Thailand: June 2005 Archives

Maybe you noticed from the pictures that 2 weeks was plenty of time for me to already have a favorite--Siriyakorn (I only learned how to spell it correctly from one of teachers, from what I could understand I had previously written 'Siliakon' on her notebook.) She's the cutest thing and would poke her head into the teachers' office everyday and just watch for a while. Her English was limited to "apple", "banana", "My name IS..." (they all say the "is" with a rising tone and then pause before their name, it's funny) and "sticker", but she used those words as often as she could.

I had a wonderful time teaching at the school. The teachers were really welcoming, especially Kai, who in addition to teaching her own class of 30 1st and 2nd graders, doubles as the English teacher for the whole school when there are no farang volunteers. It was difficult sometimes to keep the attention of some of the younger kids, especially because they really didn't understand much, if anything, of what I said. But we played a lot of games, like Bingo, memory and a special version of tic-tac-toe to help them with numbers and colors, and we sang lots of songs. Grades 3 and 4 really liked the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, which they always called Spiderman. (This is also the same class where a few of the boys convinced me the first day that their names were Gamalui and Omba, which I found out later are actually names of some fighting action heroes.)

The older kids were certainly easier to manage, but with them the problem was getting them to speak any English. The little kids would happily repeat anything I said and try it on their own too, but the older kids were more embarassed I think, and just thought of English as another boring subject. But we did some games and songs which I think they liked, and as I mentioned in the photo caption, making a fool of myself generally worked pretty well too.

I usually left the guesthouse around 7:30 in the morning and walked down the hill, arriving at school at about 8. Most of the kids would already be there, cleaning up the school grounds or playing around a bit, with Thai pop music blaring through the loud speakers. At 8:30 they would gather for the morning assembly to raise the flag and sing the anthem. Classes started at 9:00. I usually ended up teaching about 3 or 4 one hour classes per day, with time in between to prepare lesson plans and materials. 12-1 was lunch--the teachers all eat together sharing food that they take turns paying for. The atmosphere at the school is friendly and relaxed, and all the teachers seem to get along well, a nice change after the tension we would often feel in the teachers' office in China. The school day ended at 4, with another assembly and then it was time for the sweaty trek back up the hill. Sometimes I would walk with some of the kids, but usually they would trail off to pick some jungle plants for dinner or catch some fish. It's a really interesting mix up there between modern technology (computers and TVs at the school, teenagers with photo-taking, music-playing cell phones) and traditional village life (most of what people eat still comes straight from the jungle--people go out hunting animals or collecting plants and fruits). One morning I went into the kitchen at the guesthouse to make myself breakfast and I found two dead birds lying there in front of the toaster--I decided to stick with my toast and jam.

We're now in Chiang Khong. We decided to stay an extra day since we didn't get here till after dark last night and the town had a nice, relaxed feeling that we didn't want to miss by leaving early this morning. Today we just walked around, shopped at the market for some boat ride food, and did some reading by our guesthouse, which has a nice view of the river. We'll cross the border tomorrow and hop on the slow boat to Louang Phabang, with an overnight stop in Pakbeng.

Today is our 10 month anniversary of being on the road! When I think of all the places we've been, people we've met and experiences we've had it does seem like quite a long time, but on the other hand time seems to be passing by so quickly--I can't believe it's June already! We're still enjoying every moment of our trip, but lately we've both been thinking more and more about home (even though we don't exactly have one!), and missing family and friends. I think we'll be ready and excited for our re-entry into the States in a few months.

I finished my two weeks of teaching up near the Akha village yesterday. I really enjoyed it, it was fun teaching so many different ages. I could have easily stayed longer, but there are still so many places we want to get to before flying out of Bangkok around the 20th of July to meet Henni, Tilde and Chris in Darwin, Australia. Right now our plans are to go back to Chiang Mai for a few days (to do some shopping at the Sunday night market and send another package home!), then head up to the Laos border and take the slow boat down the Mekong River to Louang Phabang. We'll probably spend a few weeks in Laos, then go into Vietnam, then loop around through Cambodia back to Bangkok.

I just spent a few hours going through photos and posting some. I'm a bit computered-out so I'll write more about the Akha Hill House and school once we get to Chiang Mai.

Day 9: Chiang Mai to Khun Chae National Park
Distance biked: 79.93 kms / 49.67 miles
Time on the road: 4:23
Total Distance biked: 870.79 kms / 541.09 miles
Total time on the road: 43:17

I spent 4 days and nights in Chiang Mai just relaxing and catching up on the reading that I was hoping to do during my ride. I packed 6 books in my bike bag thinking that there'd be lots of free time to read in the evenings or during my lunchbreaks. In truth, I was in bed by 9PM or earlier most evenings and my lunchbreaks were filled with eating, drinking water, resting and writing in my road journal. So it was my mission to finish the two largest and heaviest books while in Chiang Mai and leave them behind. The city is full of great cafes and restaurants so it wasn't very difficult to find a place to sit and read for a few hours each day.

Two days in Chiang Mai probably would have sufficed for me to be rested enough to complete my trip but I think I was stalling for time because I was a bit worried about what the terrain between there and Chiang Rai would be like. Mr. Pumpy's ride ended in Chiang Mai and I hadn't talked with anyone about what the ride to Chiang Rai would be like. From my maps it looked like there were some pretty decent hills/inclines awaiting me. In my mind I imagined huge, fog covered mountains rising out of the green steamy Thai forest with long, steep twisting roads packed full of transport trucks pouring out thick black exhaust as I creaked slowly by inch by inch. Anytime I thought about what the ride would be like I had a nervous feeling in my stomach and would order an ice cream from the nearest shop or 7-11 (ice cream, I've discovered, is my personal security blanket of sorts - offering comfort and reassurance that everything will be just fine).

Wednesday morning arrived and I couldn't possible delay my trip any longer. It's either now or never. So, after giving myself a bit of a pep talk, I packed my bags, had one last cup of coffee at the guesthouse and pedaled up highway 118 for Chiang Rai. I was surprised at how smalls the hills were once out of the city. There were a few steep climbs but they always transitioned into nice long valley roads where I could catch speeds of 30KMH or more which would help me over the next rise. I never let myself get too comfortable though and reminded myself that just around the corner could be the mother of all hills just waiting for me.

At about 3PM it started to rain pretty heavily. I found a bamboo and thatch bus shelter to take cover under until it began to let up. I wasn't tired enough to begin looking for a place to pitch the hammock-tent so I continued biking in the light drizzle. Being wet sure beat biking in the heat and I didn't complain a bit. An hour or so later I entered Khun Chae National Park which seemed to be made up of one long valley. I cruised through most of the park with water and dirt spraying off my tires all over my face and back (no mud guards on this bike) but really I didn't care at all. I just wanted to see how far I could get before sundown.

Happily, I stumbled across a tourist area that advertised hot springs and spas and seemed to be geared more towards Thai tourists. I found a room at the only hotel in the area and, despite it being one of the dirtiest rooms I've ever checked into, I felt pretty lucky to have a roof over my head just as the sun was setting. I went to bed at around 9PM and drifted off to sleep hoping the ants and termites that infested the room would continue doing their business and leave me be.

Day 10: Khun Chae National Park to Chiang Rai
Distance biked: 116.32 kms / 72.28 miles
Time on the road: 5:22
Total Distance biked: 986.80 kms / 613.17 miles
Total time on the road: 48:40

I woke up refreshed and excited. If I could get some good distance in the morning I should be able to make it to Chiang Rai and my trip would be complete! I had no idea what the terrain ahead would be like and prepared myself mentally for the worst. I realized that it might be possible that I would finish the day only kilometers from my goal and I'd have to wait until Friday to reach Chiang Rai. It didn't matter. I was close and I'd get there in one or two days.

Energized, I hit the road and biked hard all morning. Again there were some decent and somewhat challenging hills but nothing that just went on and on. Plus, I've learned to pace myself while attempting to climb them. If I break the hill into smaller parts and take each part one by one I'm able to do it pretty easily.

At 11:50AM I stopped at a roadside restaurant for some noodle soup and a coke. It was a hot day again and I wanted to have a strong finish so I'd take an hour or so to eat and regain some energy. I chatted with another customer in English who was originally from the area but had moved to the southern islands of Thailand and was able to practice and learn English from the many tourists there. When he left the owner came out and sat down next to me. He didn't speak any English but we still communicated using my dictionary and gestures. He asked a few questions about my bike and my trip and I tried best to answer them. He then told me how he was in a motorbike accident and lost his right leg and pulled up his pants to reveal the metal prosthetic limb. I looked up the words for "I'm sorry" in my dictionary and said them. He thanked me and let out a loud sigh.

Thinking of something he got up and motioned for me to follow him as he limped towards the back of his restaurant. I walked slowly behind him into the dark recesses of the shop. He pointed at some really large hand-woven baskets that hung from the ceiling. He sighed again. I guessed that he had made them himself and now, after his accident, he couldn't make them anymore. Then he showed me the motorbike that he had the crash on and sighed, shaking his head. As he walked past me he put his hand on my waist and I moved away towards some animal skins he had hanging on the wall. He explained that he had killed the big snakes and rabbits and other creatures he had nailed there. Another sigh.

He waved me towards the deepest part of the store and out into a courtyard behind the building. There were large, square cinderblock tanks all around the yard. Each one was filled with murky, green water. One had frogs in them and another didn't appear to have anything except weeds and more scummy water. He called me over to the one that looked particularly lifeless, grabbing a handful of feed, threw it into the water. All of a sudden the water exploded violently as the fish fed on the grain. I'd never seen anything like it but it made me think of what piranhas would act like when feeding on the unsuspecting human who walked into their midst. I told him I'd never seen anything like it. Just then some ducks waddled by and the owner pointed to them and the fish and said the Thai word for "alone." Then he put his left arm around my waist and leaned his head on my right should and again said "alone...alone..."

My Thailand guidebook spoke about how Thai men and boys are often very physical with each other. It's not at all uncommon to see them holding hands, hugging or hanging on each other. It's just not meant in the sexual way way we think of it in the west - it's what all friends do as sign of comfort and male bonding. I've seen this behaviour throughout the country during my time here however his behaviour was not mentioned in my guidebook and frankly, it made me extremely uncomfortable. So, I said "Right - nice fish, sorry about the leg, gotta go." and quickly walked to the front of the restaurant.

Creeped out I gathered my things together and was about to get back on my bike when the owner limped out and handed me a piece of paper. On it was his name and telephone number. Obviously this guy wasn't getting the picture so I looked up the word "wife" in my dictionary and said to him: "I'm going to see my WIFE in Chiang Rai. My W-I-F-E. Goodbye!" I cycled off with 70 kilometers between me and the end of my journey. I arrived in Chiang Rai at 5PM and checked into a guesthouse that sounded pretty decent from my guidebook.

Megan and I have been "reunited" as she wrote in her recent entry and tonight we're heading up to the Akha House where I'll spend a few days before coming back into downtown Chiang Rai to clean up my bike and then try to sell it.

Thank you to everyone who followed along during my ride. It was really encouraging to have your support and feedback. I enjoyed the trip and am pretty sure that it will be just the first of many long-distance rides for me. Thanks again!

Sorry to ruin any suspense that was building--I know Michael still has a few days of catching up to do on his trip--but I thought I'd tell the funny little story of how we met up again.

For the past week I've been up at the Akha Hill House teaching in the nearby village school. I've really been enjoying it--the kids are adorable and it's interesting because they come from 5 different villages: the Akha village where I'm staying, a Chinese village, a Thai village, a Lisu village and another that I can't remember right now.

Last Sunday I got a ride into Chiang Rai (about 45 minutes) to do a little shopping and email. Michael was in Chiang Mai by then and we agreed to meet on Saturday in Chiang Rai, but didn't plan any specifics about where or when. On Thursday I found out that there would be no school the following day as the teachers had to go to a meeting. I decided to make the trip into Chiang Rai again, hoping that maybe Michael had already made it. I got dropped off at the bus station and went into a bakery across the street for a little breakfast. I noticed that they had internet too, so I went upstairs to check email and find out where Michael was. Yea! There was an email from him saying that he had made it to Chiang Rai. I continued reading..."I'm staying at Mae Hong Son Guesthouse". Ok, same exact guest house that I stayed at, and we hadn't talked about it at all.

"Tomorrow morning I'm gonna check out a good bakery that I heard about for breakfast". Huh? I jumped up from the computer to go ask downstairs if some American guy in a blue plaid shirt had already been in. I got half way down the stairs and started laughing--there he was in the blue plaid shirt ordering an omlette!

Distance biked: 100.22 kms / 62.28 miles
Time on the road: 4:58
Total Distance biked: 790.86 kms / 491.42 miles
Total time on the road: 38:54

The Riverside Guesthouse was a beautifully designed and decorated place owned by a friendly Belgian woman. The rooms were comfortable and no shoes were allowed to be worn inside because the building was made of rich, dark teakwood and is easily damaged. I went to bed that night looking forward to a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, just as I was dozing off a dog started barking right under my open window at about 10:30PM. I lay there patiently waiting for the owner to come out and take care of the situation. Half an hour later the dog was still barking (and barking constantly) so I stuck my head out of the window and "shushed" into the darkness. Silence. Then more barking. Frustrated I went back to my bed thinking "How am I going to get enough sleep? Why doesn't someone come out and do something about it?"

At midnight, after an hour and a half of non-stop barking I was exhausted and, not thinking rationally, stuck my head out the window and yelled "WILL YOU SHUT UP?!?" The dog kept on barking. Exasperated, I went downstairs and found that the owner was awake (probably wondering why the American was yelling out of his window at midnight) and I asked her if she could do something about the dog next door. She went outside the property and "shushed" at the dog too. Now three dogs started barking. She offered to move me to another room further from the dog. I gladly accepted and at around 1AM I finally drifted off to sleep to the distant sound of barking.

After lacking the strength to make it smoothly up the previous day's hills I chose to get a bit of a late start. At the guesthouse I ordered the American Breakfast of eggs, toast, croissant, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was pretty filling and, taking a few photos of the place before leaving, I got my things together and started back up highway 11 which would bring me to Chiang Mai.

The ride to Chiang Mai was pretty straightforward - a few hills here and there for the first 50 kilometers but nothing like the day before. The last 50 kilometers were as flat and straight as the southern plains were earlier in my trip. I got into Chiang Mai around 4:30PM, found the "Your House Guesthouse" where Megan stayed a week earlier, and booked a room for 3 nights. I had a feeling I'd need to rest for a few days before attempting to take on the ride up to Chiang Rai. From my map it looked hillier than anything I had experienced so far.

But for the time being I was comfortable and had a nice place to stay. I ordered a full dinner at the guesthouse and had a Singha beer to celebrate the completion of the next-to-last leg of the journey and called it an early night.