the bus boys saw me taking photographs they immediately abandoned their bus rescue efforts and posed with big grins in front of the vehicle despite it looking like it was about to plunge into the ravine.
Eventually we were rescued by a bulldozer which towed the bus to safety. For the remainder of the journey the bus boys contented themselves with trying out their English-language skills on me and when I got off in Lomsak at dusk it was to a cheerful chorus of "good morning!". The Nodder One of the most important functions of bus boys in those days was keeping the driver awake.
I had a terrifying first-hand experience of this on a non air-conditoned bus from Korat to Khon Kaen on a sweltering day in the 1970s. Being the only foreigner I had been given the doubtful honour of sitting in the front left seat which was normally reserved for monks to ensure a spiritually safe ride. It wasn't long before I noticed the driver was struggling to stay awake which was a bit alarming in those pre dual-carriageway days with assorted trucks hurtling towards us.
I noticed the bus boy had a long stick with which he would periodically prod the driver when he seemed to be about to nod off. Each time this happened the boy grinned at me as if to say "isn't this fun!" I didn't take my eyes off that driver the entire journey, ready to alert the boy when the man at the wheel was about to nod off. I must say the bus boy performed heroically.
The other passengers had no idea that he was solely responsible for us arriving in Khon Kaen in one piece. Question time I was pleased to see English actress Dianne Morgan, better known as ill-informed interviewer Philomena Cunk, get a warm reception on several American talk shows recently. For those unfamiliar with Philomena she appears in a series of "mockumentaries" in which she asks experts some of the most stupid questions you can imagine.
She delivers the questions in earnest fashion and it's hilarious how the experts attempt to answer. For example she asks one history professor: "Which was more culturally significant? The Renaissance or Single Ladies by Beyonce?" Frankly it's difficult to explain her humour in words, so try watching her on YouTube. Golden oldie I also happened to see singer/actress Cher on a talk show the other night and must say that at the age of 78 she looks to be in remarkably good shape.
It is a bit scary that I can still recall Sony and Cher singing I Got You Babe live on the British TV pop show Ready Steady Go back in 1965 when Cher was a mere 19-year-old. I must say she has lasted the pace pretty well, better than me anyway. Contact PostScript via email at oldcrutch@hotmail.
com.
