Getting from Pattaya and the return from a small village in Kalasin proved to be a most miserable ride.
But, the wedding was a lot of fun. A friend was getting married. They slaughtered 2-buffalo, 4-pigs,
30-chickens and had 40-kilos of enormous prawn for the occasion. A major feast and all that food
rapidly disappeared, as did 40-cases of beer, large quantities of Lao Kao and other liquor into the
stomachs of over 200 guests.
I was a second 'best man', as I was told that two was an auspicious number for their ceremony.
I've attended other Thai weddings, where there were more than 2 'best men', but had not previously
'bested' at an Issan wedding. The lengthy ceremony was given by the village chief, as I was told that the
monks refused to work on that particular day (Sunday Oct. 18th). I found that odd? Part of the ceremony
involved the bride's relatives each tying string around the wrists of the those in the wedding party. I now have
about 80-90 strings on my wrist. It looks like a poorman's wrist cast. The bride told me they are not to be cut,
as that's bad luck, and she will untie each of them on the 3rd day following the ceremony.
Back in Pattaya, as I wonder around with these wrist wappings, I hear gals I pass mumble, in Thai,
that I must have just been married. I'll be glad when they are removed, as the strings are serving to
ward off all single females.
Departing Pattaya, on Friday (Oct 16) the weather was fine, for the first 40km. Then some light sprinkles
that quickly turned into heavy rain which continued, without letup, all the way to Khon Kaen! Tired and soaked,
I overnighted there and rode into Kalasin the next morning, the day before the ceremony. There were some
downpours, too, in Kalasin, just enough so I wore my motorcycle boots with my suit during the ceremony,
rather that the dress shoes I'd brought, as there was deep mud everywhere! A real fashion statement.
The ride home proved worst than the trip to Kalasin. It began pouring rain as I left, some roads had stretches
of running water, but nothing like I encountered in Korat! Approaching an overpass on Hwy-2, I was stopped
by the police as had been hundreds of vehicles. The other side of the overpass revealed the flooding of
Hwy-2, as most have probably already seen on the news. Hwy-2 was flooded for many Km's!
The police instructed me to backtrack and follow a police staffed road through Phimai. There was
a non-stop line of slow moving vehicles, braving a road with but a few minor flooded sections.
I diligently followed their designated roads...and it lead me back to Hwy-2 and south again to the
same damn flooded section and overpass at Korat! Great planning by the boys in brown!
Now, there were hundreds of people on the overpass, viewing the spectacle. Kids swimming, adults wading,
a military truck stalled in a deep area and a few boats now navigating the new River Korat.
Back at Phimai a second time, this time I took 2163 south to 226, the road which goes east to Buriram.
Unfortunately it too was flooded in both directions. I considered getting a room, but the police said none
were in the area, or maybe sleeping anywhere dry under a roof for the night! I was hesitant to brave
the flooded section to the west, but as a rookie on my F650, I learned it easily handled water up to 2-ft deep!
The only troubling sections had rushing crosscurrents, making it feel like the wheels might be taken out
from under the bike. It was a good learning experience as I'd also found on the trip to Kalasin the bike proved
very stable and predictable, on rain soaked Hwy-2, at speeds sometimes as high as 140kmH!!
East to Buriram, it was shallow with reportedly deeper parts further ahead.
Going west, initially it was fairly shallow but much deeper a km further.
Not giving up I rode west to 224, south to 24 west and took 304 and 331 south back to Pattaya
It rained and there were some flooded areas as far south as Kabin Buri. The roads were soaked and it
rained sporadically, until about 100km before Pattaya.
In total it took 860km, due to backtracking, from Kalasin to Pattaya...a very long, tiring and wet ride!
I'll check with the the weatherman, before attending another wedding...
But, the wedding was a lot of fun. A friend was getting married. They slaughtered 2-buffalo, 4-pigs,
30-chickens and had 40-kilos of enormous prawn for the occasion. A major feast and all that food
rapidly disappeared, as did 40-cases of beer, large quantities of Lao Kao and other liquor into the
stomachs of over 200 guests.
I was a second 'best man', as I was told that two was an auspicious number for their ceremony.
I've attended other Thai weddings, where there were more than 2 'best men', but had not previously
'bested' at an Issan wedding. The lengthy ceremony was given by the village chief, as I was told that the
monks refused to work on that particular day (Sunday Oct. 18th). I found that odd? Part of the ceremony
involved the bride's relatives each tying string around the wrists of the those in the wedding party. I now have
about 80-90 strings on my wrist. It looks like a poorman's wrist cast. The bride told me they are not to be cut,
as that's bad luck, and she will untie each of them on the 3rd day following the ceremony.
Back in Pattaya, as I wonder around with these wrist wappings, I hear gals I pass mumble, in Thai,
that I must have just been married. I'll be glad when they are removed, as the strings are serving to
ward off all single females.
Departing Pattaya, on Friday (Oct 16) the weather was fine, for the first 40km. Then some light sprinkles
that quickly turned into heavy rain which continued, without letup, all the way to Khon Kaen! Tired and soaked,
I overnighted there and rode into Kalasin the next morning, the day before the ceremony. There were some
downpours, too, in Kalasin, just enough so I wore my motorcycle boots with my suit during the ceremony,
rather that the dress shoes I'd brought, as there was deep mud everywhere! A real fashion statement.
The ride home proved worst than the trip to Kalasin. It began pouring rain as I left, some roads had stretches
of running water, but nothing like I encountered in Korat! Approaching an overpass on Hwy-2, I was stopped
by the police as had been hundreds of vehicles. The other side of the overpass revealed the flooding of
Hwy-2, as most have probably already seen on the news. Hwy-2 was flooded for many Km's!
The police instructed me to backtrack and follow a police staffed road through Phimai. There was
a non-stop line of slow moving vehicles, braving a road with but a few minor flooded sections.
I diligently followed their designated roads...and it lead me back to Hwy-2 and south again to the
same damn flooded section and overpass at Korat! Great planning by the boys in brown!
Now, there were hundreds of people on the overpass, viewing the spectacle. Kids swimming, adults wading,
a military truck stalled in a deep area and a few boats now navigating the new River Korat.
Back at Phimai a second time, this time I took 2163 south to 226, the road which goes east to Buriram.
Unfortunately it too was flooded in both directions. I considered getting a room, but the police said none
were in the area, or maybe sleeping anywhere dry under a roof for the night! I was hesitant to brave
the flooded section to the west, but as a rookie on my F650, I learned it easily handled water up to 2-ft deep!
The only troubling sections had rushing crosscurrents, making it feel like the wheels might be taken out
from under the bike. It was a good learning experience as I'd also found on the trip to Kalasin the bike proved
very stable and predictable, on rain soaked Hwy-2, at speeds sometimes as high as 140kmH!!
East to Buriram, it was shallow with reportedly deeper parts further ahead.
Going west, initially it was fairly shallow but much deeper a km further.
Not giving up I rode west to 224, south to 24 west and took 304 and 331 south back to Pattaya
It rained and there were some flooded areas as far south as Kabin Buri. The roads were soaked and it
rained sporadically, until about 100km before Pattaya.
In total it took 860km, due to backtracking, from Kalasin to Pattaya...a very long, tiring and wet ride!
I'll check with the the weatherman, before attending another wedding...
