Thailand, 2019

Today, [name], [name] and I are relaxing at the pool of the Tide Resort near Bangsaen beach, just under two hours from Bangkok. We took a Grab taxi here last night after our evening lecture and will return tomorrow in time to deliver another lecture, on Christmas Day! Happily, in between lecturing we have been able to take several day-trips and mini-breaks.

After [name] arrived last week, we went on excursions outside the city to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, the Bridge on the River Kwai (a sad moment for us, remembering our friend [name] who died last year; her book Benedict’s Brother, was set here) and the Erawan seven-tier waterfall. In Bangkok, we took a Wan Fah dinner cruise from River City in a traditional rice barge and ate at the Rang Mahal Indian restaurant on the 26th floor of the Rembrandt Hotel, with lovely city views. There was also a visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho temple complex, with its 46 metre-long reclining Buddha.

Before [name] arrived, [name] and I visited some local temples in Bangkok and went to the Siam Niramit cultural show, which is a beautifully presented spectacle of costumes, music, dancing and theatre. We also did an overnight trip to Khao Yai national forest park, taking a surprisingly comfortable, air-conditioned train to Pak Chong. Our package tour included a cave visit, wildlife-spotting drive and half-day hike through the jungle, which was like nirvana for me.

An unforgettable highlight of the Khao Yai tour was a chance to witness one of nature’s great wonders: at sunset, around 2 million bats leave their cave to feed for the night. The stream of exiting bats is visible and audible for about an hour, while a dozen or so raptors hunt the bats, circling, diving and weaving.

Today I visited Cabbages & Condoms - one of my favourite restaurants in the world - and met its inspiring founder, social entrepreneur Mechai Viravaidya. While the place itself is quirky, with decor made from colourful contraceptives, it is the story behind the restaurant that is remarkable. For decades Viravaidya has used this business and other social enterprises to educate Thais and empower women and communities. The results are breathtaking: family size dropped from 7 to 1.5 since 1975 and new HIV cases fell by 90% from 1991 to 2003. The social innovation continues with his Bamboo School for sustainable development.