As exhausted as I was, I didn’t get much sleep. I was kept
awake by loud, unsettling jungle noises that sounded as if they were right in
my room!
Early the next AM, I scoured my luggage for more sacrificial
items to lighten the load. I wanted to avoid paying another high airline fine.
I removed a heavy plastic bag. It was filled with shampoos, conditioners, hand lotions,
& soaps I’d collected from the hotels and resorts. I would give these to
the hill tribe, today.
I left my room early. The guide was already standing half-way
down the path waiting for me. The morning chill was still in the air, but it
got hot fast, here. Another busy, eventful day awaited me.
First up, another elephant ride! This Elephant Camp was
more typical of the ones in Northern Thailand than in Chiang Mai. These
elephants didn’t do tricks, dance, or paint pictures. I was told mine was the
only ride scheduled for that day.
Well, it certainly was a wilder ride than in Chiang Mai!
After climbing the little bamboo tower and mounting the elephant, I placed my
feet directly on the elephant’s back. In Chiang Mai there was a platform for my
feet. And here, no one was selling bananas & sugar cane for the elephants.
But at least there was no baby chained to its mother as the previous one.
Like Chiang Mai, the ride lasted an hour, but was not as
pleasant. We seemed to be blazing a trail thru the mountain jungle rather than
following one. I raised my arm to prevent a large branch from hitting me in the
face. It was full of thorns; my hand was now oozing blood! I reached for the
Kleenex in my purse.
Large red ants were all over the branches & leaves! I
was getting bitten over much of my body as I brushed them off me as well as the
elephant’s back. They even got under my clothes! I was glad when this ride was
over!
After the elephant ride, I boarded a long-tailed boat (my 3rd
this trip) on the Pai River to visit the hill tribe of the Long Neck Women.
“This, the Kayan Lahwi tribe came from Myanmar (Burma),” said
the guide as we stepped ashore. The border was so close, we could walk there
from where we stood, but he wasn’t allowed to take me.
“Do not feel sorry for the women because they are proud of
the heavy brass coils adorning their neck,” the guide stated. “Besides, the
coils protect them from tiger bites, since the big cats always go for the
jugular.”
I told him the tigers would then probably just rip off their
face, or some other part of their body. I inquired as to why they didn’t coil
the necks of the men, why is it only the women who are disfigured?
“Men are descended from the wind,” he explained. “Women are
descended from the dragon. The many coils give them a dragon-like appearance.”
-- To me, the stretched necks gave more of a giraffe-like appearance. Plus
those heavy coils depress both the collar bone and rib cage. It looked anything
but comfortable!
As we entered the village, I noticed brass coils under the
women’s knees, as well. Even little girls who looked about 5 years old were wearing
these along with heavy coils around their neck.
The guide & I began passing around the items in my bag.
I took photos. Also I did more shopping; including a large beautifully embroidered
bag to use as my carry-on.
Inside the village was a Catholic church with a Madonna. It
looked strangely out of place. “The people of this tribe are Catholic, not
Buddhist; thanks to missionaries,” the guide explained.
After we departed, I was taken to a fish cave. The mouth was
below a long elevated wooden walkway in the jungle. Beforehand, the guide had purchased
a head of cabbage. As we stood overlooking the mouth of the cave, he handed it
to me. I tore off pieces, tossing them to the multitude of carp swimming below.
From there, I was driven to another restaurant with fans
whirling overhead for a late lunch. To my surprise, I was the only diner there.
The guide said he’d pick me up in an hour and we’d go straight to the airport.
“I’ll eat fast,” I told him. “I need time to find my gate.”
“Take your time,” he
replied. “The airport is close; it’s small and has only ONE gate.”
Nevertheless, airports are a source of stress and
aggravation for valid reasons. And this was just the first of TWO flights ahead
today within hours of each other.
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