23-Oct-2011 -- From Mae Sot to Sukhothai was an easy drive. Near Kong Krailat the actual search started. I got to the point where I think the first visitor entered road 1046. But the road, which was not marked, was closed due to flooding. I therefore continued east to what I remember as road 2005 which went northwards. From that road it was a plain 1.3 km to the confluence point somewhere out west in the flooded rice fields. The road continued westwards and I found a southbound muddy lane which brought me to about 650 m from the confluence point situated out in the wet fields. Up on the road 2005 again I continued west and then headed south on what probably is road 1046, but no road signs indicated that. A couple of kilometers down that road the GPS told me that I was only 345 m from my target. There it happened to be a canal heading in my direction. I walked down a small muddy road on the bank of the canal. It was shaped like a long bent arm. Finally I came to the end where I met some farmers who were fishing in the canal. I continued another hundred meters and came to a shallow lake or pond and registered that I was 144 m from the confluence point. I did not feel confident enough to drop my pants and sneakers and wade out into the greyish water. Luck came along in the shape of a man in a small canoe. He had been fishing and was on his way back to his family with the day's catch. He delivered his catch and was more than willing to paddle me out to the confluence point which turned out to be almost under a big tree out in the water. We paddled around the tree, but it was difficult to get an accurate fix so I settled for 10 meters from the c.p.
On the way back he told me that he was not the only one catching the small fish: cranes and water snakes were his competitors. The birds were the most greedy ones, but the snakes could be dangerous so he seldom got out of the boat wading. Back with his family the women were busily scraping the shells off the fish, decapitating them, gutting them and preparing the fish for drying. For a small snack they had put three small whole fishes over a small fire.
The sun was strong, that was the reason why the fisherman was so well dressed: long jeans, long sleeves and a hood like a bank robber.
My plan was to continue to the historical old town of Sukhothai. But the long warm day, the many wrong short cuts and the very friendly conversations I had throughout my search made me abort the search into the old Thailand. That will have to wait.
Ps. The time on the GPS is Central European time, I was there around 10 am local time.