Akha Hilltribes Educational Village

Learning some dance steps of the Akha Hilltribe women.

The Akha people originated from Tibet and China and migrated south to Thailand when the Communists persecuted them. They live in mountainous regions and farm the land. They were one of the tribes that grew opium, but the Thai government has encouraged new crops and tourism as alternatives. Tony and I decided not to trek into the hilltribe villages because we felt uncomfortable wandering into their space like so many tourists now do.  Instead we opted for a village that was set up by a non profit community development association. The Akha people do live there (you'll see the inside of one home), but they control the whole thing and they receive the proceeds from the entrance fees.  

Weaving cotton.

Their homes are simple, dark inside and make our houses look like royal palaces.

The Kitchen

Sleeping quarters for the mother and children. The husband had a similar space next door.

A satellite dish, looking a little out of place next to the meager house we just looked at. Television is the one luxury they have in these modern times. If you look closely, you will see 2 fish being dried on a stick on the dish!Pork anyone????

Budhha Rock Carvings

Carvings we spotted along the road......there was a cave and temple attached but it was after 5pm and it had closed.

Chiang Rai Caves

Next to the "beach" we found a cave used as a temple: Tum Phra. One of the monks actually lives in the cave (you could see his washing and dishes etc). It had some statutes dating back a few hundred years. This cave had great energy and was lovely and cool compared to the hot humid day outside.

I decided to help the monk by sweeping his kitchen/laundry area!

Another smaller cave had this monk statute in it.

 

Chiang Rai Beach!

Chiang Rai is another smallish city, so we explored out of the way places. We found what the Thai's call a "beach." It was on the river's edge and as they are heading into spring/summer when the heat waves hit, local vendors set up stalls along the river and the place is apparently packed on the weekends.

A restaurant on the river!

Building bamboo structures along the "beach" area or vendors to sell food and drinks.

Chiang Dao Cave

After spending the night in Pai, we had to drive the notorious mountain road back to the main highway and then on to Chiang Dao, where we went to a fantastic cave.

Is it just me, or can you see some faces in these cave walls??

Pai, Northwest Thailand

One of many hazzards on Thai roads! If you look on the map (below), we drove on Hwy 107 and turned on Hwy 1095 and drove as far as the Hot Springs (which we didn't go to because it is a commercialised swimming pool, not what we wanted). I'm not sure why Pai is not on the map because it's a big place. We went there because a lot of people recommended it. We liked it once we got there, but it took 1 1/2 hours of driving up and over a mountain on a winding, steep road and I ended up car sick. We found a neat place to stay the night.

Our bungalow at Pai Farm

Quite serene, overlooking the fish pond. Tony had a great time fishing......caught a couple of big catfish, of which he was most proud!

The library and eating area for the organic restaurant. They grew veggies right there at the farm.

Just outside of Pai was a Chinese village, settled with refugees during the revolution.

We enjoyed a cup of Chinese tea in a traditional tea shop. It brought back fond memories of our China experience.

Building a new shop in the Chinese village.

Golden Triangle Adventure

We're back in Chiang Mai after spending 6 days on the road, traveling north into the Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet at the Mekong River.) Tony drove the1000 kms. Once we got out of the city areas, it was just like driving at home, except the big 4 X 4's that constantly flew past us, crossing double lines and coming close to head on collisions with several buses. We didn't see any radar or police on the road, except for a few checkpoints, where we got waved through. We think they were looking for illegal border crosser's, as they glanced in the back seat each time. It was nice having a car and being independent (and not taking an organised tour which we both find too tiring and confining). It allowed us to stop and buy sticky rice from road side stalls or to veer off the beaten track to some different places.
Stay tuned for photos. I'm having trouble uploading today, so will try again tomorrow!