Hadsiao Tour (see slideshow)

Hadsiao is not a particularly thrilling place, but it does have its moments.  It is best experienced by strolling along its soi's, or small side streets. On February 29th, just before leaving town, I ambled along with a camera in tow, highlighting interesting aspects of a typical Thai town.  Click on the "Hadsiao Walkabout" slideshow to see the photos, with comments on the interesting aspects.

Let's start with the surrounding geography.  We are in an agricultural river valley; there are hills in the distance which are still forested, but everything, i mean literally EVERYTHING, flat is under cultivation.  Sugar cane fields and flooded rice paddies predominate.  The sugar cane appears to be big business; huge double trailer trucks loaded with cane run through town day and night destined for the processing factory just outside of town.  (It makes for quite the experience.  I will be biking through town on the main street, I feel the roar of an approaching cane truck, and I'm engulfed in the strangely sweet odor of diesel exhaust mixed with freshly cut sugar cane.) 

Agriculture is not geographically segregated.  As one approaches town, more homes appear, until the majority of the land is being lived on as opposed to cultivated. But even in the middle of town, one will see fruit orchards (see slideshow) and even rice paddies.  And of course, nearly every home has its own fruit trees.

The town itself is predicated on the highway through town, a four lane strip of pavement that usually has as many non-moving vehicles (such as food carts) as the traditional sort.  Nearly all commercial activity either fronts the highway or actively takes place on it (see slideshow).  One market is built adjacent to the highway, the other spills onto it.  Automotive shops, banks, the 7-11, restaurants, even the hip coffee house featuring wireless and comfy reclined seats; all are built right alongside the highway, exposed to the cacophony of vehicular traffic that plies the road at all hours.

Motorbikes dominate traffic.  Thai teenagers get motorbikes like American teenagers get cars.  And load them up with their buddies just the same.  The brand spankin' new Toyota Hilux diesel pickups catch the eye, but there probably aren't as many as I think there are. I'm just jealous that Thai people get better pickup trucks than Americans.  After a sprinkling of Japanese and Korean cars and pickups, we get the really interesting vehicles, the old-school Thai work trucks (see slideshow).  I ain't mechanically inclined (just ask Murphy), so I can't really tell you what is going on with these home-made oddities, but I would describe them as being built of Tinker Toys with a lawnmower engine strapped to the front.  They certainly sound like lawnmowers.

Which brings me to my biggest, whiniest gripe about Hadsiao.  The noise.  The engines are always loud, whether on a truck or a motorbike or a sewing machine.  The needs of tropical construction mean insulation, and hence sound proofing, are non-existent.  Street noises, therefore, are your bed room noises as well (and vice-versa, teeheehee).  I can't tell you how many relaxing glasses of pineapple-mango-papaya smoothie on the front porch were rudely interrupted by the deafening sound of a motorbike roaring past.  You see! My life is hard.

Continuing our walkabout...We come to the river. The river runs parallel with the highway, a few blocks to the west.  It feels dead; no visible movement, no observable impact on the air temp or humidity, too far below town level to appear consequential for irrigation, in fact too far below town level to even think about.  But wait a minute, this is the dry season.  Take a look at the river pics (see slideshow).  Note the height difference between river-level and town-level.  At least 60 feet.  Now imagine the river rising to town-level, like it did in October.  What I think is so cool about these photos is that they reveal the three dimensional "shape" of the flood river.  Kind of an inverted trapezoid, that stretches from the northern highlands all the way to Bangkok.  That is an enormous quantity of water.

The park, composed of flagstones and pastel exercise equipment, is built alongside the river.  It reveals an interesting aspect of Thai society, namely its relationship with the concept of public spaces.  Public parks are extremely rare, and have very defined uses.  For example, should one have the rare good fortune of stumbling upon a grassy turf, it is most likely off-limits for actually playing on.  So when I wanted to toss a hardball with the lovely lady, we usually struck out for a bulldozed dirt pad that will someday have a house built upon it. 

Yet, while public spaces receive relatively little attention, nearly every private space is intended to be somewhat public.  This goes beyond waving to your neighbors who are hanging out on their porches as you walk by.  People's homes literally open up to the street (see slideshow).  As the photo shows, there is a garage-type sliding door that opens to reveal the front room of the house.  During the day, the residents do their work in the front room, open to the street.  In a similar vein, most public business (restaurants, internets, law offices) are the front rooms of houses as well.  So if you ask to use the bathroom at your hip coffee house, you will find yourself squatting next to the owner's toothbrush.  Wow that sounds way grosser than I intended.  But you get the point, yes?

This open style of residential living leads to a very lovely thing indeed.  Thai-style gardening.  Nearly every home in town is fronted with a lush variety of potted plants, most of them flowering.  Oh so delightful, the loveliest flowers you ever have seen! At their best, the street-side gardens of Hadsiao can create oases of verdant tranquil greenery.  (see slideshow, numerous pics) 

Question, for those who are interested in commenting:  What experiences with Public Spaces (especially public green spaces) have you had in foreign countries? Any particularly delightful examples? Or did this become one of those "I can't wait till I'm home" longings?