TRAVELS IN THAILAND February 1993 I flew out of Boise

Thailand

TRAVELS IN THAILAND February 1993- a brief synopsis

After a very long airplane ride from Boise, Idaho, I arrived in Bangkok and had my first ride in a Tuk Tuk, which is an enclosed three wheel vehicle that goes like mad and you are unable to see out.

The first thing I did was go on a tour of the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple were established in the reign of King Romo 1 A.D. 1782 and was completed in A.D. 1785. After that, in the other reign of Kings, the Throne Halls in the Grand Palace and also the other Halls in the Emerald Buddha Temple were constructed with beautiful designs. There was no priest keeping monastery in the Emerald Buddha Temple.

Marge outside the temple.

There are six and half million people in Bangkok and I think they all smoke. We met our guide for the next few weeks, his name is ZAK and he is a young and very conscientious young man. Next morning, we are loaded into a bus and went to the Canal for a Longboat ride stopping at many places and going ashore several times. We saw snake and alligator farms and many Buddha's. We were surrounding by other boats all trying to sell us vegetables, fabrics or trinkets. It was a fascinating experience.

Next, we drove for two and half hours to Ayurethia, here we had lunch and saw old ruins of temples. We also saw how the people lived along the canals in their canal boats. There are lots of canals; you need a road map for the canal system here.

On the Rice Barge, tied up to shore:

We are now tied up to shore on the rice barge and this will be our home for the next few days and nights. They put sleeping mats all over the floor and we all lay down side by side, with a huge mosquito netting over us. This was an unexpected sleeping arrangement. In the morning, we went into the village of Bangrajan and saw the markets, and then hiked up to see the 600 year old Kiln's which have just been discovered. By ten-thirty a.m. we are back on the Barge and going down the river to the next village where we will have lunch and visit a Children's school. The children have English classes four times a week and we had loads of fun with the children who wanted to practice their English skills. Next, we stopped at a Market Village, did a little shopping and then on to Nahhonsawan. We are now in an air conditioned hotel with chairs, what a treat from sitting on the floor of the rice barge for several days and nights.

Next day, after a long bus ride to Chaing Rai which is a vacation town with lots of bright lights and shops, we arrive at a very luxurious hotel with thin walls. The scenery and housing has changed now, we see many mountains, forest, and teak farms. It takes sixty years for a Teak tree to harvest. Houses are modern and there is lots of Stucco or plaster and not so many temples and personal shrines.

Maikong River looking at Laos on the opposite side

We are now in the area of the Golden Triangle and the Maikong River which separates Burma, Laos and Thailand. We arrive in the village of Mactam which is the start of our hill tribes trek. At two p.m., we started our trek along a very hot dusty road, to the Hill tribes of Akka. The first surprise was at the entrance of the town, there were three crosses. They are not Buddhist here, but Christian, in fact they are Roman Catholic. Everyone in the village came to watch us arrive. We are staying in a bamboo hut on stilts. Again, at night we are all laying side by side. During the night it got really cold. I had sent my sleeping bag to Chaing Mai, I thought it would be too hot and I bought a blanket to use as many of us did. Exactly the opposite, it got real cold during the night.

One of our group helping out in the Village

I had not anticipated the weather to be so hot during the day so I elected to carry my own pack instead of using a porter (mistake). We hiked straight up a very steep trail and over the mountain to the next village called Laku. It took about four hours in the intense heat. This village is on the hillside and spread out. When we arrived at Laku, the first thing we did was head to a creek which was down a short steep bank to wash up and swim. One of our group slipped going down the bank and broke her hip.

Luckily, in our group we had five Doctors and a couple of nurses. Zak our tour guide, had to walk back very quickly for five-six hours to a village where someone had a pickup truck. He came back in the evening and they loaded the lady onto a mattress in the back of the truck. She was accompanied by her husband and a few friends for a six hour drive, on a very rough road to Chaing Mai and the hospital. Here is not the place to get hurt. We all went to bed about ten p.m. feeling very sorry for her. All our Porters and cooks are smoking dope...

Next morning the porters made breakfast and we hiked in a nice bamboo forest to the village of Karin. . Each village is a different tribe and they all look different in their dress. The girls wore beautiful skirts which they weave themselves.

We trekked through a great jungle (bamboo forest) today and arrived in the village of Karon 2. It is a very progressive village and even had a small store of sorts. We sunbathed for the rest of the day. Zak our guide arrived back today. We had a party with the Porters after dinner. One of the Porters did a magic show and put fire in his mouth. Lots of singing, and they drank terrible tasting whiskey, we did have fun.

To-day was our final trekking day which was mostly on a dirt road. Everyone is very anxious to be in a hotel again. This is my last night in Thailand, it was a great fifteen day experience and I am glad I got to see Bangkok and the northern part of Thailand. My favorite part was up north in the Chaing Mai and Chaing Rai area. Next, I am off to Nepal and the mountains for a new adventure.

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