Strange combination, I know, but these are two of my latest stories in SE Asia...
First the caroling:
The three of us caught a cheap flight from Laos to Chang Mai in Northern Thailand. It was such a relief to find out that it would be the same price to fly or take a two day hellish boat ride and another day by bus. No brainer. Chang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, and quickly reminded me of all the things I didnt like about Bangkok. We did land on December 5, which happened to be the King's birthday celebration. This goes off like the fourth of July in the states. Fireworks and street parades were everywhere. So, that was pretty fun.
Chang Mai also acts as a sort of "port town" to the nearby mountains where 800,000 people live in scattered primitive vilages. We really wanted to check out the hills and see the cultures, but we were skeptical about the possibilities of our trek becoming a visit to a "human zoo". We chose a tour company from our guesthouse that ended up being fantastic. Only the three of us plus a couple from Malaysia enjoyed the two day adventure.
The trek was beautiful (check out the pictures of elephant riding and bamboo rafting) and so were the people (no pictures). The village we spent the night at belonged to the Karen tribe (largest hilltribe population) who mostly migrated from Tibet. It was really cool to see a village in Thailand full of smiling Tibetan faces just like I remembered from a month before.
During our campfire that night, we heard villagers singing up on the hill, and soon recognized the tune of "silent night". The carolers went around to each hut in the village and sang different Christmas songs. I tagged along in the back and sang quietly the songs I knew in English. The carolers blessed each hut, and the receiving party gave out rice treats for the participants. It was beautiful to hear in another language, and a completely unexpected treat.
The next day we hiked through the hills and stopped for lunch at a sweet waterfall. We followed the stream down to the valley where we got to navigate bamboo rafts the rest of the way to the stopping point. Check out the pics and videos... it was a blast!
That night I checked out a Muy Thai fight. It is the Thai version of kickboxing where fighters use elbows, knees, whatever to knock the other down. The stadium couldnt have been shadier, but it was super entertaining with a live band playing Thai music during the fights. Hey, where else can you see a fight from the second row and drink a couple beers for under $15??
Now, we jump on a plane to Phuket to get out of the mountains, and into some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world.... YEEEAH!
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