Our stay in Chaing Mai and northern Thailand was one of the most memorable of our trip. The craftsmanship in Chaing Mai is astounding both in range and quality. Due to the large teakwood forest that once dominated this northern region, there is a long tradition of intricate woodcarving among many of the native tribes. But in addition, the potters and weavers of the region produce beautiful works of art. We originally planned to fill out the container of Bronze statuary that we had bought in Bangkok with a few items from Chaing Mai. But, in the end we filled an entirely new container with goods from the area. We were helped by requests from friends and relatives who sent us their wish lists.

After Chaing Mai we head about 90 miles northeast to the town of Chaing Rai. Chaing Rai sits on the Kok River in the center of what is called the ãHill Tribeä area. This is the northern most region of Thailand and is also known as the Golden Triangle, because it is where the Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Laos borders all meet. In the later part of the 1800âs, the hill tribes of the area were induced by the French to cultivate opium in order to finance the French wars. At one time the vast majority of the opium in the world was grown in this area. This is largely a thing of the past due to strong efforts by the government to encourage the tribes to cultivate other crops. However, with strawberries selling for 50 bahts per kilo versus opium at 10,000 bahts a kilo, it remains a hard sell.

Chaing Rai sits on the Kok River and it's prime location meant that it was always an important trading center. Unfortunately this importance also insured that it would be the object of numerous wars. The results of this is that almost none of its glorious and ancient palaces, temples and artifacts remain. So other than an interesting night market featuring tribal handicrafts, Chaing Rai was of little interest. It is however a major staging point for those more adventurous types who are going on treks through the surrounding hills and mountains.

From Chaing Rai we headed still further north, about 35 miles, to a small town called Chaing Sean. Chaing Sean sits on the Mekong River, just opposite Laos. There we loaded onto a long tail boat and headed up river towards Sob Ruak, which sit right at the Golden Triangle. We were fascinated by the life along the river. We watched Laotian families washing themselves and their cloths. Children played in the water. Water buffalo, submerged up to their necks, stood nearby, cooling off from the sweltering heat. Old Laotian women dipped their bamboo framed nets into the water on long poles. After watching the water intently, they quickly pulled the nets up and retrieved a few small silvery fish. The Mekong River lived up to its reputation as the river of life.

We continued up to Mae Sai on the Myanmar border. This is a border town at its worst. To the Myanmars, the Thais look like rich uncles. Except for the fact that they have been at war with each other off and on for hundreds of years. Myanmar is a communist military government and consequently doesn't really function. There was a constant stream of heavy traffic across the border in both directions and both sides were crammed with shops selling cheap goods of every description.

We decided to cross into Myanmar, mainly just to say weâd been there. We filled out the usual useless immigration and customs forms. The only purpose of these is to extract a $10 fee from anyone looking vaguely European or American. This money of course goes right into the pockets of the officials. There have actually been battles among various Myanmar armed forces for control of this lucrative business. Officers in both armies buy their rank because of large illicit revenues that come with the position. Itâs kind of like Costra Nostra with tanks. Meanwhile, while we were dutifully paying our toll and filling out the forms, we glanced down the river and saw dozens of boats criss-crossing the border with no concern for customs or immigration.

The next few days we worked our way back to Chaing Rai and then to Chaing Mai. While doing so we visited the villages of the Akha, Yao and Mien tribes. These people live very simply in small one room raised straw huts with thatched roofs. The women wear very colorful and distinctive dresses which differ by tribe.

We then backtracked through Bangkok where we wrapped up our bronze purchases, then back to Singapore. There we met up again with our friend YunYun who we originally met in Greece. Last Sunday, May 10, we moved on to Bali, Indonesia.

At first the thick tourist scene in Kuta, Bali's main beach town, made us fear that we had gotten to Bali too late. The vendors were even more aggressive than those we encountered in Africa. However, as we explored the island and talked to people we became more impressed with the kindness and peacefulness of the culture. The Balinese version of Hinduism is pervasive and fun. This is not a ãgo to church on Sunday and sing a hymnä religion. There are temples all over the place. Every business and house and most cars have a small temple. Everyday offerings are made to the good spirits in the form of flowers, food and prayers. There seems to be celebrations going on at some temple or another all of the time. The ceremonial processions are constantly tying up traffic.

The Balinese believe in "karma". If you do something good, good things will follow. If you do something bad, bad things will follow. People are constantly offering help without any ulterior motive. These are truly a kinder and gentler people.

Last Tuesday we were joined by a family friend's daughter (we call her a cousin), Breanna, from California. This has made this portion of the trip particularly exciting. We have watched the Balinese dances, visited the famous temples and are making a good attempt to learn some of the language. We have also had time to go diving and enjoy the famous beaches and vistas. The terraced rice fields climbing the hillsides is a fantastic sight.

Our enjoyment of Bali has been enhanced by the fact that the Indonesian rupee, which already was at an all time low, has dropped another 50% in the few days that we have been here due to the economic problems and social unrest. We thought Thailand was cheap, but Bali is almost free. A good restaurant western style meal for five will cost $10 to $12. A car rents for $4 per day. The people here are suffering not only because of the increased prices, but also because the negative publicity is keeping away the tourists. Other than everybody is worried, Bali has not been effected by the riots in Jakarta.

We find it hard to believe that we have been traveling for almost 10 months. What a wonderful experience it has been!

- Ken, Sherry, Piper and Skyler

              
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