Paul Rush finds the best way to get the most from Thailand is to take the country as it comes.
"Hurry, the monks have arrived and don't forget to wear your floral ceremonial robes."
Prapaporn Siridumrongphun of the leafy Baan Amphawa Resort on the banks of the Mae Klong River has invited me to a solemn ceremony and I'm embarrassed to be running late.
I'm also feeling a little nervous as I slip on a traditional Thai shirt and cummerbund and race down to riverside patio. In the nick of time I join a colourful line of farang (foreign) guests, each bearing wrapped ready-to-eat food items like sticky rice, fruit, meats, curry and bottled water.
Three barefoot monks shuffle methodically along the line. Loose folds of saffron coloured fabric are draped over their slight bodies and their heads are newly shaved. Their faces are a study in stoicism with the merest glimmer of a smile around their mouths as they receive our offerings and place them carefully in bulbous alms bowls cradled under their arm.
This simple act of giving is deemed to generate merit and good karma, contributing towards enlightenment, the ultimate goal in their faith. I feel a sense of privilege being asked to participate in this timeless ritual that serves to anchor the material world to the realm.
As the monks sit in quiet contemplation for a time with bowed heads, the sunlight causes their orange robes to glow with a surreal brightness. All farang eyes are starring fixedly at the poignant scene, which gives me pause to reflect on my own life. How could I ever commit to a life devoid of possessions, depending on the goodness of strangers for basic sustenance?
For me it's a sobering thought and a salutary lesson in cultural values. In gratitude to elders, the custom of "bun khun" requires every Thai male to become a monk for a period of weeks, months or even years. This occurs generally in their youth so they learn moral and ethical values before raising their own family.
There's another custom that I admire in Thailand's richly diverse culture known as "Sanuk" — the sense that life should be enjoyable. Smiling and graciousness seem to be common wherever I go, which demonstrates patience, a virtue valued highly here.
In Amphawa the real fun comes at night. We are whisked away in a noisy long-tailed boat to see another timeless Thai institution, the floating market. It's an intensely vibrant and sensual scene on the Mae Klong Canal, where the emphasis is on eating, drinking and relaxing.
Fleets of longboats are moored side-by-side, each with an elderly lady in a broad-brimmed straw hat and blue cotton dress snugly seated on a narrow thwart and almost engulfed by baskets of farm-fresh produce, dried seafood, coconuts, fruit and bundles of lotus flowers.
Colourful floating markets. Photo / Paul Rush
Hundreds of animated vendors gesticulate and vocalise their unique products behind tiny food stalls that spill out into adjacent streets.
Pungent smells of grilled seafood waft on the balmy air, offering the prospect of an exotic culinary adventure.
This rapid transition from the serenity of the monks to a surging sea of street food has me reeling initially. But Thai travel is often transformational and you learn to be resilient and adaptable. "Go with the flow" is the best advice here and aim to be fully immersed in the moment whatever you do in this fascinating land.
My first samplings of aromatic rice dishes, vegetable soups and seafood have a garnishing of dark red threads with a pungent, earthy, bittersweet taste. Surprisingly, it turns out to be saffron, which is painstakingly drawn out from the stamens of a single variety of the crocus flower.
Buoyantly sanguine about my new learning experiences of the Thai lifestyle, I order Pad Thai stir-fried noodles with egg, chicken and shrimp. Sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours all fight for supremacy on the palate. The result is a harmonious taste sensation that lingers long in the memory.
This culinary treasure trove of textures and tastes comes at a very reasonable cost and is always served with rice. For Thai people rice is life and it always takes pride of place on the table.
The Thai philosophy is based on "love of wisdom" and I saw many simple acts of charity and caring. If you come with an open mind it's possible to experience a form of awakening.
Thailand keeps on giving and this cultural diversity has added a whole new dimension to the trip, which will stay in my memory forever.
Monks accept alms from tourists at Amphawa resort. Photo / Paul Rush
Checklist
GETTING THERE Return flights from Auckland to Bangkok with 4 nights' accommodation is on sale at helloworld from $1055pp, twin share. DETAILS tourismthailand.org
