INDOCHINA/ Bangkok, Boat ride along the city's Klongs (canals), Wat Arun, tuk tuk ride to Jim Thompson House Museum

This morning we boarded a long tail motorboat for a trip on the canals into the Thonburi area of the city.  This area retains the laid back charm of a more traditional Bangkok way of life which still exists today.  We boarded on the Chao Phraya River and were taken along the main river to The Bangkok Noi Canal, the turn off point to Thonburi backwaters and canals. 

Bangkok is almost an indescribable city.  It is huge, modern and developing at the same time.  The modern aspects are SUPER modern and rival what we might find in our large cities in the USA.  The malls and markets are remarkable testimonials to their choices of international cuisine.  The skyscrapers are very impressive.  Traffic seems to be much more controlled in Bangkok than the rest of Indochina, but there is still work to be done on their infrastructure specifically for trash collection and controlling pollution.

House on the water

crocodile sunning by a house

Another residence

Modern Bangkok as seen from the Sky Top Bar

Following the boat trip we visited the exquisite Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple in the Yai district of Bangkok on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River.  It's name is derived from the Hindu god Aruna.  The temple was restored in the 19th century and was finished around 1851. 

The main feature of Wat Arun is its central tower which is encrusted with colorful porcelain.  The central tower is topped with a seven pronged trident which is referred to as the Trident of the Hindu god Shiva. 

closeup of porcelain encrusted flowers

It was time for a tuk tuk ride to the Jim Thompson House Museum.  It was built by this American businessman and architect in 1959 to house his extensive art collection and other artifacts, as well as the center for his silk weaving trade.

Silk Weaver

Spirit House on the property

INDOCHINA/ Chiang Mai Province/ Thailand, Hill Tribe Visit

a member of Karen tribe, skilled weavers

Today we ventured north to visit some of the hill tribes of Chiang Mai where people of Padong, Palong and Karen tribes show off their craft traditions. Northern Thailand is home to interesting and colorful ethnic minorities known as the hill tribes, most of whom have migrated into the region during the past 100 years as the result of being forced out of interior Asia: China, Myanmar, and Tibet.   Each of the tribes has preserved their traditional ways and dress, making them a fascinating cultural study. 

Most of the hill tribes living in the remote upland areas practice subsistence farming.  Until the 1950's, the increase in their population, extreme poverty, and threat of insurgency forced the government to form a National Committee for Hill Tribes.  Opium cultivation was a major source of income for many of the hill tribes and the government worked to eradicate this by substituting it with other cash crops such as cabbages and fruits.   This was knows as the "Royal Project," and proved to be successful.

Hill tribes are reluctant to integrate into the citizenship and customs of the mainstream Thai society.

Larry holds up weaving

The Karen wear woven v-neck tunics and turbans.  Unmarried women wear long white v-neck tunics.  Originally from Myanmar, they mostly occupy lowland areas, engaging in agriculture, including rice growing.

 Another weaver of the Karen tribe

loom weaving

male woodcarver of Karen tribe

This woman has a grand sense of humor.  Check out the wooden whistle she is blowing!

A better view of traditional dress

Weird rooster

As we strolled through the village, we visited the school where we found beautiful barefoot children doing their work very comfortably on the floor. 

Larry loves kids

Math? Fractions?

Shoes are traditionally left outdoors

We continued our stroll through this pristine village of hill tribes.

The proverbial money tree!

The Padaung tribe originated in Thailand and are a sub-group of the Shan, who aren't entirely considered minorities as they have always occupied the areas of northwest Thailand and the Shan states of Myanmar.They speak a dialect similar to Thai and are even known as Thai Yai, having been assimilated into Thai culture. They attract many curious visitors because of their long necked women.  A tradition of beautifying women by adding brass rings to their necks has been preserved.  The neck appears to be elongated when, in fact, it is the collar bone that is depressed to make room for the rings. 

One brass ring is attached around the neck of little girls at the age of 5 and are continually added at intervals until she is grown.  They are worn during: work, play, sleep, and bathing.  They are taken off once a year to clean the brass rings.
The belief is that the rings make them beautiful.

Rings are also around the legs

We enjoyed dinner tonight at the Italian restaurant 4 Seasons.  Great fun and much laughter with many new acquaintances.  Below are views of this beautiful jungle resort.

Our "hut"

view from veranda

INDOCHINA/ Chiang Mai/ Ran-Tong Elephant Sanctuary

Our Thai guide told us that there are approximately 4,000 elephants in Thailand and about half of these are in protected elephant camps.  The wild elephants are being killed by hunters to keep them out of the cities and the rice paddies.  Ran-Tong is one of the elephant sanctuaries that rescues abused and injured elephants and cares for them.  Their mission is to educate the public of the elephant's long history with Thai culture and teak industry.

This male loved being fed bunches of bananas

They have rescued over 40 elephants and have assigned a trainer for each one.  The trainer stays with his elephant for life and this is considered a legacy job.  In the mornings, the elephants are fed bananas (provided by the camp) by tourists and the lucky tourists receive a big sloppy elephant trunk kiss for their efforts.  After the feeding, the elephants are given baths in the river.

The mahout (trainer) with his elephant

I was surprised when the elephants ate an entire bunch of bananas at a time.  One big bite and then down the hatch.  Amazing.  They also eat roots, grasses, bamboo, small trees, and other edible plants.  In fact, researchers have found that a single elephant will eat up to 800 pounds of food in a single day.  That's a "lotta bananas, folks!"  The tourists dollars help to provide the much needed food for these gentle giants. 

This girl just finished her bath

After their baths, the elephants were taken to a sunny area to stretch out and dry naturally in the sun, the way they would dry themselves in the wild.  We were herded into an arena where the elephants did some humorous tricks, again each with its own mahout who seemed to treat the elephants with great gentleness.  The finale was an elephant painting demonstration.  This, too, was incredible considering the paintings were not splashes of random paint, but were rather primitive landscapes with several combinations of colors. 

Next came the part that I've been waiting for since I first saw Johnny Weissmuller tromping through the Hollywood back lot jungle with Cheatah on an elephant, the elephant ride!  The elephants are very sure-footed given their size, but they could be steered by a gentle push on the back of their left or right ears by the mahouts.  It felt very much like being rocked in a giant cradle and I found the whole experience to be magical, gentle, and soporific. 

Our guide beneath us as we say on "our" elephant

Thankfully, the elephants were free for the rest of the day to roam the property and do pretty much as they wished.  They had finished their work for the day.

We returned to the gorgeous Four Seasons Chiang Mai Resort to rest and reflect on this very special day among these gentle and intelligent animals.

 sunset from our screen porch