We stayed in my favorite B&B in Chiang Mai - the Rattanaiya Residence - from Sunday to Wednesday. This is where we enjoy a delicious breakfast every morning before going off on our adventures.
Rattanaiya Residence is owned by a colleague - a retired professor at Kasetsart University. The woman who manages the inn, Fahrung, is delightful! She welcomed us warmly, helped arrange transportation, gave suggestions for places to visit. , and identified a massage center that was not for tourists - 150 Baht or about $5.0 for an hour of DEEP massage! Feeling some pain as the masseuse works out some long-neglected muscles, smelling the camphor of the balm they use, and totally relaxing in the moment while listening to Kenny G in the background can make the whole experience seem a bit surreal! But I can assure you that I slept well that night!
We also had the good fortune to meet with Professor Prasit at Chiang Mai University. He is the director of the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development. The Center focuses on the study and support of all ethnic minorities in Thailand. They offer a masters degree, conduct research, and host short courses for youth on issues in their communities. I'm looking forward to exploring ways that students coming to Thailand on a future learning abroad course might benefit from learning from the scholars at this Center.
As we talked with various people in the north, we heard similar stories about the challenges of the mountain peoples in northern Thailand. As the government discovers people living in conservation or tourist areas deep in the jungle, they convince them or sometimes force them to relocate at lower elevations. My understanding from what the people in the villages say is that the government officials want them to be closer so they can more easily monitor their activities and so they will not ruin the pristine forests on the mountains. They also point out benefits to the people - they will be closer to schools and medical care. However, the downside of this relocation is that it pretty much destroys their way of living. They now have very limited access to farmland and are not able to cultivate rice and corn in their traditional ways. So they grow some crops for their own consumption, but there's not enough to sell. Income is most needed to pay for transportation and school-related expenses for their children, such as books, uniforms, etc. In three Chiangrai Province Lahu villages we visited, the younger generation has basically left to find work in other parts of Thailand. The elders become the caregivers for their grandchildren. We visited one older man who was caring for his two grandchildren. Their parents were living and working in the southern part of Thailand in the shrimp industry. They sent money home and visited once a year at Chinese New Year time.
We also traveled to Chiang Khong District in Chiangrai Province to explore the Mekong River area.
We had the same boat captain as did Linda Buturian and I when we visited last August. He is extremely knowledgeable about the River, having been born and lived his whole life here.
I was amazed at how far they'd come in building the bridge across the Mekong, just south of Chiang Khong. This will be a major link for China to ship goods through Laos and Thailand to the rest of Southeast Asia. I was told that several Chinese workers had died during construction.
I need to check-out of my room and get ready to travel south to Bangkok so will sign-off for now.
