7/26/09
Rule #1: There is no such thing as an ETA.
Rule #2: Don’t ask.
We were supposed to leave on Friday afternoon on a 7 hour drive from Bangkratum in Phitsanulok to Chang Rai, a Northern Province near the golden triangle of Laos, Burma, and Thailand. When I prompted, MaReam said we would depart “2 P… M…”. This meant that we had to leave school early to go home, pick up Aunt O and Film, and continue to drive to Phitsanulok to pick up PaChub and Fun (Film stayed home because of H1N1).
But Friday morning the phone rang, informing MaReam a teacher at school had died. He was a Pratom 4, 5, 6 (middle school) teacher who was much loved by my students. We suited up in black (only worn for mourning).
I only got to teach my morning classes as the entire school headed for the temple at around 12:30 pm. I saw my second ever dead body—the first being about two weeks ago. The funeral felt a little more somber than the first I attended, probably because this man was only 55 and had a sudden heart attack. I couldn’t imagine what his wife was going through and how it had literally been hours since he had been asleep next to her, and now SHE was comforting people with dried tears of her own. The body was just in the temple under a sheet and they uncovered his head and then his arms. Witwat, a teacher at our school, pried open his rigamortis-y hand and the funeral attendees poured water through the claw-clenched hand for good luck in the next life. We hung around for awhile and then headed to the house to pick up Aunt O and Film. Then we drove to Pitsanulok, about one hour away…and waited. Fun was late getting out of school and we ended up leaving at 4:30 pm. I enjoy roadtrips now and am conditioned to sitting for long amounts of time, especially after annual summers to Kentucky with church and oh yeah, a 14 hour plane ride with a15 min layover and 6 hour plane ride…I was ready for anything. We stopped every hour or so for seven hours, eating tons of butter-sugar crackers, strawberry gum, chocolate squeeze-stick things, and other junk like seaweed chips, as well as bopping to Korean pop and poking eachother. I’m starting to feel at ease with my host sisters and try to joke as much as possible with them. We finally arrived at MaReam’s sister’s house around 1am, NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO SHOWER-BIG DEAL!
I woke up Saturday morning naturally around 6am. I love getting up early!
After the nice morning meet-and-greets, MaReam, her sister and sister’s husband and daughter, Aunt O, Fun, Film, and I all(yes Mom, 2 people in passenger’s seat and 5 in the backseat) piled into our truck and headed to our first attraction, the late queen’s mountain palace. The gardens were the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen. We were suited up in long sleeves and pants in what can be described as denim pajamas that were one-size-fit-all and extremely cute. YES. We toured the luxurious cabin-style mansion and gardens.
It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and I also had a memorable iced café mocha. Many people asked to take pictures of me and I started saying “Mai ow ka”(I don’t want, thanks) because it was annoying. Next we headed to…BURMA!
The Union of Myanmar was exactly the same as Thailand. I paid 600 B, about $20 to hand over my passport for safekeeping (which was difficult to do mentally…I just kept thinking of Aung Sang Suu Ki (bless her)). It took about 3 seconds for my thai family to pass and their fee was 40 B. Ah the perks of being an American. So after a ton of paperwork and surprisingly no health check, we were through! I stepped out of immigration and into an extremely dirty and crowded market. We strolled through the miracle breast creams, knock-off Louis Vutton, and loads of underwear. I have never been more uncomfortable in my life. The stares and cat calls were so much worse in Burma and the vendors were not as polite as Thai vendors. I was grabbed by the arm multiple times, especially by cigarette vendors. Child beggars held onto my legs asking for money…it was hot and uncomfortable. I was glad I got to stamp another country into my passport and I’m sure outside of the market Burma can be a pleasant place…right?
After our Burmese adventure, we headed to a giant temple with a HUGE Buddha. Here I saw so many tourists speaking English, French, and German. It was weird since I’m so used to being the only white person around. I felt happy to be with my host family and not on some impersonal tour with a fanny pack. MaReam asked if I wanted to go to Lao. Laos! OMG yes!
We (about 5 of us)headed to a small long-boat and literally after 10 minutes on the speedy vessel we arrived on the shores of Laos. This island did not have any kind of passport stamp/immigration, so I’m not sure of the legitimacy, but I sent a postcard “from Laos” regardless. I also enjoyed shopping for really cool gifts that I can’t write about. Let’s just say I have to go to the bank to exchange some more! Laughing and splashing my host sisters on the fast boat back, I had another moment of bliss. Ah the cleansing delight of natural beauty.
We stopped at a resort to meet more family who owned it and I saw more white people and enjoyed ice water.
Next we headed to the famous Chang Lai night bazaar complete with singers, dancers, and many many tourists. I walked around with my host sisters and this time, they were a minority! Strange. Dinner was too much and too delicious—some sushi, fried vegetables, rice, etc.
I rode in the bed of the truck and watched a monument in Chang Lai flash lights like the New Years Ball in NYC. Aunt O, MaReam, and I commented on the beautiful scenery that quickly changed from urban lights to rice fields. MaReam struck me when she said “I think, you think we meet. We meet because..” and she pointed to the sky, “…happened”. I used lots of hand motions to explanin the word “fate”and she agreed…and then said “I love you. Forget-me not”. How cute is MaReam? <3
Sunday morning we woke up and hung around, eating fried fish and half-boiled eggs (don’t like ☹ )leaving at a leisurely 10:30am for waterfalls. After driving through ridiculously rugged dirt roads, getting lost, stopping for fruit out the window, we reached the waterfalls. But we didn’t get out of the car.
Bizarrely, MaReam decided that it was too dangerous and since we had “no man”, we couldn’t get out. Strange.
Anyway, I shook it off since we headed to a hilltop village to ride elephants! I enjoyed the drive SO much. Thailand is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Period. I can’t even explain in words. The pictures help…a little.
Arriving in Karen Ruammit village, we stumbled upon the only industry in this hut-filled nook-elephant rides. A herd of about 10 elephants carry touristy folk like me through winding, muddy rice fields. It was surreal to be so high up and feel my hips shift left and right with every mighty step. There was even a surprise dip in a river and the elephant’s head was pretty much underwater! I felt a little awkward again when I heard the French and saw more white folk. I felt like a tourist instead of a cultural volunteer, and I didn’t like buying into the whole photo op idea. At the same time, I rode an elephant!
Next we headed to an amazing NEW temple in Chang Mai- Wat Rung Khun. It was magnificent and I loved the art museum we toured. The temple itself is white to represent the Buddha’s purity and has many the glittering mirrors to symbolize the Buddha’s dharma that teaches man to observe his own mind and reflect loving kindness towards humankind. It has powerful sculpture to represent suffering and was a really cool take on the four noble truths. Aka I loved it.
Next we drove and drove, stopping to meet random family members, eating giant meals, and finally arriving back home in Bangkratum around 1 am. Getting up at 5:30 was not easy, but teaching is worth getting up for.
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