Crazy Thailand

The past two weekends symbolized two Thai extremes.  On the 10^th and 11^th, Josh and I stayed local in Nan. We rode the motorbikes back up to Nanthaburi National Park on Saturday, only a 40 minute drive away, and then attended a tribal ceremony on Sunday at 3 A.M., which included a horrifying animal sacrifice.  Contrastingly, I spent the weekend of the 17^th and 18^th in modern Bangkok.

As you loyal blog subscribers know, Josh and I had previously visited Nanthaburi National Park, but because time required us to leave without exploring some inviting trails and waterfalls, we made the short ride back for the day.  It was more beautiful than the first time we went!  After chilling by an impressive waterfall in the afternoon, Josh and I hiked back up to the main campgrounds to watch the sunset and eat some grub. A big Thai family was making a campfire and invited us to join for drinks and dinner, which has pleasantly become the hospitable norm around here.

We descended the mountain as it turned dark and paradise was soon lost in the valley.  At 3 A.M. we drove fifteen minutes from our residing town of Thawangpha to a local Tai Lui village to witness their annual heritage rituals.  The Tai Lui people originally immigrated to northern Thailand from the Mekong River in Sipsongpanna, China when they lost a battle with Thailand (which at the time was Siam), since to the victor goes the spoils.  We only learned after the ceremony that the Tai Lui people are more animistic than Buddhist, which surprised us upon arrival because we had acclimated to the peaceful Buddhist ways of Thailand.  With all due respect to cultural relativism, this ceremony was a joke.  It’s hard to be politically correct when you witness something extremely primitive and barbaric.  I’m making these claims based on the assumed premise that the blatant torturing of animals is objectively wrong.  However, the beginning of the ceremony was innocent enough.  A Tai Lui elder who was a descendent of the army commander whom led the Chinese to Thailand performed the first rituals (the rituals and sacrifices performed were supposedly done in honor of the ancestors and revered army commander).   The Tai Lue elder held a baby chicken in front of a miniature home that was built to represent the home of the ancestors and then plucked several feathers from the chicken and offered them to the “ancestral spirits.” 

 If that was the extent of what transpired, I would have perhaps appreciated the emphasis they placed on familial remembrance and respect.  But when the Tai Lui elder subsequently handed the baby chicken off to an assistant whom then threw it in the air for the drunken mob to hysterically chase and catch as a symbol of good luck, I began to get a sour taste in my mouth.  After those shocking shenanigans were over, I begrudgingly meandered my way to the animal sacrifice.  A pig, water buffalo, and a few other helpless creatures were tied to posts, forming a circle.  The executioner held a dull ax.  The water buffalo moaned in agony as the executioner walked around the innocent creature in between blows in order to get a better angle.  It was probably the most unkosher, crude exhibition I have ever witnessed and reminded me of my futile attempts of opening up coconuts with the dull knife we have in our kitchen.  Three strikes to the water buffalo and I decided to head out.  

Khao San Road

The past weekend in bustling Bangkok seemed like I fast-forwarded the clock about 500 years.  I took an 11 hour overnight bus on Friday and a returning one Sunday night, which is one of those things you only do in a foreign country (further than driving from New York to Detroit and back for a weekend).  The company, food, and Thai massage (don’t worry Mom, I was relaxed rather than “happy” at the end of it) made it all worth it.  Bangkok is certainly a crazy metropolis.  Upon arrival at the bus station, I took a 30 minute motorbike-taxi ride to our hotel.  Holy shit!  Nothing like riding helmetless and holding on for dear life as the driver speeds and narrowly weaves between rickshaws and other moving vehicles… all at 5 A.M., right after stumbling off an 11 hour bus ride.  I met up with Jill and the rest of the chill Chonburi crew and we celebrated Danielle’s birthday Saturday night.  We stayed at a hotel on the notoriously touristy Khao San Road, which initially was nice just to get a change of pace from rural Thawangpha, but the extreme foreigner vibe quickly become pretty obnoxious.  If the goal is to be a traveler rather than a tourist, most occupants of Khao San Road didn’t get the memo.  To avoid the daytime commotion, we hung out by the cool of the rooftop pool and ate at an amazing vegetarian restaurant with floor cushions and hip music.  I must say, humus and veggie lasagna really hit the spot, especially after the recent Tai Lue ceremony. 

The two weekends of experiencing the Tai Leu animistic rituals and touristy Khao San Road, respectively, are by no means representative of Thai culture.  However, they do comprise two minority and extreme parts of Thailand as a whole.  Thailand reminds of a line in “Sara,” by Dylan, which goes, “So easy to look at, so hard to define.” 

Our school has midterms next week, so we get a little vacation!  I’ll be back in Chiang Mai, the caves and misty mountains of northwest Thailand, then flying down to stunning Ko Phi Phi Island for New Years.  Hope you have a happy holidays and New Year!

Chiang Rai and Phu Chi Fa Forest Park

The whole country had the day off on Monday in honor of the King’s birthday.  I celebrated by meeting some friends in Chiang Rai, the northern most province in Thailand, for a three day weekend of adventures.  While our friends in the greater Bangkok area endured a 14 hour overnight bus, Josh and I enjoyed a four and half hour motorbike ride over the mountains.  It was simply one the most beautiful rides I’ve seen.  The majority of the time was spent going back and forth on curvy roads with majestic mountains distracting us on either side, compelling us to stop and smell the roses along the way.

We soon discovered that Chiang Rai is a pretty hip place.  The manageable city offers the best of both worlds with a handful of fun downtown bars and the scenery of rice patties, mountains, and forests surrounding the outskirts.  On Saturday we visited Wat Rong Khun, an aesthetically pleasing white temple, which was constructed to resemble hell (it sounds counterintuitive until you see the architectural details).  That night we walked around the bustling Chiang Rai night market and eventually ended the long day at the reggae playing Peace Bar- just what the doctor ordered (especially the alternative California doctor).

The next day we went to Phu Chi Fa Forest Park, which entailed another unforgettable motor 

bike ride.  The journey to Chiang Rai from Nan was smooth sailing, but this ride presented some challenges, to say the least.  Before I rant about the details, I’ll first ease any worries by saying that we were thankfully safe the entire time.  Jill rode on the back of my motorbike and the two of us enjoyed the scenery until it began to get dark, which was around the same time that we turned right on an unmarked fork in the road.  The lack of signs at a crucial intersection was quite typical of Thailand, although the more illogical part was that most of the trip was actually well marked!  Needless to say, turning right was wrong, which we concluded after the next sign indicated 50 more kilometers or so than the previous one.  As the mountain road steadily inclined, the temperature quickly declined (an unfamiliar feeling for us in Thailand) and the unlit roads became more difficult to navigate.  Suddenly, the motor bike stalled and stopped.  I tried kick starting it but to no avail, for the motorbike had run out of gas.  At that moment, when we were mentally and physically drained from the tiring ride (your ass starts to really feel it after a few hours… that’s what she said), and stranded on the side of a dark, cold mountain, Jill started laughing hysterically.  We had been driving the past few hours with no signs of civilization (besides the paved road), but our motorbike had broken down only a few dozen meters away from a small gas pump.  I’d like to add that it was only after we responded with levity when the bike died that we found the gas pump, which made me think that perhaps our ability to stay calm and carry on somehow contributed to the borderline miraculous aftermath.  Or it was merely fortuitous.  Either way, we were thankful to finally find a cozy bungalow and meet up with the rest of our friends.  The night ended on a fun, spontaneous note as Jill and I were walking past the campgrounds when a group of Thai guys invited us over for drinks and food.  It was a real testament to the friendliness of Thai people.  They offered us everything they had to eat and drink, serenated us on the guitar, took numerous photos with us, and repeatedly thanked us for stopping by.  We kept responding, “no, thank you, thank you!” 

The next morning we climbed Phu Chi Fa and waited under the stars in the whipping cold for the sunrise.  The subsequent scenery was beautifully indescribable, so I’ll let the pictures and video give it a shot.  I just kept saying “wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!” whenever I turned and faced the sun, mountains, and clouds.