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Published: March 10th 2007
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From Chiang Mai I had two options for a next destination. I could go directly to Pai, of which I had heard lots of good stuff and was planning to spend a while in, or I could add an additional loop in the countryside to the schedule. I still didn't know which way I was heading when I arrived on the bus station. In the end something my colleague and friend Rachel had said about the best things being off the beaten track made me to choose the latter option (even if this wasn't exactly a non-beaten track, it was at least a much more seldom used one.) I also wanted to do some trekking and Mae Sariang, which was my first target, sounded ideal for that, as the big groups from Chiang Mai wouldn't find their way that far.
My four hour bus trip kicked off very well, as even if the bus was a local one without an air con, there was a lot off character in it, and I was the only foreigner on it. Next to me sat a man who started a lively chat. His name was Ong and he had spent four years in
Water for thirsty travellers
Traditionally Thai houses used to have water in this kind of jars for the thirsty bypassers. Everyone was welcome to help themselves. Unfortunately there has been incidents when the water has not been clean and the nice tradition is disappearing. the UK as a cook in various Thai restaurants and was thus able to hold a good conversation in English. In Thailand he was a lawyer. Now he was back to his home town of Mae Sariang, and was working for the Municipality office. What a great opportunity to ask all my questions about the Thai life and society, and Ong was very willing to answer.
I learnt a lot about e.g. the political environment, agriculture, situation with the Burmese refugees, school system and the royal family. About the last one: in this era of declining popularity of royalty in many countries the Thais remain unbelievably loyal and devoted to their king - who by the way is the longest reigning monarch in the world. You can see testimonials of this everywhere: there are pictures of the king and queen in almost every home, temple and office building and also huge portraits on the streets. Many people wear yellow t-shirts, as yellow is the king's colour. (Every weekday has its own colour, yellow being Monday's one and the king was born on Monday. I've been trying to find out what day the crown prince was born and should all
the flags and t-shirts replaced if the current 80 year old king passed away... Obviously can't really ask any Thai as I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate such question.)
Ong also told me about the celebrations which would take place in the town on the following day. This was something religious related to the end of the harvest being the biggest party in the town in a whole year. He also invited me for a tour to the Municipality office and if I was still in the town in the evening, promised to take me for a motorcycle tour.
My primary target was, however, to go trekking. According to Lonely Planet there was only one respectable tour organiser in the town so I looked for him as a first thing. Unfortunately I hadn't become to think about the possibility that there wouldn't be any others to attend the trek - and that happened to be the case. They only needed two people, but there were only a few tourists in the town in addition to me, and none of them wanted to trek.
Anyway, my guesthouse recommended me another guide, a lady called Kanchana. I met her in
the morning. She didn't seem keen to take me trekking by myself either, but offered to take me to see the local temples and accompany me to the local celebrations and introduce to the local people on the same day, and then take me to do some cycling in the surrounding countryside on the following. I agreed to that (although I now think that I considerably overpaid), and off we went.
It was an educational afternoon. Not only I saw lots of temples, but also learnt about the differences between the Thai and Burmese styles in them - there are both in Mae Sariang, as it is close to Myanmar border. I now recognise number of trees and other plants, including mango trees. Most interesting, however, was to visit the local temple where school children and their teachers were getting ready to the celebrations. They had all traditional costumes on, colours and style depending on which tribe their represented. I think most of the people were Shans, who originate from Burma and have originally escaped the conflicts with the government, during which they are often burned out of their villages and forced to flee into Thailand. There was Burmese
singing and dancing, and in the end they went all out on the street in a long queue giving out food (sticky rice with coconut and cane sugar). I was part of all that, discussing with the people (mostly with teachers rather than students) and eating the local food. It was ok, but I now understand that the food we eat in Thai restaurants is their party food, not something that ordinary people in the countryside would normally have.
We also visited a Karen family. Karen is another hill tribe originating from Burma, and Kanchana is one of them. I saw their home and women doing their weaving and a man doing his wood carving with a teak tree. I felt obliged to buy one fabric (to accompany the trousers and a jacket I bought earlier from a shop selling Karen women's handcrafts) even if the colours were not exactly to my taste. Now I just need to find a post office and send them home as there is no way I can fit them all in my backpack.
In the evening we went to see another party related to the same celebrations. That took place in a
Wood carving in the Karen village
This carving had been by a man, brother of the boy in the photo, who had learnt his skill in a prison where he had been of smugling amphetamine. Being so close to Golden triangle there are lots of drus in this area. The boy in the picture was absolutely adorable eleven year old whose name means 'watermelon'. Usually all Thai names mean something. temple area on the hill. Virtually all people from the town (except Ong whom I was hoping to see as I missed the Municipality office tour) were there. I guess Buddha isn't that strict about the alcohol, as people seem to be quite happy... Lot's of singing and dancing again (this time I was forced to do it as well), more free food, and people attacking you with the talcum powder... I was the only westerner there and people seemed to be very amused by my presence. Nearly everybody paid some sort of attention and in the end I was quite relieved to go home. Needless to say, the celebration continued until the early hours.
Following morning we had a 7.30 am start for the cycling trip. Kanchana came to pick me up and we drove to her house to get the very nice mountain bikes. I absolutely loved cycling (with a good bike) after such a long break - my own bike was stolen last autumn. We saw another temple and place where Kanchana's parents have been buried. I learnt again a good deal about the Thai farming and plants, and bit of the Buddish principles as well.
Part of the ceremony was to carry these things up the hill
I don't how they're called, but there were meant for fund raising - people attached notes on these structures. And I became even more painfully aware how unfair the life is: I can visit these places but Kanchana can never do a return call to Finland. And she seems to be quite well off in Thai standards. I try to console myself thinking that at least they get to live in a pretty fantastic climate all year round.
In the afternoon, despite Kanchana wanting me to stay for another evening and see the full moon celebrations, I felt it was a time to go forward. I jumped in a bus again, and started a very curvy trip towards Mae Hong Son. Ong had told me that there was over 1800 turns on that route! I have often suffered of motion sickness in the past, but was feeling fine - unlike a poor girl sitting close to me who was being sick most of the journey. The views on the way were pretty spectacular, however, and when the full moon rose above the misty hills, the sight was nearly mystical. Luckily I had the ipod to keep me company during the four hour trip during which reading was strictly out of question.
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Skeffe
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Hyvää perehdytystä Thai kulttuuriin
Todella mielenkiintoista lueskella, mitä kaikkea sä siellä opitkaan ja keitä kaikkia tapaatkaan. Jäin pohdiskelemaan miksi buddhalaiset eivät voi matkustaa vierailulle Suomeen? Valokuvat ovat tosiaankin kiehtovia!!! Kaiverrettu puu oli varsinainen mestariteos. Olikos se niin, että thaimaassa huumerikollisuus on todella kovien rangaistuksen arvoinen? Muistelen vaan sitä Nicole Kidmaniin tähdittämää "Bangok?-huumevankila"- sarjaa - jos muistat? Ruotsissa oli töissä yksi thaimaalainen kätilö, ja häneltä opin thai nimien aina yleensä merkitsevän jotakin (ja ne kuulostivat merkitykseltään hyvin kauniille!) Työkaverin ristimänimi tarkoitti jotakuinkin punertavaa auringonlaskua, joskin lempinimeltään hän oli Poo. Tiilten lyöminen on tainnut täkäläisittäin siirtyä hivenen tehokkaampaan tuotantoon : ) Vai mitä kaikkea meikäläisten tiilitehtaista oikein kerroitkaan? Tämä oli todella extra-mielenkiintoinen "artikkeli" sun blogissa! Kiitoksia meidänkin sivistämisestä :) Voi hyvin, ja toivottavasti et saa vieraanvaraisesta vesiruukusta mitään tau-tau-tautia!