The road home
It’s a long trip from Bangkok to Wiang Kaen. A 90 minute flight from the Northernmost airport to Bangkok turns into 12 hours of driving time. Add an hour worth of stops for 2 pairs of restless little boy legs, 1 hour for snacks and meals, and usually an extra hour for bathroom stops and coffee breaks. It adds up and we’re always excited to arrive at our final destination
Bangkok is an enormous city, packed to the gills with everything and everyone that you can possibly imagine. During our time there we literally saw people from every end of the earth, crowded into that city to make a living, to shop and to eat. Eating in Bangkok truly is a joyful experience for us. Having left behind our sparse outdoor Wiang Kaen market, we are thrown into a variety of restaurants and food courts that span every appetite and craving. Our trip was a blessing. Not only did we receive a renewal of our visa that makes it possible for us to continue living here, but we also had a relaxed time together as a family, things I don’t take for granted.
I love to watch the scenery as we travel home from Bangkok. The towering ritzy high-rises of Bangkok are replaced by prosperous but smaller cities. The cityscapes are soon transformed into mile after mile, or kilometer after kilometer of factories and then rice fields, forests and quaint little towns. I used to feel more and more isolated and lonely as I traveled these roads to our far-flung home, but now it feels like coming home to enter the countryside of Thailand. The road changes, from 8 lanes, to 6, to 4 and then 2 as we make our way northward. Faded flags wave in the rush of passing traffic, alerting drivers and passengers to roadside stands that sell products and souvenirs that are famous to a particular district that we pass. Bright orange pumpkins are stacked in neat rows alongside deep green watermelons, creating a striking display. The next set of stands advertises roasted snake. Little plastic bags dangle from their tables, containing a feast for those who choose to partake. We drive on.
Rudy is asleep in his car seat, thank you Lord. These trips are probably the hardest on him because we can’t explain where we’re going, or why, or that we’ll stop for lunch soon. He is patient most of the time and for that I am thankful. He has been a real trooper, taking in the sights of the city from his stroller seat or toddling through malls and walkways as we made our way from place to place. Rudy still tries to charm the waitresses with a coy little look, although he pretends to be uninterested when he’s offered the chance to be held by the lady who serves our ice water. He’s a sweet little boy and I think he’ll be happy to be back in Wiang Kaen again.
It looks like rain up ahead. Not the rain from huge, fluffy clouds, but from a dark, hazy and overcast sky. We sure do need it. It must be a welcome sight to this dusty brown landscape. This time of the year, until April always seems a little surreal in terms of the weather. A normally lush and wet country turns dry and brown until rainy season arrives in May and reminds us why the dry months are such a blessing.
We’ll be stopping for dinner here pretty soon. We were going to stop earlier, but then Ray fell asleep and we decided that a nap was more important than lunch. This little town must have a restaurant although I must admit it’s not as much of a welcome sight to me as the places I’m familiar with in Wiang Kaen. The restaurant owner is nice, she has a blond cat with blue eyes and Ray is excited to chase it around while we wait for dinner to be served. Ray and Rudy split an order of fried rice, I have my own plate of the same and Jeremy has garlic fried pork with a fried egg on the side. We’re glad to be back on the road again, everyone’s nerves are getting a bit frayed.
One of our last stops before home is at a grocery store about 2 hours from our house in a town called Chiang Kham. Ray is excited. He loves to go on outings, anywhere, even to the grocery store, and this is no exception. He wants to know what we’re getting and of course “why?”. He is such a curious kid. He loved Bangkok, after he got over being scared of the traffic. He is like a sponge these days and it’s so fun to watch him spend the day soaking things up and then enjoy watching him sleep and dry out for another day of taking it all in. Ray expressed being sad to go back to Wiang Kaen although I think he’ll get back into life there easily enough. Bangkok is a fun place to visit but I don’t think any of us would really want to live there.
We’re almost home now. The road is familiar. I recognize a newly planted rice field and how dried up the corn stalks are looking these days. We try to guess if it rained while we were gone or if it’s still cool, unlike Bangkok which was hot and humid even during cool season. There’s our house, everything looks fine. I’m thankful to the Lord for how He has protected our home while we’ve been gone. We unpack the van, the boys are still asleep. We carry them to their beds, they’re happy to be in a different position. We unpack the groceries and the suitcases. Falling into bed at 10:30pm feels wonderful. The cool breeze blows the curtains at our window, the crickets chirp, the night is still. We are home.
