Golden Triangle

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I didn't write a blog entry yesterday because I went on an all day tour to the golden triangle area. Left at 7am and didn't return until 8:30 pm. This is the area north of Chiang Mai about 3.5 hours by tour van where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet. I went on a longboat tour on the Meekong River and we saw a gambling casino on the Myanmar shore and went to a small tourist village in Laos. I also saw the hill tribe peoples, in particular the Karen people. The Karen women have these brass rings around their neck to lengthen them. The longer the neck the more beautiful they are considered. I have a pic included.



On Christmas Day I went on tour of a wat on the top of a mountain here. These wats are all very beautiful and this one is considered one of the most famous in Thailand. Also went to a nice restaurant recommended in the Frommers' guide. The food was very good, especially the kao soi, a noodle and broth dish, a good example of northern Thailand, or Lanna, cooking. In the evening I went to the night bazaar. Many outdoor shops selling all types of goods. These markets are very common here.



Today I am just going to do some exploring on my own here in Chiang Mai. I am a little tired after yesterday's trip.



That's it for now.

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Photos

Baby bear in Laos
The baby bear was in the Laos village I visited on my tour of the Golden Triangle.

Karen woman and me
A pic of a Karen woman with the brass rings around her neck. The longer the neck, the most beautiful she is considered. There are only 30 Karen people left in this village.