Day Eight: Chiang Rai

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On the way to Phayao, we stopped to watch some rice workers in the field. I tried my hand at cutting the rice, much to the amusement of the workers. I guess I'd better stick with my day job.

We took a coffee break at Phayao, a lovely little town near a beatiful big lake. Ole said that families liked to picnic there. One of the town specialties is "jumping shrimp". Little shrimps are collected from the lake. They are mixed, ALIVE, with cilantro, garlic, lemongrass and chilies. One then scoops up the mixture and gets it into the mouth before the shrimp jump off the spoon. I was not as brave as some of my fellow travelers. I like my shrimp scampied.

After a lunch of Northern Thai Curry Noodles (imagine spaghetti noodles with curry instead of spaghetti sauce. Not bad - but I prefer curry over rice), we visited the Hill Tribe villages near Chiang Rai. It was a bittersweet experience. The hill tribe people have a very simple life, living off of subsistence farming. But now they've become a tourist attraction and make money by selling trinkets. As soon as they saw our truck coming, they came running down the hill, arms loaded with stuff.

I suppose selling souvenirs is a better way to make a buck than outright begging, but it still made me feel a little uncomfortable. Which is OK. That is part of this trip experience. In the U.S., we are fortunate to enjoy the best standard of living in the world. It's good to be reminded of our blessings. And, as Ole pointed out, these folks are happy. Little kids were playing with puppies, women were chatting and the men... well, I don't know what the men were up to. We didn't see many of them.

Our hotel in Chiang Rai was a very nice resort about 15 minutes outside of town. We had individual huts for our rooms and the pool looked like something out of an upscale travel magazine, complete with mermaid statue.

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Photos

Nancy in the Rice Field
My roommate, Nancy, swings a sickle in the rice field.

Rice Field
The professionals take over.

Jumping Shrimp
Jumping shrimp in a bowl, before they are added to the salad.

Jumping Shrimp Salad
Now the shrimps have been added to thinly sliced onion, garlic, fish sauce, lemon grass and cilantro.

First Bite
I think the key is to bite the shrimp before they bite you. But I don't know for sure ... I didn't try it.

Billboard
Promoting the River Festival.

Hill View
View from our stop in the hills, before visiting the hill tribes.

Poinsettia
Everything grows well in Thailand.

Hill Tribe Boy
Wearing the traditional clothes of the Akha tribe, though most people wear Western clothes now. It's easier and cheaper to buy off-the-rack clothes - though no where near as colorful.

Running Down the Hill
When the villagers saw our truck, they came running down the hill to greet us (and sell stuff).

Noodles
Ole hands out packages of instant noodles as gifts for the kids. Better than gum or candy in an area without access to regular dental check-ups.

Akha Hill Tribe
Visiting with the locals. Fellow traveler Kathy Jo is the one on the right.

Bargaining
Jane tries to save a few baht buying bracelets from the savvy Akha merchants.

Kitchen
This is the cooking area in one of the hill tribe homes.

Mother
This young women lives in the home with her husband and five children. She is about 30, though she wasn't sure of her age. Her children go to school and her husband farms.