Chiang Mai

(We were here Jan 21-26)
After lazing around on the beach of Ko Lipe, we were ready for some activity in Chiang Mai. The first challenge was finding tailors (as discussed in the previous post.) The city itself was very nice, with temples (called wats) around every corner. The streets were managable and the weather nice. No real taxis here, just trucks with covered flatbeds, complete with padded bench seats inside. Our main adventure was a trekking visit to the northern hill tribes!




Our first fun activity was the night market- an array of pillowcases, chopsticks, wooden statues, jewelery, and just about every touristy thing you could ever want. Bargaining was expected and prices easily dropped by over half because they knew that at least a dozen other vendors sold the same items.

Aside from shopping, trekking was the main reason for coming to the north. We headed out in a mini-van with a guide and a driver to see the hilltribes. The long neck Karen tribe is a popular group, where the women have heavy brass rings coiled around their necks from the age of 6. Actually, their collarbones become depressed to create the illusion of a long neck. It felt a bit like a zoo, with the women sitting out at their little craft shops and waiting for you to buy something and take their photo. The men of the village were nowhere to be found and only a few children ran around.



Then we hopped back in the van, saw a white buddha, and were off to a river town where we caught a 3 hour boat ride to the elephant camp. The boat could really be called a motorized canoe, as we were very close to the water and received several splashes in the face of that gross water. The elephant camp was another touristy place, complete with huge boa snakes that you could take your picture with (for a price).



The elephant ride itself was fun for about 2 minutes, maybe 3. It was quite awkward to be crammed into a wooden seat and bounce around without any communication with your "driver" who directed the elephant through a series of grunts and small wooden stick. He sits on the elephant's head and we ride on the middle of the back. When we head up the steep hills, the whole carriage lurched forward and I held on for dear life. So, while it was an experience, I don't think I need to ever need to have an elephant ride again. Even Pops had huge bruises on his back after the trip!



Our trusty pachyderms delivered us at a Lahu village. They've hosted tourists for the last 20 years, so we weren't any sort of novelty to them. But they were fascinating. Every house was made out of bamboo- the walls, the floors, and the stilts that hold up the house. The roof is made from the straw of palm trees.

Pigs and chickens ran around at random, but the owners knew which belonged to who. If a neighbor's pig tried to eat from your pig's trough, it would receive a quick switch of a stick. Lots of dogs too and I found just one cat to pet.

The evening was pleasant, with a great dinner and ladies to massage us afterwards. The massage was a bit of a joke, we were lightly kneading like they were doing laundry and the 4 ladies (2 for both Mom and I) chatted to each other the whole time. It was their usual routine I guess and set us back $2.

The morning started early with the cawing of dozens of roosters. They seemed to cry out at any time of day. We washed up and had our fill of a tasting breakfast before heading out on a hike.



We hiked on a long and steep trail across the countryside and ended up at a nice waterfall for lunch. Came across a few more villages, but these ones had electricity and seemed more modern. Back in the van, we headed to the border town of Mai Se. Here, we could see Myanmar (Burma) just across the filthy river where people regularly dumped their trash. At the end of the day, all the illegal workers just walked across the waist-high river from Thailand back to their homes in Myanmar. No one seemed to care, but we assume they pay a regular bribe.

The next morning we crossed into Myanmar the legal way- over a bridge. For $5 you can spend the day, but we only had time for a morning visit. Some books advise against this because of the terrible human rights record of the country. But Dean and I needed to leave Thailand to renew our 30-day visa.

The moment we passed through customs, our guide was hounded by 20 men who all had tours to offer. They followed him for 10 minutes until they realized that we were really only staying for the morning. He took us to a few nice temples and Dean rang a temple bell for good luck.



We noticed the huge difference between the wealth of Thailand compared to the poverty here. Little boys dressed up as fake monks would hound us for donations. (Real monks of that age are in school.) The business owners only accepted Thai baht and the Myanmar currency was sold as a tourist item. They had plenty of cars, but drove on the right side with the steering wheel also on the right. Quite strange! We did a bit of shopping here and then headed back to Thailand.

Our next stop was the Golden Triangle, an area that connects Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. It is nothing more than a river with a few pieces of land, but had an interesting history of Opium trade. We learned more about this in the nearby Opium Museum. Then it was a long van ride home with a quick stop at a small hot springs where they will boil eggs for you, lowered down in tiny wooden baskets.

We got back in time to have a free day in the city and check out the nice fabric stores one more time to tailor even more pants! Our most interesting stop of the day was to a local temple for "Monk Chat." Here we could individually talk to monks about their life and learn more about Buddhism. It was quite fascinating and we each got a different perspective about these mens' life. Most Thai men spend at least some time as a monk. As an added bonus, they receive free education in the monestary.

I'd love to come back to Chiang Mai sometime and see more!