Mae Hong Son (9-11 Sep 13)

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After a few days getting stoned, I mean, chilling out in Pai, I continued on my way on the north-west loop towards one of the highland towns closest to Myanmar -- Mae Hong Son. It was a four hour winding bus ride through some stunning highland scenery, but I arrived there soon enough. And what greeted me was a slight surprise. I had somehow expected a relatively bustling city, but Mae Hong Son turned out to be a rather quiet town. It was quite a stark contrast to the farang-filled little streets of Pai. Mae Hong Son certainly seemed much more genuinely local.

And yet the vibe certainly wasn't just Thai. The town's proximity to the Shan highlands of neighbouring Myanmar certainly showed in the composition of the local people. Several of the temples in town had murals with both Thai and (presumably) Burmese script, and one even displayed the map of Myanmar. Around town there were scatterings of Chinese signs too, and I'm pretty sure they weren't merely for the convenience of Chinese tourists, like in Pai. The clincher was the way the locals accept money here in Mae Hong Son, reaching out with one hand, with the other hand under, touching the elbow of the extended arm -- exactly the way I remember they do in Myanmar. It does reinforce the notion of sometimes, somewhat arbitrary national borders, and the artificial ways in which they try to cut across less distinct cultural boundaries.

Stayed at Friend House.

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Photos

No Yingluck!
Yes that's the current Thai Prime Minister, right in the middle. The headline literally says "Close the Railway, Overthrow the Crab!" This is with reference to the ongoing rubber farmers' protest in the south. Crab is the PM's Thai nickname. This really tickled me in so many ways, cos (believe it or not) I simply can't imagine seeing something like this about my own country's government in the local book-stores...

Beer Chang on Ice
First time I've seen this. They've frozen the bottom half of the mug. Clever!

Wat Phra Non
Thigh-busting steps...