Thailand so far....

This is thailand so far.... words to come soon!



So as promised, thought I would write a little to go with the pics. I travelled through Laos before coming onto Thailand, but those photos shall go into a different entry. From Luang Prubang in Laos, dad and I had 2 options, a fast boat or slow boat taking 8 hours or two days respectively, now being the speed dragons that we are jumped on the fast boat and went skimming up the mekong at a ridiculous speed with knees jammed up around our chins but lots of fun, and excluding the numb butt, sore back and slight dampness. Got us to Thailand rather quickly!

Upon which I haggled to no success with cross tuk tuk driver and got to the border just before it closed to be slapped with a $2 after hours fee! - Asia!

So this is me and dad in the boat as you can see helmets mandatory! not that I ever felt unsafe, but better to be safe than sorry etc etc.

So into Thailand where on the first nioght we enjoyed a cook it yourself meal on a grill with various meat and veg selections, very nice, then the following day a dissapointing shopping day, but an excellent thai massage for all of $3 an hour!

And off to Chaing Rai, where we chose a less than beautiful hotel, but dad assured me it was fine, and very cheap in a great location, so you can't really argue, I did however feel that the green lino on the floor with hard wooden doors down a corridor and bars on the window gave it a death row on the green mile feeling. Also I am a little curious as to wether they rent the rooms out by the hour?!

Dinner at the night market though, indulged in yummy kebabs fried spring rolls and prawns I guessed it was kind of like the authentic thai mcdonalds. fast food thai style... mmmm

Next day we took a tour with Carlos and Lucia, a couple from Spain, origanally Mexico, this was fun stopped at a monkey pagoda and were entertained by the nearly 200 monkeys all eager to grab whatever food off you they can, then climbed a million steps to a bat cave with a buddha inside, by the time i got to the top wondered how anyone could be enlightened when they were sweating like a pig... perhaps thats why meditation is big here - time to cool off, and the highest points are closest to nirvana so always on the tops of hills, hmmph.

Another stop, another temple another set of stairs! This fat buddha was at the bottom, they wer much slimmer up top, I know exactly why!

Thailand has some beautiful temples I guess the country is a little richer and has more money for their temples so most are decorated in gold and red and really are asthetically pleasing, on the way down from this temple I stopped in at a fortune teller, I was not very fortunate.

Another hill, but this time looking out to Burma, So standing on Thai soil Burma behind, the people from Burma have darker skin than the thai people and are very big on trading, so rather pushy and have quick hands our guide informed us, they also are more traditional and wear long skirts and powder on their face to protect their skin from the sun. Nice change from the many itsy bitsy thai girls running around in next to nothing - yet I still can't find a shop with a bikini, go figure!

The Golden Traingle, famous for Opium trade, it is basically the link between Thailand, Burma on the left and Loas on the right. The museum we visited after this was a highlight and I learnt all about Opium, heroin and morphine - dangerous stuff!

Jumped on a boat back to Laos, so dad could buy a paper knife, me a small block yummy jasmine soap - from Burma! and chill out on Laos soil one last time before back to Thailand and off to see the long-neck Karen and Yao hill tribe people.

Long neck Karen, very interesting but I would not do it again, it felt as though the western tourist trade had turned these people into a human zoo, and whilst assured that they actually do beleive long necks are beautiful, none of the girls get a choice as to wether they have the rings or not. They are put on at 5 years old, and they are never able to be taken off because each ring weighs so much and the neck muscles can not support the neck by themselves.

So I felt very sad, that a cultural tradition has been turned into a tourist playground and the people are refugees, they do not have the option to say no thanks not today im tired, day in day out anywhere between 100-300 tourists visit them and they politely pose for photographs and hope you will buy some of their wares because even the 200B entrance fee you pay goes predominately to the land lord and not the people, they never leave their small village.

Even the guide was a little suprised when I asked her if she could please ask the ladies if it was alright for me to take a photo, 'of course' was her answer but I needed to respect the ladies and ask anyway. It was very difficult.

Finally a stop at a Yao tribe, these people are not refugees they are thai people but live in similar conditions to the Karen people, they don't leave their village and have become a tourist spectacle. Most chew beetlenut so it turns their teeth completely black! Dad got offered some and turned it down, good move I have tried some in Cambodia and its very bitter and not recomended!

Now in Chiang Mai, done a good look around the mall for a bikini, mini skirt, singlet top - to no avail... where is the beach wear? Im returning back to nz soon with nothing to wear!

Can't wait to catch up with everyone soon! miss ya x