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Published: February 17th 2006
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Longneck tribeswoman and me in Thailand
The gold bands do not lift their necks, they push down on their collarbone, compressing their torsos, thereby giving the illusion of a longer neck (sometimes 30 cms long) Hello everyone. Here I am back in Thailand. Its weird but it feels like home to me right now. I spent only 4 days in Laos after that long bus ride from Hanoi to the capital, Vientiane. The bus ride was hilarious. I barely slept, but i did fall asleep once, and was woken up at 3am while the bus was at the gas station. I passed out quickly after, but woke up 45 mins later with the bus half empty and parked on the side of the road. All of the westerners, including two British girls Becky and Helen whom Ive been travelling with since Hoi An, were sitting next to eachother, and so we could not get a full bench on the bus to sleep. All the Vietnamese who were still on the bus got a full bench to themselves. The rest, including the bus driver, checked into a hotel and slept there for 3 hours without telling us. A jolly good time had by all... I left Vietnam with under the general impression that the people in Vietnam were nowhere near as kind as the Thais or the Cambodians; my first experience with Vietnamese people was at the
border where we witnessed a border clerk pickpocketing a wallet out of a tired traveller. He eventually got busted. As well, at the borders we were taxed for the ink that they used on our passport stamps, and asked for a "quarantine fee" even though we were not sick or in any way held for decontamination. We asked for a reciept for these fees, but the border guy told us no and left us high and dry. Suspicious?? I guess this is expected when travellling in a communist country. Thats and the unnecessary and endless bureaucracy......
I did meet quite a few friendly, kind and helpful Vietnamese, but I have yet to experience any negative qualities amoungst any other people I have met so far. Too bad, because Vietnam was a really cool country. Nonetheless I will return here againt to see what I missed this time through.
I spent 2 nights in Vientiane, and another two in Luang Prabang. Laos was amazing. The people are friendly and the country side is beautiful. However my time there was short. I got screwed by the untrustworthy embassy official in Hanoi (of course, everyone in northern Vietnam is trying to rip
you off) and so my visa for Laos was only good for a week. As well, we Canadians had to pay an extra five dollars US for the visa because of our country's relationship with Laos! What has Canada ever done to anyone???? Was the embassy offical ripping me off a second time in less than 2 minutes??? Either way i therfore call upon our new PM to return to me my 5 dollars in US funds, so I can afford more beer. So I decided to get back into Thailand and visit the far north. I caught a speed boat up the Mekong River to Chiang Khong, and got to Chiang Rai later that night. Home again. Chiang Rai is a great little city, situated near all the hill tribes of northern Thailand. I spent today travelling throughout the north, visiting different villages and tribes, and walking through jungles and swimming beneath massive waterfalls.
I met the long neck tribespeople whom were given refuge by the Thais from the Myanmar (Burmese) government. There is continual conflict here in the north, as Karen rebels are continually mortared by the Burmese army. The Karen live in exile in Thailand, and occasionaly
attack Myanmar. I met a Karen rebel today who fought against Myanmar for 5 years when he was my age. He told me the conflict is alot like that in Chechnya; the Karen want soveriegnty and do not want to be associated withthe repressive military junta that "governs" present-day Burma. As a result of the continuing struggle, many tribes such as the Karen, Ahka, Lisu and Yao live under the protection of the Thais. They are visited quite frequently by western toruists and they make money by selling tribal arts and crafts. Their way of life, consequently has been changed, but atleast they are alive and living a relatively safe life in Thailand.
I dont quite know whats next in store for me. I may go to Chiang Mai tomorrow, and do some more elephant riding and some rock climbing.
After that is off to the beaches until I come back to good ol Canada. Until next time, Im Frazer Elliott, and this has been another edition of
My Blog.
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there goes Dave
Dave Dixon
Go Fraz!
Definitely check on Chiang Mai. I recommend getting a banana pancake and cafe latte at libernard's for breakfast (opens around 8:00 every day). It's near the Tha Phrae Gate, and almost next door to Mike's Burgers (it's tucked behind another building). Maybe take a cooking class?