Monday Montage: Drive

More than once in my adult life (okay, many more times) I’ve driven down Interstate 5 from the Bay Area on my way to sunny Southern California. Usually, we were on our way to Disneyland. The I-5 is drab and dull, nothing to break up the monotony of drought-caused dirt farms except for fast food restaurants and overpriced gas stations. I would drive as fast as I felt was safe (90-100 mph is safe on a straight road right?!) just to get through it as fast as possible. Well, I stopped driving that fast when I started being responsible for another human life, but getting back to my point… It was a boring a$$ drive.

This is not my picture... but this is what the I5 looks like (hopefully without the traffic when you're on it though). See photo credit at bottom of post. — This is not my picture… but this is what the I5 looks like (hopefully without the traffic when you’re on it though). See photo credit at bottom of post.

What a different experience it is to drive in Thailand. Besides the obvious things like driving on the left instead of right and the fact that there are scooters on highways right along the automobiles. It is because of the immense beauty of the surroundings. On our road trip to Malaysia recently, I was taken aback at the grandeur of the jungle that comes right up to the highway at some points. I couldn’t stop staring at the towering trees covered with ivy and vines, the palm oil plantations made known only by the straight lines of palms between the overgrowth, and the rolling hills and mountains that seem to be impenetrable because of the thick growth. The landscape here in Thailand is so different from my hometown in Northern California, it feels otherworldly to me.

It is not only the landscape that fascinates me, but the fellow drivers and passengers on the road. The truck beds full of laborers just off work passing around a beer and joking with each other. The babies being held of the side of scooters in a parents arm (this one is really scary to me). The commercial trucks that are covered in plastic neon Michelin men and LED lights. Unfortunately, I could not get many good pictures along the way due to rain and the fact that I was trying to take pictures through a dirty window. These are some of the better ones:

I loved the way the sun was shining through the clouds.

And one more of the sun rays. I wish my pictures could capture the real beauty.

And now for a few pictures of other things this week. Happy Monday everyone!

Z and I on a long tail boat to Coral Island recently.

Chad, Z, and Charlie (not sure of his Mahouts name). He was a sweet 3 year old elephant that we fed many cucumbers to that day. — Chad, Z, and Charlie (not sure of his mahouts‘ name). He was a sweet 3 year old elephant that we fed many cucumbers to that day.

What do you find beautiful about the area that you live in? Do you mind driving for hours and hours? Whats the longest drive you have ever done? Leave a comment and join in the conversation!

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photo credit: JoeInSouthernCA via photopin cc