It’s about a journey down two iconic Thai rivers. It is also a venture into Thailand’s aquatic past and into rural Thailand. I was struck by the welcoming nature of the people I met. We asked each other dozens of questions and the exchanges provided me insight into their very full lives.

That’s a good question. Paddling is hard work, I’m traveling solo, and sleeping on hard floors. So why did I paddle for weeks at a time? I was bored and wanted a challenge, something that would be mine alone. I was also impelled by my own curiosity. 

What is it about rivers that fascinates you? Began in my youth in Oregon but then traveled the world. Then, at 44 years old, I lived in a wooden house on stilts in the river opposite the Grand Palace which was an a revelation and an education. I wondered where all the water came from but found nothing in books and the boatmen were gone. I went to the headwaters of the Ping with Lahu friends, then had a teak boat built. I dropped it in, and with no previous experience, 58 days later ended up in the ocean. The Latte River is about journeys down the Nan River. 

The cyclical nature of life, and of most human endeavors, rise and fall of empires. Thus, it is a metaphor for one’s progress through life.

They have a different world view from people even 100 meters away. They think vertically with the rise and fall of the river.

I’m a lifelong learner. Eschewed belongings—no car no TV—but used my money to travel. It may have been preordained. TravelIt sharpens me, enables me to meet new people and places, and have new experiences which broaden my understanding of life.

Let me tell you a story begins a short personal series of encounters on the Latte journey south.

The Endless Night and Viking Funeral on the Nan River