The Hill Tribes

The days are running together, my travel journal is becoming more and more abbreviated. It seems that words are failing me, and for this day it really is worth the side trip to the Picassa album

http://picasaweb.google.com/kyotesue/Day8#

Today we traveled into the mountains to visit to the hill tribes and villages, including the Yao, the Akha, and the Longneck Pad Gung. We had lunch in the high moutnains very close to China at Doi Mae Salong. Riding the vans through the mountains was wonderful. Many mixed feelings about the hill tribes in Thailand, since it seems that they are exploited considerably for the tourism trade, especially the longneck women. But the countryside was beautiful and the villages fascinating.

I bought a lovely silk shawl that was woven by a village woman, the real thing this time, and the people seemed very happy to have us in their village taking photos. It seemed a bit incongruent to me that a lovely woman with her neck rings weaving in her hut was decked out in very good western makeup.

The skies were lovely, lunch was another group family style meal of good Thai food which I love and Mo is getting seriously tired of eating.

Home late to dinner at the coffee shop on our own. for an American style meal. We ordered white wine and salads. Wine was 200 baht (about $20 us) for 2 small glasses. Beer is definitely the beverage of choice while in Thailand, and I have learned that although I am not a beer drinker, I truly love the Thai Singha beer.