ANOTHER DAY OLDER AND STILL KICKING HIGH

HANUMAN WINE , BEING DISPLAYED WITH THE JAPANEESE LABEL

THE GIRLS MAKING THE ICE CREAM SELECTION , FOR DESERT LATER

TWO OF MY FAVORITE LADIES --MY SWEET WIFE CIEJAY AND LA LA

A MEAL FIT FOR A KING

THE THREE OF US AFTER A TOAST

MY GIRL

PAK-WAN

LOTS OF LIGHTS

ONE OF THE BUNGALOW DINING ROOMS

LOTS OF ORCHIDS, HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT

Yesterday was a good day to be alive , I turned 68 and feel (some days) like I'm 48 , I really am convenienced , now more than ever that the move to Thailand was not only a move to get Ciejay closer to her family and back to her as they say" ROOTS" , she loves being back home in the LOS and close to her family and , and for me , many reasons to numerious to mention in this post for me. One thing that I have noticed is that it has so greatly (Thailand) improved my health and well being. What a great side benefit this is, and at the same time living in a little bit of paradise, as a plus.
Ciejay and La La thought I had been a good boy and that I deserved a special dinner for my birth-day , soooo they took me to one of my favorite places to eat and celebrate my B-Day .
Pak _Wan is a family owned and operated Restaurant almost to the turn off to go to Whang Pho , on the right hand side of the road about 45 kl. from Kanchanaburi on highway 323, it's a can't miss place , as it is sooo beautifuly decorated with Orchids blooming it seems like all year long and they have lots of colored lights in all the trees in the parking lots to attract you attention when driving down the road . They have a huge open air dining room and 12 individual bungalow style eating rooms , under the trees for your dining pleasure . My favorite dishes to eat there is the cashew chicken, green chicken curry, with roti(fried) Indian bread ,and the three taste (sauce) deep fried fish and their signature deep fried pak-wan ,and of course a great glass of our (Hanuman) red mangosteen wine to put the finishing toast and touch to a wonderful evening and a fine meal with My wife and our friend La La.
As I say in lots of my post "IT DON'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS " and thats why I'm still RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT .

TREE TOP ADVENTURE

Ciejay and me went to check the wine at one of the resorts we stock ( The River Kwai Cabins )and noticed that they had put up a new tree top adventure(obstacle course) for their guest, we stopped and I snapped a couple pictures of some kids having fun , high in the tree tops . Have you ever done this sort of thing ? I told Ciejay I was going to give it a try and then she reminded me that I was 68 years old and my ole bones break easy , soooo I think I will take her advise and stay out of the trees , BUT it still looks like a lot of fun,What do you think???? Malcolm

ELEPHANT---CROSSING -- AHEAD

Of course this is Thailand and when you are driving down the road sight-seeing you just never know whats up ahead and around the next curve in the road, this was such a time . Ciejay and me were out on a day trip to scout out a couple new resorts in the area for her wine business, we were talking and looking at the mountains on each side of the road when all of a sudden there they were ,it was a elephant crossing and NO sign to give warning , lucky I was not driving to fast and we stopped and waved at the folks enjoying themselves on their elephant trek and me murmuring under my breath words that could not and should not be spoken out loud and especially in the company of a lady.And so I settled down and enjoyed the surprise and unexpected Elephant sighting that we were treated to on our day trip , I even snapped a couple of photos to post , and for I hope your enjoyment. Malcolm

As for Ciejay and me we are still RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT

PAPAYA THE CANCER FIGHTER

CIEJAY AND ME PLANTED THIS FROM A SEED 6 MONTHS AGO AND IT HAS ABOUT 20 PLUS FRUIT NOW AND MORE COMING ON AND WE WILL BE EATING FROM THIS TREE IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS , NEXT TIME YOU BUY A PAPAYA , SAVE THE SEEDS AND PLANT A FEW TO GROW YOUR OWN TREE.

I love papaya and have always known that eating the fruit and drinking the juice was really good for your health and have for many years used the seeds and the meat as a tenderizer for any kinds of meat to improve the taste and to make it more tender, I was excited to read this article that I found on Yahoo about the cancer -fighting properties of one of my favorite breakfast fruits, papaya, and just think here in the LOS we can grow them in our own backyard .

When you think of eating a piece of fruit you probably think of a banana, apple, grapes or an orange. All of these are wonderful fruits, but most of them don't have all of the benefits of eating a papaya. In the tropics, where Papaya is grown, it is referred to as the "medicine tree" or "melon of health". Papaya's are filled with nutrients, a single serving of papaya has 150 percent of your daily allowance of Vitamin C, one of the most effective antioxidants in blocking LDL oxidation. It's also associated with high levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Papayas are a great source of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant that helps fight free radicals, the beginning of disease. Papayas also supply about 2 percent of your RDA for iron, and 4 percent of your daily calcium allowance. It's also an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Potassium, Copper, Phosphorus, Iron and Fiber.
Another wonderful attribute the papaya has over other fruit is papain. Papain is found in the unripe fruit as well as other parts of the plant. Papain is a powerful protein-digesting enzyme. Papain's action resembles that of two well-known digestive enzymes in the human stomach - pepsin and trypsin. The papain is a large part of what makes Papaya a recommended fruit and juice of practitioners of homeopathic medicine for people with stomach ailments. Practitioners believe Papaya helps treat heartburn, stomach distress, diarrhea, ulcers and even Montezuma's revenge. Eaten regularly, it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent strokes and fights heart and bowel disease, while clearing your complexion. Many also believe by consuming Papaya on a regular basis you can help to prevent or help heal from major illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, liver disease and celiac disease.Great information found on the www.

Malcolm


Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya
AFP - Wednesday, March 10---- Yahoo News

A street vendor prepares papaya for her daily customers in Yangon. Researchers said Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.
MIAMI (AFP) - – Researchers said Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.
University of Florida researcher Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan, in a report published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, documented papaya's anticancer effect against tumors of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas.
The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of papaya leaf tea.
Dang and the other scientists showed that papaya leaf extract boosts the production of key signaling molecules called Th1-type cytokines, which help regulate the immune system.
This could lead to therapeutic treatments that use the immune system to fight cancers, they said in the February issue of the journal and released Tuesday by the university.
Papaya has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments in many parts of the world, especially Asia.
Deng said the results are consistent with reports from indigenous populations in Australia and his native Vietnam.
The researchers said papaya extract did not have any toxic effects on normal cells, avoiding a common side effect of many cancer treatments.
Researchers exposed 10 different types of cancer cell cultures to four strengths of papaya leaf extract and measured the effect after 24 hours. Papaya slowed the growth of tumors in all the cultures.

Tips for Preparing Papaya:
Papayas can be used many different ways. They can be eaten as is, added to a fruit salad or to a host of different recipes.
One of the easiest (and most delightful) ways to eat papaya is to eat it just like a melon. After washing the fruit, cut it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then eat it with a spoon. For a little extra zest, you can squeeze lemon or lime juice on top.
To cut papaya into smaller pieces for fruit salad or recipes, first peel it with a paring knife and then cut into desire size and shape. You can also use a melon baller to scoop out the fruit of a halved papaya. If you are adding it to a fruit salad, you should do so just before serving as it tends to cause the other fruits to become very soft.
While most people discard the big black seeds, they are actually edible and have a delightful peppery flavor. They can be chewed whole or blended into a creamy salad dressing, giving it a peppery flavor. ENJOY

MY FRIEND JERRY'S DAY TRIP TO ERWIN WATERFALL

SEEM MORE LIKE 1400 M TO ME

OPPS

OPPS AGAIN

My friend Jerry took a day trip to Erwin Waterfall (located out from Kanchanaburi not to far from the War Cemetery) the other day and he sent me a lot of good pictures of the walk to the seventh level which I would have never seen and lots of folks I talk to have never seen because it is a long uphill trail and near the top the trail gets a little hard , espically for us old folks . SOOOO I ask Jery if it was ok with him if I posted the pictures on my blog for all to see . I hope you enjoy the great pictures he took and that if you ever get to Kanchanaburi , that you take time out for a trip to the waterfall, they are not included in most tour packages as it is a all day trip. Malcolm

This waterfall has 7 levels. Would have been a lot better if we had some rain, but it was still pretty .Fish in the stream are native to this areaThe rest of the pictures are of the stream and area along the trail to the top. From the entrance to the first level is 700 meters. From the first level to the top is 1520 meters of hard climbing.Hope you enjoyJerry

RETIRED and A DAY TRIP

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW

Yesterday was a beautiful day . sssoooo we decided it was time for a little day trip , BUT , this time someplace we haven't been before , just to scout out the new area for later and longer trips if we like it .We headed toward Erwin Waterfalls outside if Kanchanaburi and about 15 kl. out saw road sign that said Latya and points beyond, soooo off we went that a way, and saw the Safari Zoo turn offand gate, a for sure place for a future visit, and a place I had seen signs for a long time , but never knew where to go . a few more kl. and we saw the Vets of Thailand museum and park for another good day trip and then lots of shops and sights to keep a traveler as busy as they want to be , I snapped a few shots of a few places we wanted to come back to and places that will make for some good blog topics later on , in other words lots of new material to blog about and take pictures to send home to the kids and grands.Hope you enjoy the pictures .

Malcolm

ONE MAN (I MEAN WOMEN) ENTERPRISE

SMALL RESTAURANT , BUT GREAT FOOD THE SUN UN EATERY

A LITTLE LANDSCAPING , ---------------- TO PLEASE THE EYE

TIP HARD AT WORK , ONE OF HER MANY JOBS AT THE RESTAURANT, AND ALWAYS WITH A SMILE --------- SHE IS THE CHIEF ,COOK AND BOTTLE WASHER AS THEY SAY WHERE I COME FROM

A TABLE FULL OF BANANA CHIPS READY FOR THE SUGAR OT SALT COATING AND BAGGIES TO BE READY TO SELL

THIS BATCH WILL BE SUGAR COATED FOR THE SWEET TOOTHED FOLKS

SHE COOKS IN PALM OIL TO BE SOMEWHAT HEALTHY OF A SNACK

THIS SLICER IS HOME MADE , A PIECE OF WOOD BOARD WITH A KNIFE BLADE ATTACHED

I am forever amazed and impressed at all the folks here in the LOS that self employed and so full of energy and so energetic that they are forever looking for something that they can do to make money . I ask myself the question all the time "is it just the desire to be self-sufficient or it is just a Thai thing" , they all seem to have that desire to be their own boss and to show their learned and handed down skills whenever possiible, and for this I take my hat off to them.

We (Ciejay and Me) were at a little roadside restuarant the other day , not far from home. The lady ,Tip is a great cook and everything is so clean , that I find myself eating there quite a bit . ha ha . I have noticed from time to time , and have of course, bought various snacks, displayed on a table out front of the small food shop( TODAY WAS BANANA CHIPS) , thinking that they were things made by some of the local folks and that Tip (the owners name) had let them have the space in front to sell their snacks , never in my mind did I imagine that all these snacks and goodies were made by the owner herself. ( I don't know where she finds the time to do it all ,restuarant , family , home , kids and snacks to sell , and all the time with a smile . I should'nt be surprised to much , after all this is Thailand and this is just another reason that I'm " RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT." Malcolm