golden triangle

we left for the golden triangle the day after we returned to chiang mai by way of a cramped minibus tour. our guide and driver, mr. hand and mr. noise respectively, we not as enjoyable as their reservoir dog-like names. it was a very long day starting at 7am.

we passed through chiang rai (180km ne of chiang mai) without stopping. from what we saw and have read it is a smaller version of chiang mai (less traffic, pollution, and a smaller night market). we went down the main north-south drag but saw nothing more.

239 km north of our starting point we stopped at the small village of chiang saen. known as the gateway of the golden triangle, the 60km of road between chiang rai and chiang saen was very pretty. the road followed the mae nam chan river and featured coconut groves and rice paddies. the city, like chiang rai and chiang mai after it, was abandoned as the capital of thailand as the burmese forced the capital city to be moved south time and time again. i would have liked to stop longer to explore the crumbling city walls and the encirling moat, but we had to move on. we did, however, have a chance to visit the area's oldest wat: wat jadeeloung. it was established in 1331 and rebuilt in 1515. some of the trees in the courtyard were over 400 years old.

at my need lydia and i then visited the infamous golden triangle (12km nw of chiang saen). the golden triangle is the area where thailand, burma (myanmar), and laos meet at the boundaries of the mekong and mae ruak rivers. while i stood on thai soil i could see to the left burma and to the right laos. note: the golden triangle has a history of being the centre of illegal drug activites. with burma, laos and thailand in such close proximity it was the perfect meeting point for the opium and heroin market. we paid to have a local take us on his motorized sanpan (longboat) across the mekong. it was cold on the water but interesting to see burma and laos from the river, and with them so close i could not pass on the chance to see them closer. we ended up crossing and entering laos on foot (you do not require a passport) - a choice that our guide seemed to champion but not follow himself. over in the democratic peoples republic of laos (d.p.r.l.) we were immediately approached by corrupt government officials (perhaps soldiers) who hit us up for an entry fee. i protested, but lydia wisely spared the confrontation and paid for both of us. note: although one was armed we were never in danger. the area we had entered was a cheap, sketchy, blackmarket so we hung by the boats until we could leave. i am sure that other people have had a more pleasurable/favourable experience while in the d.p.r.l. anyways i can now say that i have been to laos.

once back in thailand we had a buffet lunch, and then visited mae sai. this is the famous "visa run" city where people cross in burma only to re-enter thailand for another 30 day visa. we checked out the burmese/thai border and got the touristy snapshot of standing in the northern most spot in thailand. we did not, however, cross into the burmese city of tachilek. the heavy soldier presence and our first hand experience visiting thai refugee camps did not make it appealing. you would have also had to surrender your passport, and as i sleep with mine and had trouble paying even the laos entry fee we declined. the poverty near the border was even more prevalent as the human trafffic passes between the countries. it is a busy crossing, and thais, being the richer of the two nations, cross to shop for burmese goods.

lastly we visited a padung village of the famed "long neck" people. it was very interesting to see the women's rings, a process that begins at age 5 and continues until the woman has over 20 rings lengthening her neck. if they are removed she cannot survive. we took some pictures and tried to be respectful. they were very accomodating. however, it got me thinking that as tourists we want to see the traditional ways of life for these people, but through our presence, we alter the way they are living. you cannot see something here and not impact the future. all you can do is try and limit your effect. doc brown was right.

our trip, covering over 560km in more than 14 hrs, was exhausting and frustrating. it was too much to see, too rushed, too cramped, too orchestrated. we merely passed by tourist things and missed what really counts. on a postive note we did make new friends with a couple from switzerland and sweden.

on the way home our late tour travelled at night (something our travel doctor warned us never to do). lydia and i saw as we passed through some rough road a kid face down on the sandy pavement, his motorbike nearby. i think he was dead. we made our guide and driver pull over at the next police box to inform the police. it was a hard thing to see, and so much more alien and real than a huge pileup on the 401. lyds and i both have come to agree that we are done with organized tours that are not treks. they suck, and for the most part, the people do too (we had an elderly couple that i could have given the one flew over the cuckoo's nest treatment to). it is just not the backpacker way. we simply ran out of time to see things properly, and so we had to settle.

pai

we booked passage on a minibus for pai on the 25th. and i thought out trek was an adventure? the 135 km nw trip took us over three hours over the roughest driving conditions we have seen. the bus was never going straight. the bus was never still. the bus was never even. we winded our way with matt good in my earphones and postcard-like hills on all sides. the road was one lane for each way, but people take the turns in the opposing lane due to how sharp the turns are. scattered along the way were thai buffalos and cows, and sometimes we had to honk the horn or move to avoid them as they wandered around the forest. it would have been a wicked motorbike trip if we had the time. as we approached pai we had to pass through a military checkpoint for drugs (as we are so close to the border with burma). along the way you could still see the terraced fields that had been cut in the hills to grow opium in the past.

the town itself is found in a large green valley carpeted with rice paddies and fruit trees. the pai river runs through the valley, and the climate and feel up here is close to what it is like at the cottage in spring. at night it is very cold, much like sanpatong where we trekked. there isn't a big hotel or a tourist information booth in pai, nor are there tuk-tuks, songtaus or pollution. people come to pai because it is one of the last quiet places in thailand. it is a dot on the map. but it is rapidly becoming developed, and they have already begun building a proper airport. we just got in for the death rattle.

our plan was to come and do nothing. that is the expression here - "do nothing in pai." it is on all the tshirts. we had arrived and had already secured a place to stay at a hot springs 10km out of town. it was the most expensive accommodations we had booked, but the idea of the hot springs on those cold nights appealed to us greatly. we got there and saw that the grounds were immaculately kept, and the location was right on the river. the hills surrounded us. our room, however, was a hole. dirty, sparten, insignificant. a dead frog had been crushed in our doorframe for god knows how long. he is now petrified, a gruesome decoration for the filthy bathroom and its reaking shower. at night the nature we had looked forward to turned against us as frogs and crickets hummed and chirped without pause. our fellow guests a few doors down, who i will call the loud euros, kept us up with their loud music and called out to us in weird languages when we took to the spring. they must have thought we were friends of theirs in the darkness. but the spa was hot, and the stars we bright.

the next day we were up early. it was impossible to sleep as construction begun at 7:00 am sharp. we grumbled out of bed and caught a ride to town in the back of a pickup truck. the view was really nice as we bounced along. we then spent the day wondering around the sleepy shops and ate some good meals. it is so nice to get away from the pollution and the headaches it causes.

in yet another instance of thai happenstance we were both tired from the sun and wanted to get in touch with our spa to come and pick us up in town. however, of course the number we were given to call did not work, and required an insane amount of baht to be fed continously into the pay phone. telecommunication has not been my friend in this country. so we wandered around trying to think of a way to avoid a 10km hike in the dark valley. we saw a man in the market playing four instruments at once (drums, stringed chinese guitar, diggerydoo (sp?), and a cymbals). in the night market we also ran into nikki and carley who were the aussie chicks we had trekked with. seeing lights in the night sky lyds and i ran through the streets to come upon the disturbance: a thai block party. we crashed it of course, and released paper lanterns into the night sky like in the beach. lastly, we ended up running into the shuttle bus for our spa!

that night the hotsprings were empty and lyds and i had it all to ourselves. we sat in the hot water with the garden around us until the heat would become too much. Then we would get out and lay down on the cool stonework watching the sky and the steam come off our bodies. then we would climb back in again. that night was worth the price.

chiang mai v1.2

after the trek we went for thai massages. so good. so cheap. we have gone again and again. afterwards as we were heading back to our guesthouse there was a large police presence near the chedi hotel. the police had completely blocked off traffic and were directing cars and people back. fearing a bombing lydia and i investigated. as soon as the crowds and traffic were contained by the local police in came the military for a swift deployment around the chedi hotel. it was amazing efficient and quick. as soon as the military had taken their positions in came a large motorcade with more police and military presence. a huge entourage exited the main vehicle, and the military jacked up and soluted the figure exiting the car. we found out by asking the nearest mp that we had just seen the king of thailand (or at least his motorcade as he was ushered in so quickly). that night at dinner an elephant surprised me while we ate at an outdoor restaurant and i had to duck to avoid his trunk.

the next day we had a deserved sleep in and then decided to finish off the touristy sites. we tried to find the city's public transportation but gave up in the heat. we took a songtau to wat phra that doi suthep - chiang mai's famed mountain and temple. we made the 1,000m twisting climb in the songtau while we chatted with the other passengers, and arrived to climb the 290-step naga (snake) staircase that was built in 1557. the staircase, and the expansive view of the city, were the best part of the wat. too touristy, crowded and liberal with gold (gaudy) buddhas and spires everywhere. i was disappointed. even the museum was closed, but the gift shops and the admission booth to buy a ticket were of course open. as we had first hand knowledge that the royal family was present, we had to cancel our plans to visit phuping palace (doi buc ha) - the summer residence of of royal family. but things worked out as you will see later (everything happens for a reason in thailand and usually for the best).

the other backpackers who shared our songtau up the mountain quickly became good friends. i took an immediate liking to chase, an american from south carolina who had by chance paired with two brits named michelle and caroline. we all decided to head to the royal flora ratchapruek. this project, began four years ago to honour the anniversary of the king's accension to the throne, is the size of disneyland and houses flowers from most countries of the world. as luck would have it the exhibit was just opened in november and will close at the end of this month.

we had an amazing time with our group dynamic. arriving late we paid to have a driver cart us around in an oversize golf cart we shared with another thai family. joking, filming, fake yelling. screwing around. it was chaos trying to see everything before the night concert and laser show began. nearing the end of the ride we all (thai family included) abandoned the golf cart and began running to the show. we stopped along the way to intermittantly taking pictures of our group with and wihtout our new thai family. in the end we ended up receiving the mother's business card, and received a standing invitation to their home in bangkok should we pass that way.

the laser show was incredible - complete with dancers, singers, musicians, elephants, fireworks and lasers. all in thai we did not understand a word of the story but who cares. it was like watching a thai pink floyd concert except that a floating flower replaced the floating pig. after the show was the disney-like parade, again musical and neon. at one point caroline fell down a hill and got covered in mud, but using the mai pen rai technique, we all laughed it off and helped clean her up. nearing closing we all ran frantically around trying to see as many countries as possible. they blended together along with the laughs, pictures and ninja kicks. there was an indescribable feeling of levity, that we were meant to to all meet each other, and that what we were doing (running around a giant flora show) was right. i probably will never be able to describe it fully what it meant to make familar friends so quickly in a strange land.

we waited until the park closed to leave, but ended up taking the wrong gate to find ourselves in the middle of nowhere. chase hailed a songtau and bartered a great price for us. lyds and i were invited back to their hostel for some beers while caroline changed. the beers were so good and when lydia tried to decline chase said that "where he (i) come from that means yes." they generously applied them to their hostel tab. as lyds and i had been in town longer it was left to us to pick a spot for dinner. i chose a soccer bar that is known for having dancers and a night life (as well as surprise elephant encounters). on the walk there we talked music - chase, like me, is a huge fan of the killers - and everything else. we both agreed to send each other a list of different artists that we like, and carried singha (brand of beer) travellers with us like we were in vegas. at the bar it was my turn to treat (let it not be said canadians aren't greatful and generous), and i got the table so tiger beers. we all ordered food. the spice and beers kept coming at us "like a cobra," and tuk-tuks were said to be "coming in hot." the conversation never lagged. if chase and i were official representitives of our countries there would be much better relations.

a sad farewell at the end of the night saw emails being exchanged and promises to look each other up if passing through our respective cities. i needed this drinking night out with the boy(s), and again i was impressed with the people i have met through traveller's chance. chase also taught me his motto: sleep when it is over.

damn right.

sanpatong

just completed a 3 day, 2 night trek in sanpatong (about 50km sw of chiang mai). highlight of the trip so far. a songtao took us to meet the other trekkers and then we headed toward doi inthanon natural park where we stopped to ride elephants! as there was no room in the basket that was secured on the elephant's back, i was allowed so sit on his head for the entire ride. incredible. throughout the ride we would stop to buy sugarcane and bananas to feed the strong pachyderm. he ate each banana whole, and in about a second. most of the time he would have his trunk near my face begging for more, and when we paced out the treats too long he would shoot water back at me. i felt like indy in the temple of doom.

after the elephants and lunch we trekked for about 2 hrs through the jungle. i was on point for the first day - the whole time thinking of every vietnam war movie i have ever seen. while others talked gleefully, i was busy scanning the jungle for charlie in the trees. the doors and stones were playing in my head, and somewhere along the line i acquired a bamboo spear. our guide, "joe", looked out of the killing fields as he had a headband on like the khlmer rouge. the trek itself was perfect: challenging, wild, rugged. at several points we crossed rivers on bamboo bridges. but i never did end up seeing the man in the black pajamas; the worthy adversary.

that night we slept in a karen village. note: the karen people are make up the largest tribal group in thailand (250,000). they also have been battling with the burmese for years for the creation of an autonomous state. the relationship between the trekkers was incredible. there were people from australia, the netherlands, estonia, france, bulgaria, and of course canada and thailand (this in a group of just 14 people). through an assortment of charades and broken english we all sang songs, played cards, told stories from our homelands and learned about each other. it was total communal living - sharing food, space, supplies and company. if only the whole world could be the same. the nights in the north are freezing (near 0 c) and none of us really slept due to the cold. no one complained though, and the simple meals of rice or noodles with spice or veggies were devoured. lydia and i both made friends, especially with the aussie girls nikki and carley, and we may even see them when we get to sydney.

the next day we had another challenging hike which was almost entirely uphill. at the end of the day we had passed through the most dense jungle and challenging conditions and heat. that night we camped at the base of a waterfall. the water was amazingly cold, which helped me clear off the mud from my own designed short cut (note: there has to be difficulties with short cuts or else it would just be the way).

on the final day of the trek we came within view of doi inthanon (8,400 feet), thailand's highest mountain. we also had a chance to do bamboo rafting down a river. our craft, far from seaworthy, navigated through the rapids using bamboo sticks. we did, however, lose a bulgarian at one section of the river but everyone just laughed it off (including him). after a long songtao ride home, and sad goodbyes and email exchanges we returned home for a needed shower.

chiang mai v1.1

note on chiang mai

from 1296 chiang mai was the cultural and religious centre of northern thailand. in 1556, the walled city was captured by the burmese, and it was not subsequently taken back until 1775. this explains the strong burmese presence in the city's architecture, religion, language, and food. wats (temples) are everywhere, as are palaces for the ancient princes. these blend in among hill tribe markets, fast food outlets, fancy hotels and ghetto housing. like bangkok, tuk-tuks (motorized 3 wheelers) are prevalent, however, new to us are the songtaos (covered pickup cabs).

for our first full day in chiang mai we continued our theme of mai pen rai and wandered down this road or that. on the ping river we discovered a local flower market where beautiful and intricate flowers are cheap and numerous. after extending our stay at the guest house we did touristy stops the next day. the wats here are so beautiful and immense. they can be next to the worst hovels - a striking contrast of intricate gold designs and giant bronze buddahs. wat chedi luang, which we quickly named the jedi temple, was built in 1411. beyond discription at over 280 feet, it made me want to become a buddist. visiting this wat also provided us with the opportunity to meet with a student monk, and we sat with him for awhile asking about thailand, buddist practices and monastic life. thinking back he probably would have wanted to know more about us, but it gives them a chance to practice english. here every alley leads to an adventure from the women's prison we stumbled upon to a local brazil-style children's soccer game we watched and wagered on (note: i won and lyds welched saying that my team's winning goal did not go in).

the night bazaar has lived up to expectations as the city's premier attraction. here switchblades mingle with rolexes amd hagglers, and everything is worth your ability to barter. the market spills in every direction and it is very crowded with fellow backpackers and tourists. there is no system and i get turned around easily but lyds helps orientate us. we never miss a night if we can go. i already have two beckham jerseys at prices my grandmother would be proud of.

thanks to my call to cibc my bank card is working again. i almost had to call pierre at td.

chiang mai v1.0

we left bangkok after only one night and got to the train station around midday. unfortunately, it is a very busy time to travel to the north as thais and tourists alike flee the heat of the south for the cooler north. this meant that the two earliest trains were already sold out, and we had to book seats only (no sleeping berths) on the 10pm train. stuck with a 10hr stopover with our packs at the train station we toured around western bangkok and read frommers on a bench in the shade. the area around the train station was not the best neighbourhood, however, we did catch a traditional thai game like volleyball except they only use their feet! they were so good at it that they looked jedi. both exhausted, hot, and tired of lugging our packs around we retreated back to the train station to wait on our train. lyds managed to sleep a little bit while i looked over our bags, read, and caught the thailand vs. philippines soccer match.

the train, running on "thai time," was late getting into the station. we both fell asleep right away hugging our bags in our cheap, fans only, car. i slept 5 hours and felt amazing after. the train ride took 15 hours but doubled as our accomodations that night, and provided a tour of the countryside as the side rose as we began to pass through the northern hills. i listened to the rollling stones "gimme shelter" as the sun came up. very cool. the country we passed through is very rough, poor but beautiful. by the time we arrived in chiang mai we were tired and hungry (we had declined to buy food through the train's windows at stops). it was a happy parting with the "northwest passage" lookalike car.

a quick barter with a tuk-tuk (pronounced touque-touque) driver and we were headed for the montri hotel in the old city. however, it was all booked up. armed with frommers and no reservations we started to walk the city. after a few more rejections lyds felt we were like mary and joseph with no room at the inn. however, we have learned to recite "mai pen rai" or no worries here. things just seem to work out. we followed a narrow lane and found a nice, if not more expensive guest house, and moved in. i am pretty sure we bumped someone's reservations. the accommodations were simple, but clean, and although it was not in the old city we were near the night bazaar and had two englsih channels on tv (bbc world news and a movie network). after checking in we gleefully shed our packs and toured the old city portion of chiang mai which in encircled by a moat and wall. famished we ate a simple meal and walked back to the guest house for a hot shower.

arrival

simple math to travel to the other side of the world: 2 entourages to the airport; 1 emotional goodbye; 4 in-flight movies and meals; 2 hours of sleep; and 10 jet lag pills.

the flight was the best it could be - uneventful. the 10:30pm departure ensured that western canada was completely dark, but we could just make out the icefalls floating in the ocean off alaska . we caught up with the sun as we flew over taiwan. it was beautiful to see the sun finally peak over over the horizon with taipei below us, and helped us to reset our internal clocks. lyds slept for more of the flight, and managed to drug me with a gravol when she thought i needed sleep. our view of hong kong was was marred by a heavy fog on our approach and departure that did not allow a view of the city (just a glimpse of the massive hills), but provided an exciting landing into nothing. the hong kong airport is a massive and simple structure, and very efficient. lyds and i both felt very at home there - the airport is white and sterile and not at all asian. we did welcome the chance to stretch our legs as our connecting gate was a good 2o minute walk. for the hong kong to bangkok portion of our trip we lucked out with bulkhead seats and little miss sunshine.

we arrived in bangkok and negotiated customs with little help or signage. thanks to the generousity of the mcdonalds there was a driver and a black mercedes benz e to meet us for the 4o minute drive to the hotel. our driver, mr. amnant, spoke multiple languages and had fought in the vietnam war on the american side. he helped to orientate us with bangkok. the driving conditions here are crazy with little law except that by honking your horn you are absolved from any traffic rules. we weaved on the highway at 140km/hr into the city, and once in the city we sped through the narrow streets littered with j-walkers and strange vehicles. our "short-cut" might very well have been an experience going the wrong way on a one lane one way street, and left me smiling and Lyds white knuckled and motion sick.

we arrived at the royal orchid sheraton to receive exceptional service and a room upgrade (again a present from the mcdonalds). our room is on the 25th floor overlooks the choa phya river (the river of kings) and looks west over the city. after converting travelers cheques we took a walk to explore a little of the chinatown neighborhood and purchase a phone card. unfortunately, my bank card is not working and has caused me some stress. after returning to the room for a shower and a "nap," we were bolted out of bed at 10pm by the sound of nearby explosions across the choa phya. fearing more terrorist activity or artillery strikes we opened the curtains, but were surprised with a five minute fireworks show over the river celebrating national childrens day.

overnight 13 hour train ride to chiang mai scheduled for tonight as we leave bangkok and let it cool down before our return. there has been little news from the seperatist movement, and the papers are full of increased security in the wake of new threats.

my tour of duty has begun.