I wasted no time after Krabi to get to Trat. Instead of wandering Bangkok all by my lonesome for the lunar new year, I wanted to see a path less traveled (and a path closer to the future farm of my dreams).
I navigated the most confusing bus station of my life, miraculously managing to hop on the wrong bus to the right place!
I found an easy breezy guesthouse just a hop skip and a trot away from a small but boisterous night market full of fried bugs, dinners fresh from the wok, stickers, crepes, and finally some clothes that aren’t fake Patagonia. I shuffled along till sunset but wanted desperately to enjoy my private room with a nice enough view of the dancing birds and lingering vendors.
I saw the museum for this lovely little town and enjoyed the AC, sat in a park making friends with the pigeons, ate more street food, watched the sunset, learned a word or two, and went to bed oh so early.
The next morning, me and my old host finally exchanged the right names upon greeting each other. He gave me coffee, fruit, and candied squash. He listened excitedly about the farm I was going to work on and we exchanged goodbyes.
If I could have stayed in Trat in this room for a month I would have. But I am excited to spend more time with Kwan, who picked me up later that day. Of all the characters I’ve met on this trip it makes perfect sense that the agroforestry enthusiast is one of the most captivating. In our first moments together he rents a chainsaw, makes maybe one too many jokes about Dexter, gives me a sticky rice snack packaged in a bamboo shoot, and takes me and my fellow Workawayer to the most beautiful prison/zoo I’ve ever seen.
I’m ready to be brainwashed by agroecology!