Chiang Rai

A couple of months back, Clare and I ducked up north for a long weekend to check out Chiang Rai province.

Chiang Rai would have to be one of my favourite destinations in Thailand for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the greenery was a welcome change from the Bangkok polution and concrete jungle - it was great to just look out the car window and see nothing but bush or rice paddies all the way to the horizon.

The diversity of the landscape kept Clare and I guessing - with the mountainous region in the west and flat rice fields in the east. Chiang Rai reminded me somewhat of the Northern rivers region of NSW, with the long lowland landscapes and hilly regions. Less hippies though.

I also loved the individual little villages and genuine culture - too often have I seen Thai's cash in on their country's cultural heritage...a bit like Rolf Harris selling albums to the poms! Clare and I felt lucky to see people working in the fields in their colourful traditional clothing, and the Chinese influence of migrant communities in the north...it all seemed such a world away from the streets of Patong, Pattaya and Sukhumvit.

The area also has a rich history, being at the crossroads of trans-Asian trade for centuries. Most recently, the opium trade brought black prosperity to the people of the region, however this seems to have been thwarted, at least in Thailand, by concerted efforts by the Thai government, Royal family and international pressure.

So we hired a car, covering about 500km over three days of winding roads and pot holes like doorways to the depths of hell. We dodged herds of cattle, dudes in ramshackle tractors, random chickens crossing the road (there's got to be a joke there somewhere...) and of course full families on motorbikes.

We visited the Chinese migrant town of Mae Salong; Doi Tung, the mountaintop place of royal residence and religious focus, including the royal botanic gardens; the many small rural towns dotted around the provincial countryside; a random guy's farm, after getting a little sidetracked; and a national park just north of Chiang Rai city. There's a lot to be said as well for the many hours we spent just cruising around.

Somewhere in the Phu Chi Fa mountain range - the landscapes here were terrific, when Clare and I were driving through, wispy clouds were rising through the range as the morning woke up. What was previously opium country, fruit, coffee and macadamia nuts are now grown in the area. Note the small rain shelter here used by workers during heavy storms.

Another shot of some of the mountain ranges Clare and I drove through. Pretty sweet.

Closeup shot of one of the flowers at the Mae Fah Luang botanic gardens on Doi Tung. The gardens were terrifically landscaped - rainforest, roses, water-flora, an orchid farm and a cracking little cafe among other things. Mum, you would have absolutely loved the rose garden - was about the size of a football field.

Clare smelling the roses.

It rained a bit when we visited the province, and I loved it.

Why bother with an umbrella when you can just stick a plastic bag on your head?

Driving around some of the lowlands. In the background you can see rice paddies stretching out into the mountains. Whilst this particular photo doesn't really do it justice, the colour of the paddies was breathtaking, reminscent of Young in canola season.

Casualty.

Clare and I with the Jazz in front of a great statue of Buddha. This photo was taken up near the junction of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand - AKA 'Golden Triangle'.

Looking down the Mekong toward Laos.

Navigating in Thai script was a growth experience.

Rice paddy and rain shelter.

German backpacker?? Ya - das vatervall iss goot.

The Khun Kon waterfall in one of Chiang Rai's national parks - it was a really great little trek up to see this one, Clare loved it. As we got higher in elevation the flora changed...there were also heaps of small insects and butterflies, indicating the area is still in pretty good nick.

Click the images for a higher-res, more detailed look at some of the landscapes.

Social garlic

As many of you may know, my Mum is on Facebook.

She recently uploaded a terrific photo album of her garden, including the developmental stages for the rose contingent. One of the photos included a curious-looking light-green spear-leafed shrub.

It also caught the eye of my mate Whitnall all the way over in the UK.

Our question was, what on earth is this so-called ‘social garlic’, and how can it help the blogging geeks of the world get out and about and become more popular???

The answer follows from a string of emails between myself, Whitnall and our resident botanical expert:

Subject: Social garlic
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 17:33:59 +0700

Hi Mum – this from a recent email from my mate Whitnall all the way over in the UK:

“Can you ask Maria Bell what exactly is ‘social garlic’? Does it mean it mixes with the onions?”

It seems your gardening photos on facebook have caught the eye of more than just your son…

Please help clear this question up. We’re both want to know more about social garlic’s social habits…

Cheers
Steve

___________________________________________________________


Subject: RE: Social garlic
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 2:54 AM

The correct common name is actually 'society garlic' (I have always called it social garlic for some unknown reason!) and it gets this name because - when used as a garlic-flavoured garnish it doesn't leave that nasty 'garlic breath'.

It has strap-like leaves which are a bit fleshy - the leaves are chopped for sauces, soups etc. It also has quite a pretty mauve flower on a long stem.

But to answer your question - 'society garlic' does not carouse with chives, osculate with the onions nor frolic with the fennel.

Catch ya soon, Mum.

So it seems social garlic can’t help one’s social life, but it can perhaps make a nice garnish or additive to a variety of dishes. Perhaps the answer is in reviving the humble dinner party, backed by the brilliance of social garlic…

Gourmet club anyone???

Singapore Zoo & Botanic Gardens

I was thrilled when Clare agreed to join me in Singapore for the weekend. We decided to focus on visiting places very unlike Bangkok...the Singapore Zoo and the Botanic Garden's were full of greenery and placid, quiet places to relax. A nice antidote to the sensory overload we experience each day.

Here's a few snaps:

At the start of the Singapore Zoo circuit. The zoo itself was extremely well laid out and provided easy, close access to many of the animals.

A 'front row' of rhinos. I couldn't decide whether the rhinos or polar bears were my favourites for the day. The polar bears were a real highlight as I'd never seen any before, but the rhinos, well, I feel for them. I understand what it's like to have short stumpy legs, cankles and a big ass. Note the small bird.

Zebras are like the rockstars of Africa. Flamboyant, fast and just very, very cool.

After working in health PR, this is a lesson of what NOT to do.
DO support programs like the zoo is doing. DON'T name a giraffe after your product, as Abbott have done. More pure CSR, less focus on ROI. When will companies finally get it??

A visibly majestic animal. Kind of smelt though.

Clare laments as the crime scene is sealed off.

Me a little earlier at the Botanic Gardens. The Heliconias were excellent - reminded us of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur orchid garden

Time for installment three of 'KL by nature'.

The Kuala Lumpur orchid garden showcases more than 800 different species of common, rare and endangered orchids. A coral reef of the botanical world, Clare and I were amazed by their delicate structures and colours.

Did you know that:

• There are about four times as many orchid species than the combined total of all mammal and bird species.
• Vanilla used in cooking actually originates from a type of orchid

Mum - you would absolutely adore this place!
Libby - Does Alan know about this one? No doubt he would - we were thinking of how much he would have enjoyed it.
Everyone else - So you're not out of the loop, my Mum is an amazing gardener, with an encylopaedic knowledge and appreciation for all things floral. 'Alan' is Clare's uncle, who is an expert in orchids.

Here's some pics from our self-guided tour:

The tiered, covered (and refreshingly cool!!) orchid walkway into the garden...

We weren't sure if this one was transplanted onto the tree, or naturally occured. Any help from our experts??

A hibiscus from an adjoining garden...I couldn't help but dig the colour!

Heliconias and the pinkest of pink frangipanis. A first for both of us, we also saw bright fire-engine red frangipanis elsewhere in the city.

One of my favourite shots. Note the small spider on the inside of the front orchid (click the photo to see an enlarged version).

A morning in the butterfly park...

I'd like to say that our time in Kuala Lumpur was a crazed affair consisting of massive nights on the cans and strategically reducing our excess luggage costs by losing our pants during huge booze fests. However, Muslim values filter through to the government's alcohol taxation policies (colloquially known as the 'sin tax'), so even though the general purchasing power of Malaysian Ringget is about a third of the Aussie Dollar, the beers are strangely more expensive.

Even more shocking is that the schmiddy also seems to have formed some roots amongst the draft beer-drinking patronage of Malaysia. Sweet holy baby Jesus, prophet of Allah...what is the world coming to??

However, I digress...

Our time in KL would be better described as more of a hippy earth-loving/cultural affair, more likely to be suited to a retired couple from Northern NSW.

Our second installment of 'KL by nature' was at the local butterfly park...some of these creatures were simply amazing. With pangs of Joseph Banks, I felt like I was discovering a lost world of butterflies and amazing natural beauty (bar the 30MYR entry fee).

OK, so you my be getting over the pictures of the flora and fauna of Kuala Lumpur and surrounds, but its tropical environment has simply developed so many amazing lines of evolutionary success that one can't help but marvel at it's delicious beauty. Here's a few of our favourite snaps...

One of Clare and my favourites...we called it the 'Dalmatian butterfly'. It was about 12cm across and really stood out amongst all of the garden's colour.

This one matched Clare's outfit...

Clare receives a few 'butterfly kisses'...

Surprise!! (The flowers...)

...and here is a picture of the beautiful flowers that Clare gave me - starting to open up and look to be really great quality.

Goats & Carnies: The 2007 Royal Sydney Easter Show

Clare & I ventured for a day to the Easter Show on Good Friday last week.

Mum and Dad are involved in the horticultural side of the Royal Sydney Easter Show, with Mum helping out with the judging of all things floral and Dad helping with the strategic direction of the NSW Royal Agricultural Society (specifically the horticultural section) through his role as a councillor. What does this mean? Free tickets into the show...woo!

I wore yellow so Clare could spot me in the crowd.

Here's a few pictures from the Southee (Horticultural) pavilion:

This is a goat.

Carni-ville. Scary - and I'm not referring to the rides. I was surround thousands of people who may as well have been wearing "I heart Naomi Robson" t-shirts.

Council dining room

Clare & I joined Mum & Dad in the Council dining room for lunch. It's kind of like the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, just without boats. And water. And it's in Homebush. Either way, I was particularly taken by the pictures of (now deceased) animals on the walls, from fluffy the cat through to a shiny chicken and an emaciated dog.

Check out this guy's chops. Yee ha!

Wow. The owner of this vehicle is standing in the top left of the picture. I take it she likes her bourbon. And pig hunting.

Always one to help the rural community out, I spent a while making horse shoes for miniature ponies.

I think people may have taken this sign a little too literally last year.

I found out that Jaynie Seal does not enjoy the company of alpacas, especially when they're biting her during a live weather cross.

Teaching kids about the different cuts of lamb with a couple of hanging carcasses.

This goat has been genetically modified, as part of the Federal Government's 'Goats To Iraq' scheme. Apparently they're a little skint on volunteers, so have enlisted the help of a few Nubian goats with ready-grown camouflage.

On the subject of our caprine friends, below is a bit of audio I captured of a couple of goats having a heated argument over the ethical implications of the changes to Australia's media laws.

This year's show was an absolute 'spin out'.