I had been to Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom. I had helped schoolchildren plant trees in Roi Et, and made a study of water quality problems in the lower Mekong delta for a London-based institute. But those were years ago, and for me, Isan remained synonymous with migrant labour and arid land.
GRASS ROOTS: Fields dotted with trees are a familiar sight in the Northeast.
After all, most of the construction workers, maids, petrol-pump boys, and taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who were making their living in Bangkok and elsewhere hailed from Isan. In the back of my mind, Isan was a vast, treeless, unproductive region where only meagre crops could grow.
I was in for a big surprise this month when we travelled 735km by road to Nakhon Phanom province, on the bank of the Mekong River separating Thailand from Laos, where my husband, Charuphant, and his former classmates held their annual reunion. There was greenery all the way, from Nakhon Ratchasima through Ban Phai in Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Kalasin and Sakhon Nakhon provinces to Nakhon Phanom. How did I not notice it before, I wonder?
DECK THE MALLS: Right and far right, hundreds of thousands of orchids were used at during the Siam Paragon Bangkok Orchid Paradise festival, held recently.
In all the above-mentioned provinces, old trees dotted fields. In both Maha Sarakham and Kalasin, we passed by mixed deciduous forests, with lots of dipterocarp trees, along the highway, in much the same way as one would pass oil palm plantations in southern Thailand and rubber plantations in Rayong in the east.
Unlike the oil palm and rubber plantations, however, which were planted only in the past decade or two, the forests, albeit secondary, were obviously old. Some were so thick with trees that the slanting afternoon sun could not penetrate the forest floor. In Sakhon Nakhon, where the road cuts across the Phu Phan mountain range, we travelled one full hour before we passed the forested areas.
On the way back, we went by way of Maha Sarakham, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani and Si Sa Ket. By then, the trees on the fields and along the highway did not come as a surprise any more. The trees could only mean one thing: The region is far from arid.
So why then are northeastern people migrating in droves to find jobs elsewhere? Could it be that, like most of us, they think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? That might be true, but I think the main reason is that in the Northeast there is a lack of irrigation system, and most areas depend only on rainwater to irrigate crops. As a consequence, farmers can only plant rice once a year. There are rivers in the Northeast, but the water is too low in the summer, so feeder canals are of no use. Despite this, all the provinces mentioned above showed signs of economic prosperity.
In Si Sa Ket, we visited a friend, whose 10-rai compound is planted with fruit trees. Behind his house are sheds where fruits native to the region are fermenting in plastic buckets. After a year or two, the resulting liquid will be harvested and distributed as a tonic drink.
Our friend, Chai, told us how fruits that are traditionally grown in Chanthaburi, such as rambutan, mangosteen and durian, are now being grown in the province. The fruits were not in season so I did not get to taste them, but he said they tasted even better than those grown in Chanthaburi as Si Sa Ket is drier. It would not come as a surprise, therefore, if in a few years Si Sa Ket will be contributing to Thailand's reputation as a paradise for tropical fruit.
Thailand, of course, has long been known as the world's leading producer of orchids, and the orchid festival held by Siam Paragon recently once again proved this. Hundreds of thousands of Ascocentrum, Dendrobium, Vanda, Vandopsis and Renanthera orchids were used to dress up mythical creatures and gardens at the shopping mall's main entrance, and virtually no one passed the doors without posing for or taking pictures of the beautiful floral displays.
The different genera of orchids in the competitions featured hybrids I have never seen before, which goes to show that far from resting on their laurels, Thai orchid breeders have continued their quest for more improved varieties. Different countries were also participating in the event, titled Siam Paragon Bangkok Orchid Paradise 2014, but their entries could not compare in beauty and diversity to those grown in Thailand. Where orchids, and tropical fruits, are concerned, this country is simply the best.
This is the last column for 2014, but before the year draws to a close, I would like to thank all the readers who sent me email during the past year. I would like you to know that your inspiring words kept me going and that I appreciated your questions and your sharing with me and other readers your knowledge and gardening experiences.
To one and all, Happy New Year! n
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