Splashing along on blogs and in life

 It so happens that my "iphoto" app. has closed down and I can't yet record the rest of my trip through photos.    Yes, I know, no one really cares but it is a way to record the whole thing in my head and it's a creative thing I do.

 Of course, I am also in the middle of using the photo app. to construct some collages... in my perhaps-last-art class at Villa Thiole.   
  Yes,  I have neglected my friends and my house in favor of doing art projects and I think I need a break after 20 years attending the  local art school.  I perhaps take the whole thing too seriously.

 And I do take my machines...(phone and computers)... for granted while hardly knowing what magic makes the things work.  But I am going to try uploading the next software, "Catalina", which may restore iPhoto.   Yes, I know it is late in the game but I always wait for Apple to iron out the bugs. 

 The bad news is that I will lose "Microsoft Word" which I use a lot for poetry, translations, and printing.    It's not really the expense of the download that worries me but the putting it on this ancient relic weighs-a-ton-macbook pro and on the lightweight little number I hope to buy next month.   Apparently for 99 dollars one buys the rights to two copies of "Microsoft Office" though. 

In the meantime, talking about my New Year's Resolve,  I have managed only to do one bike ride and two yoga sessions at home each week since I bragged about it.   It is so tempting to lie in bed in the winter and not get out there on the bike in the cold. 

  So the resolution of the New Year has changed to "keep the balance" both literally and figuratively.   And it's perhaps a more valuable and more reasonable goal.   I hope you are getting through these cold days in fine form and not feeling guilty about a thing. 

Bamboo Nests Day Two

Details of my door to the terrace in my bamboo nest

Today's hike would take us through a Lahu tribe village to the Huay Kaew waterfall to eat our packed lunch and then onto a ride by long tail boat on the Mae Kok river to visit the Akha hill tribe.

In the afternoon there would be time to enjoy the local hot springs.

Faithful Cookie, the dog who adopted us

View from the garden, from the website

Breakfast eggs

Toast brazier

Last night at dinner we met a personable Swiss medical engineer named Severino who joined us at breakfast.  His work was in a hospital inventing new machines and tools for surgeons to use.  He was 26 years old and had traveled to Nepal and Sri Lanka...the latter where Dave and I had been also.   One of the interesting things about wandering is to meet others and hear their stories which I got to do around the bonfire the night before. 

Severino from Switzerland meets us at breakfast

Nok at the counter after breakfast

Looking at the bonfire site in the morning

View from the morning trek

After lunch meeting back with Noi and his dogs

Log across the path that got Dave in the forehead as his hat was covering his eyes.

I had already heard that the school we were to visit  that day was closed for a national holiday.  I did get to interact with some of the kids with my irresistible sticker books before we started the hike though.  
 So after saying our goodbyes to Severino, and seeing the kids, we started our trek to a Lahu village where we paused to talk with one of the locals and hear from Noi about the Catholic influence of this particular tribe.

 After lunch we were led to a long tail boat to visit the Akha hill tribe.   The boatman however soon deemed the water too shallow to navigate so we turned the boat back to where we had boarded.   It was a nice little interlude on the water though...with our pack of dogs.   The Kok is a river from Burma and Thailand and a tributary of the Mekong.  The boatman was very skilled in getting us around the rocks and not scraping his vessel.

 We did sit in the hot spring for a little while ( not hot enough when the water got to the pool) and then headed back to camp a bit early... happy to relax, read and pack for the airport before the sun went down and dinner was served.  
We were well satisfied with our trip to the top of Thailand. 
 Tomorrow we would take a plane back to Bangkok and then a drive east to the Khao Yai National Park area.

Hill Tribes of Thailand

Free range chickens , village life Thailand

I awoke curled in a ball (only 7C, 44 F) during the night but finally figured out how to wrap one of the quilts around me like a sleeping bag to keep warm. It was out of the question to crawl under the sheets which felt like a skating pond.  Finally I slept and woke to first light, a misty view out the window. No point now in keeping them closed as the temperature was the same inside and out.  It was absolutely quiet and still.   

Dave and I and Cookie met for a breakfast of fried eggs, home baked bread and home made berry jam, plenty of fresh fruit, tea or coffee.   There was a tiny grill for toasting the bread over coals.  

Cookie got a few pieces of white of egg which she took gently like a lady,  not like boisterous pack of hounds that we would travel with today,  Noi's three other dogs. Today was a trek to a local tribe to eat lunch in the traditional way. 

The hikes for the next two days were not difficult climbs, but were still a series of little challenges: slippery bamboo leaves on the downhill slopes, shale, fires set by farmers next to the trail, village dogs fighting with our pack in our midst, trees fallen across the path and steep rocks to navigate.    I took it slow and I often trailed behind Noi who had done this a million times, no doubt.    I was still remembering breaking my ankle in three bones on such a trail four years ago.

After about 3  hours of trekking through pineapple and vegetable fields we reached a cooking house owned by a local woman and her  young son.  Noi started the fire in what was the kitchen house of her two dwellings.  We waited on the porch on a mat just for us. The shelter was equipped with a pit filled with sand in which the fire burned brightly without harming the floor. 

About a half hour later the local woman came in with a large bundle of sticks on her back and without a word or glance got busy helping Noi.  

 Dave and I  had been instructed to fill the tube of bamboo with uncooked rice and water.  It seemed doubtful that this would turn into a tasty cooked dish.  How could it expand?  Where would the steam go?

Tapping of rubber trees, Chiang Rai

Village life, Chiang Rai

Chicken house in nearby village

Bamboo residence of local farmer's family

Noi cooking our sticky rice in a bamboo stalk in the kitchen house, Thailand

 That is Noi's big knife he carried uncovered on the hike.  It seems he had lost his scabbard but needed the knife to cut the bamboo.  All the farmer's carried one and we saw them for sale in the village.

Noi explains how to cook the sticky rice

Fresh chicken breasts secured in bamboo over the cooking house fire.

Local friend of Noi preparing our lunch

Dave shows how to eat bamboo sticky rice, you peel it like a banana. 

Local woman tends the fire and the chicken

In the end the meal was delicious and the rice and chicken turned out moist and succulent.  The rice comes out easily from peeling down the sides of the thin bamboo.  It is now wrapped in its own little bamboo membrane which holds it together while you take a bite.  

There was also a sort of tomato omelette in one of the bamboo tubes that was a nutritious accompaniment.  No junk food here.  Unforturnately though, a motorbike arrives in the village during the week to sell candy and other modern "necessities". 

Eating our delicious omelette , rice and chicken , village life Thailand

 Village life looks to be a difficult life.   Sometimes the only medicine is herbal given by monks and the work can be grueling with few modern conveniences though wealthy farmers own trucks.  Noi says the average lifespan in the villages is 66 years.

 I heard that down the road one can pick up a wifi signal and we could see a few young people sitting on motorbikes there with phone in hand.  But life is slow and there is still a lot of "slash and burn" farming to rid the hills of trees for farming and a piles of plastic which no one knows how to get rid of. 

    We see that American commercialism has arrived with a vengeance throughout most of Thailand.  Seven Eleven,  Starbucks. Kentucky Fried Chicken are the most notable franchises but there are many.   The only French one I saw was Auchan but I am sure there are others...that's commerce after all.


Before we left the hut, the quiet woman who had cooked our meal with Noi came out with small items she had sewn which she was selling.  We both selected some and she shyly looked up at us.  When we got up to leave we heard a whispered " bye bye".   We both remarked on that later in the day.  It had seemed significant,  a bridge between cultures, perhaps.

Bamboo Nests

Bamboo Nests of Chiang Rai from their website

Our next couple of days were to be spent in a rural setting on a hilltop.   Nok skillfully navigating our 4x4 up a rough track only hesitating to tease us by asking if our suitcases were still in the back of the truck.  

And here we found ourselves at a peaceful lodge with 12 bamboo huts scattered down the hillside. ...   a beautiful, tranquil setting.

  Nok and Noi have named their idle, Bamboo Nests.  They are  business partners in this enterprise and although they seem close  opposites in temperament they seem to complement one other with their duties and roles. ... Noi the villager who knows the land well and Nok the city woman seeking the quietness of the hilltops.

Bamboo Nests of Chiang Rai from online

On arrival we were met by a peaceful dog, "Cookie", a lovely view  over pineapple fields and much cooler temperatures.  We had been warned to bring a jacket and we put on all the layers of our warmest clothes as the sun went down at 6pm.  

   This would be luxury camping, no wifi, no electrical plugs to charge up ( except in the eating pavilion) one light bulb in the large room, no heat, but a good hot shower and wonderful Thai home cooking.   

 And the huge beds in each hut took on a romantic aspect with their tight fitting mosquito nets draped from the ceiling and carefully tucked in.    Thankfully there were two huge polyester quilts that looked inviting and it was too cold for mosquitoes. 

  It was a tranquil paradise with absolute stillness..  broken only by strange bird calls or an engine noise from a far off village.  Here are a few photos.

The first two pictures above I found online. You can see the hills are much greener in those pictures.   I imagine they were taken just after Monsoon when everything was lush.    

Looking out over the hills, two bamboo huts are visible and Cookie crosses the grass.

The Dining Pavilion leading to the kitchen. Bamboo Nests 

Dave's feet in the hammock and Cookie resting on the first afternoon

We chose a cabin each since there were no other guests and carefully rolled our wheelie bags down the steep tracks to settle in and wait for dinner.  

Cookie, already putting her stamp on us, waited on Dave's terrace  (he had steps onto his) knowing she was not allowed in the rooms.

 I joined them so Dave could read some more of our story.
He was reading to me from.. "Call the Nurse" a well done memoire of an English nurse living with her family in the Hebrides islands in the 1970's.   He could even do a passable Scottish accent.    

 Tonight we would enjoy a fine meal of three dishes,  local pineapple and bananas for dessert  and a bonfire to warm up before bed.  We were off to a good start.

The White Temple, Chiang Rai Provence

Wat Rong Khum, Chiang Rai, Thailand

After Parr had driven us through some tedious construction sites up the main road and we had heard him sing the shortest Thai song, we arrived at the lauded White Temple to wait for our ride to the mountain.

The white Temple or Wat Rong Khum is an artist's vision of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai province.   It replaced an old crumbling temple found on this site.  It is owned and operated by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who opened it in 1997 at the cost of 1,080 million Thai Baht. 

The artist considers the temple to be an offering to Buddha and believes the effort will give him immortal life. 

Dave and I are not so sure.

He seems to have created a Selfie Palace,  more than a temple. 

There were crowds of mostly young people posing in every possible position around the temple making the experience far from reverent.  

  Still as an artist myself, I was impressed.  It is quite delectable in it's own wedding cake fashion and it was a splendid day to see it. 
He will continue his project to build a learning and meditation center and perhaps attract some practicing Buddhists.  Good Luck Chal.  Bravo. 

The White Temple, Chiang Rai, Thailand

The White temple, Chiang Rai

Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai

But after a few minutes of crowds and photos, Dave and I went to have a coffee with Parr.  Perhaps we had had enough of temples for a while.   Sorry,  I feel I should have been more enthusiastic.   It really was quite stunning. 

Green tea at Chiang Rai

Ta cooks Thai

Before saying a farewell to the family in Chiang Mai we were treated to an informal cooking lesson by Ta ( pronounced Da) in their home's very functional, two stove cooking space looking out over a kitchen garden.

Ta and Pom in their open kitchen.  

Ta's pumpkin stir fry,Tom Yum soup and mushroom dish ingredients

Mushrooms and greens

Pumpkin stir fry with eggs,

Here is a look at the tasty, nutritious meal that we were able to put together with Ta's guidance.   

    I found the ingredients for the Chicken Tom Yum soup online.  I remember seeing most everything there except the tamarind water and the prawns.  Perhaps we did a simplified version.

Ingredients for Tom Yum Soup from the  BBC

• 1 litre/2 pints chicken stock
• 300ml/11fl oz water
• 6 sticks lemongrass, lightly crushed
• 4 fresh coriander roots, crushed
• 110g/4oz fresh galangal, peeled and sliced (available from Asian supermarkets)
• 8 tomatoes, cut into quarters, seeds removed
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1-2 limes, juice only
• 75ml/3fl oz tamarind water (tamarind is available from Asian supermarkets. Soak the tamarind in hot water and push the pulp through a sieve to make tamarind water.)
• 3 red chillies, thinly sliced
• 75ml/3fl oz fish sauce (nam pla), or to taste
• 75g/3oz palm sugar (available from Asian supermarkets), use brown sugar if unavailable
• 12 raw tiger prawns, shelled, gutted and split in half
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

To serve

• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves
• 1 small bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves (available from Asian supermarkets)
• lime wedges

 Ta made it all look easy but any cook knows it's about experience and experimentation. 
  Spent with this close family ( and their three kitties) in their private home, it was a meal for Dave and I to remember.  

Tomorrow we would travel north to Chiang Rai.

Tui and two of three kitties from her instagram: Window of Thailand

Seymour, the grey kitten

Wat Phra Singh and Wiang Kum Kam

This charming guy is Parr,  he was our driver/guide for some of our time in Chiang Mai. 

Wat Phra Singh Temple, Chiang Mai

There are dozens of temples in Chiang Mai but the first one Parr took us to was Wat Phra Singh which was founded in 1345 by King Phayu, the fifth king of the Mantra dynasty.  He had a chedi (stupa) built to house the ashes of his father.  

 Stupas or chedis, as they are called in Thailand,  are usually shaped like the best part of an ice cream cone.  They are often covered in gold leaf and they hold holy relics.   There were a couple of them at Wat Phra Singh.  

Stupas at Wat Phra Singh

   The Wat Phra Singh temple was built at the time when a number of different kings ruled Thailand.  From 1578-1774, the northern Lanka kingdom was controlled by the Burmese and this temple was abandoned and fell into disrepair.  It was only when King Kawila assumed the throne as King of Chiang Mai in 1782 that this temple and all of its surrounding buildings were restored. 

Inside are important murals but what really was astonishing are the exact likenesses of revered monks done in wax.  I couldn't stop staring at the details of these effigies.  Of course, I was looking at them from the craftsman's viewpoint....each little hair on their heads!

Close up from one of the ancient murals

Buddhist monk effigy in wax, Wat Phra Singh

Wax effigies of famous monks, Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

Side view of wax effigies, Wat Phra Singh

Parr had a medallion around his neck the day we visited this temple.  It seems that many Thai Buddhists wear such a likeness of their favorite monk just as Christians wear crosses. 

The following day we left Chiang Mai and traveled with Parr to the ancient village of Wiang Kum Kam before heading north.

One of the vehicles available for Wiang Kum Kam

Wiang Kum Kam is a historic settlement and archaeological site built by King Mangrai the Great as his capital before he moved it to Chiang Mai 700 years ago.  The reason for giving up on the place seems to be flooding of the Ping River.   The city was lost to history for many years after Chiang Mai was conquered by the Burmese in 1558.   But people moved back 200 years later and called it Chang Khan village.  

 In 1984, the Dept. of Fine Arts in the area, discovered the remnants of the city and started excavations.  Since then, as more funds are available, vast remains have been found and restoration has started in earnest. 

Now with the help of ponies and traps, it is a tourist site.   

A bodhi tree near the ancient temple.  The staffs leaning up against the tree are a symbol for helping the tree.

The Bodhi fig tree represents where the Buddha found enlightenment.  You come across them in Buddhist countries from time to time and they are much revered as symbols of enlightenment.  We found one here and I asked about the strange forked poles leaning up against this one.  Parr said that they were to "support" the tree....obviously metaphorically. 

Parr with his medallion, sitting in the pony trap

Our next stop was to be our official goodbye to Parr.  We had had a lot of fun hearing his stories and singing songs with him in the car on the ride up north but where we were headed in Chiang Rai we definitely needed a 4x4 so we said our "adieu" at the White Temple "Wat Rong Khun".