So, where was I? Ah OK so after trekking down the mountain our driver brings us back toward the river. And after a dodgy bit of reversing down a steep hill, we all hop out. This is where we will be doing our white water rafting.Our guide for the rafting (who looks about 12 but could be anything up to about 30) takes over from here and gives us our life jackets and explains in broken English some commands which he will yell at us from the back of the boat. The most hilarious being "jump JUMP" where we all have to bounce up and down to dislodge the boat if it gets stuck on something!
As you can imagine rafting down the river in the dry season doesn't really involve a whole lot of "white water" so for the most part we are either easily floating down a calm river or getting stuck between big rocks and having to use the "jump jump" technique and rock from one side of the boat to the other, while locals on a family day out- laugh, splash us with water and often have to actually help to free the raft from between the rocks! It was a Saturday so all the locals seem to be out on the river. (A bit like Brannockstown on a hot day!!) They are having picnics on the shore, laughing and taking pictures of us. Kids swim around and splash water on us....you pretty much know your not white water rafting when a 6 year old floats past you in a rubber ring! In one part of the river we jump out for a swim. Men hand us cups of rice whiskey or sips of beer and when we climb back into the boat we have picked up a couple of stow-aways or rather mini high-jackers! They are very cute so we let them away with it!
Everyone waves and says hello to us ...and also laughs at us but you couldn't blame then as in some parts of the river we are getting stuck on big rocks every 30 seconds and bouncing around like complete idiots!! Its a pity I have no pictures of this but I didn't have a waterproof camera so no can do!
When we get to the end of the "white water rafting" trip, we pull into shore and switch over to a traditional bamboo raft which is a long flat raft (made from bamboo obviously enough) Its steered from the front with a bamboo stick and the guide uses a paddle st the back for extra propulsion . We are on the positive side of gender discrimination as Jan has to use a bamboo at the front while we all like down and relax!
After that we go and clean off and Jan treats us all to a nice cold Chang (beer) (we also learn Chang is Thai for elephant!). Jan explains that he is buying the beers because he did all the work so he's obviously earning the money around here!!
We finish up our beers and climb into the van for the trip back to Chiang Mai with a stop off at a long-neck tribe village along the way.
The Long-necks we visit are a hill tribe from Burma who have only been living in Thailand for 2 months. There are many similar tribes in the northern hills around Chiang Mai who have lived in Thailand for hundreds of years and maintained a simple way of life. If you want to visit these villages you can do another trek up the mountain, and stay the night in the tribal village but in this heat there is no way I would be able to handle it.
The village we visit is not in the hills and is rather conveniently located adjacent to the tourist attraction of a tiger zoo/sanctuary. From the second we step into the village it all feels a bit uncomfortable - these people are being used as a tourist attraction.
Long-neck woman (the rings on their legs are just decorative)
The guide tells us about their lives. They are refugees in Thailand because of the fighting in Burma and have been here just 2 months. Only the women wear the rings around their necks which are put on when they are 5 years old and increase in size until they are 25.(so none for me!). They are different from long neck tribes in africa because the rings are one continuous coil, rather than a series of rings.
Kay buys handicrafts
They remove the rings when they are traveling so that people won't stare at them. (Interesting so that their livelihood is now letting people stare at them).
We see some evidence of their natural way of life. Grinder for making flour from rice, pig pens, chickens etc. but mainly the village is stall after stall of handicrafts and women weaving scarves etc. All the stuff is beautifully made but it is just like a big market, and they have made a simple hill tribe into glorified pushy stall sellers. It all just feels a bit strange. Also we are practically encouraged to take pictures of the people and they pose for us, whereas in the guide-book had said that many of these tribes won't allow their picture to be taken because of their belief system...but it felt like these guys had been told the village will get more tourists if you let people take a picture with you.
Don't get me wrong it was very interesting to see the people and hear their story, it all just felt a bit exploitative.
We make our way back to Chiang Mai after this and say goodbye to Jan and Kay. It was a really great day out. We hit the town that night and go to a Thai rock bar where cover bands with interesting hair-dos bang out classic hits ("Arr in arr it's just another brick in the warr"
Check out the 'do'
Cheeky kid flower sellers come in and really give it the hard sell. One of them challenges me to a thumb war and knows all the words and wins (only because I was afraid of breaking his little thumbs...maybe)- I am charmed to bits as I think the words to thumb war might be pretty much the only English he knows. Good enough for me so I buy one of his flowers!
The next day I decide to embark on a another adventure...of a culinary nature!
As you can imagine rafting down the river in the dry season doesn't really involve a whole lot of "white water" so for the most part we are either easily floating down a calm river or getting stuck between big rocks and having to use the "jump jump" technique and rock from one side of the boat to the other, while locals on a family day out- laugh, splash us with water and often have to actually help to free the raft from between the rocks! It was a Saturday so all the locals seem to be out on the river. (A bit like Brannockstown on a hot day!!) They are having picnics on the shore, laughing and taking pictures of us. Kids swim around and splash water on us....you pretty much know your not white water rafting when a 6 year old floats past you in a rubber ring! In one part of the river we jump out for a swim. Men hand us cups of rice whiskey or sips of beer and when we climb back into the boat we have picked up a couple of stow-aways or rather mini high-jackers! They are very cute so we let them away with it!
Everyone waves and says hello to us ...and also laughs at us but you couldn't blame then as in some parts of the river we are getting stuck on big rocks every 30 seconds and bouncing around like complete idiots!! Its a pity I have no pictures of this but I didn't have a waterproof camera so no can do!
When we get to the end of the "white water rafting" trip, we pull into shore and switch over to a traditional bamboo raft which is a long flat raft (made from bamboo obviously enough) Its steered from the front with a bamboo stick and the guide uses a paddle st the back for extra propulsion . We are on the positive side of gender discrimination as Jan has to use a bamboo at the front while we all like down and relax!
After that we go and clean off and Jan treats us all to a nice cold Chang (beer) (we also learn Chang is Thai for elephant!). Jan explains that he is buying the beers because he did all the work so he's obviously earning the money around here!!
We finish up our beers and climb into the van for the trip back to Chiang Mai with a stop off at a long-neck tribe village along the way.
The Long-necks we visit are a hill tribe from Burma who have only been living in Thailand for 2 months. There are many similar tribes in the northern hills around Chiang Mai who have lived in Thailand for hundreds of years and maintained a simple way of life. If you want to visit these villages you can do another trek up the mountain, and stay the night in the tribal village but in this heat there is no way I would be able to handle it.
The village we visit is not in the hills and is rather conveniently located adjacent to the tourist attraction of a tiger zoo/sanctuary. From the second we step into the village it all feels a bit uncomfortable - these people are being used as a tourist attraction.
Long-neck woman (the rings on their legs are just decorative)
 |
| From Drop Box |
The guide tells us about their lives. They are refugees in Thailand because of the fighting in Burma and have been here just 2 months. Only the women wear the rings around their necks which are put on when they are 5 years old and increase in size until they are 25.(so none for me!). They are different from long neck tribes in africa because the rings are one continuous coil, rather than a series of rings.
Kay buys handicrafts
 |
| From Drop Box |
They remove the rings when they are traveling so that people won't stare at them. (Interesting so that their livelihood is now letting people stare at them).
We see some evidence of their natural way of life. Grinder for making flour from rice, pig pens, chickens etc. but mainly the village is stall after stall of handicrafts and women weaving scarves etc. All the stuff is beautifully made but it is just like a big market, and they have made a simple hill tribe into glorified pushy stall sellers. It all just feels a bit strange. Also we are practically encouraged to take pictures of the people and they pose for us, whereas in the guide-book had said that many of these tribes won't allow their picture to be taken because of their belief system...but it felt like these guys had been told the village will get more tourists if you let people take a picture with you.
Don't get me wrong it was very interesting to see the people and hear their story, it all just felt a bit exploitative.
We make our way back to Chiang Mai after this and say goodbye to Jan and Kay. It was a really great day out. We hit the town that night and go to a Thai rock bar where cover bands with interesting hair-dos bang out classic hits ("Arr in arr it's just another brick in the warr"
Check out the 'do'
 |
| From Triphopopotamus |
Cheeky kid flower sellers come in and really give it the hard sell. One of them challenges me to a thumb war and knows all the words and wins (only because I was afraid of breaking his little thumbs...maybe)- I am charmed to bits as I think the words to thumb war might be pretty much the only English he knows. Good enough for me so I buy one of his flowers!
The next day I decide to embark on a another adventure...of a culinary nature!
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