Sound file: The sounds of Thailand

[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/earthoria/Earthoria_S07_sounds_Thailand.MP3|titles=Sound file 07: The sounds of Thailand|artists=Earthoria]
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Yesterday I finally got around to editing together some of the random audio snippets I have had on my computer since I left Thailand. This sound compilation contains radio clips, sounds recorded in our street, animal noises, music recorded at our local temple and lots more.

The final song, although not Thai, was ubiquitous in Thailand for the first two years I lived there. It will also conjure up a few memories for a some special friends. You know who you are ;-).

Girls on a parade in Sukhothai, Thailand for Loi Krathong

Podcast: Spain celebrates beating Germany!

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This podcast is a bit of a departure from the usual in more senses than one. Firstly, it’s from Spain and secondly it’s not about enemas, or massages… it’s about ‘the beautiful game’ – football. It features the sounds of the Spanish celebrating their Euro 2008 win in Vejer de la Frontera, a small town in Andalucia in Southern Spain.

Sound file: Our local restaurant in Chiang Mai

[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/earthoria/Earthoria_S03_-_restaurant.MP3|titles=Sound file 03: Our local restaurant in Chiang Mai|artists=Earthoria]
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This was recorded at around 7.30pm on a weekday night at our local vegetarian restaurant on Suthep Road in Chiang Mai. I popped to the restaurant and had a Khao Soi – one of the traditional northern Thai ‘curry’ dishes. Dinner cost 25THB (about $0.60) and was incredibly tasty. As I ate I was treated to some wonderfully cheesy background music, as you will hear in the recording.

Vegetarian restaurant, Suthep Road, Chiang Mai

Sound file: Ob Khan National Park, Chiang Mai

[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/earthoria/Earthoria_S02_-_Ob_Khan.MP3|titles=Sound file 02: Ob Khan National Park Chiang Mai|artists=Earthoria]
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Ob Khan national park is one of our favourite local getaways. It’s about 30km South of Chiang Mai, and takes between 45 minutes and an hour to reach by motorbike. It’s a great spot for a picnic, or simply to cool off on a hot and humid Chiang Mai day. You can in fact also camp there very cheaply – they will even rent you camping gas cookers to cook with.

Ob Khan National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Getting there: Just head out of Chiang Mai South down Canal Road towards the Samoeng junction, and carry on. After a few more kilometers (at the time of writing down alternating sealed and unsealed dusty roads) you reach a turn off on the right with a fairly hard-to-see sign to ‘Ob Khan National Park’. Take this turn off, and make your way along a winding road through villages and country side for about another 10 kms. The last few kilometers wind their way through some beautiful National Park hills and valleys alongside the river Khan.

Resources: Thai National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department
Chaing Mai, Chiang Mai, or Chang Mai – how to spell it!

Podcast: A night-time motorbike trip to the Brasserie through Chiang Mai

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Last Friday evening I decided it was far too long since I went to the Brasserie – a Jazz/Blues bar on the river Ping in Chiang Mai – so I rode across the city on my motorbike attempting to ‘narrate’ on the way.

Took, Brasserie, Chiang MaiOver the last couple of years the Brasserie has become a bit of a Mecca for us, and when I lived in Mae Sot before I moved to Chiang Mai, we’d look forwards with huge anticipation to listening to their resident guitar genius ‘Took’ playing his renditions of Eric Clapton, Bob Marley, Hendrix, The Doors, Pink Floyd and lots of other Blues legends.

Although this recording doesn’t contain any clips of Took’s amazingly talented guitar playing, I’ll try and record some in the future and possibly even interview the great man himself.

You can read a short interview with Took on the Chiang Mai Citylife website.

Sound file: Night time in Chiang Mai, Thailand

[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/earthoria/earthoria_2_sound.MP3|titles=Sound file 01: Night time in Chiang Mai Thailand|artists=Earthoria]
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This was recorded from outside our house in Chiang Mai. We fall asleep with these sounds every night – from the Cicadas and barking dogs on a dry night, to thousands of mating frogs after the rains, it is never quiet outside! Is it any wonder we both sleep with earplugs?! The mating frogs come after the barking dogs.