The Journey To Huaymalai
Travelog Log #1
From home to Chiang Mai.............October 2005
My journeys through Northern and Central Thailand were part vacation and part fact finding mission on the region where my son is involved in missionary work with the Karen Hilltribe refugees from Burma.
My son had asked me many times if I would come over to Thailand and join him for a couple of weeks.... and finally,.. as a gift in honor of his graduation from University of California Riverside (UCR), I agreed to come meet him in Thailand.
To make a graduation gift which was actually my vacation back into a graduation gift, I was secretly determined to cover as many of the costs of travel, food and lodgings as I could get away with during my time in Thailand which would save Chris and Sharon a little money and allow me to save a little time. Based on trips to Hawaii, Mexico, and driving vacations here in the Southwest, I calculated how much money to bring with me. As it turned out, the cost of food, lodging, tours, transportation, and everything I spent money on while in Thailand was less than half of what I had anticipated I would need. Prior to my son Chris departing for Thailand, we got together to discuss what I would want to do when I arrived in country so that we could make some basic plans to fit my vacation expectations, in between he and Sharon's missionary activities.
My needs were simple, I wanted to see ancient or exotic architectures, Buddhist temples, wats and chedis, lush botanic gardens, and also jungles and rice paddies during the 2 weeks I would be there. The only other requirement was to see some cultural dancers at some point.
In my minds eye, I was picturing the Thai dancers with their elongated brass fingernails, gracefully moving their heads side to side as they dance. My son being a self described "culture vulture" agreed to that one right away and having traveled the Thailand countryside twice before, assured me that all of my other requirements would be found on the way to or from anywhere we may go.
The only thing that was problematic about our planning that day was that while Chris would come over in August, I would not be able to come over until sometime in October. In view of some of the locations he may find himself, communications might be spotty at times and last minute changes could occur frequently.
As it turned out, Sharon's planned time off with her son in Chiang Mai worked out perfectly and we planned on mid-October. To provide Chris and Sharon a bit more flexibility, I would wait till mid-September to buy my airline tickets, just in case the schedule needed to be adjusted. I figured I would just plan on meeting Chris at the airport in Bangkok, and he would take care of everything from there....
Other than a group email he sent to everybody, I don't think I heard from Chris for 2 or 3 weeks after he arrived in Thailand. And then one night he contacted me online with AIM instant messenger.
We confirmed my flight information and I was truly amazed at how well the AIM instant messenger worked out compared to the cost of a long distance phone call. At that point he and Sharon were in Chiang Mai (Northwestern Thailand). Sharon was going to buy a car and then they would plan from there. There had been heavy rains and he had been stuck inside for a couple of days. He was staying in a "raised treehouse?" bungalow in a "Christian compound", near a Hospital...... And there was a night market nearby.
I *Googled Chiang Mai City Map and there were three hospitals, and the map showed night markets nearby all three. I asked if he were near a river or large highway or any other landmarks. He typed back the word "Highway". I typed back the words "I've Got it!" Two hospitals were by the river, and the third was located alongside the superhighway. It was nice finally knowing where he was. (* I used the Google search engine by entering the words Chiang Mai city maps )
This was the the way it went over the following weeks. He would contact me over the internet, and while I waited for him to type back to me, I would search online for maps and photos of the location he was at today. Whether it was Mae Sot, Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin, Sangkhlaburi, using the internet, I had photos of each of those locations within a minute or so of figuring out how to spell them.
Important discovery....there are few things the internet does better, than to provide useful booking information on airline and travel destinations, travel forums, photo collections, and geographic, cultural and political information of all kinds. This can be very informative before traveling, and also while you are overseas the internet allows you to check out the recommendations of other travelers you will encounter on your trip, and of course, to access your Email.
My son asked me to try to find a copy of Benedict Rogers' book "A Land Without Evil", and read it before coming over so I would better understand not just the political issues in the region, but also the religious and social issues facing The Karen Hilltribe refugees in Burma and Thailand. After checking with my local booksellers, none of which had it in stock, I located it over the internet and had it in my hands in three days. I figured I could read it on the flight over and during the trip...
Then two weeks before my flight, it turned out that it would be a lot easier if I could meet them in Chiang Mai. The city of Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, and Chiang Mai is also an important base of operations for many missionaries and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) working in the region.
And as I was to find out, it is the perfect place to get the feel of Thailand.
While I was initially a bit annoyed about the last minute add-on to the 24 or so hours it would take from my home in Southern California to the time I would set foot on Thai soil, I got over it quickly, and Chiang Mai turned out to be a must revisit destination for future trips. In our final conversation prior to my flight, my son reminded me of the importance of finishing reading the book (A Land Without Evil) because we may be meeting with one or more of the real life people discussed in the book.
Since I had read about a third of the book in several hours, I didn't think it would be a problem to finish reading it during the flights and layovers. I left my home at 9 PM for my 1:20 AM flight out of Los Angeles International Airport, and was checked in and standing around by 11 PM. Since the flight would begin boarding at 12:35 AM, I dutifully pulled out my book and nervously read for about half an hour.
I spent the rest of the time walking around burning off excess nervousness.
I don't mind flying at all, but fourteen hours? My flights and layovers went smoothly, and other than the incredibly long periods of just sitting watching movies, or reading my homework assignment, I was enjoying the adventure of my first crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Nowadays, each seat on the airliner has its own video entertainment center allowing you your choice of music, movies, etc. One of the selections is a moving map which shows the progress of the flight, which does not just cross the ocean.
Instead, from Los Angeles we flew North and West past San Francisco up towards the Aleutian Islands of Alaska before looping back down towards China, Korea, and Japan on our way to island of Taiwan.
The flight arrived just before sunrise in Taipei where I would switch aircraft for the connecting flight to Bangkok. It was a fairly long walk from our arrival gate to the gate for the connecting flight, but since we had a three and a half hour layover there was no hurry, and it felt great to walk after the long flight.
There is a large duty-free mall in the airport which was interesting, and I found a great Chinese noodle restaurant near my gate. By the time I finished my Chinese noodles in spicy beef stew, I still had an hour to read before we boarded.
About an hour into the flight, we went feet dry over the Asian continent directly over the city of Da Nang in Southern Vietnam.
When I arrived at the Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok, I claimed my luggage and tossed it on a cart, cleared Customs, and made my way from the international terminal to the domestic terminal.
This is achieved by walking thru a covered tunnel that is probably a quarter of a mile in length. I had prepared for this transition by reviewing on-line floor plans of the Terminals prior to my trip, so it was smooth sailing and I was feeling good that I had taken the time to check it out. I checked in for my Thai Air flight, and after a humorous two hour wait where I (trying my best to finish the book) and several others were having trouble staying awake in the hot and humid Bangkok domestic terminal. The humorous part was that my seat upgrade included the use of the Thai Air Club where I would have had the opportunity to take a shower, enjoy free food and beverages, and sit in air conditioned comfort, a fact that I had not understood at the time I checked-in. Instead, I sat in the humid, crowded terminal and struggled to stay awake until we finally boarded for the flight up to Chiang Mai.
On arrival I claimed my bag and headed for the exit, and in less than a minute I was with Chris. After hugs and pats on the back we jumped in a taxi for the 20 minute ride to the Galare Guest House and since they drive on the opposite side of the road in Thailand it was an interesting and educational ride through the narrow streets of Chiang Mai.
Timecheck: I had left my home at 9 PM Friday evening, and arrived at our Guest House at 6 PM Sunday evening.
We were going to catch up with Sharon in a couple of days, so we had no special plans that evening other than to see if I could stay awake till ten or eleven PM, trying to avoid jet lag. That evening we drank fruit smoothies and iced coffees and Chris introduced me to Thai food for dinner at our guest house on the bank of the Ping River.
We then walked down to the internet cafe at the corner for a little while and when I went to bed at around 11 PM, I was probably asleep before my head hit the pillow.
The next day I awoke feeling great and after a hot shower I was ready for action. We headed down to the restaurant for what became our standard Chiang Mai breakfast of cheese omelet, bacon, and french toast. The breakfast was delicious and after we ate, we relaxed over coffee and enjoyed the waterfront view of the river, and the sounds of children singing at a nearby school.
Since I was not feeling any need for further recuperation, we decided to look into some tours.
We scheduled a morning tour of Phu Ping Palace , which is the King's Summer Palace and features extensive gardens, paths and forest areas.
Then in the afternoon we visited the huge Buddhist temple complex at Doi Suthep , which was built on the mountainside overlooking Chiang Mai.
We wandered around the beautifully landscaped grounds, enjoying the colorful decorations as well as the beauty of plants and trees that have been been allowed to grow for decades.
There were many worshipers there while we were visiting the temple, and they just go about there business as if there are no distractions whatsoever.
We were lucky to have the Sun come out and burn off most of the cloud cover not only adding to the colorful atmosphere of the temple grounds which are some of the most spectacular to be found in Thailand, but also allowing some breathtaking views of the city of Chiang Mai down below.
That evening, we went to a great dinner show at the the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center which included Thai and Hilltribe dancers and musicians. The Khantoke dinner was quite an enjoyable experience.
Everyone is seated on the carpeted floor with a futon, and the dinner is served on a short round wooden or laquered "Khantoke" table. The serving bowls were not very large, but each dish was kept filled, and we both agreed that the food was delicious.
We laughed as the Thai dance program started with the Fingernail Dance which had been the one I had thought of to describe Thai dancing.
The Thai dancers were all beautiful school trained professional dancers and they performed many traditional Thai dances accompanied by a group playing the traditional Thai music.
The dancers and the music, together with the sounds of the unusual musical instruments made it all very exotic and fun. There was also a male performer who came out and performed a traditional Knife Dance.
The dinner and dance show lasted about an hour, and at that point everybody reclaimed their shoes and moved to a nearby arena where the Hilltribe dancers would perform. While the Thai dancers seemed schooled and polished, the hilltribe dancers seemed to be magically transported here from a parallel universe.
Watching the dancers from several different hilltribes was a fascinating, almost dreamlike experience. The haunting voices of the musical instruments were as foreign as the songs chanted by the dancers, and if you were seventy-five miles North of Chiang Mai, these people could just as reasonably be photographed in their villages for the cover of National Geographic Magazine.
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There was a Drum Dance and a Fire Dance performed by the male "Knife Dancer" from the dinner show, and the Thai Dancers performed a few more times as well. The arena portion of the program lasted about an hour and then everyone was taken back to their hotels.
We both completely enjoyed the evening and vowed to return if we were in Chiang Mai again someday. We had also managed to cross off the list on the first day, most of the things I wanted to do while in Thailand. Our first full day left me exhausted, and I again did my best to stay up till 11 PM at which time I went to sleep (very quickly).
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The Royal Family of Thailand creates many programs to help Thailand's various hilltribes. Many of the programs are organic agriculture projects and the government picks up the produce, sells it, and pays the workers. However, these programs are restricted to the Thai hilltribes.
When traveling the highways of Northern Thailand it is quite interesting to observe the different crops, farming techniques, modes of dress and architecture of the local hilltribes. Also interesting are the various roadside stands selling wild fruits and vegetables collected in the jungle.
Bananas, mushrooms, papayas, and bamboo shoots to name a few.
There are plenty of opportunities to scrimp and bargain in Thailand, so what do you do with the money you saved? When taking tours, whether local or long distance, (unless you have Sharon Porterfield with you ) you will learn much more about Thailand if you hire an A/C Van and driver, and a tour guide. The driver can then drive, and the guide is available to answer questions and talk about the ever changing landscapes and cultures.
This is also the best way to do whatever you want, go wherever you want, for as long as you want, and have an advisor to remind you of local customs and do's and don'ts along the way. And the costs are not prohibitive, considering what you can get out of it.
This really is an important discovery as well, that you can customize tours for one day or several days and have control of comings and goings rather than riding along with a group.
One of the best aspects of having a tour guide is knowing what local roadside food items to stop for.
There was a stand featuring sticky rice cooked in a length of bamboo. They would put a mixture of rice and sweet black beans in a piece of bamboo, then add coconut milk and a cork of wet moss at the top. The bamboo was then roasted over charcoals. The top would be split prior to serving, then the bamboo is pealed like a banana. There is an inner membrane of the bamboo which acts as a skin and the exposed product is like a rice sausage. This was really an exotic treat worth stopping for, and was quite tasty.
Another nice thing about traveling with a tour guide is having someone to ask anything you want to know about Thailand in general, which can make the parts of your trip when you don't have a guide more manageable. Time while driving can be spent learning to pronounce basic greetings, your favorite food names, and questions like "where is___?" and "do you have___?" This is where you get your moneys worth if you maximize the situation. I think the most important aspect of hiring a guide is that they have a good knowledge of the various hilltribes, their customs, and their religions.
Buddhism is by far the religion of most of the inhabitants of Southeast Asia and the wats, chedis, statues and monuments are everywhere.
I found myself lacking a working knowledge of Buddhism, and I admit I could have learned a bit more about Buddhism on this trip, but as it turned out I learned a lot about Christianity.
As I said, Chiang Mai is a good place to get acclimated to Thailand. Just enough hustle and bustle, a big river flowing right through the city, markets, internet cafes, and tours to exotic locations such as the Maesa Elephant Camp. The elephants are well cared for and do everything from play soccer, to painting a picture.
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The most memorable aspect of Chiang Mai is the diversity of cultures, languages, and religions which all seem to co-exist together well. We kept busy touring, visiting Sharon's friends, or just walking around exploring and the time passed quickly. Chiang Mai is like that, there are many things to do there.
After our 12 noon checkout from the guest house, we left our bags at the front desk and walked down to the internet cafe where we sent Emails to everyone warning them that we may be out of touch for awhile. Then we spent a few hours at the Coffee Bug restaurant across the street talking and enjoying their great iced-coffee and their delicious spring rolls.
(and their air conditioning)
Then, syncronizing our watches, we paid our bill and walked back to our Guest house for the last time on this trip, ready for our coming adventure. The manager at the Galare Guest House insisted on dropping us at the train station and it is only one of the many reasons we consider Galare Guest House our Home away from Home whenever we visit Chiang Mai.
At this point about all I know is we are getting on a train which is taking us to Bangkok. Apparently when we get there, we will meet up with Sharon and immediately leave for Kanchanaburi, Namtok, Sangkhlaburi, and then someplace called Huaymalai.
Next stop.......Bangkok (13 hrs)
All photos, videos, artwork and image editing by Christopher Mills or Gary Mills
