An Eye-Opening Experience at a Lake, Unchanged Temple, and Apsara

   Day two and a brief break from temples.  We loaded up in the van early and were headed about an hour+ out of town.

  

     The highway we were taking is the one to the capital of Cambodia in Phnom Penh.  It is a 6 hour drive.  Along one stretch we saw stall after staff of bamboo pieces over small fires.  We stopped and would find the best road side convenient store dish yet Kralan.  It is a shaved down thin bamboo stick, stuffed with rice, coconut milk, black beans, and palm sugar.  Then the ends are stuffed with rice hay/grass and then cooked over the fire.  Then you just peel it open and eat.  At 50 cents each it is the snack of choice on long drives.

    Eventually we turned off the main road and eventually the straight, nearly single lane road went to dirt and for a few miles we would flanked on either side by houses on stilts.  Our guide told us these were the newer homes, newer families, who have moved into the floating village. Floating village? Where's the water?  We learned we were on the way to the world's second largest fresh water lake, Tonle Sap...second largest because during wet season it would increase 5X in size and these houses miles from where we would find the lake would be sitting above water.  By the way...the lake's average depth...1 meter.  We also learned these homes have only had electricity for a few years, before that they used car batteries for power.  These days some are converting to solar.

The closer we got to the water the larger the homes.  Eventually we arrived at a bridge and there our guide would meet our boat driver and we would take off on a long tail boat through the homes...and eventually to homes that were actually floating.  As the lake fills up the floating homes will be moved closer and closer to the ones on stilts, so they have access to the land.  We also learned when the water is lower many families farm it with a rice that will go from seed to harvest in 3.5 months.  Out into the "main" lake we could not see to the other side (and eventually when we flew from Siem Reap for Sihanoukville we would see how incredibly massive this lake is...even now when it's just starting to fill).  Obviously life here is fishing and this lake supplies 70% of the fish for the Cambodian people.

    Floating along with the homes were floating schools. Our kids would learn here there were primary and a middle school.  But most students don't make it long in school as their families need them to help generate income.  Most help with the fishing, but yes we were greeted at the bus with many children selling things.  It is highly discouraged to buy from children or to give them money as it only supports the notion that they don't need school.  Our kids were quite affected by these sights.  And Ally being only one year away from high school on our way out from the village would see the high school girls leaving for school.  Not on a bus, not even on a scooter like in Thailand, but on a bicycle.  We learned they would cycle 1 hour each way to school, if they were lucky enough to stay in school.  Another profound moment...

     We also learned Cambodia is facing a difficult situation with the lake.  Laos is building a dam on the Mekong for power.  Somewhat understandable, but this lake which also connects to that has a incredibly odd dynamic in that rivers flow different ways in and out (literally reversing direction) depending on the rainy or dry season.  By damming up a major branch this will have a massive impact on environment and people who rely on it.

     On the way back from the villages we stopped at Beng Mealea temple.  Access to this one has only come in recent years and it is still very much in the state one sees when taken over by the jungle. Very little restoration has been done, so you truly get to see the power of the jungle and how these can go undiscovered.  Our guide even said there are certainly many more temples still hidden within the jungles waiting to be discovered.  Alec, the first day was very excited about archaeology.  This one and the work required I think overwhelmed him and he's turned his thoughts back to architecture.

     Back at our hotel we had a little down time, then we were off to an Apsara show at the Koulen  Restaurant.  A huge open hall with long tables and a buffet we met our guide who had secured us a very good table.  The food was so-so, but enough there to find something for everyone.  Loads of tour groups were there.  We enjoyed the show which had several acts, including Alec's favorite a dance involving coconuts and Ally's a little story about a boy and girl in a fishing village crushing on each other.  As the temples are covered with Apsara dancers it was really amazing to see the dancing live.

    Straight to bed as we had a very early wake-up ... in the van at 5AM we would be headed to Angkor Wat for sunrise.

   

Ancient Temples & First Khmer Meal

    Avis, Mom, is going to take over this one.  Even though Alec has enjoyed them writing about the temples is not the easiest of subjects for him.

     Landed in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we exited to what felt like a destination in the Caribbean.  We walked onto the tarmac to a tropical breeze and went into a beautiful new international arrivals area all done in the local architecture.  Immigration was easy as we had applied for an e-Visa (note: 2 copies needed...one for entrance and one for exit).  Our driver was a little late, but Mr. Ming was very nice and desperate to practice his English.  Our hotel the Ladear Angkor Boutique is just across the river about 2 city blocks off the bustling tourist area of Pub Street.  A small hotel we were greeted by a super friendly staff and shown the pool, restaurant, bar, and bathroom as our room was not ready and we had a few hours wait. Once we got our room we found even though the advertised "villas" we now know there is just one.  It's a small actual house located right off the reception area, restaurant, pool, and bar.  Yes, literally a small bungalow smack in the middle of the hotel grounds.  It was nice to have the

space, but a little awkward and sometimes loud being located at the hub of the hotel.  We just relaxed and went to dinner down the street at a student run restaurant called "LoveU" where we (the adults) tried our first Cambodian dishes of fish amok and beef lok lak.

     The next morning we were greeted early by our guide, Kanha.  We had been communicating with her for weeks.  She received a scholarship some years back from a NGO called JWOC (Journeys Within Our Community).  Her sponsor was a former Intel employee we met at a dinner party in Folsom. Today we were off to see several temples with our 3 days pass for $62 US per person (children 10 and under are free, but we had to carry a copy of Alec's passport to prove his age).

     Our first temple was (__________...we have to ask Kanha as we have forgotten).  This being our first temple is where our guide taught us about their structure...their layout (entrance always to the east, exit to the west aligning to the awakening (sunrise) and death (sunset). 

Here we also saw how the trees and forest overtake and destroy these temples.  We also learned how UNESCO has really made a huge impact and most temples have been adopted by a country and archaeologists from those countries work on the restoration.  Sadly we saw no temples sponsored by the United States (going to have to do some research to look into this).

    Our second temple was Ta Prohm, otherwise known as the Tomb Raider temple as this was where the movie was filmed. It was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most other temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found.  It was brought into UNESCO in 1992 and has had some restoration work done by India.  Other than the tomb raider tree everyone is intrigued by a carving of what appears to be a dinosaur...after further reading though it's probably more likely a boar or rhino.

    Our last temple of the day was probably our favorite located at the city of Angkor Thom with the temple being called Bayon.  Built in the late 12th or

early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.  Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings.  Bayon was absolutely amazing...49 towers each topped with the 4 faces of Budhha.  A massive complex it was absolutely stunning.  (We must admit even after seeing Angkor Wat who's size is incredible...Bayon is our favorite artistically).

      Having had a late lunch we stayed in and ate at our hotel's bar this evening.  Alec has already made friends with a bartender, Chuen.  We chatted with him and learned his English and restaurant/bar skills came from a NGO, which is all hospitality and 4-pronged = Reception, Kitchen, Housekeeping, and Bar/Server.  Ready for your dose of perspective...he makes about $45 a month in salary and says he works to get more skilled and for a meal.  He's been very kind to our family, especially Alec, who his story has made a very large impact on.

Beach Time in Khao Lak, Thailand

 

     Today we woke up very early to catch out flight to Phuket on our way Khao Lak.   We got through airport security and were waiting for our flight.   After we got on the plane and flew for about an hour and ten minutes we were there.   When we first got out of the airport, it was so humid.   We had to look for our driver but finally found him and he took us to our hotel.  It took about an hour to drive to Khao Lak.  When we arrived at our hotel Moracea, my Dad got our room keys and we were ready to go to our rooms.   The rooms were very nice (Hibiscus Deluxe which were located on the hill with 2 rooms per floor, 2 floors per building).  My sister and I shared a room and my Mom and Dad had a room.  There was a door that connected them.   Ally did a video tour of the room on Instagram, so you might want to check that out.  Especially the large window sitting areas we used every afternoon when it rained to read in.  After we were done checking out our room, we got our swimsuits on and went to the pool.  We hung out at the pool for a while and then got to go to the ocean.  One of my favorite parts of that day was when Ally, Dad, and I went out into the giant waves and jumped and dived into them.   After we got all dried off, we went back to the room for some hang-out time before dinner.   For dinner we ate at the hotel, I got all-American food:  a cheeseburger, French fries, and a Fanta!   I was so excited because I hadn’t eaten American food in so long.  Mom and Dad got Thai food and it was all very pretty and tasty.  After we finished dinner, we went back to the room and watched a really cool movie, Karate Kid II.

     The next morning, we were really excited because we got to sleep in! My Mom and Dad woke first then me after that Ally. While I was waiting for Ally I got to watch morning cartoons. After everybody was up we went to breakfast (which is included in our stay).   For breakfast, I got pancakes!  They had a few Thai dishes, Western, including an omlette bar...and Ally's favorite granola and yogurt bar with lots of kinds of dried fruit.   After breakfast, we took a stroll back to our room.  We got all of our stuff ready and walked into town.   The first stop was the market (only about 10 minutes from out hotel) because we needed some snacks to hold us off until dinner.  We didn’t eat lunch very often.  It was cool because all of the basic needs were in one town, like clothes, food, restaurants, and stores.  After we left the market we bought a boogie board because they had some pretty killer waves.  After we left town, we went back to the hotel and got on our swim suits.  We were really excited to try our new boogie board.  We ran down to the beach and played there for quite a while.   That day Ally and Dad went out to try the boogie board and Mom and I built a sand car on the beach.  After Ally and Dad came back, they were ready to take me out so I went out and played in the waves.   Playing in the waves was super fun, but a storm started rolling in so we had to go back to our room.   In our room, we had snacks and hung out for a very long time.   After we went our hotel, we walked back into town and went to a cute little restaurant called Qcumber.  I just got a bowl of cereal, but after that I was in for a treat.  McDonalds!!!!    McDonalds was in a big building.   My mom and Dad let me go because I couldn’t find many things I would eat at the Thai Restaurant.  My Mom loved her Papaya Salad.  Dad had more curry and Ally a a Nutella and banana sandwich. After that, we went back to the hotel and off to bed.

The next two days were pretty much the same.  We woke up, ate breakfast went to the beach, went in when it rained, and went out for dinner.  One night we went to Smile.  We were greeted by a French guy who showed us all the specials and then we went in to eat.  Yippeee!  Chicken nuggets.  My parents had dishes that were a mix-up of french meets Thai.  For example spring rolls that also included cheese.  On our final day Mom and Dad booked us massages at our hotel (between 10AM-2PM it was 20% off, so a 1 hr massage was about $28).  I got an oil massage it was very relaxing.  My sister and parents got a massage called a Balinese.  They really liked it.  Before our massages we had very cold water to drink and after they gave us ginger tea.  It was really strong and I didn’t like it.  They also scrubbed our feet before the massage and it tickled me.  Our last dinner was a beach side restaurant called Krua Thai.  My Mom was a little worried about us getting there as it was a 15 minute songthaew ride there and the end was a muddy road.  For dinner I had spaghetti with tomato sauce and garlic bread and a shake.  This was a very fun place because it was right on the beach there were several swings including one that allowed you to swing out right over the water.  For dessert we had a banana crepe with ice cream…it was so good!  My parents loved this place.

  

We spent our final night in Thailand in Phuket at the Marriott Phuket Beach Club.  We had to wait several hours to get into our room. While we were waiting we got lunch and went swimming in a big pool with a water slide.  When we got in our room we ordered room service and I took a bath in the gigantic tub.  Mom was also excited because she could do laundry.  Early to bed though because we had a very early flight in the morning to Cambodia.

Mom's Extra Commentary:  Khao Lak is about an hour north of the more famous tourist destination of Phuket.  Khao Lak was the region hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami, but you wouldn't know it today other than the International Tsunami Museum.  Also when traveling to this area...one thing to note is scuba diving is shut down during rainy season.   Khao Lak seemed much more affordable than Phuket.  The Marriott Phuket Beach Club was beautiful, but very, very expensive...food were western prices+, nothing is included as it is a residence.  We had been spoiled until now as every hotel before the Marriott and every hotel after includes breakfast buffets.  We did get a welcome drink, and fresh ice water by the pools, as well as a stack of coupons to off-set things a bit...or get them back to at least American prices.  At least Andy got the room with points.

REI's Last 36 Hours - Hill Tribes, Trees, and a little scare to strengthen our "family"

We were awakened by the smell of breakfast in our home stay.  Eggs, Toast (with pineapple jam), fruit…and a traditional breakfast soup of broth, pork calls, rice, cabbage, carrots…and of course local coffee.  We all bid our farewells to Mae Noi and her family and were on our way for our last full day with REI.

Our first stop was at the Lisu hill tribe.  This tribe has less than 200 at this location and is led by a local Shaman we were going to meet.  He was determined to be the village Shaman because after the last one passed he performed some feat showing he held some special something, like healing someone ill.  When we arrived the Shaman was no where to be found.  His wife finally showed up and served us very hot tea in coconut cups.  One of our guides was not so sure about it, so told especially the kids to just take a sip.  Finally they found the Shaman, but their dialect was so difficult to understand our guides only understood about 15%, but what they did understand is we had been invited to a village party because the Shaman apparently had healed an ill man.  So we followed him through the village to a group of homes.  Under one awning were a group of women chopping raw pork into a paste with herbs…and eating it raw.  Under the awning of another home were all the men sitting in a circle drinking and eating.  Apparently they were drinking the local corn liqueur that was 80 proof.  And we were invited to partake.  We did not want to offend, so we took a shot.  What we quickly learned though if our glass was empty our host refilled.  So when he started filling with a beer chaser we stopped.  Back through town we bought some handicraft, a purse and a crazy hat for my Dad. (This paragraph written by Avis)

Next we visited the Akha tribe.  Here we just walked with our guides through the village.  This tribe is known for their excellent hunting skills especially with the bow as well as their silversmith handiskills.  There were lots of ladies in their traditional headdress pushing sales from their little stalls.  Mom was very disappointed when one of our guides asked the ladies if they had any real silver.  Mom was looking for a charm for her travel necklace, but everyone laughed when the lady kind of laughed and replied back in her dialect…"no, silver is too expensive."  So much for her charm.

Reforestation Project

Alec planting with lead guide, Anon

Our lunch today involved climbing in the back of a pick-up due to the rains and going up the hill to a restaurant with a little camp around it.  There we met a man everyone called “Uncle” who had launched a reforestation project in the Mae Taeng District.  Reforestation is one of the royal projects of King Rama IX’s wife and this man after being big in business wanted to give back and is reforesting areas devastated by slash and burn agriculture and teak poachers.  After a lunch, which included a new soup made of young bamboo my parents loved, we went out into the forest and planted trees ourselves.

Back down the hill we continued on to the Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge.  It was raining like crazy, but we still talked Dad into letting us swim in the pool before dinner.  Mom stayed in and listened to the rain and drank coffee.  This area gets a lot of rain in the mountains and Ally quickly learned these wet, rich rain forest covered mountains meant leeches.  Before our trip was over she would get 2, Mom would get one, and another on our trip got one.  This evening was our last dinner together and the kids were very excited to have a pasta bar.  After dinner we went into a large room where several girls about Ally’s age and an older gentleman and young man from the tribe performed for us.  The Hmnog are immigrants from Laos.  Several dances as well as this amazing pipe instrument, but the one we enjoyed the most was the last one where they showed us a game they play with large wooden tops.  We all got to play too and it was a lot of fun.

Alec and Hmong elder

Amazing catepillar, which would become their version of a firefly

Hard to believe one more hike tomorrow morning and it would all come to an end.

FYI…the next morning’s hike was cut short and Andy and Ally as Ally got leech #2 and Alec had some mysterious reaction that morning.  We still aren’t sure what happened when he nearly collapsed in the dining area complaining he had a short breath and his chest hurt.  To be on the safe side we gave him 2 doses of Benadryl, then about 30 minutes later while Andy and Ally were starting their hike he started shaking uncontrollably.  Our guide, Vicky, was amazing rubbing his feet (Thai believe very much in acupressure and health being tied to your feet).  Alec said he was scared and she called the drivers to retrieve Andy and Ally after Alec said he just wanted his family together.  When Andy arrived and we laid him in his arms his little body relaxed and the shaking stopped and he has been fine ever since. (This paragraph by Avis)

Tears flowed at the airport…it was an incredible trip with three other wonderful families and three wonderful guides.  Over the last 11 days we had definitely become as Anon our lead guide said… “One Family…the REI Family.”

Last Day in Thailand - What we have learned

Tonight we are all pretty tired, so we thought we would share the biggest things we learned in Thailand:

Allyson - "In a time where our country struggles with our leadership I found the love for the recently deceased King Rama IX amazing."

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej (known to the people as King Rama the Ninth) died at age 88, ending seven decades on the throne during which he became a unifying father figure and rare source of stability in a country that has weathered more than a dozen coups since he came to power in 1946 at 18 years old.  He died on October 13th, 2016 and the country is in a 1 year period of mourning.  I (Avis) equate the love of this people for the king similar to England's love of Diana...the people's princess.  King Rama IX was definitely the people's King.  In fact our guides referred to him as their father...and nor political where the prime minister is the political arm, but the King is one of his consultants.  King Rama IX is loved because he spent many of his early years spending all of his personal wealth on royal projects to make the lives of the Thai people better.  Over time the government saw his effectiveness and as well funneled funds his way.  He got opium growers to instead plant coffee and other product.  He had hundreds of such projects enriching the lives of the people.  The people mostly are wearing black for this year in mourning.  I'd say 85% of the businesses and most homes have some sort of memorial whether a photo in the family room or a picture with flowers and candles, to massive banners and black and white ribbons.  Ally was very moved seeing such a love of a leader where she as a child has had many questions about the leaders in her own country.

Here's an article more about King Rama IX.

Alec - "I was most interested in the gods, especially the Hindu gods that are also acknowledged by Thai Buddhists."  I was most interested in Erawan...the three headed elephant."

Thai representation of Erawan

More Hindu representation of Erawan

We learned in our travels and from our guides that Thai Buddhism is a mash-up of Buddhism, Hindu, and sometimes animism.  Alec seemed most interested in the Hindu gods, especially Erawan, which has said to have 33 heads, but in sculpture he is generally depicted with 3 as 33 is just too difficult to depict.  Here's more about Erawan.  We also traveled to the Erawan Waterfall ...it is called that because at the uppermost of the 7 tiers it is said to have three stones similar to the 3 heads of Erawan.

Avis - "I've struggled with religion all my life and have always been drawn to Buddhism and really enjoyed learning more about the Thai form with it's hints in Hindu and animism.  Their strong belief in karma is a big pull for me as I am one who truly believes in what you put out there will come full circle back to you - good and bad."


Here's some info on Thai Buddhism.  I am excited to head to Cambodia next, the place where the ties to the Thai Hinduism originated.  As with most religions I still found my struggles...the lack of women's roles in religious leadership.  There are Buddhist nuns, but no monks (all be it we did here of one who's recently started a group here after returning from Sri Lanka).  Ally and I always had to be covered and stand our distance from the monks.  Only Andy and Alec were able to pour the water as the final step in our giving alms. Also we had a talk with Monk KK about the simple life Buddhism preaches and how the monks themselves live and the contradiction with the elaborate almost extravagant temples the people fund to build.  Gold inlay, large, hand-painted, ...absolutely awe inspiring.  All in all though Buddhism still feels most comfortable to me and the visit to Thailand only strengthened that familiarity.

I was born on a Friday .

Andy -  I think the biggest thing I learned was a better understanding of the Thai people.  Much of our impression of Thailand in the west is either the big city of Bangkok ("Hangover Part II") or tourism, amazing beaches, and parties in Phuket.  Having the opportunity to travel around different areas including big cities, ancient capitals, small villages, and beach resorts revealed different facets of the country.  The people we met and learned more about really left the biggest impression on me though.  Nearly everywhere we traveled, they were extremely friendly and warm and expressed a strong sense of pride in their nation, the rich history of multiple kingdoms, Siam, and eventually what became the nation of Thailand.   They also pride themselves as a free people who were never colonized by the European nations like many of the surrounding states.  The opportunities to meet and interact with various tribes in the north such as the Hmong, Lisu, Karen, and Akha will not be soon forgotten.   And most of all, we appreciated the incredible hospitality of our guides, hotel and restaurant employees, and all others who helped us during our trip.

We LOVE our REI guides, Vicky, TK, and Anon.

Left to Right in this video.

Toasting with a Lisu Shaman and his village to the recent healing of one of their members.

Amazing Race, Zip Lining, and Mae Noi

Time to check out of the beautiful hotel in Ching Mai and travel to a very different overnight at someone's home in the hills of northern Thailand.

Finished Lily

Preparing to present our lilies

But before we got there we had to put our Thai language learning to the test in an amazing race.  Our guides had taught us how to count from 1 to 99...then had also taught us greetings, several fruits, and even some phrases to do things like ask how much something was or ask for a discount.  So before we got into our vans we were divided into 4 teams with no family members on the same team.  We drove about 30 minutes and arrived at a market.  A market is really 50 individual vendors under one roof selling everything from rubber boots, to fruits, veggies, fish, frogs and much more.  We were given 150 baht ($5 USD) and our teams were given three items and the quantity all in Thai and then had to race around the market only using Thai to find the item and purchase it.  Points were awarded for the team who finished first, who got the items right, and who spent the least amount.  Quite a lot of fun!  And all our items would be used for our dinner that evening, right or wrong.  And the vendors were very helpful if you started with a smile, a bow, and a hello.  This was not the end though...after we finished we climbed back into the car and were taught to fold water lily buds artfully to present as a thank you for our hosts.

Beautiful baskets

Beautiful Waterfall

Lunch location looked like fairy house

Another 45 minute drive and we arrived at the Mae Kampong Village.  Here we proceeded to the store and were greeted by a village leader and we were also introduced to our host families. Our's was led by Mae Noi (Mother Noi).  In her home was her husband, 29 year old daughter, and 6 month old grandson (Tang which means money).  We dropped our bags and went for a hike around the village learning that products and handicrafts they made as well as visited a beautiful waterfall and then wound back to a beautiful temple in the middle of a river.  From there we went on to lunch in this beautiful almost fairy-like restaurant as the roof was done all in teak leaves...thousands.  Lunch was another set Thai menu, but this time it also included a band and all the kids were called up to help them.  We can not find the name on line, but it is literally across the street and down some stairs from the zip-lining office.  I enjoyed playing symbols with the local band.

Loves Ziplining

Can you see the platform?

After lunch we crossed the street to our adventure for the afternoon.  Zip-lining.  I was really excited as I have never gone before.  I do in-door rock-climbing, so heights are no problem.  We got our gear, climbed in a truck, and drove to the start of the course.  The company was called Flight of the Gibbon, as many live there in the forest.  There were 15 zip-lines.  My favorite one was called Superman, because you jumped off the platform like you were going to fly and land in a cargo net on the other side and then climb up and out.  Because I do not weigh a lot the guides threw me off the platform and I still didn't make it to the other side, so a guide had to come out and rescue me, which was a lot of fun too.

After zip-lining we walked back through town to our host family.  WOW was this town busy. Apparently it is quite popular for locals to come up to escape the heat or do a day trip from the city.  Only one road through town and there was a traffic jam of scooters, people, sports cars, and people.  We stopped in at a coffee shop, Lung Pud Pa Peng Coffee House, where everyone was getting their pictures taken in front of.  Apparently this is how you prove to people you have been to this town is to post a pic on Facebook or Instagram.

Had to get photo here, like the locals

Back at Mae Noi's house we helped finish cooking dinner.  I fried chicken wings, Ally helped with the soup, then we all played with baby Tang.  But before dinner we met the village elder at another house and he performed a welcome ceremony.  We all sat in a circle and passed around a spool of white thread that had been given to him by the monks.  After he chanted he collected the thread and then tied a bracelet of 3 loops of the thread around our left wrists.  Then he blessed us by throwing water on us with some leaves.  He was very nice...and very patient as his grand-daughter about 3 years old wanted to play with Grandpa at the beginning of the ceremony.

Back at Mae Noi's we had a wonderful dinner on the second floor of the house looking out a window on the town.  A rain came and it was very pretty.  After dinner we cleared and washed the dishes.  Ally washed and I placed all the dishes to drop dry in their places.  There were no cabinets in the kitchen.  All the pots and pans hung on the wall.  The dishes were placed on open shelves with wood slates so you could prop them to drop-dry.  At 7PM 3 ladies came to the house and upstairs in the common room three mattresses had been laid out and we all got Thai massages.  Very different from the massage we have gotten in Jamaica.  This one involved a lot of acupressure, which is pushing really hard in one spot.  On my parents they even used their feet to push on their legs.  It felt very good and we were all tired after.  We got our beds all set-up for sleep.  The beds were simple mattresses on the floor covered with mosquito netting because the roofs of the houses were just slant metal roofs and did not fully attach to the house, so open...and the windows did not have screens on them.  The town got very quiet and we did not awake again until morning when we smelled breakfast and heard baby Tang.  Breakfast was fresh eggs, toast, fruit, and a Thai rice soup...simple broth, cabbage, rice, and a few other things.  Mom and Dad were thrilled when taking the dishes down to wash to find Mae Noi and her husband and several neighbors standing around the table eating a real Thai breakfast and were invited to join them...sticky rice balls dipped in fresh cut chilies and mushrooms.  Only here for 24 hours it was a beautiful town with beautiful people.
 
NOTE:  We learned this village which is a the jewel of the country's eco-tourism and homestay industry is so popular during the US winter/dry season home stay visits should be booked 6 months in advance.

Alms with the Monks, Hiking with Karen Tribe, and Night Market with Thousands of People

Today's blog by Alec and Mom...

Early, early morning….we met our group in the lobby at 6:30AM and Mom and Ally were in long skirts with their shoulders covered.  We were driving into town to give alms to the monks who walk the streets from ~7AM-7:30AM to be fed and supplied by the people.  They do this twice a day.  We got out of our vans near a temple where many monks would be walking.  Along the streets were vendors who were selling alm “gift sets.”  It contained the following items and this would be order we presented it to the monks… rice, some sort of protein, dessert, milk, juice, water, and then on top of this bowl when he placed the lid on it we would place a bouquet of flowers.  Our guide Anon taught us the proper way to present things.  After presenting, in our bare feet on the street, we knelt in the street while he blessed us.  During the blessing Dad and I poured water from a small ceramic pitcher into a small bowl.  After we were done we would pour the water on the base of a tree returning it to the earth.  We did this one time for practice with Anon watching us…and then a second time on our own.  It was a very emotional experience.  Mom and Dad actually cried afterwards saying doing something like this so close to Dad’s step-grandmother’s death (she died while we were on our trip on July 6) it was all a bit overwhelming that morning.  Picture will come later as our guides took them so we could all concentrate.

Our Karen Tribe Guides

Back at the hotel the guides gave us time to pack and have breakfast then we were off to visit the Karen “long neck” hill tribe.   I liked breakfast here because they had donuts and hot chocolate. We pulled off the side of the freeway at the start of a trail and were met by a man and woman from their tribe.  You are not allowed to hike the trail without them.  We would walk with them for over a hour…along the way they shared with us many plants which are medicines as well…including one that cures malaria, citronella…also useful ones like cinnamon and one who’s leaves are used for sandpaper.  Beautiful terraced rice and coffee fields, flower greenhouses, and waterfalls were all along the way and we got to swim in one of them.  At the finish of our trip we enjoyed a traditional Thai picnic eating only with our hands…rice, chili, pickled vegatables, fruits, salted pork, etc..  And to top it all off Mom and Dad even let me have a cup of the local coffee which they had ground and steeped right there in front of us.

Hill Tribe chrysanthemum greenhouse

 

Enjoying local coffee under a coffee plant

Many beautiful waterfalls...it's the rainy season

After finishing we were all excited as we got an afternoon/evening off.  Back at our hotel we all hopped into the pool and had drinks.  Then that evening we went into the Wua Lai Night Market.  The biggest of all the markets they shut off numerous blocks of the street called Wua Lai.  We had the porters call a songthaew for us.  Song means two and thaew means bench…and this is exactly what it is in the back of a truck and covered.  When we got to the market it was really, really crowded.  We had to hold our parent’s hands all the time.  There were thousands of people on the street and the police kept announcing over the loud speaker to watch for pick pockets.  Mom and Dad steered us down a side street and Dad ordered egg fried rice and a spring roll for Ally and I and seafood pad thai for he and Mom.  As everything was cooked fresh we waited a long time for our food and then it took us a while to find a seat.  We also ordered fresh squeezed juices.  After we ate we went back out onto the street where I got a little owl with my name on it and Ally bargained for 5 anklets saving a whole 50 baht, or $1.50.  We again got a songthaew to take us back to our hotel, but because the traffic was so bad we paid extra 30 extra baht ($1) to go non-stop (meaning he wouldn’t pick-up any passengers) and express (meaning he would take the freeway).  Very tired and overwhelmed from the crowds we fell asleep quickly.  Tomorrow morning we were checking out and moving on.

Dining at the Night Market