The last couple days we toured northern Thailand along the borders of Burma (Myanmar) and Laos. Generally I don’t prefer guided tours, but we needed to leave the country to renew our visas so we decided to let someone else do the driving. 
Much of the tour was countryside driving through mountainous jungle, terraced rice fields and smaller towns. Scenic but mundane, especially considering the duration of the drives. We stopped at a number sites of interest, Caves, Monkey Caves, Wats (Temples) and a number of hill-tribe villages.
The main remaining tribes are the Muong, Akha, Karen and Lisu. Accordingly these tribe originated /descended from Mongolian and Tibetan tribes. Like most indigenous cultures we’ve observed during our years of travel, they are barely clinging to their heritage. The younger generations are absorbing (or being absorbed by) the modern world and there looks to be no turning back. What does remain is a sad interaction between tourists wanting to see "indigenous" people and the villagers understanding that tourism offers a way to survive in the new world. 
The most obvious example was our visit to a Karen Tribal Village. (More famously know as the Long Necks). This particular tribe are refugees from the Burma side of the boarder, where the bulk of their population, perhaps 10 thousand, resides. Under normal circumstances their village would be very remote, truly a hillside site in the dense jungle. However due to the constant trek by tourist over the years foot paths have been replaced by cement walkways complete with handrails. "Tribal" souvenirs are available every step of the way. Believe me there was no feeling that you were on a National Geographic expedition. Our guide assurred us that the villagers wanted our support and were happy to be there, tourist and all. I didn't get that feeling, perhaps it was the article I had just read that referred to the situation as "human zoos". It reminded me of the great Native American Chief Geronimo. After his defeat by the US forces, he toured the US as a side show for circus acts. He survived, but must never have known happiness again.
The most obvious example was our visit to a Karen Tribal Village. (More famously know as the Long Necks). This particular tribe are refugees from the Burma side of the boarder, where the bulk of their population, perhaps 10 thousand, resides. Under normal circumstances their village would be very remote, truly a hillside site in the dense jungle. However due to the constant trek by tourist over the years foot paths have been replaced by cement walkways complete with handrails. "Tribal" souvenirs are available every step of the way. Believe me there was no feeling that you were on a National Geographic expedition. Our guide assurred us that the villagers wanted our support and were happy to be there, tourist and all. I didn't get that feeling, perhaps it was the article I had just read that referred to the situation as "human zoos". It reminded me of the great Native American Chief Geronimo. After his defeat by the US forces, he toured the US as a side show for circus acts. He survived, but must never have known happiness again.
In order to renew our Visas we crossed into Myanmar for a look around. Unlike the Thais of the North, whom are relatively successful and prosperous, the poverty of Myanmar showed itself immediately. Beggars, including the monks, were everywhere. The sense of desperation was very much in the eyes of the children. Much like our visit to the Karen Tribe, I didn't get a happy feeling about being there. It is interactions like this that in one sense make me feel tremulously lucky and in another, tremendously guilty. You can't help but feel sorrow and pain, along with helplessness. 
Of course we gave some money away to the kids and monks but in the big picture its nothing. This was a prosperous boarder town, I can't imagine what the more remote interior must be like.
Of course we gave some money away to the kids and monks but in the big picture its nothing. This was a prosperous boarder town, I can't imagine what the more remote interior must be like.
Our next stop was a trip across the Mekong River to Laos. We hope to make a longer visit to this country later during this trip but for this day it was all part of the tour. This three corners area (Thailand, Laos and Burma) is call The Golden Triangle and gained fame for its flourishing Opium trade in years past. (Now its just heroin coming out of Myanmar, but that's another story) . Our guide was a veteran guide and had many stories of Opium treks with foreigners during the seventies and eighties. It almost killed him. The area used to be very dangerous (and still is to some extent) as it was governed by various mafia groups and drug trafficking tribal groups. (Don't worry we only had a small amount of heroin with us so the Mafiosos didn't bother us. kidding). We did however, have the unfortunate encounter with a floating dead body along the Mekong. It was a bit surreal as we motored by, very close, to this body of man whom accordingly, was likely shot by the "police" and dumped into the river for disposal. The kids handled it well. They are certainly getting an education, for better or worse.
Our Visas are now good until Feb 25th, when we'll need to leave the country for over a month.
Funny Stuff:
