Sixth Conference on Cycad Biology
It was with great expectations that we arrived in Bangkok on Saturday, 26th of August, after a 12 hours on a plane and a stop in Dubai. As South Africans living in Ireland, we could not wait for the warm weather and sunshine and looked forward to experiencing the Thai culture, food and scenery. I was armed with a rucksack full of camera equipment and 7 rolls of film! This was our first conference and opportunity to meet cycad enthusiasts from all over the world. There were many new faces and names to get to know and our first introduction was to Alvaro Colonje from Columbia and Hiep Nguyen from Vietnam.
The Grand Palace was the next stop. The scale and detail are incredible and well worth a visit. Remember to wear trousers/skirt and shoes or sandals, covering the legs and heels, or you would not be let in. Afterwards we had an interesting Chinese lunch with Peking Duck. The green tea was turned down in favour of bottled water, to replace fluids lost in the heat and humidity of Bangkok. With the energy levels restored, we headed for a Jewelry Store. Thailand has a considerable industry polishing semi-precious stones and manufacturing jewelry. The best part of Bangkok was the weekend market. It is packed with stalls, selling anything from a pair of jeans to baby crocodiles! The walkways are narrow and packed with a continuously flowing stream of people. The plant sellers have a huge variety of plants for sale, anything from cacti to orchids. Some cycad plants were for sale but due to all the paperwork involved no purchases were made! That evening we had the welcoming dinner and a delightful talk by Alvaro Colonje about the cycads in Colombia.
Cycads were of course the main topic of discussion most of the time, but with people from the USA, Colombia, Mexico, Vietnam, China, Australia, Holland, France, Sweden, South Africa and Portugal, we never ran out of things to talk about. Since I became interested in cycads three years ago, I have met many people, commercial growers, enthusiasts, botanists and conservationists and always found them to be friendly and helpful. The people at the conference were no different and we had a great time talking to all. Putting a face to the names I have seen in books, read about and exchanged e-mails with, was the highlight for me. I made some friends (I hope) and will hopefully see them again in future. All that remains to be said is: I hope to see you all in Mexico in 2005!! Contributed by: Wynand & TC van Eeden | |
© Copyright 2001-2008 Cycad Society of South Africa Webmaster : Pieter van der Walt | |
Sunday was used to explore Bangkok. A boat ride on the river and canals (or klongs) gave us a glimpse into everyday Thai life. Wooden houses are built on stilts in the water and almost all have potted plants to add some colour. The Thai people are very friendly and kids swimming, paused to wave as we passed by. Swimming in the canals is not for tourists though! If the bacteria don't get you, the wild life will. We passed a meter long crocodile, lazily making his way across the canal, not long after seeing the kids. They must be well trained in croc wrestling.
Early Monday morning we left for Kanchanaburi to see the Bridge over the River Kwae. The film was not made in Thailand and the story is entirely fictional, although the bridge was built by prisoners of war, as part of the so-called Death Railway. Lunch was once a gain a spectacular affair aboard a floating restaurant, towed down the river, and eventually stopping at our hotel. A high light was the visited to a beautiful cycas siamensis population that afternoon. This population has a striking grey-white indumentum on the leaves, giving it a silvery appearance. Once let loose at the site all started climbing the hill to see more plants and take pictures. The landscape is mostly open and flat and cultivated to produce rice. The wide valleys as you get closer to the mountains are also cultivated and the limestone hills are the only wild places left, where the cycads can grow undisturbed. We spent an enjoyable afternoon, trying to get the perfect photo. Back at the hotel all could soon be found in the pool, trying to cool down before the evening activities and a talk by Dennis Stevenson.
Tuesday morning we went back to Bangkok and on to Pattaya, for the remainder of the conference. We visited Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and were treated to a very warm welcome by the staff at the Garden. The Garden is beautifully laid out and the "sky walk" provides a breathtaking view. We had the privilege to visit the "Hortus Botanicus" where a collection of plants from around the world is maintained. The remainder of the talks was presented in the conference facilities at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. Some of the people not interested in that could walk around the garden, see the animals and even ride an elephant. The standard of the scientific presentations were good and not too technical. Peter Lindblad's presentation on coralloid roots and how they function was one of the best, as well as Irene Terry's talk on insect pollinators.