Tying one on in Thailand - Day 5

We walk up to a beautiful view of a river and extensive well maintained grounds.  They have a garden where they grow many of the fruits and vegetables that are used at the restaurant. 

Another plentiful breakfast buffet.  We sit out side on the veranda and enjoy the slightly fresher, cooler air than Bangkok. 

Today we take another long boat up the river into the hill country to a village of the Karen tribe. The Northern tribes were incorporated into Thailand relatively recently.  The people were given full Thai citizenship but also required to study the Thai language.  For many of the older generation, Thai language proficiency is quite limited.  Missionaries have been quite active in this area so many have converted to Christianity.. 

When we arrive, there is a small market area where they are selling handcrafts.  A woman is demonstrating the back-strap loom and has shawls for sale.  I am always surprised at how universal the back-strap loom is. 

An old woman is dressed up in the traditional dress and posing for pictures for tips.  She  is only a little taller than my waist!  From her black teeth, we know that she has been chewing betel nuts for many years. 

Walking a bit further, we pass a preschool with the children lining up.  Of course, they are cute and adorable and we all want to take pictures.  It turns out that they are lining up to all go visit another  student who has been out sick for several days.  They have all been taught to walk with their hands behind their backs – just how we teach our little ones to walk.  Even still, there are a few who need more herding than others.  Kids are kids wherever you are in the world. 

From the village, we drive to the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Miramar come together on the Mekong river  This is where the drug trade was thickest and supported the rebels in the 1960’s and 70’s.  Now, the opium  trade has been cleaned up and there is a museum about the period.  The vice has changed.  Gambling isn’t allowed in Thailand but it is in Laos so there are big casinos just over the river.  The Thai side has many little shops and a Buddhist temple that has more of a touristy feel than a spiritual feel. 

We get back to the hotel relatively early and have dinner on our own. Everyone on the bus wants to go to the night market so Rio arranges for the bus driver to take us and drop us off.  A lively place with food, drink, music, stalls with things for both tourists and locals.  Even though it is the evening, it is still pretty warm and humid. 

On the way back to the hotel, we drive past the clocktower which is the center of a round about.  It was designed by the same person as designed the temple that we’re going to in the morning.