Pai + A note on Thailand's Deep South

I spent the weekend in Pai, a small town located about 146 km north of Chiang Mai, towards the Burmese border. My goal was mostly to get out of Chiang Mai for two days and to find a pool to cool off.  Mission accomplished in both cases... As you can tell from the picture above!

Pai is an "interesting" place to visit, and I use the inverted commas because I wasn't a huge fan in the end.  It is a very hippie-culture sort of place... very popular with backpackers of the dreadlocked variety.  I enjoyed the small-town feel of Pai, but it's always a little strange to me to be in a foreign country but in a place where there is so little interaction between the 'locals' and the 'farang' (foreigners).  Case in point:  I went to the pool with two nice girls I met at the hostel, and well... it was all foreign tourists with the only locals being behind the bar.

Maybe I should nuance or explain by quoting the Lonely Planet here:

"Unlike Khao San or the islands, Pai (pronounced more like the English ‘bye’, not ‘pie’) is just as popular among Thais as foreigners. During the peak of the cool season (December and January), thousands of Thais from Bangkok crowd into the town, making parts of it feel more like the Chatuchak Weekend Market than a village in Mae Hong Son. Traffic jams aren’t unusual during this time of year, and accommodation becomes so scarce that many are forced to rough it in tents.Despite all this, the town’s popularity has yet to negatively impact its nearly picture-perfect setting in a mountain valley. There’s heaps of quiet accommodation outside the main drag, a host of natural, lazy activities to keep visitors entertained, a vibrant art and music scene, and the town’s Shan roots can still be seen in its temples, quiet back streets and fun afternoon market."

From: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/mae-hong-son-province/pai/introduction#ixzz449xJOll9

I think I would have enjoyed Pai more had I stayed longer and gotten to know more people. I was definitely intrigued by the religious diversity there (I saw at least 3 Muslims including a woman wearing a full burka). And there was a lot to do in Pai, including climbing 400 steps to the White Buddha, and visiting the caves, canyons and natural hot springs nearby. 

One thing that I did enjoy was walking up to spend the afternoon at the Pai Circus School, a small circus-school-cum-resort with lovely views of the valley. I pretty much just lazed at the pool, watching other guests try out the hoola-hoops, jester/devil sticks and juggling.  I had to leave at the end of Sunday afternoon to catch the bus back to Chiang Mai, but had I stayed, I could have attended a fire show!   (No worries... as I have plans to attend a muay thai competition later this week. Entertainment is not what's lacking in CM!)

A note on Thailand's Muslim minorities

I've had some conversations about the conflicts in southern Thailand with my friends at Oxfam and with some expats I've been working with in Chiang Mai. I still know very little about politics and religious diversity in Thailand but here are some facts or impressions that I've cobbled together:

• About 5-6% of the Thai population adheres to Islam. However there is an enormous diversity of "Islams" in Thailand... from Chinese Muslims in Northern Thailand, to Malay Muslims in the 'Deep South" provinces of Patani, Yala and Narathiwat. 

• The Thai government wishes to project an image of a unified country, but in fact there are many separatist groups in the Deep South, who do not identify strongly with Thailand as a whole.  As one article in Asian Correspondent noted,  "The Thai-Muslim sense of identity will need accommodation within existing narratives of what is ‘Thainess’ today. “Thainess’ will have to allow some plurality in the future."  Southern-Malay Thais speak mostly Malay, are Muslim and share more cultural affinities with Malaysia than with Thailand. 
• I was frankly shocked to hear about the conflict that has been raging in Thailand's southernmost provinces since about 2004-2007.  It seems that no-one outside of Thailand has heard about this...but it is a very real and devastating conflict, with roots going back to the annexation of Pattani and the division of the area between Thailand and Malaysia, under a 1909 deal between Britain and the kingdom of Siam. Since 2004, estimates show that more than 6,300 people have been killed.  It's an all-too-familiar story of "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" with insurgents saying that they are struggling to restore their homeland, and the Thai government on the other hand vowing to stamp out terrorism and separatism.  What's most tragic in my opinion is the level of targeting of the civilian population... 89% of the victims have been civilian casualties. Schools, teachers, monks and imams are often victims of insurgency bombings.   In 2013, the Thai government and rebel factions began peace negotiations but these have amounted to nothing to date.  Perhaps the government feels it has bigger fish to fry with the deep political divisions between royalist elites and middle-class rural voters from the provinces... 

• I wish there was something to do about this conflict, but for now, I guess all I can do is talk about it, and encourage my friends to find out and support campaigns such as Oxfam Thailand's campaign to support business opportunities for poor women in the conflict-affected provinces. It's not enough but hopefully things will change in Thailand and the country can begin to heal itself. 

Other Resources on Thailand's "Silent War" in the South: 

http://newirin.irinnews.org/forgotten-conflicts-thailand-a-silent-war/ 

http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/thailands-deep-south-living-in-conflict/ 

Report on torture (Cross Cultural Foundation and Patani Human Rights Network): https://voicefromthais.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/press-release-launching-torture-report-pattani-full-report/

Digital Nomads

Alors...il semble que j ai etabli une genre d alternance voyage-travail.... Apres un mois de voyage a Bali et en Inde, j ai fais trois semaines de bénévolat à Delhi. Voilà qu apres trois semaines a Bangkok-Sukhothai-Chiang mai- Luang Prabang , je me retrouve consultante pour trois semaines a Chiang mai! Premiere journee de travail aujourd hui et ce fut fort agréable. Je recherche des definitions et indicateurs de "soutenabilité / durabilité" pour un petit rapport d une trentaine de pages en lien avec un client international. Nous sommes allés travailler cet apres midi dans un café a côté d'une rizière avec les vaches qui beuglaient en prime (accompagnement musical en sus).  Pas mal la vie, quoi!!  Cette semaine j ai fait du yoga et mangé des smoothies au bleuet en grande quantité et je me sens très "santé- grano". Je serais vegane aussi, si seulement le porc lacqué n etait pas aussi bon! ;)

(English version) Hey folks just enjoying the vegan-granola- hippie lifestyle of Northern Thailand. I had smoothies and went to yoga class this week... and would be vegan if only the bbq pork wasnt so delicious.  Oh and I ve started a short term contract to research sustainability definitions and practices for a small consulting firm... true to what seems to be my schedule of one month vacation/travel and one month volunteer or paid work. Life is good... today I spent my afternoon working in a little café next to a rice paddy with cows providing a soothing musical soundtrack. See pictures below ;)  La vita è bella as they say.   Hugs and kisses   From Mia the digital nomad

Trekking in Laos

Well readers, my last prediction came true as I have been in Luang Prabang and surrounding areas for 9 days now. Since getting off the slow boat from the Thai-Laos border I have been three times to the Kong si waterfalls (yep), visited the Pak Ou caves which have thousands of buddha statuettes, went up Phu Si mountain to view the sunset, saw a traditional storytelling performance, visited the Traditional Arts and Ethnography Centre, and the highlight of it all... did a three day trek in the jungle!
The three day trek was a highlight because it took us to some of the more remote and picturesque areas of Laos.  I signed up for the trek after having dinner with a Belgian girl, Ellen, who was telling me about it. We decided to book with Jewel Travel Laos since they were going to Nong Kiaw village which according to Ellen was a must see. Long story short, I am glad I went along with the idea! We drove up three hours and then hiked about 4-5 hours the first day. We climbed a waterfall! and stayed at a village that is divided between Mong and Khmu communities who share a school and other facilities. We made pumpkin and chicken soup and Ellen got to help de feather the freshly deceased chicken for our feast. The whole village assembled to watch TV, drink whisky (we were heartily invited to toast everyone s health) and teach us Khmu expressions. Its a very small town with cows, puppies and baby pigs running around everywhere. Ellen had never stayed in this type of setting (I had only had a similar experience in Ecuador ten years ago) so we both enjoyed it but also realized how luxurious our lives are in comparison... Day 2- we hiked from about 9am to 6pm wih many breaks because it was sooo hot and sunny, through limestone forests and bamboo forests. We stayed at another village, more prosperous, called Ban Phong i believe. And our last day offered perhaps the most gorgeous scenery as we hiked in a beautiful valley and took a boat down to Nong Kiaw, past buffalos bathing in the water and surrounding by tall skinny mountain peaks.
Overall a great experience which I would definitely recommend.  I immediately got sick the next day and now have decided to fly back to Chaing Mai rather than take the 20 hour bus so I ve been in Luang prabang two nights longer than expected but... thats not a hardship at all! I am feeling well now and excited for the next leg of my journey. xoxoxo's  from Mia

Luang Prabang, Waterfalls and Motorboats

Where to start... I have done some really amazing things in the last few days and wish i could devote more time and space to this leg of my trip... but working from my phone with Lao wifi forces me to brevity . I quite  enjoyed Chiang Mai and the highlight was my trip to play with and learn about elephants at Patara Elephant Farm.  I saw a three month old elephant baby with its very friendly mama. We were taught how to recognize the signs of health in an elephant- for instance elephants who have dust on their sides are healthy while elephants who do not may be unwell. Yhe reason being that unhealthy elephants sleep staying up while healthy elephants sleep on their sides on the ground.    Fast forward a few days, I am now in Luang Prabang, Laos after getting here via slow boat. The boat journey was at first rather jnpleasantly hot - I was also behind the motor and the boat was quite full -  But the journey got better on day 2 as there were two boats and we had much more space to spread around and take naps.  The trip allowed us to appreciate the beauty of Lao's Mekong river coastline. Now in LP I visited a gorgeous waterfall today and got to cool off  amidst all this breathtaking scenery.   I enjoyed being at the Khong Si waterfall so much - its cool, pleasant swimming, theres a bear rescue centre oh and did i mention how beautiful it is - that I may go back tomorrow! LP of course has lots to offer... temples, caves, small town feel and charm, night markets, even an Ethnography centre and textile shop that i am eager to check out.  So I may be here for a week  before moving on to my next destination! 

Hostel Story: Dinosaurs!

I'm beginning a series of Hostel Stories.  Here is one :)

Teddy and his baby brother Leo (not their real names) are two adorabe half-Dutch-half Chinese children. Teddy's papa is Dutch and met Teddy's Yunnanese mama when they were both living in Kunming, China. Teddy speaks Dutch, German, Mandarin and English.  He really likes dinosaurs. He is six years old. 

When I met Teddy in a medium-big size town in Thailand, he and I immediately become friends.  He tells me all about his love for snakes and T Rex!  The Hostel has an old snake-skin so we discuss the snake's process of transformation.  Teddy is afraid that the Snake will come back for his old snake-skin.  I say, "Teddy, a snake sheds his skin just like you shed your hair when you get a haircut!"   We watch The Land Before Time (one of my favourite dinosaur movies when I was a child) together.

Teddy's papa tells me that his job is to lead bicycle tours for German tourists in China.  The family recently spent 6 months living in Germany, and Teddy picked up German very quickly even though he did not know the language  (the papa speaks Dutch to him while mama speaks to him in southwestern mandarin). 

I think of my little Norwegian cousins - this little boy reminds me very much of them.  He, like the youngest Norwegian cousin (when I visited them in 2011), thinks it only natural that everyone should speak the same languages he does, and can't understand why I don't respond to his commentary in Mandarin.   Nonetheless, despite the language barrier, we bond over Dinosaur Lego. 

Palace Demons and Monitor Lizards

Sawasdee!!   Je suis a Bangkok et je rencontre des demons et des lezards  (Varanus salvator ou Varan malais) partout !! haha.  D'abord j'ai vu plusieurs 'demons' statuettes recouvertes d'or et de bijoux, qui servent de 'gardes' du Palais Royal de Bangkok.  Le Palais est assez impressionnant et il y avait une grosse foule en consequence.
Pour quelque chose de plus tranquille je suis allee au Parc Lumphini aujourd'hui... mais quelle etait ma surprise d'apercevoir l'animal ci-dessous, en train de tranquillement gober son poisson tout rond.  Le Varan malais est inoffensif mais c'est tres drole d'en voir un qui se balade et qui fait aller sa langue en forme de fourche, surtout quand on ne s'y attend pas!  Les Thais n'y pretent pas plus attention, c'est comme les Quebecois et les ecureuils... "Bein quoi? Ah bon, Ca vous semble anormal, ces petites betes la?"

(English).  Hi all, Sawasdee!  I am in Bangkok and meeting demons and lizards at every street corner. I went to the Grand Palace on Sunday and saw the Dvarapala Yaksha or Door Guardians which stand at the entrance of the Emerald Buddha and all the other gilt-covered buildings inside the Palace. It is quite a sight to behold and I am glad I went to see it, despite the heat and throngs.
For a quieter excursion, I went to Lumphini Park today after getting my local SIM card... and saw the water 'monster' below, the giant Monitor Lizard, which was leisurely enjoying its fish lunch. These animals are pretty harmless but seeing them gave me quite a start! The Thais of course dont pay them any attention, much like us and squirrels.. "What these funny things? Oh they are a dime a dozen you know".

Giant Monitor Lizard Eating Fish- in the heart of Bangkok (Lumphini Park)!!

Been enjoying the food in Thailand of course!! Street food a plenty and lots of good 'modern' Thai cooking as well.  

Recommendations:

• Passport Books on Phra Sumen  (They have a lovely alcove cafe and are open until 8pm on fridays). 
• Taking the river boats!
• Eating in Chinatown
• Getting a haircut-  In Thailand I've discovered that they even wash your ears when giving you the usual shampoo prior to cutting your hair. 
• The Royal Barges Museum and Grand Palace

The Royal Barges Museum was another little hidden gem, wish I had snapped some pictures! 

This is where they keep the 'reconstructed' royal boats that the King uses for special events. There are four types of royal barge, including one type which is for the King to change into his ceremonial clothes - basically an over-water changing room, if you will.   The building and use of Royal Barges fell out of use after the fall of Ayuthaya , and most of the old ones were damaged when Siam was fighting its neighbours.  However they have restored this ages-old tradition.  The barges are quite formidable.  Each one even has a cannon to fend of any enemies that should venture in its fluvial path. 

I am off to Northern Thailand to hopefully see some elephants.  Until next time!

Mia