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Mae
Sot's local terrain is one of hills and fields. Shaped roughly like a
beggar’s bowl, the hills are divided by the Moei River that flows from
south to north. Many farmers grow rice in the flat lands where water
collects from the monsoon and corn on the hillsides. Low-lying land
near the river has rich, loamy soil that can be utilized to grow all
kinds of crops year round – from rice to vegetables to herbs to fruit
orchards. With a plentiful supply of water for crops from local
irrigation ponds and the river, local land is productive even during
the six months of the year when not much rain falls. Land on the
hillsides, however, is inter-cropped -- typically with lentils and corn
that would otherwise rapidly deplete the soil of its nutrients. More and more land is cleared for
crops each year and the local stands of forest are slowly dwindling.
We often ride our bicycles through such land and take a close look at
what farmers are doing.
 During the monsoon from May to September each year, the Moei River is very
deep with runoff from the seasonal rains and is very brown with silt. No one
swims in the river then – it is too dangerous and people drown there every
year. During the other months of the year, though, the water is fresh and
cool – just perfect for a swim on a hot afternoon. Many farmers who are
situated along the Moei River are lucky in that it provides a large amount
of water for irrigation. In addition, most farms have at least one deep pond
dug out by hiring a local bulldozer during the winter. The monsoon rains
fill up these ponds and the water in most of them lasts for use in
irrigation during the winter months. A large lake above Mae Sot in the hills
above town serves as the source of water for an additional set of canals
used for irrigation of farms on that side of town. If this lake is visited
in April, however, just before monsoon, the water level is down to the
bottom and one can walk across the mud flats in knee deep water for half of
the width of the lake. At other times of the year, the lake is popular with
local fishermen and people visiting the lakeside restaurant. We have made a
few trips there with the kids ourselves. Our HTF farm plots are supplied with
water from local wells and ponds. We'd prefer to swim in the river, though, when we get the chance.
 Of
course, all of nature is sacred to human life. We wouldn’t be
here without it. In our local area, there are many Buddhist shrines,
usually located on a hillside or in a forest glade. We frequently
bicycle with our children to these places, dotted all over our local
countryside. This Buddhist shrine, pictured at left, is mentioned in
all the tourist descriptions of Mae Sot as a 'must see' site. It
helps to visit these sacred places to re-cultivate that sense of
mystery about nature we all forget about from time to time. Each one of
these places is a reminder that we need to retreat from the busy world
around us and ‘commune’ with nature, returning to our own
‘grass’ roots. We only hope our visitors and volunteers
will bicycle with us and help remember the ‘sacred spaces’
embodied in these natural places. With any luck, the HTF Home School will
one day create a Japanese garden for meditation at a nearby shrine – a place where a person can find the center
within once again. You are welcome to help us realize this goal.
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HTF Home School