The Mahidol Sports Science 10k, was a race that I was sorely under-prepared for but still managed to have a great time at. I had not run in about two weeks, but was still able to drag my lazy butt out of bed to go for a run with a great team of co-workers. While the course was... scenic... and quite... random, it was still a beautiful morning, and with the weather hovering around 63 degrees Fahrenheit, it was one of the coolest runs that I have had the chance to take here in Thailand.
I think there is a real awesome thing about a photo right after you finish a race of any distance. You are in pain, you have just eaten more bugs than anyone else who might be asleep, you are covered in sweat, but still on that post-run high. May as well get you before the real pain and soreness kicks in.
I really cannot make sense of the race course. The nice thing though is that it was a full 10k, which seems to be rare here in Thailand, as most of the courses seem to be estimated, and not measured accurately. I am also pretty happy as I went into the race thinking it would be a "lap" race, and never once had to retrace any steps. I cannot tell you how much most runners dislike the idea of running around in circles just to add distance onto their total run length.
It was a great run, with a very confusing, but fun course, and I would totally do this run again. Full points in my book!
Plus, the chance to run in 63 degree weather in Thailand should never be passed over.
I wish that I could do this location justice. From my limited knowledge and the sheer expanse of the park, I will do my best, but I know I will not be able to come close to explaining just how amazing this place truly looks and feels.
Phutthamonthon is an expansive park that is situated a few kilometers from my house in Salaya, Thailand. It was built sometime in the 1950's, during the Buddhist year of 2500. Because everyone loves number play, the park is 2500 rai (unit of area measurement of about 40m by 40m). This translates into about 4 square kilometers.
A.K.A. Huge.
I was able to explore the middle and one corner of it over the course of a few hours of walking today. It is teeming with birds, winding paths, gazebos, monitor lizards, and fish. It resembles any Asian themed garden, just on a scale that I never knew was possible. Seriously, it is that big.
The main feature is the large Buddha at the center of the park. I went fairly early on the weekend so I was able to see it without many people wandering around.
This family had a very young child with them and were teaching her how to kneel and pray. It was very cute. She would copy what they did, and then immediately run off and play. They would chase her down and repeat the process. Very fun to watch.
The park itself must have countless meandering paths in it, which take you along beautiful canals and lead to some amazingly scenic places.
The canals are rather pretty themselves and are teeming with fish. You can purchase bread bits or bags of fish food and sit and feed the fish all afternoon. The above picture is what the larger canals with these fish look like, but the below picture is more of what the smaller criss-crossing canals are like that dot and cross the park.
If you ever happen to be in the area, this place is definitely a great location to spend the day and find a shady spot in which to nap or read.
Mahidol University if situated on a piece of land that is criss-crossed by canals, teeming with fish, turtles, and some species of lizards that should have never been spawned from the black lagoon. More on them later... The university is the very definition of beautiful, and was set up to be very friendly for people who are using foot and bike transportation. Dotted throughout the campus there are countless groves and benches, water parks, and meandering trails. A person could spend hours walking the university and still come across some quaint area that takes you away from the fact that you are in the middle of a semi-urban campus and allows you some peace and quiet. The running route combinations are endless. So far I have been able to find an amazingly beautiful route that takes me about five kilometers around the edge of the campus, and today Edward Saengwilai Johns joined me for a run. We did almost seven kilometers, but as any runner knows, it is not about the distance, but enjoying the great company and the beautiful scenery. I had no shortage of either.
Stone sidewalks and amazing lighting. This school is not only a running haven, but would make any amateur photographer delighted as well.
Now, the university is criss-crossed with many canals, and of course that makes for the travel from the proverbial point "a" to point "b" quite complex at times, as you can see by the awesomely copied and completely plagiarized Google map...
Pretty much any speck of green that you see on the map is water, canal, or swamp. It is not as bad as it seems. This pretty much is my view every single day as I walk to work.
I took that that yesterday morning. Ain't no thing, right?
Now, as I mentioned before, these damn monitor lizards. Just so you understand what they look like, I am going to plagiarize yet another picture... Here you go. Authentic...
If you look closely, you can see the monitor lizard in the region just slightly left of the middle of the frame. You really can't miss him...
Now of course this is just how my mind sees them, they look much closer to this picture here.
Terrifying, right?
But again, with views like this, and a commute like the video below, I guess I can look over some prehistoric dinosaur that wants to kill me.
I thought it might be fun to describe and video my daily commute to and from work. I decided to time-lapse the commute (which takes about 12-15 minutes walking) and cut it down to about 30 seconds. Hope it gives you an idea of what my area looks like and just how lucky I am to live in Salaya, Thailand.
I love how most of my "commute" is walking along a very beautiful canal, complete with fish, turtles, and awesome monitor lizards. Well, not awesome, monitor lizards still scare the hell out of me.
I figured it might be fun to show everyone how the area around the apartment looks. I set out on a walk from the apartment with the intention of just seeing how the day unfolded and videotaping a bit of it with my cell phone. The area near my apartment is an interesting mix of expensive homes, fields with rubbish, fighting chickens, and kids playing soccer in the street.
Side note: anyone who travels should learn how to play a bit of soccer. It is the international sport. You can make so many friends by being able to kick a soccer ball and maybe juggle it once or twice on your foot. These kids were having a bit of a pick up game and I joined in, sweating more than I have ever done in my life. This of course my have had something to do with the relative humidity and the fact that it must have been over 100 degrees outside, but that is neither here nor there. So, without further tangential commentary, here you go:
Let's not forget the very mouthy cat for good measure :)
Based on the suggestion of a few people, I took my iPhone and shot some video of the various places near my apartment. I absolutely love the street market here in Salaya. It is everything that you would want to have near your apartment. The convenience of being able to get just about any kind of food or beverage within a few minutes of walking is just something that I am not used to from living in the United States. Sure, we have 7-11's and other convenience stores on every block in the United States, but you cannot walk a minute and find yourself surrounded by a subcontinent worth of food items. The other amazing thing is just how much the market can transform. When I got up this morning at about 5:00 am, the market was starting to come alive. It had various fruits and coffees for sale, and the breakfast carts were starting to fire up the stoves. The market tends to lull after about 9am from what I have seen, and really does not get going again until after about 5pm. Once the night hours hit though, the market really comes to life.
I am sure that part of it is living in the tropics, where a person wants to get most of the work/shopping/eating done during the cooler hours of the day. The market itself is an amazing mix of sound and scent, with music always on in the background, the smell of cooking food mixing in with the general smell of way too many people in too small a space. There are dogs and cats everywhere, children running around selling items or playing in the corner, and carts of items constantly on the move. It is a wonderful place. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is inviting, the people are friendly, and the entire place feels safe. I have only had one time so far where someone tried to take advantage of the fact that I am still new to the currency system. I have messed up on understanding how much was owed and people have been so friendly and helpful that I am in awe. I already have my favorite vendors and people smile and wave as they recognize you.
Well, thanks to a few good friends and their help, we have secured an apartment in Salaya, Thailand. I figured it would be fun to show everyone what roughly $320 per month gets you in another country. Remember, we are used to Hawaii real estate prices, and I once paid $800 a month for a bedroom with a shared kitchen and bathroom on Oahu.
Without further adieu, here it is!
Not bad! Fully furnished too! Note, the first thing I am getting rid of is that couch... need to find a replacement as soon as humanly possible. Cuz... Damn...
