Thailand Adventure--Day 9

This morning after our usual hotel buffet breakfast, we headed off to visit The Golden Triangle, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and to cruise the Mekong River.

 

We arrived in Maesai (may-sigh) a border village with Burma and the northern most point in Thailand. Here most of our group spent about an hour and a half on the Burmese side of the border. We elected not to after the hassle we went through planning to go.

Months before this trip we were told by the tour company that a visa would be required to cross into Burma. We took it upon ourselves to send our passports off to the Myanmar (Burmese) embassy to have the visa put in our passport. It cost us nearly $100 to have that done and when the passports finally (another long story) the visas were marked with an expiration date that was before  we would arrive. We tried everything we could to get them to change the date but they insisted we would have to resubmit the paperwork. Another $100! Sound like a racket? We thought so too. So we didn't do it.

Fast forward now to the day our group was to actually go into Burma. Our guide, Anil, tells us he will get us across the border, that we don't need any visas. Only the equivalent of about $40 each. That was to bribe the border guards to basically turn a blind eye. Sound like a racket? We thought so too. So we didn't go.

So while the rest of the group crossed the border and wandered the small town just across, we wandered the small town on the Thai side. Sad, but we just weren't willing to fill the pockets of these crooks. Especially for a one hour visit.  

The group finally back together, we traveled about a half hour along the still under construction Asian Super Highway. This highway is supposed to connect several of the countries in this region making transportation much easier and faster.  

We stopped at the Opium Museum. It chronicles the development of this drug in the Golden Triangle region of Thailand, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. It is an incredible building and some of the exhibits are interesting, but it is heavily propagandistic, praising the queen mother for her efforts to change the drug problems of Thailand and for building this museum. The building is way over the top in its construction including a tunnel through a mountain leading from the entry building to the museum itself. The tunnel must be 300 yards long and does nothing to further the story trying to be told.

Back on the bus we headed to small Mekong River town where we had lunch and then headed down to the river for a ride on a modified long tail. This boat was much more accessible to passengers than our experience at the Floating Market or the trip up the Kwai River. We ran up stream about 15 minutes where we crossed the Burmese side of the river. Hey, we made it into Burma after all! We sat off a sand bar watching Burmese fisherman net fishing, up to their waists in water and flinging the circular nets used the world over. 

Then we let the current turn us downstream and we accelerated toward the opposite bank. About a 10 minute run and we turned back upstream and came along side a dock on the opposite shore. Stepping out of the boat, we walked into the Laos village of Done Xao. Nothing much more than a tourist spot with lots of street vendors. There were no cars or traffic of any kind. A few very dirty children begged for Baht but a firm "no" would usually scatter them.

The funniest place was a shop Anil took us into where we were invited to taste flavored whiskies.  It was what they were flavored with that was so outrageous. Soaking in one of the jars was a cobra. Another held a tiger's penis, another frogs, you get the idea. Each is said to help a certain ailment. The men were encouraged to sample the booze marinating the tiger penis. I'll try pretty much anything so I tossed back a shot glass full of  that. It didn't taste bad, it just wasn't good whiskey and the added critter parts only added another odd layer of flavor that didn't improve it at all. It was a genuine novelty that's for sure. We did not buy a souvenir bottle.

A quick cruise across the Mekong, all of about a 1/4 mile across and we disembarked back in Thailand. We had a few minutes to wander through the shops in the riverside village and then re-boarded our bus for the drive back to the hotel. Along the way we drove past fields of tobacco, the number one source of income for the government which has a monopoly on this crop in Thailand.

We made an unexpected stop when Anil spotted a celebration going by on the other side of the road. We made a U-turn and pulled up beside a line of cars and trucks all of which were decorated with plastic trees covered with money, useful household items, all sorts of things. Very loud Thai music poured out of many vehicles which were also loaded with passengers all waving and celebrating. Neighbors were out on the street drinking and dancing. They shared their bottles of whiskey pouring a shot in a glass and encouraging even us to toss back a drink. When we did they all cheered and laughed. There were dozens of vehicles all headed to a local temple with their gifts.  Anil explained that this is a rare opportunity to see a part of Thai life few outsiders get to see. What a treat to be a part of it.

Back at the hotel we headed for the pool and then spent a quiet evening in our room.

We visit two hill tribes tomorrow, something I have been looking forward to. We also head to Chiang mai, our last base of operations before returning to Bangkok.