Cambodia & Thailand Day 12
Cambodia & Thailand
DAY 12 - December 7, 2003 - Phrae to Chiang Rai
Early Monday morning - we were off to Chiang Rai and all the local people were off to work and the school. After a long weekend the traffic was heavy. It is overcast and the air is very polluted with diesel exhaust and open garbage burning.
We turned off the main road and into a village close by to visit a school. The children had total responsibility to clean the school room and the grounds before school. Then at 8:30 they all came out to raise the flag, sing the national anthem, say a prayer to Buddha, and then sing the King’s song.
All of the students wear uniforms and have their hair cut in the same length and show total respect to their teachers and the school. We stayed at the school for over an hour taking pictures of the children and listening to them play songs using typical Thai instruments. The children were in charge of the morning routine and we saw little evidence of the teachers or adult supervision.
On our two hour trip further north, Anya told us about the education system. We stopped at Phayao, a provincial capital on the site of a large lake. The stop was mainly for a clean western style restroom but we did take an opportunity to get a few snacks, coffee, and postcards.
A lady on the street had tiny baskets with small birds inside and also turtles and fish. For a small fee (50 cents) one could set the birds, fish, or turtles free, doing a good turn and ones wishes would be granted. I set two birds free and as I opened the small cages the birds climbed out and perched on the opening for a few seconds before flying off, taking my good wishes with them.
When we were back on the bus Anya told us that the girls in the north are reputed to be much prettier than those in the south. These women were recruited to be prostitutes in Bangkok. Now the laws are more strict and protect these young women from social abuse.
HIV in Thailand is very high and more than 1 million people are infected. They are starting to be more open in helping people to understand how to control this disease. There has never been sex education in Thailand, but now more people are educating the young about these things. In the 10 provinces in the north they have to pass an HIV test in order to get life insurance.
We got to Chiang Rai about 12:30 and went to the Golden Triangle Inn and Café for lunch. At 1:45 we left for the “Golden Triangle,” the area where the borders of Burma, Laos, and Thailand come together.
Due to the sheltering hills, navigable rivers, and fiercely independent tribal cultures, the region was once infamous as a center for renegades and drug smuggling. There are many legends and stories about the opium warlords who once held sway here.
Once local people did indeed turn to the cultivation of opium for survival – including several bands of Chinese nationalist followers of Chiang Kai Shek, who have been living here (somewhat in hiding and in dwindling numbers) since the Revolution! But times have changed.
The government has established many programs to introduce more viable crops, and most of the people are law-abiding farmers. Tourism has become a more profitable and safe alternative than drug smuggling. Local people are more concerned about preserving their old traditions. And life in the Golden Triangle is much gentler and more peaceful than in the old days!
We were taken to a meeting point where two pick-up trucks (safari like) picked us up and took us into the hills and our first village, the home of the Mien tribe. We had a special treat as we were all invited to a native wedding. As this was the second day of the ceremony, many of the guest were already very inebriated.
They offered us food and drink and everyone was dressed in their traditional formal attire. We then drove about 20 minutes, to the top of a mountain, over 3000 feet, to see the view of the surrounding country side.
Winding our way down the hill we stopped to visit the Akha tribe of the hill people and toured their little village while the children tried to sell us their home made jewelry of beads and bracelets. They were quite the entrepreneurs. We had abut an hour’s drive in the truck back to the bus and then another 20 minutes to our resort hotel.
We are staying at the Golden Pine Resort, a beautiful hotel with great rooms and well manicured grounds. It is a new facility quite a ways from town but they offer shuttle service to Chiang Rai, internet and laundry.
Tonight’s dinner was hot and spicy, with a lot of Chinese influence as we are so far to the north. After dinner, we listened to Anya sing a few Thai songs and then James joined her for some US oldies and favorites.
Accommodations: Golden Pine Resort Hotel - Internet - Laundry
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