Countryside sceneries during a Tuk-Tuk ride on a sunny day.

I seldom took a ride into town during the day as there was already so much work to do around the house. Once I felt settled in a quiet house surrounded by trees and birds’ songs, the incentive to travel to town just disappeared. Sometimes I had to do a errand at the bank or a special fish shop, then I had to take a tuk-tuk to get into town.

I took this opportunity to take photos along the way to town to record changes over time. Five years ago, big trees and wooded areas could be seen along both sides of this country road. The boom in property market had made land owners wanting to make big sums of money by selling their lands. So, they hired bulldozers to clear away all the big old trees to flatten the land. I was quite shocked by what I saw as the destruction of micro ecosystems of wild lives and trees. The air around these wooded areas was very cool and refreshing. Local villagers could forage food like mushrooms and root vegetables in these woods.

A few land owners got lucky and could sell their lands at high prices. The property boom lasted only three years and other hopeful land owners were disappointed. So, these lands have been developed into a hotel by the riverfront while others turned into several modern restaurants and bars. We could see the river from the main road as all the densely wooded areas were transformed into car parks and low level buildings. I didn’t have the chance to visit any of these restaurants as they would be open in the evening.

A new house has been under construction for the last two years. It seemed the owners couldn’t find a reliable building crew. I noticed a set of three buildings have been under construction since last year. The project seemed like a medium size hotel with river views. Closer to town were local villagers’ houses in different designs and sizes. Most old house would still be in old wood. The new houses would be built in bricks with stable roof tiles. The windy storm in this area could easily lift the whole roof in seconds.

I liked to see how villagers like to use bright colours for the walls of their houses. These people were more artistically inclined than being scientific or objective. So, they tended to be good musicians, artists and creative in solving practical problems. I was often surprised by their unconventional solutions to construction problems. Most villagers knew how to build houses without any schooling. I would have to do lots or research and readings before I would embark on repairing a water pipe problem! But I was always more alert on logistic issues and having backup alternatives to their offered solutions.

So, I always tried to get involved in all repair and construction projects around my place. I knew I could learn something new and useful for future applications. Sometimes I wished I had taken lessons in carpentry when I was young. There’s so much old wood lying around the countryside. I could have built a tree house to enjoy the sunset with my glass of cool red wine in the evening. I still kept this plan in my head and waited for the right moment.

The countryside was always very peaceful with hardly any traffic. The horizon was clear of any skyscrapers and high rise buildings. My eyes could easily relax by absorbing the green vibes of the surroundings. Local people seemed to take these qualities of a good life for granted as they didn’t live in big city full of air pollution and traffic jam. The ride along the riverfront in town was very nice as the view of Laos could be seen across the river.

In the evening, children and adults would be out to do their walking exercises, aerobics and cycling along the promenade. Several restaurants would spring into life after dark offering the popular Korean food, American style steaks, local Thai foods and special coconut ice cream. There were two big restaurants which turned into bars at night. Small food trolleys would offer cheaper fast food along the promenade. I meant to stop for an ice cream in the evening but the driver always zoomed past the ice cream stall at high speed. I thought he didn’t want me to stop for an ice cream as he would’ve to return home much later.

The driver was getting on a bit and he was complaining that his eyes weren’t as sharp as before. I was lucky that he still came to pick me up at the railway station. It took time to befriend local folks and develop a nice friendship. I still have a lot to learn from these simple folks. Their outlooks and aspirations were quite different from sophisticated city dwellers. They could understand why I would want to live a quiet life among trees and doing gardening. They thought I was rather weird to seek simple life far away from crowds and flashy lights of the city.

Life in the countryside was just right for my wellbeing and spiritual aspirations to lead a peaceful lifestyle. So, I would try to plant more trees and grow more food for a secure livelihood. I tried to protect those wild birds around my area from occasional hunters. I even had a small pond dug at the other end of the garden so that frogs and amphibians could enjoy the pond during rainy season and propagate naturally without being hunted. People liked their grilled frogs as much as the French liked their baked frogs. But I didn’t know how to increase the bee populations in this area. We hardly saw any bees around for a few years. Perhaps I had to plant special trees for bees. After my ride to town, I was ready for a brief nap in the afternoon. I was very grateful to my guardians for leading me to this wonderful spot in the area.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.