Chiang Mai

From Bangkok we took an overnight train to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. And after spending a day and a half in Chiang Mai we all departed on a three day trek through the jungle, sleeping at small villages in the hills along the way.

The trek was fantastic. It started with a long boat ride down a long river and from there we continued onward--via elephant--to stay with a small tribe living up in the hills. It was beautiful and story-worthy for sure, though we have all decided that riding elephants is much better as a story to tell than as an actual experience. In actuality it can be painful and frightening (we always seemed on the verge of falling off). That night we all slept in one large bamboo hut, and the next morning we hiked for several hours to a waterfall, followed by some lunch, and then several hours more to another hill tribe.

This second night was by far the highlight of the trek. Whereas in the first village all the people who lived there seemed quite ambivilant about our presence, hardly ever saying hello, this second village was very happy to see us. That evening after dinner, as we were sitting around on the outside "porch" section of our hut, we started singing songs and dancing and many of the villagers came around to watch us. Then one of the older women of the village got up to join us! Ben Mirin taught this lady how to do the moon walk and a number of other Michael Jackson favorites, and the dozen or so village children who were watching thought that this was the most incredible and hilarious thing in the world. By now we really had a show going on. We sang more songs for them, and somehow I eventually found myself sorounded by four children. After we had sung some of our songs, they started to sing some of the songs they now. Simple Thai children's songs-- one in particular I asked them to repeat at least five times so I could start to memorize it myself. The kid to my left who was a little older, 9, was singing the song but wasn't acting it out with the proper hand motions until I poked him and indicated he should play along. Oh, it was the most delightful experience. Some of the most fun I've ever had with children, and we didn't even speak the same language (though I did get the 9 year old to teach me how to count to 10).

The next day we traveled up to the Golden Triangle: the confluence of three river sections right at the corner where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. We took a boat across the river to Laos where there was a whole collection of touristy kitch shops. I wasn't so much in the mood for that, however, so instead I wandered off down a road in search of something more interesting. Where I ended up was the construction site of a huge casino that (from what I understand) Thai business men are building just across the river in Laos to keep it legal. No one was stopping me, so I went ahead and explored the whole constuction site, even climbing up a ramp onto the roof of the casino and from that vantage point taking in Laos, Burma, and Thailand as far as my eye could see.

We returned from the trek yesterday, and today we travel to Burma. While there it is doubtful that I will have any internet access. But in a week or so I should be in Hannoi.

As always there are more stories to tell than time allows.

I just tried to upload pictures, but it was too slow and I was too impatient. Next time.