Last night in Thailand for awhile

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Its our last night in Thailand for awhile! Tomorrow we are heading to Laos for a week or so, then head to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat (read: they filmed Tomb Raider there... check it out so you can see how fabulous my vacation looks!) and then back into Thailand to head to the beaches for a month or so before coming home.

Lots has happened since my last entry!

The hill tribe trek was AMAZING. We went to an Orchid farm first, and then to a cave wat, and then to visit a few hill tribes. I saw the long neck tribe. They start getting brass rings around their necks at age 5 or 6...and keep getting them put on until they have about 35 of them or so! Its not rings exactly, but more like a brass spring they wind around the neck. As the women get older, the brass rings push their collar bones down which makes more room for the rings.
We also saw the Big Ear tribe.. they are the ones with the massive bone jewellery in their ears. The third tribe we saw is called Akha and they wear really colourful outfits, but no weird body modifications.

They sell a lot of handicrafts (and yes, I bought some lol they're really cool!) and the only English they speak is "Hello! Hello! Looking? Looking?" as they try to push their wares on you. The camp was a Burmese refugee camp and the stalls were lined up and down the dirt path on the side of the mountain we were on. Burma was literally a stone's throw away over the hills.

From there, we went to a tribe village (camp?) of a group of people who had moved here 30ish years ago from Southern China (I think). I think they're called Mao or Meo or something like that. They lived in absolute squalor and poverty that it was almost hard to look at. I felt like I was in a zoo.. imagine, bringing 'rich' tourists in to see these people and how they lived... it was different in the refugee camp because those women WANTED to sell us stuff so they had money to live (since most of their husbands were opium addicts, we were told). In this Chinese camp, there was one little boy, completely naked, pooping over a rock in the middle of the street. Chickens, mangy dogs and pigs ran free in the muddy yards and into the streets. Gross mountain water, very brackish and buggy looking, flowed down the side of the street and the animals and kids were playing in it. These people do not live in a ZOO but were treated like that. The weirdest part was when one of them drove down the muddy street in a brand new truck. I don't get it. So weird.

After that, Amy and I went back home and played in the pool. The next night we went to the Sunday Night walking market.. kilometers and kilometers of people on the street selling things. So much neat stuff you would maybe see back home and so much stuff you definitely wouldn't! I stocked up on a few 'essentials' while I was there.
I ALSO fulfilled a life long dream and drank out of a coconut. IT WAS DISGUSTING. I could almost hear my dreams dying in the big "YUCK!" I yelled out as soon as that disgusting liquid passed my lips.
FYI. When you see someone drinking out of a coconut, they have most likely hollowed the nut out and put a new mixed drink in it because coconut juice is DISGUSTING and you'd have to be crazy to want to drink it. End of story.

We checked out the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar (and the Chiang Mai McDonalds lol) the next night. The bazaar was awesome, again, no surprises there and the McDonalds was FABULOUS! Even better than I've had at home. Its entirely possible I plan on eating there again tonight too. And shopping in the market again. Maybe. And by maybe, I mean pretty much as soon as I'm done this entry.

Today, we went to the Zoo! I saw Leopards fighting at feeding time! (Will upload this video onto the photobucket site at some point. Also, we have a photobucket site for our photos and stuff... will post them later. Or show you when I get home. Whatever).

Anyways - thats all for now! Next update will come from Laos, probably in a couple of days.

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Comments

[Gia]

haha McDonalds?
So I take it you are done with meat on a stick then? lol

[Suzanne Dube]

Amazing experiences.....
Kim, Your trip sounds thought provoking and life altering. All those experiences will make you experience Canada and people differently when you get home! I was interested in your comments about the poor village being like a ZOO. I heard a speaker at RRU once who lamented what he described as a "second tier economy" that was growing in third world countries. This economy was a result of tour operators and military personnel making money from showing tourists, humanitarian students and well meaning NGO staff the poverty and conflict in their countries. I imagine some good could come from this economy if some of this money finds it's way to the people who need it, but personally I think it is mostly exploitive and the result of greed and indifference on the part of the those who have access to the transportation systems. I've often wondered what role we as Canadians and travellers could play? When I traveled in Mexico last year, I had trouble reconciling my own comfort and enjoyment of the country with the obvious lack of wealth being generated for the locals. A good conversation for us to have over a glass a wine when you get back. Meanwhile, back in Langford BC. I'm settling into my new digs and loving it. Safe travels. Look forward to seeing the photos. Suzanne

[Agent Lansing]

Coconut milk.
I remember my parents used to give me coconut milk when I was little, and I freaking loved it! Hmm....

[Lynne]

oooh I'm jealous
Glad to hear you are having a FABULOUS time! We keep wondering how you are doing!! Take care and see you when you are back...Lynne

[Cara]

I tried to crack open a coconut in mexico and i smashed it a million times and it wouldnt work.. im curious.. how did you open this coconut?? im assuming it was a machete?