Suratthani
My apologies for falling behind with my daily postings, but we've had some duifficulty establishing Internet connection in some parts of Thailand.
Our train ride to Suratthani from Ratchaburi was extremely long, almost 9 hours (arriving at 5:30 in the morning) was quite arduous, considering that the train must have had square wheels and frequently seemed be in iminent danger of derailing. Nevertheless we arrived, sleepless, but no worse for the wear. We were greeted at train station by a small but enthusiastic reception committee. Apparently we surprised the rest of the greeters, who were unprepared for an "on time" arrival by the train -- which apparently is an unusual occurance.
After being whisked off to a local hotel for breakfast we met our new hosts andd were taken to their homes for some rest and relaxation. My host, a delightful Thai woman, had been the first female District Governor in all of Thailand. Quite an accomplishment in this very male dominated country! There are only two Rotary clubs in Suratthani -- a men's club and a women's club, and apparently they hardly ever mix. Her husband, who arrived a bit later in the morning (he had been at a meeting in Bangkok) was the Past President of the local men's club.
In the afternoon, my hosts took me shopping for some needed supplies. We went to a store that resembled a Wal-mart on Black Friday. Unbelievable crowds! I wondered what the store might look like on a truly busy shopping day.
For dinner, my hosts asked me if I enjoyed fish, whicj I do. I wasn't quite prepared for the huge, sliced raw fish that was put before me. Although I enjoy sushi, I wasn't quite sure what I would do with this one, and was much relieved to learn that you placed the slices, along with vegetables into a boiling broth before eating it. It was quite delicious.
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