Thailand - Chang Rai, Chang Mai and back to Bangkok

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The next day we were fully rested and up at 06.00 to take a look at the river and the large Buddha. As it was such a lovely morning we also walked up to the Golden Triangle viewpoint where you can see the three countries – Thailand, Laos and Burma. This was where a lot of illegal trading went on, of drugs, animals, children and guns, up to about 20 years ago when the Government of Thailand clamped down on it. Had a wander around a really old 13th C Temple (under renovation!) and then meandered back down the steps to find something for breakfast.
We all then went as a group, went to the opium museum, which has a fine collection of clay pipes and a lot of information on the Hill Tribes and the legendary Mekong Catfish.
An hour and a half drive until we reached Chang Rai where we had lunch and a wander around the White Pagoda. Its being created by an artist and will take about 75 years to complete but its a white temple, with mirrors embedded in the walls, surrounded by water with white fish, reached by a white bridge and very intricate! Looks like a fairy castle!! Inside the artist is still painting the walls – very different! It’s a bit like a Salvador Dali painting with Superman, Spiderman, Michael Jackson, the Twin Towers and many other weird and wonderful caricatures!
Onward to our next stop – a cashew nut ‘factory’! The owner showed us how the nut is broken and how it is made into sweets or biscuits, dependent upon grade and size of nut and we were then able to sample all the nuts with the different coatings – and of course buy them if we liked them!
Another hours drive and we reached Chang Mai (Smiles Hotel). Sorted our stuff out for tomorrow and took our laundry down the road to a little old lady to be collected in 2 days time before eating and looking around the night market with our Brazilian friend!
The next day we were off to see the Hill Tribes. Our songthaews (two benches in back of covered pick up truck!) and our guide, Sonny,arrived at the hotel about 9.00 and after an hour or so drive we stopped for our first break at a local market. On towards the mountains and another stop to see an old cave where the Burmese monks lived 300years ago (only bats live there now!) and to see the old shrines and temples before lunch of Pad Thai. (noodles, bamboo shoots, veg & seafood)
We then left the ‘main’ road and continued up a dirt track, picking up another guide on the way, to the first village – the Karen tribe. Traditionally the women and female children wear rings around the neck ( can’t remember why now!) but it gives the impression that they have longer necks when infact it pushes the shoulder bones downwards. Anyway, we didn’t see any people wearing them as we wandered around the village – it felt a little bit intrusive and uncomfortable peering into their houses and past them cooking the food on their open fires but apparently they are used to it and didn’t mind photographs. – there were also a few women and children from another village in traditional dress (Lisu and Akha tribes ) selling homemade bracelets and bits and bobs.
Another 15minute drive and we were dropped off at the start of our hillside trek – The first half hour, (after removing our shoes to cross a knee deep river!!) was a walk through pasture land and then up the steep hillside, through the jungle of bamboo, trees and undergrowth (all in hot sunny 35c!!) ! At the top our guide cut us all walking sticks from bamboo as the next half hour was a steep walk downwards, sliding/slipping between the tree trunks on loose gravel/soil. Not the easiest thing to do! At the bottom, Sonny then macheted his way to the riverbed, where we had to then walk along the stream, using rocks as stepping stones, to avoid getting our feet wet when there wasn’t a path and then zig sagging across the water on rough bamboo bridges. It eventually opened out into pasture land again, with wonderful views of the hillsides, and we walked into the village where we were to spend the night.
The village tribe was originally from Burma (Palong tribe) and came to Thailand after fleeing Burma twenty years ago. The women traditionally always wear red skirts and sequined jackets, along with a metal belt to prove that they are hard workers! We had our dinner – a delicious home made soup, followed by rice with five different dishes of different mixed vegetables and fresh pineapple for dessert. The children had prepared a little song and dance show for our evening entertainment and we settled around the campfire and watched them perform. They also wanted us to sing a few songs for them so, as a group, we sort of tried to sing Cum Baya (spelling???) In the Jungle,(total disaster!!) and a pop song! It was quite bad!! Anyway, we all got up afterwards and had a dance around the fire making some strange hand movements that the children showed us. A quick quiz prepared by London and we were all in our mosquito netted shared dormitory beds by 10.00pm, listening to the villages continuing festivities of the Buddhist last day of Lent festival. Fireworks, music and drums most of the night!
We had a little bit of rain overnight but awoke at 6.00am to a misty day that soon cleared into blue sky and sun again. After breakfast and thanking our hosts we walked through the village to where our group of elephants were waiting to take us on a walk! Clambered onto the howdah and off we lurched down the track and across the fields, the elephant clearing and breaking any bamboo or trees that were in the way. Trekked across the land, for about an hour before a 15 minute drive to the river where we got onto bamboo rafts for an hours ride down the river – the rafts were just bits of bamboo tied together making a flat bed so it was quite fun going down the rapids – there were not many rapids due to the river being so high!
Onto our lunch stop, which was a traditional Pad Thai (no meat as it was a Buddhist holiday) and then to an elephant dung paper making cottage industry! The owner showed us how they wash the dung, then boil it, bleach it, then the residual that is left is spread out onto trays to dry in the sun, to make the paper! Quite clever and a lovely little gift shop of notebooks and photo frames, wrapping paper etc – all totally impossible to buy and get home in one piece! Shame!
Another hours drive in our pick up truck took us to an orchid farm and butterfly park! Given an orchid to wear as we went in and then walked into the Butterfly Park. Quite small but I loved the butterflies – as always! There really are some beautiful butterflies here!! The orchids were also stunning. Rows and rows of huge orchids just dangling from wires. No pots, just roots hanging down. Beautiful purple, red, yellow orchids, huge flowers and nothing like I had ever seen before!
Our last stop was Tiger Kingdom where you could go and stroke tigers for 15 minutes. Appeared to be very touristy and I felt sorry for the tigers so we didn’t go in but sat by the huge fish pond and enjoyed the peace and quiet whilst some of the group indulged themselves. I don’t regret not going in but they did have some beautiful pictures of the tigers so mixed feelings on it.
Anyway, back to the hotel, shower, internet, food and bed!
Up early the next morning (whats new!!!). Sunny, our guide, was picking us up at 09.00am to drive us to the highest peak in Thailand (1685metres)– to visit the temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (1073 metres). The site was selected by sending an elephant up the mountain to roam at will on the mountainside. When it reached this spot, it trumpeted, circled three times and knelt down – which was interpreted as a sign indicating an auspicious site.
As we climbed higher it became cloudier and by the time we had climbed the steps up to the temple there was no view at all! Had a look around at all the temples, many buddhas and cloisters and eventually the cloud cleared enough for us to view Chang Mai. Wandered around the excellent markets and then came back to the hotel.
After lunch, had a wander down to the local park and then through Chang Mai old city gates to see the Three King Monument and look at some of the old temples. Plenty of Wats to be found but the most impressive was an old temple dating back to 1391, that was partially destroyed by an earthquake, but was originally an impressive 80 metres high.
Back to the hotel for a restful early evening before catching the overnight bus for the 9hr journey to Bangkok. The bus was a pleasant surprise – lovely reclining seats, a game/video consort and plenty of leg room. Also had a free dinner (rice and pork) free strawberry drink and crisps, bottle of water and soya milk in the morning! It was 3hrs late arriving in Bangkok due to a huge detour on rough roads due to the floods in the middle of Thailand. Bangkok is actually on red alert, as it is experiencing high tides due to the full moon and the City is only 2 metres above sea level.
We were lucky enough to get settled into our hotel again before we had a thunderstorm, which then cleared into a sunny day and we wandered around the markets and the Khaosan Road doing last minute bits of shopping before finding the Post Office and sending it all home (that’s xmas sorted!!) Sat in the park for a while then back to the hotel for a lazy few hours (another heavy thunderstorm!) before our leaving meal at 19.30pm.
Awoke to a bright sunny day, our last day in Bangkok. Decided to take the river ferry down to China Town and have a look around the markets. The river was extremely high with sandbags attempting to do their job and keep the water from entering properties with limited success. A whole shoal of Mekong Catfish were at one of the docks so we spent ages watching the locals throw bread in for them – couldn’t quite work out why they weren’t catching them!! Anyway, back to the hotel to pack up before we leave for the train at 14.45pm. Next stop Penang, Malaysia!!

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Comments

[Laura]

The temple sounds amazing - although not sure about Michael Jacksons immortalisation in it!!!! Like the pic of you on an elephant!

[Tracie]

Hello!
All looks beautiful. I loved the white temple especially. Hope you manage to get a little rest now when you reach Australia. Take care x