Blog Posts - Worldly Gnome

Cu Chi Tunnels

2/12/2015

Roughly two hours outside of Ho Chi Minh City (67km), you can find the village of Cu Chi. It is famous for its extensive tunnel network used for guerilla warfare before and during the Vietnam War. The locals began digging the tunnels in response to French aggression long before US troops landed. There are two sets of tunnels you can visit. The tunnels at Ben Duoc were created to allow tourists to more comfortably experience what the tunnels would have been like. The tunnels at Ben Dinh were actually used by the Vietcong during the war, but you aren’t able to enter them.

My Vietnamese friends have advised me to stick with green or white taxis and if possible to go with Visasun. So we arranged to have a Visasun minivan drive us to the tunnels (6 hours for 1,200,000 VND total). At 6:00 am half asleep, we all piled into the van along with our new Argentinian friends, Nicolas and Diego. It may seem a bit extreme to leave so early, but let me tell you it was worth it. When we were leaving the tunnels, busloads of tourists arrived and made the whole place just feel like a tourist trap. Our experience was greatly improved by the morning quiet and felt more authentic than otherwise.

Our tour guide is the son of a Vietcong soldier who fought in these very tunnels. He explained that during the day many of the soldiers would go back to the village and pretend that they were just farmers loyal to the South’s government, since the entire area was under its control. It is so hard to fathom that the Vietcong were able to have such a strong presence so incredibly close to Saigon. Knowing that the tunnel network was in the area the US bombed the region leaving nothing but charred earth above ground. This didn’t stop the VC. With the few resources that they had, the VC built deadly booby-traps with things as simple as folding chairs and window panes. They attacked patrolling American troops via well-hidden firing posts and when finished were able to instantly duck out of sight into the tunnel system. The tunnels were more than ammunition storage and a place from which to fight. They provided shelter from B 52 bombings, a place to sleep and eat, and even offered medical attention to the wounded in the “hospital ward”. It was possible for people to remain in the tunnels for an extended period greatly due to the presence of several wells and kitchens with ingenious air vents that allowed for cooking without emitting obvious signs of life below. The Cu Chi Tunnels are much smaller than those in Vinh Moc and thus were much more fighting oriented, but nonetheless well equipped.

We were shown the well hidden entrances to the tunnels (some were even under water), the large assortment of booby-traps, how landmines were created out of scraps of American bombs (many lost their appendages or lives in the process of learning how to do this), and mannequin VC soldiers. I found the shoes they wore to be really interesting. Their sandals were made out of used tires. They wore them “backwards”, so that American troops would follow their footprints either the wrong direction or into booby-traps. We were also shown how the tunnels’ ventilation system worked and were really impressed to see how the smoke of a cooking fire was made to look like morning mist. The tour guide explained that to hide the ventilation holes the VC would take fallen American soldiers uniforms and rub them all over the holes in order to throw off the scent of the search hounds. We were then given a traditional meal of the VC soldiers of casaba and green tea. It was delicious, yet hard to imagine eating it for every meal.

I have to say that the visit definitely gave me a strong respect for the soldiers and villagers fighting and living in the tunnels. They quickly learned how to work with basically no resources except what little they were delivered from the north via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Some fought for the communistic ideal, but many fought to preserve their people and country from yet another imperialistic power. Regardless of your political views, a visit to the tunnels will show you that life was hard for both sides and both sides suffered greatly.

We continued the day by visiting the War Remnants Museum and going to the AO acrobatic show. The museum had a nice display of photo journalism from the war, but definitely had a strong leaning towards the victors. This is expected, but some of the language used was too propagandist for my liking. I highly recommend the AO show. It ended up costing around 24 USD and was worth the money. A troop of acrobats give an atheistically pleasing representation of Vietnamese culture over the years with the use of extremely basic props. The beautiful opera house was a wonderful end to our day.

A Changed City: Saigon to Ho Chi Minh

2/12/2015

A Brief History of Vietnam before the Vietnam War: Vietnam has a very long, rich, and complicated past. With the development of wet rice cultivation around 1,000 BC, the Hung Kings prospered for roughly 150 years. After this era the country was occupied by China for a millennium. This connection to China is still evident today. China has greatly influenced the development of Vietnamese culture. It wasn’t even until the first decade of the 1900s that the Vietnamese switched from using Chinese characters to their current alphabet. Then again it is important to remember that Vietnam also greatly influenced China. After all it was a famous Vietnamese doctor who initiated the beginning of Chinese medicine, depending on who you ask.

The Chinese were kicked out and the Dai Viet Kingdom was founded. This period was followed by both the Funan and Champa Kingdoms. For those of you who have visited Angkor Wat, Champa is the kingdom featured on the Bayon temple. They fought against the Khmer, but were eventually conquered. Then came the Ly Dynasty, the Tran Dynasty, the Later Le Dynasty, and the Nguyen Dynasty. As you see for centuries power over the region has been juggled from one king to another.

Unfortunately, Vietnam was not immune to European Imperialism. In 1545, the Portuguese arrived and immediately built factories and established offices of trade. In the 17th century the Dutch and the French replaced Portugal and dominated the region’s industry and trade. Christian missionaries arrived at the same time as these new traders and began to spread the word of their faith. These same missionaries wrote home about the wealth of Vietnam and piqued the interest of many in France. We have finally reached the point at which Vietnam’s modern history truly begins. After the Tay Son Rebellion, the Nguyen Dynasty was overthrown. The last king, Nguyen Anh, ran to France for aid. In 1788 he was able to take back power with France’s help and established a new capital in Hue. He ruled until his death in 1820. Throughout his rule he expressed thankfulness towards France and through him France was able to grasp some control of Vietnam. His son, Minh Mang, was of another mind when it came to their European counterpart. He wrote decrees forbidding the evangelization of his people. The next two kings Thieu Tri and Tu Duc held the same anti-French sentiment. Their anti-French actions antagonized France to the point that the country stepped in and took over for 100 years. In 1865, Tu Duc was forced to sign Vietnam over as a French colony, Cochinchina. It wasn’t until 1883, that France was able to subdue the entire country. Tu Duc’s descendants became puppet kings.

As part of French Indochina, Vietnam suffered. The country was taxed heavily, lost many of its resources (rubber, minerals, and coffee), and many Vietnamese were subjected to the practice of Corvee or forced labor. When Germany occupied France in 1940, Vietnam was handed over to Germany’s ally- Japan. Again the Vietnamese suffered under the control of another imperialistic nation.

The combination of China’s revolution to the north, years of imperialistic abuse, and socialist ideas flowing into the country all gave way to a surge in nationalistic ideals throughout the country. In 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned home from France and established the Vietnamese Independence League (Viet Minh). He led a resistance against France and Japan and was able to take back large swathes of land even before Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Yet, this did not mean freedom for the Vietnamese.

After WWII, the French wanted to immediately re-establish their control over Indochina. This led to the Indochina Wars. Ho Chi Minh and Charles De Gaulle continued to lead their armies against each other until 1954. At the famous battle of Dien Bien Phu, the Viet Minh defeated the French. As France exited, the United States took center stage.

Preceding 1954, the US was already funding a majority of France’s war efforts in Indochina. The US wanted to prevent the spread of communism and if France lost SE Asia would be ripe for the picking. In 1954 the Geneva Conference divided Vietnam into two countries along the 17th parallel (which I am presiding on at the time of this writing). The north became the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and the south became the Republic of Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem. The US strongly influenced Diem and his cabinet to the extent that most view the South’s government as a puppet government. In 1960, the north established an alliance with China and the Soviet Union while the US military sent its first convoys to the country to prepare for what would be known to the Vietnamese as the ‘American War’.

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Our first few hours on the ground in Vietnam were filled to the brim with stress and excitement. I couldn’t wait for my brother and sister-in-law to touch down two hours after my flight. Yet, my attention was quickly taken away from their imminent arrival and directed one hundred percent towards the acquisition of a visa. Before you arrive, you must obtain a visa on arrival form through a company online or go to a consulate to get a proper tourist visa. Apparently, both options hold their own risks. We like most travelers went with the visa on arrival form which cost us 15 USD. When we received the email back with our forms attached, we noticed that the company had not requested for a full 30 days. They had asked for the 7th to the 7th, which would make it 29 days. Unfortunately, we had already purchased our flight out of the country for our 30th day- the 8th. We immediately contacted the company and received two emails verifying that it would be fine and that the immigration officers would give us 30 days.

We arrived to find a mad house. Only two immigration officers sat behind the counter and over 100 foreigners tiredly milled about waiting for their name to be gurgled in a thick Vietnamese accent. Ours were called after about an hour. I handed over 45 USD and was handed my passport with a visa for 29 days. I approached 5 officials and explained my predicament. All gave me the same response, “Buy a new flight.” UGH. I finally found an airline employee who at least smiled. He said that this was a very very very common problem. He said, “They normally give an extra one or two days or they don’t give enough.” I won’t waste your time ranting about why I think this broken system makes absolutely no sense (they are ones missing out on one day my tourist dollars). All I can offer other travelers is come prepared for rough sailing. I met an Australian woman who had gotten her visa in Australia, but the immigration officers wanted her to pay another 45 USD for another visa (for no reason). An Irish man’s visa was supposedly missing a stamp and thus he needed a new one.

Crest fallen and exhausted I propped up my bag outside of security and waited for the first sight of my family. There were many false alarms, but eventually I spotted an abnormally tall white man and his black haired wife. We were all tired, all had 29 day visas, and all felt glad to be reunited.

Day 1

We had a relaxed day of just walking around and taking in the sites. I had anticipated there to be more of a French colonial feel, but was surprised to find parks, wide sidewalks, and fairly clean streets. I had read a lot about Ho Chi Minh’s crime and had been told that it was the one city many female travelers feel uncomfortable in. I personally didn’t see this side of the city. Perhaps if you go out alone at night, you may face some problems. We really liked the city overall and were only concerned by the insane traffic. Every time we crossed the street we did joke that it was a MMM, Mad Mom Moment, since crossing the street was definitely a gamble for our lives and our mother would not approve.

We visited the famous yellow General Post Office, my brother was ripped off by a coconut seller, we shared a small piece of Taiwan by taking a bubble milk tea break, had a delicious vegetarian hot pot lunch, visited the FITO Medicine Museum, and stopped at the hang out of the Five o’clock Follies, the Rex Hotel. The FITO Medicine Museum is a restored traditional home, which itself is worth a visit. The guides are excellent and walk you through the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine and therapy, which emphasize holistic healing. I found the influence of Vietnamese medicine on Chinese medicine very interesting. For those interested check out two of the founders of traditional Vietnamese medicine, Tue Tinh (14th century) and Hai Thuong Lang Ong Le Huu Trac (18th century). Tue Tinh is most famous for his belief in a need for, “Vietnamese to be treated by Vietnamese medicines.” He was called to China to assist the emperor’s dying wife, yet his interest was in healing the sickly in Vietnam.

If you can swing the sixteen dollar cocktails, spend an evening overlooking the city from the roof of the Rex Hotel. We just went up to check out the place. It must have been so alive during the Vietnam War. War correspondents would spend their evenings there discussing the movements of the armed forces and the political situation of the region. Even though the roof top bar still honors those reporters, the view has significantly changed. You can still gaze down on the French-colonial People’s Committee Building, but now many of that era’s buildings have been replaced by much taller new ones.

The evening was spent planning the next day’s adventure to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was a special evening because that is when we met two new friends from Argentina.

My Family is Coming! My Family is Coming!

2/4/2015

Just in case you didn't know, we are about T-Minus six hours out from my brother, sister-in-law, and I all being in the same country. I can't wait to spend a month exploring Vietnam with two of the most significant people in my life.

The Plight of the Elephant

2/4/2015

The Elephant Nature Park is a safe haven for elephants just 60km outside of Chiang Mai. The reserve was first established in the 1990s by an inspirational Thai woman, Lek. She grew up in a small rural village surrounded by elephants. Her grandfather taught her to love the gentle giants and her love for them only grew. As an adult she has dedicated her entire life to aiding and saving elephants, as well as educating the public about them. If only the world had more Leks, our planet would be in a much better state.

To give you a vivid picture of the plight of the Asian Elephant, I have taken the following information directly from the Elephant Nature Park’s website (http://www.elephantnaturepark.org). Everything in italics comes directly from the park’s site.

Elephant Facts:

There are two different species of elephant – the African (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian variety (Elephas maximus). The former is larger and there are a few distinct differences. The African species numbers are estimated at approximately 500,000 whilst the Asian variety has fallen to an disturbingly low estimated figure of below 30,000.

There are a number of elephant races within the Asian species. For instance the Indian elephant, is bigger, has longer front legs and a thinner body than their Thai counterparts. As the park deals exclusively with Thai elephants we will concern ourselves with this particular order. The facts are, however, generally applicable to all types of Asian Elephant.

Various authorities differ somewhat on exact details. Using our own experience and taking into account numerous sources we present you with our own interpretation. Elephants, like human beings, can and do vary in many characteristics, emotions and personality.

Asian Elephants – Existing Numbers

The Asian Elephant, still known to many as the Indian Elephant, is officially an endangered species. Present numbers have dropped to an alarmingly low level with estimates of under 30,000 left in the entire world. This disturbingly small number of survivors is epitomised by the fact that these gentle beast have been exterminated from large areas of their former habitat.

In Thailand there is an estimated 3,000-4,000 elephants. Around half of this number are domesticated, the remainder living wild in National Parks Reserves. Some 300 are suffer under appalling conditions in Bangkok.

It is notable that at the start of the 20th century (1900AD) over 100,000 elephants graced the Siamese (Thai) countryside.

Elephant Abuse

They are forced to walk on hot tarmac roads by gangs of elephant owners and beg for fruit and food. The owner of often buys the elephant purely to obtain begging money from sympathetic passers by. As he has scant experience with animal training, the hapless creature is cruelly treated and beaten as the rider becomes impatient. In the city the animal cannot possibly get the 200-300 kg of food and 100-200 litres of water necessary for it’s daily nourishment so it plods the hot polluted streets, thirsty hungry and confused. These animals quickly suffer from stress through polluted air, poor diet, dehydration, loneliness and their sensitive ears are soon damaged. Much of the fruit purchased from local sellers has been treated with chemicals and causes serious stomach problems and eventually death.

Other forms of, less apparent abuse come in the form of pet baby elephants featured at hotels and entertainment complexes. Although the animals may seem happy enough they are invariably fed the wrong diet, suffer from loneliness and boredom and will soon die. Many unwitting tourists, delighted at the sight of a “cute” baby elephant, are completely unaware that the lifespan of the creature is likely to be only a few years.

The problems

There are a number of important factors to consider but we will deal with the four main ones;
First and foremost is human encroachment in the domain of the elephant. With a fast growing population Asia does not have the land resources for both humans and the indigenous wildlife populations. There is not a government in the world that will sacrifice it’s voters in favour of mere animals.
Secondary is greed. Whilst it is inevitable that much land is set aside for growing human populations there are a number of influential persons seeking huge land areas for personal gain. Illegal logging and such environmentally detrimental pursuits lead to a reduction in grazing or browsing land for the animals.
Thirdly is poaching for ivory, skin or aphrodisiacs which the elephant is said to possess.
Fourthly: Sport. Unbelievably there are such deluded souls amongst us that actually think the killing a defenseless animal is sport. Wealthy patron’s of these games are willing to travel and pay handsomely for the sheer pleasure of “bagging” an elephant.

Once the government made it illegal to use elephants for logging, many mahouts were out of work. They turned to begging and performing tricks for tourists to raise money as stated above. In these situations the elephants greatly suffer. They are usually confined to small urban spaces with limited access to clean food and water. In addition to this, living in a city is emotionally disturbing for an elephant. One way they communicate is through vibrations in their feet. The constant thundering of cars and vehicles can cause them distress. One of the videos we watched at the park showed clips of city working elephants. In all the clips the elephants were rocking, which is a sign of agitation.

The abuse doesn’t stop there unfortunately. The way in which baby elephants are “broken” is absolutely disturbing. They are taken away for the first time from their mothers and placed in cages that are smaller than they are. They are left in the cage for 4 to 7 days. During this time they are not fed, not allowed to sleep, and repeatedly stabbed. This process is meant to break the will of the elephant, so that it follows all orders of its human owner. Once working, the elephant will most likely often be abused by impatient mahouts. Lek has dedicated a lot of her time to seeking out these working elephant whom she can not save and provides them with medical care.

One of the older elephants at the park had a sad story to tell. She was a logging elephant in Myanmar for many years. One day while dragging a log uphill, she gave birth. The baby slid down the hill and died. She was so upset her baby had died, she refused to work. Her mahout out of impatience shot one of her eyes out with a sling shot. In response she hit him with her trunk, which led him to stab her in the other eye with a knife. She is completely blind now, but fortunately retired at ENP. We were able to calmly pet her and observe her grazing for over an hour. She is now a part of a new herd and thriving. It is a true testament to the strong familial instinct of elephants that all these injured and abused creatures have been able to come together and form herds.

I highly recommend visiting the Elephant Nature Park. Some elephant sanctuaries fund themselves through entertaining guests with elephant art, acts, or elephant rides. In these cases the elephants are still “working” and not completely free. At the ENP, the elephants are fully retired and you know your money is going to their care. We definitely enjoyed our time washing, feeding, and observing the elephants. I only wish I had had a month to spend learning more about these beautiful creatures.

The Golden Triangle

2/4/2015

The name Golden Triangle was bequeathed to the 367,000 square miles spanning the Myanmar, Thai, and Laos borders by a US official when discussing the administration’s concern of the large amount of opium being produced in the area. Thousands of years ago the opium producing poppy was grown for medicinal purposes. As time went on it was used to placate soldiers during times of war and as more humans discovered its joyous pain relieving properties, its use began to be abused.

The infamous Opium Wars brought China to its knees and showed the world what many already knew, drugs not only ruin individuals’ lives, but entire societies. It began with Britain’s need to finance its imperialistic endeavors. With control of the seas, Britain was able to prosper from trade. Slaves were traded from Africa to the Americas whom were then used to grow raw materials such as sugar and cotton which Britain needed. On the other side of the world India was producing Britain’s opium. Britain was able to trade manufactured goods to the Americas, India, and Africa. China on the other hand was only interested in silver at that time. The Qing Dynasty felt superior to the western powers and withheld a stringent isolation policy. Traders were only able to enter certain ports in the south of China and they had to trade via a government appointed middle man. The emperor proclaimed an edict forbidding the trade and use of opium. Already fearing the growing number of addicts within his kingdom, he wanted to cut off the source of their addiction. The opium that the British successfully and illegally traded along the Chinese coast was received with enthusiasm by the locals. As the Chinese craving for the drug and dependency grew, Britain continually pushed for an open market with China. The financial gain of unrestricted opium trading with China would be huge. In the eyes of the East India Company opium was just another good.

As tensions rose the British looked for an excuse to instigate conflict. This excuse was given to them on a plate when the Chinese official Commissioner Lin Zexu confiscated and destroyed thousands of crates of British opium. This began the first Opium war (1839- 1842). China embarrassingly experienced defeat after defeat and was forced to sign what they call the “Unfair Treaties”. Now with opium flowing into China, silver was flowing back to Britain which is what they needed to support their empire. War was again sparked when a Chinese official bordered a British vessel for an inspection. The Second Opium War was from 1856-1860.

Why is all of this important? Before this time period opium was more widely used for medicinal purposes, but now it was being smoked on a large scale. The drug devastated China’s population with around twelve million users at one point in time. The users would frequent opium dens where they could smoke around three pipes worth of the drug and recline on hard benches. This habit would quickly dwindle their money and keep them from earning more. The same phenomenon took hold of all of Southeast Asia.

Around the time of the Vietnam War the hill tribes of the Golden Triangle increased their production of opium due to the large revenue they could make. The drug would fund many armies, be abused by American soldiers, and some claim even transported via the CIA. In today’s world the largest producers of opium are Afghanistan, Columbia, Mexico, Myanmar, Turkey, Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, India, and China. Thailand’s Royal Family has done a good job of combating the growth of opium in the Thai part of the Golden Triangle. They have encouraged education programs and taught the tribes that they can make money via other crops such as tea. The even founded the Hall of Opium, an atheistically pleasing museum that walks through the history of opium and the dangers of its use. The museum also touched on other drugs such as Heroine, which interestingly enough Bayer developed as a medical treatment for opium addiction. Oops! Just as a side note, Thailand enforces the death penalty for anyone importing, exporting, or selling opium. Not worth it!

We were very lucky that Ari was willing to drive us two hours to visit the Hall of Opium. The day before we had driven there on scooters only to discover it was closed. It was an amateur move. We just didn’t process that it was a Monday. The museum was excellent and can easily take over two hours. We also took some photos of the official Golden Triangle Point where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet. If you aren’t going to the Hall of Opium (which is different from the House of Opium), the area really isn’t worth the trip. All you will see on the Laos side is a massive Chinese casino and on the Myanmar side you will see vegetation. I guess people visit just for the novelty of saying they have seen it.

In summary, drug use is bad for the individual and the society as a whole. No drugs- Check.

Chiang Rai

2/4/2015

Where to begin?! Chiang Rai was a jammed packed experience filled with history, culture, beautiful views, and unexpected company. We arrived at Chezmoi Homestay and were greeted by a very nice Buddhist vegan family. Their traditional teak home was delightful and the breakfast prepared by the maid every morning made our days easier. The best part about our time in Chiang Rai was an unexpected email from Ari letting us know that he was in town. He lives in Chiang Rai, but had planned to be in the central part of Thailand for the duration of our visit. Our first night he took us to a massive street market and to a flower festival. We listened to blaring music at Music in the Park, while grandmothers did their best to show the outside world a calm exposure even though their eardrums were being pounded. The street food was delicious and cheap, yet I decided to not partake in the plethora of insect snacks. Towards the end of the night Ari walked us over to a stage and courtyard where a hundred or so locals were participating in the weekly group exercise of choice, Thai Square Dancing. Tim and I were sucked in and a women spent several songs walking us through the steps. I wish things like this were popular back home. In all the countries in Asia I have visited, there have been group activities like this in parks. It is the thing to do! All the locals come out on certain days to do Tai Chi, Square Dancing, Pilates, even drumming. Not only is it a form of exercise, but a crucial opportunity to socialize. In many ways we have become too independent in the west. There are so many benefits to turning your focus from your own personal home to the well-being of your larger community. Just for the record I am not saying this never happens in the west. Just not as frequently as in Asia.

Again, we hit the road on scooters. We headed for a town called Mae Salong. Mae Salong is a very special place to us because of its Taiwanese ties. The town’s modern history was greatly molded by the arrival of the 93rd Division of the Nationalist Kuomintang Army of China (anti-communists) in 1961. While a majority of the KMT army joined their leader, Chiang Kai Shek, in Taiwan, the 12,000 soldiers fighting in Yunnan were forced to retreat into Burma in 1949. Some stayed in Burma, but many came to Thailand later on. They refused to let the communists win and organized Mae Salong as a military base of sorts to prepare for the day when they would retake their homeland. Unfortunately, their seven attempts to take back Yunnan horribly failed. Mao Tse-tung won after all.

In order to fund their military campaigns the KMT soldiers capitalized on the areas main product, opium. To deal with the renegades the Thai government offered them Thai citizenship if they a) helped the government fight the Thai Communist Party and b) stopped growing opium and replaced it with oolong tea. They took the governments deal and now Mae Salong is a tiny village perched atop the hills looking down on its tea plantations. The town has a uniquely Yunnan flare. We stopped and had spicy noodles at the Yunnan Noodles House. The family who runs the shop were speaking Chinese. I was even able to place my order in Mandarin. On the way out of town we stopped in a tea tasting room and a shrine in honor of one of the KMT’s leaders Mr. Duan. The whole experience hit me hard. Since being on the road for 150 days, I have been on the go constantly. I haven’t really had time to miss Taiwan. Sipping oolong tea while looking out over the hills made me long for Jiufen and the tea of Alishan. Taiwan was and is an important part of my life. When asked where I am from, I often find myself saying, “Taiwan. Well, I live in Taiwan…”.

Fortunately for us, Ari informed us of two bizarre pieces of art. The Baan Dam or Black House created by local artist, Thawan Duchanee, is believed to represent evil in contrast to Chalermchai Kositpipat’s White Temple believed to represent heaven. The Black House sits 10 km north of Chiang Rai while the White Temple is 13 km south of the city. Both are must-sees. We visited the White Temple first and couldn’t believe how bizarre the architecture was. The walk way leading up to the temple is surrounded by hands reaching up from the bowels of hell. Two hands are even ripping open the skull of a demon. As you cross the bridge you walk away from hell and towards a mirror covered depiction of heaven. Yet, it was the Black House that really wins the award for most bizarre site. It is built in the traditional Thai fashion of a temple, although once you step inside, it becomes very clear that you are not in a temple. On the contrary you are standing in an inspired, artistic, demented, house of death. The lofty interior is decorated with bones, peacock feathers, and animal skins. There are several long black banquet tables surrounded by throne like black wooden chairs dominated by large tusks shooting out from their backs. One table even has a full alligator skin with the skull and all. It truly felt like walking onto a movie set where you expected to see an evil queen decked out in black come swooping in to occupy one of the thrones of death.

I was incredibly surprised to find that the main building was only one of dozens on the property. Each structure unique in its own right. The oddest one was a pig-fish submarine looking building. A glance through the portholes shows sinister living quarters, again furnishings of animal skins and bones galore. Come take a walk on the dark side at the Black House!

Beware of 3.14159....

2/4/2015

Not to harp on our poor fortune, but let me make sure you understand that the ride from Mae Hong Son to Pai is very very very curvy. Within minutes of the engine starting we were already into the curves. The woman sitting in front of me began to heave and the air was heavy with the sour scent of vomit. I was feeling uneasy and then I realized Tim was also feeling uncomfortable. If he is feeling uncomfortable, you know there is a problem. Out of the group I tend to be the most paranoid and concerned, while Tim is the one most open to food of questionable sanitation and general risk taking. We later agreed that the drive reminded us both of our crazy taxi trip up Alishan on day 1 of the trip. Tim’s first comment once in Pai was, “Does that driver want to die prematurely?” I think the answer is a definitive yes. At least the three hour drive only took two. That is what happens when you drive 80 + kph.

As for our transit out of Pai it just didn’t want to happen. The day before we had gone to the bus station to figure out our options. We could take a local bus for 80 Baht at noon or sign up for the hourly minivan departures for 150. We knew we didn’t want another minivan experience, so we decided on the local bus. One big difference is that you can’t reserve a seat on the local bus, so it is first come first serve. We were at the station excruciatingly early. Noon came and went with no signs of the local bus. When it did roll into town at 1:00 pm, it was already bursting at the seams with people. A frantic Belgian then informed us that all the minivans were full for the rest of the day. I made a mad dash to see if any other tourists would be interested in splitting a van taxi. In order to go anywhere else you have to go through Chiang Mai and EVERYONE was heading out of town to catch the full moon parties in the south of the country. Of course we had to be leaving a party town on the same day that all the party goers were heading out of town for yet another party town. Go figure.

So we said good bye to the two Germans we had been speaking with for they opted to stand on the local bus for five hours. In these situations I would define myself as a flash packer and not a backpacker. A flash packer is willing to spend a little more cash for certain basic comforts. This is one of them. I was able to get two lovely French women, the frazzled Belgian, and the three of us all loaded up in a minivan for 416 per person. The van could have fit three more people and we tried to get the driver to accept two more Belgians who had a flight out of Chiang Mai that night. For some odd reason, he refused. The drive was smooth and we actually passed a minivan accident on the side of the road. Perhaps the powers that be charged us an extra 300 Baht to keep us out of harm’s way.

Be prepared when traveling on the Mae Hong Son Loop and try to make it to Myanmar. It is the true new frontier.

"A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter."- The Mad Hatter

2/4/2015

For those who have 4 days or more to spare, the Mae Hong Son Loop is an adventure worth taking. The loop is 615 km long and proudly boasts 1,864 curves. The loop begins and ends in Chiang Mai and is an incredibly windy circuit that snakes through the relatively non-touristy Mae Hong Son province. Many choose to traverse the loop via motorbike while others go by public transit. My suggestion is if you go by motorbike, drop some money on a higher cc bike that will be able to haul you through over a thousand curves while going up a steep incline. If you go by public transit, the big buses are always going to be a better option than the mini vans. One local told me that at least one minivan goes off a cliff between Mae Hong Son and Pai each year. I believe it since mine almost did. Don’t take local buses because they don’t seem to follow timetables and you are not guaranteed the pleasure of actually sitting.

Most tourists make a beeline for Pai. It is a popular tourist spot and a place many twenty-something year olds like to relax. All I can say about Pai is I was supposed to stay for two days, but left after one. In my opinion Mae Hong Son is the true gem of the loop and has the beauty of not housing hundreds of high or drunk tourists. Both are surrounded by natural beauty, but Mae Hong Son is just better. Now if you are looking to party with other foreigners, western food, and to buy cheesy souvenirs, than Pai is your place. We spent a good chunk of the day at the Fluid Pool and walking around the town. I lay by the pool trying to quiet my mind and relax like all my fellow twenty-somethings when I realized that frying my pasty white skin cells and inhaling my neighboring Germans’ cigarette smoke, just isn’t something I enjoy. I would rather be hiking or exploring a temple. So I left. I am partially biased because I went to Mae Hong Son first. The one highlight of Pai was the Fine Rice Restaurant and Cooking School. We didn’t have a chance to take a class, but we ate there every meal. The food was excellent and the owner is a fun-loving guy. If you are on the loop and have time, I recommend taking a class at his place. You can even rent a room at his onsite guesthouse.

Mae Hong Son was a very different story all together. We arrived after dark and crossed our fingers we had booked a decent guesthouse. We did! The Panglor Villa was clean, had a hot shower, a TV with BBC, and pure quiet. They also rented us scooters for 10 USD per scooter for the duration of our three day stay. Our first day we jumped on the scooters with no plan other than stopping by the famous fish cave. The skies were brilliantly clear and it was a perfect temperature to be soaring past rice fields. There were so many times on that scooter that I had the thought, “This is perfect. Absorb this moment.”

We stopped to take some photos of rice fields flanked by rolling hills when a neon green hat wearing sixty something came flying down the road. He skidded to a halt and asked if we needed anything. Come to find out he is a Vietnam War Veteran who just never went home. He was a hoot to say the least. He rambled a mile a minute about the secret war that is still waging on the Thailand side of the Myanmar border. Apparently there are nineteen military groups fighting for liberation from something. He claims he has been a “Freedom Fighter” for the past twenty years. Oh and he enlightened us on many media scams such as 9/11, the beheadings by ISIS, and the economic crash of 2008. The one morsel of information of value he did add was that there is a KMT village not too far from Mae Hong Son. I will give background on what KMT means in a future post.

I cut the conversation short and we continued on to the fish cave. The Thampla-Phasua Waterfall National Park is a nice serene place. You have to pay a 100 Baht entrance fee, but you can camp there for free. Unfortunately, during the dry season the waterfalls basically don’t exist and the cave is well not a cave. It is a small grotto that is crammed with overfed Plapung (a relative of carp). The fish were impressively large and a distinct blue color. The phenomenon of them all swimming against the stream to crowd into this grotto is odd, but not worth going out of your way for.

We headed back to town to catch the sunset from the top of Doi Kong Mu, a hill with a commanding view of the entire town and valley. Perched on top of the hill is a Burmese influenced temple, Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu. As the sky changed from blue to gold to a dark navy, I met someone who would end up being very significant to our time in Northern Thailand. His name is Ari and he is a semi-retired Canadian who recently relocated from China to Thailand. We all instantly liked him and it was only a matter of time before we were all headed down the hill to share dinner. Not only is he an easy going and funny person, but he is a fascinating conversationalist. His travels have taken him all over the world. He has driven a motorcycle from Montreal to Southern Mexico, spent ten years exploring Southern China, speaks 4.5 languages, etc. Our meal was also of note. Visit Salween for delicious food including some Burmese cuisine.

The next day we struck out on the road again this time for Soppong. Our objective was to shop at the hill tribe market that takes place every Tuesday. The trip takes roughly two hours and has the highest concentration of curves out of any other part of the Mae Hong Son Loop!!!!! Tim failed to mention this to me until we were almost back to Mae Hong Son. Sneaky Dutchman. The landscape was stunning as it had been the day before, but this time my genitals and tailbone were at war to decide whom would be squished. In the end neither party was victorious. When people tell you about a hill tribe market, it is important to clarify if the market is selling hill tribe arts and crafts or if it is a market for the hill tribe people to come and buy stuff. This distinction is important. Alas, we found a market filled to the brim with cheap Chinese manufactured goods. After one glance and a drunk man looking me up and down, we were back to genital squishing.

I really can’t highlight enough out breathtaking Mae Hong Son and its environs are. We didn’t see any of the forest degradation we had witnessed in Nan. As far as the eye could see there was greenery. Mae Hong Son itself deserves praise. In each country I go to I am always looking for another “Vang Vieng”. Well, in Thailand’s equivalent to Vang Vieng is Mae Hong Son. It was built at the floor of a long valley snuggling up to the surrounding mountains. The fact they were able to fit an airport runway in the small town is a true feat. At the center of this quiet frontier town is a small lake (I would classify it as a pond) with a gazebo and an attractive temple. Wat Chong Klang is a Burmese style temple (remember Burma was the king of the roost for a couple hundred years) and positively glows at night. Literally, the temple is decked out in lights. Around 8:00 pm the monks light candles and float them around their own little pond at the foot of a Buddha statue.

We ended up spending three dinners with Ari. I would also like to point out that he kept us out way past my bedtime. Ari, if you are reading this- stop being so interesting and thank you for sharing all your China photos with us. Mom, if I end up spending three to six months in China, blame Ari. What a surprisingly delightful town and new friend.

Chiang Mai

2/3/2015

Before 1939 Northern Thailand was in essence autonomous. Even after all of Thailand was unified under Bangkok, the north still held its own way of doing things. The region is a fusion of diverse tribes who have a long history of take overs, warring kings, and at points self-governance. The ancestors of modern day Thai migrated south from China. The first kingdom built by these people was Chiang Saen in 773. Around 500 years later the Lanna (“a thousand rice fields”) Kingdom was established and in the process united the people of this region under one king.

King Mengrai (1259-1317) is worth mentioning because he is the one who founded both Chiang Rai and later Chiang Mai as his capitals. The king of Phayao and the king of Sukhothai were his friends and assisted him in moving his capital from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. This friendship definitely gave stability to the region since the three kingdoms peacefully coexisted. Unfortunately, peace would not remain forever. There were many invasions by both the Lao and Burmese. For roughly 200 years (1556-1700) the Lanna Kingdom was a vassal state to Burma. The Burmese influence is obvious in the architecture of the temples and the food in the north. I personally find the Burmese flare quite unique and beautiful.

In more modern times the north has become famous for the opium trade. The Golden Triangle is the infamous region between the borders of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand where a good portion of the world’s opium was once grown. There is even a museum called the Hall of Opium that explains the boom of the industry in the region and how the drugs spread throughout the world.

As for our experience in Chiang Mai, it was pleasant. The last full day Kellie and I spent together was jam packed with hilarity, coincidence, and relaxation. We started off the day with an hour and half yoga class at the Yoga Tree. At one point the instructor asked for assistance grabbing some blocks from another room. I went with him. We interrupted a class and in the process, I caught a glimpse of a woman’s profile that looked very familiar. Throughout the yoga class I racked my brain for who she could be. After class I told Kellie, we needed to wait for the other class to finish. I was fairly certain I graduated a year after that woman from Gonzaga. When she exited, I approached and said, “Sorry. Not to be creepy, but did you go to Gonzaga?” She enthusiastically said yes. I then realized that we had a mutual friend and were actually in the same major. We even have the same name! She is currently studying Ayurveda for a month in Chiang Mai. Ayurveda is a system of both Hindu medicine and philosophy. It emphasizes freeing the mind and the balancing of one’s self. If the program didn’t cost 1,200 USD, I may have stayed and joined the class myself.

Blown away by the coincidence Kellie and I ate lunch at our vegetarian hostel and then were picked up for a 2.5 hour spa treatment. It was more money than I would normally spend, but it was a great way to spend my last day with my friend. Now it was great not because the treatment itself was wonderful, but because Kellie and I were able to share in an absurd experience. We arrived at the Oasis Spa and Resort and were pleasantly impressed by the tranquility of the facilities. We even tried to buy the tea cups off the establishment- they said no with a worried look on their faces. It all began with a body mud rub down. With my eyes covered, I couldn’t help but notice whatever was being lathered all over my body smelled an awful lot like peanut butter. This lathering went on for a horribly long hour. We were then ushered into a one room shower and proceeded to remove peanut butter from our belly buttons. This was then followed by some lackluster slapping for an hour and a half. The word massage wouldn’t fit this experience. At least I got to laugh about it afterwards with Kellie.

The night didn’t stop there! While walking down the street enjoying a papaya mango shake, Kellie decided to slip and fling her arm in my direction. Everything went into slow motion and the oh so orange shake when flying and splashing all over my chest, hair, and shoulder. I bring this up just so I won’t forget the Epic Spill of 2015 J. That evening we also ran into two hippies we had met in Erawan National Park (and whom I ran into in Pai). Again, what are the odds?

After Kellie left we visited several temples. The most significant temple was Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. It is up on a hill outside of town and takes a bit to get to. We also visited Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh. The highlight was at Wat Chedi Luang, where we were able to participate in the Monk Chat program. For several hours a day monks will sit on benches outside of the temple. People can go there to ask them questions and to chat. The monk we spoke with is from Mumbai, India and is only 24 years old. Many of his answers didn’t necessarily answer my questions, but it was nice to spend 45 minutes with him. He like the other monks we have spoken with, became a novice for the chance at an affordable and good education. His grandmother was a very strong Buddhist and had garnered the respect of the local monks. One day a monk proposed he join as a novice. He said yes and was a novice for 9 years, before coming a full-fledged monk. He explained that there are 10 rules for novices to live by and that at any time they can leave the monastery. Once becoming an ordained monk, the individual can’t unmonkify himself and has to follow 227 rules or precepts.

The last thing worth sharing is that Kellie kindly bought three VIP tickets for us to go to a Muay Thai fight the night after she left. Unfortunately, when we arrived the boss of the stadium informed us that there is no way to pay online and wouldn’t let us in. After some digging, we discovered it was a scam. Luckily, she paid with PayPal. I hope she can get her money back. Other than that, Chiang Mai was just a touristy city. It was nice, but not nearly as enjoyable as our next stop!

Why live in 2D?

1/30/2015

Supposedly the seven hour bus ride from Nan to Chiang Mai passed through some beautiful terrain. Having taken motion sickness pills most of us were out for a good duration of the trip. I should have a lengthy historical and cultural depiction of why Chiang Mai was intellectually stimulating. It was at one time the capital of the Lanna Empire after all. Alas, we were a bit templed-out and the activity that brought the most joy was the 3D Museum. I know! This is not the type of thing I would usually dedicate time to when there are historical things to see, but I met two wonderful Americans in southern Thailand and they raved about it. They said they had planned to be there for two hours and ended up being there for four. It truly is an awesome way to spend a day with friends. We spent three hours at the museum with Kellie and then had to get her to the airport. After seeing her off, we returned to the museum for another couple of hours. The ten USD is worth it!

Hi, I'm Kristin!

I am an avid traveler who also loves photography, history, and food. Life is short and I am trying to gather as many special memories as I can.

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