12 Things to do at Yellowstone that aren't Old Faithful

Old Faithful is the big draw at Yellowstone National Park

I'm sure you've heard of Old Faithful, the most iconic feature of Yellowstone, the oldest of all the U.S. National Parks. It's not the tallest blasting geyser at the park. That honor goes to Steamboat Geyser whose eruptions can be anywhere between 4 days to 50 years apart. Although no longer shooting into the air with the near clockwork regularity that gave the geyser its name, Old Faithful still has an average of 17 eruptions a day. It's an ideal natural tourist attraction since there's a 90% success rate of predicting the next eruption within a 10-minute window. If you're willing to hang around and amuse yourself for up to ninety minutes at the excellent museum or nearby hotels and restaurants, you are pretty much guaranteed to see it blast.

Guess what? There are other things to do at Yellowstone! They may or may not be as crowded as the boardwalk around Old Faithful, depending on how far off the beaten track you wish to go.

Chiang Mai's Golden Temple on the Hill

Wat Phra That is the crown jewel of Chiang Mai's temples. Perched high above the city on the summit of Doi Suthep mountain, most tourists refer to is as "Wat Doi Suthep." Its signature golden spire and filigree umbrellas glitter in the sunlight, and the surrounding temple complex is filled with gorgeous, intricate Lanna art and architecture.

Chiang Mai Sunday Market

Another Spring Break is upon me, and I have yet to finish telling you about last year's Spring Break in Chiang Mai, Thailand... or even Spring Break from 2 years ago in Japan. I'm wondering where next year's Spring Break will find me.

The very first thing we did in Chiang Mai was the Sunday Market to get a feel for the town. We hopped in a songtow and took a ride to the Old City which is surrounded by a fortified wall.  Granted, the busy Starbucks where the driver dropped us off didn't really scream "exotic Southeast Asia," but once we crossed Tha Phae Gate, the feeling of I-could-be-anywhere dropped away, and the ambiance of Chiang Mai wrapped itself around us.

Looking out at the New City through Tha Phae Gate

Dirty, Hungry Elephants

I knew I wanted to go to Thailand, and I knew I wanted to get up close and personal with elephants. Lately, I've read so many stories about the cruel animal training techniques used to teach these gentle giants how to do tricks for crowds of people or submit to giving ride after ride to paying customers.  On my trip, I longed to connect with the elephants in a more personal, humane manner. That's how I decided to visit the Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai which is renowned for rescuing elephants and letting them live freely in their sanctuary.

Well hello there. Easy now.

If there's one word to describe Elephant Nature Park (ENP), I would say that it is "Love." Love is what pours out of every visitor and worker here. Not just, "I love being here," but also "These elephants need love" and "I would love to serve you." You... as in the elephants. ENP flips the typical meet-an-elephant tour model on its head and switches it around from elephants serving people to how the people can serve the elephants. Most of these elephants have spent their lives in servitude, and they have the scars to prove it. ENP does not condone elephant riding. Instead, visitors get to pet them, feed them, and as the highlight of the day, bathe them in the river. They interact with these animals without exploiting them. Volunteers who stay for a week do additional duties such as prepping elephant food and doing the hard labor that maintaining this sanctuary requires. They also get more elephant time.

My day begins when I'm picked up from my hotel in central Chiang Mai. The van is filled with the other people in my small group who I'll get to know better as the day progresses. Our guide, Bee, is also on board and gives us an introduction to the ENP. We watch a few videos about their elephant rescues, and the time it takes to reach the park, 60 kilometers away, passes quickly. As we round the corner and go down into the valley, I catch my first glimpse of the elephants wandering through a large field and am filled with wonder. It's actually happening! I'm reminded of that scene from Jurassic Park when the people in the jeep see the dinosaurs for the first time. (Of course, this will visit will not end with us running for our lives.)

I can barely contain my excitement. I am about to meet an elephant.

We disembark from the van, settle at our table and relax before our first job of the day. Feeding Time! The elephants amble up to the deck surrounding the building. We have giant bushel baskets filled with fruits and veggies cut up by the volunteers. There's pumpkins, watermelon, bunches of bananas and pineapples. I'm a little nervous at first, although I'm not quite sure why. We're behind a railing so there's no way that an over-eager elephant can get too close. I lean over, gingerly holding out my offering. She curls the end of her trunk around it and without ado, brings it to her mouth. Over and over, I repeat the process until the basket is empty.

I cannot believe it. I am feeding an elephant!

Next, Bee takes us on a stroll around ENP to introduce us to some of the 34 elephants living here and tell us a little more about their backstories. Unfortunately, most of the tales are quite sad and filled with mistreatment. Some were part of the Thai logging industry while others were street beggars or circus performers. The one in the top photo has a broken hip from being mounted by a bull elephant during a forced breeding program. Another gal, Jokia, was purposely blinded in both eyes with a slingshot by a former owner when she wouldn't obey his commands. Lucky is also blind, but her cause is years of working under bright, circus spotlights. Some have disfigured feet after stepping on landmines.



Lame from a land mine injury

Sadly, these poor creatures are just some of the very many being abused in Thailand. Wild elephants are protected, but the 2500 domesticated ones who formerly worked in the now illegal logging industry are considered mere beasts of burden. Cruel, physical punishment is the norm for keeping these large animals under control. At ENP, elephants still have mahouts (handlers), but there's not a single bullhook or prod in sight. Instead, they rely on positive reinforcement and kindness. ENP does not have the funds to rescue them all since most owners are unwilling to just give them away for free. The park can only take on the most dire and desperate cases. The sanctuary also accepts elderly elephants so that they may have a few last good months at the end of their lives.


It's not all doom and gloom at ENP, though. If anything, the overriding message is one of hope. There's even a little guy named "Hope" who was rescued as a orphaned baby near the brink of death but is now thriving. We got to meet adorable, 5-month-old Navann who was energetic and playful. He and his mother, Sri Prae, who also sustained land mine injuries spend their time inside a large pen to protect them from some of the bullying elephants in the herd. Surprisingly, teen girl dynamics with the Queen Bees and Wannabees social structure play out in the elephant world, too. On their own, the elephants have broken off into distinct cliques or families. They look out for their adoptive family members but are also choosy about who they'll let into their circle. Lucky has been trying to make her way into a group for three months, but the others just turn and walk away when she approaches.

Our guide introduces us to adorable, 5-month-old Navaan and his mahout (handler).

We wander around the park for a bit longer. Other animals are here, like over 400 dogs rescued from Bangkok during the 2011 floods. Water buffalo roam in the distance. Remembering my days as a kid walking through Texas cow pastures, I ask if we need to watch our step lest we encounter a big, smelly pile of elephant doo-doo. It turns out that some volunteers are actually on pooper scooper duty, and the park barters this excellent fertilizer in exchange for organic produce.




Mudbaths cool down the elephants and protect them from biting insects.

It's feeding time again, but this time for the humans. Considering how committed ENP is to championing animal protection, it's not surprising that the meals are vegetarian. The buffet spreads across a few long tables, and sodas are available for purchase. I pleasantly discover that it's all delicious and even go back for seconds. We have time to sit for a while and get to know the others in our small group better.

Come hungry

As we relax there, stuffed with food and feeling a little lazy in the heat, I think about how my close encounters with the elephants are not exactly as I expected. I thought their skin would be rough and tough like a cowboy boot, but when I stroke their trunks, I find that it's actually soft to the touch. You might think that animals that big would be quite noisy when they move around with their stomping feet making the ground tremble beneath them. In fact, they were so quiet, they actually snuck up on us a few times. One man had his back to the platform railing after lunch, and I had to tell him, "Don't be surprised, but there's an elephant right behind you."



The Elephant Whisperer (in my dreams)

Finally, the big moment arrives.

It's time to head down to the river to bathe the elephants.

The elephants and their mahouts make their way into the water first. This is clearly a part of the day that the elephants enjoy. Each group gathers around a few elephants with our buckets ready. Scoop and throw. Scoop and throw. The elephants get into the action, too, spraying water with their trunks. It's like an Elephant Songkran.  One pachyderm drops a few poop bombs into the river, and we yell, "Watch out for the floaters!" to the folks downstream. It's actually quite hard to dislodge the mud from the elephants back, but I figure that we're here more to help them cool off than to get clean. After all, they're just going to go and roll in the dirt again.

Splish Splash I was giving a bath.

The elephants climb back out of the river when they see the fruit treats that the mahouts brought them. It was fantastic to see how comfortable these men are with their animals, sitting peacefully as the big beasts crowded around them. Our group heads up to an elevated viewing platform to gaze at this valley that provides a safe haven for the elephants. It's tea time (yes, they feed you AGAIN), then time for a documentary movie.



One of the mahouts relaxes with the animals.

Most of the film focuses on Lek, the founder of the ENP, and all the good work that her sanctuary does. But my friends who had visited the park before me warned me about the last 10 minutes of the film. One specifically told me that kids and even sensitive adults should exit the room when this section starts. What happens? You find out about the phajaan,the crush.  Young elephants endure weeks of physical and mental abuse so that they have no will to disobey their keepers. This is what traditionally happens to domesticate these animals. Babies are immobilized in small crates, their feet are tied and their limbs stretched. People scream at them, beat them with metal spikes, jab them with heated rods and starve them. Bull hooks tug at their ears and slash the skin. This goes on for for weeks until the elephant's spirit is broken, and he is finally submissive.

I'll confess that I bolted from my seat as soon as I realized we'd reached this part of the movie. I can see it in my imagination, and didn't want to see it on the screen. That's the depressing part. Something that's too terrible for me to witness remotely is an act commonplace for most domesticated Thai elephants. Afterwards, the other people in my group were clearly stricken and distressed by what they'd seen.

Elephants in circuses, performing on the streets or giving rides have had to undergo the phajaan. Is this something that you want to support? Breaking the cycle is why Lek set up ENP. She wants to provide an alternative to this cruelty. Her mahouts use praise and positive reinforcement to control their animals. Visitors can get their up-close-and-personal experience with elephants without having to exploit them.

A safe haven at Elephant Nature Park

My group climbed back into the van at the end of the day. On the journey back to central Chiang Mai, all the amazing elephant encounters of the day floated through my head. It was everything I had hoped for.

If you visit Chiang Mai, do not miss the Elephant Nature Park.

IF YOU GO:

• I took the Learning Elephant Day Trip which costs 2500 Thai baht (US$77) and includes lunch and transportation from Chiang Mai.
• This daytrip and other volunteer opportunities from an overnight stay to up to 14 days service can be booked online at the Elephant Nature Park website.
• A visit to the park is completely suitable for children. Keep in mind that there are also rescued dogs freely roaming the premises and that you may want to leave the movie when the phajaan part starts.
• You can bring a modest swimsuit (no bikinis, please) for bathing the elephants, but most people just wore street clothes in to the river. When I visited, the water was not deep or fast moving. There's a shower you can use afterwards, but I don't think anyone availed themselves to it.
• Pick up souvenirs at the gift shop. I especially liked the wooden carvings mahouts had done of the elephants in their care.
• Sodas and drinking water available for purchase.
• Love dogs? These furry friends need help at ENP, too. You can become a Dog Volunteer.
• Would you like to help elephants but cannot visit Thailand? Make a donation to the Serengeti Foundation (tax deductible for US taxpayers) to fund the endeavors of Elephant Nature Park so that more animals can be rescued. Or you can purchase items (lunch, acreage, medical kits, etc.) for the Save Elephant Foundation.

Related Posts:
Visiting the Long Neck Tribe
The Ruins of Chiang Mai's Chedi Luang Temple
Longing for a Chiang Mai Wet Market
Chiang Mai Sunday Market


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox, Pret-a-Vivre, and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Transportation: Thailand versus Texas

My friend who used to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand told me that the city did not have regular taxis. Tuk-tuks and Songtows are the way to get around. She also warned me that our entire family could not fit into a tuk-tuk, but we foolishly ignored that sage advice.

Trying to figure out how to fit 2 more adults into this Tuk-tuk.

I love this photo of us getting into a tuk-tuk because my husband looks so big next to it. Even though a sane family might think that this tuk-tuk looks full, we just crammed ourselves into this one.

Share your Songtow ride with others. 

Songtows are bigger, but you usually share the ride with other people. It's informal, public transportation without a set price or route. When you hail one and it actually stops for you, walk up to the driver and tell him where you're headed. If it's in the vicinity of where everyone else wants to go, you can get on. If not, too bad. You'll just have to wait for another one that's going in your direction, and the only way to figure that out is to stop one and ask. The red ones service central Chiang Mai and popular spots just outside the city. Yellow songtows are for further out towns twenty to thirty kilometers away. Most importantly, always negotiate your price before boarding.

Cool breezes and car fumes flow in through the Songtow's semi-enclosed sides.

These exotic modes of transportation are so foreign to a gal from Texas. It seems that the world still thinks that everyone in Texas wears cowboy hats and drives a pickup truck or rides a horse to get around. When I saw this dude going down South Congress Avenue, a few miles from the State Capitol in Austin, I just had to take a photo. It's a far cry from a tiny tuk-tuk.



Exactly what a tourist would hope to see in Austin, Texas

This post is part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Y'all should head on over there for more travel inspiration.

Longing for a Chiang Mai Wet Market

Pennant flags, dry floors, and the pleasing wooden beams impressed me at this wet market.

"This is one fancy wet market." That was my first thought as my Chiang Mai cooking class walked through on a mission to buy ingredients for that day's dishes. It's funny because it's such a contrast to what I would have thought if I was fresh off the plane from America. That gal would have found the place exotic and rustic, not necessarily fancy.

Fresh produce laid out on leaves

The very first time I visited a wet market was about 15 years ago on my whirlwind, 4-countries-in-3-weeks tour of Southeast Asia. I remember my mom screaming aloud in surprise when someone with a very large knife brought an abrupt end to a fish's life. Now that I live in Malaysia, I hit the wet market weekly for produce that's 3 times fresher and half as cheap as the grocery store. I've always meant to take pictures of my local market, but frankly, the fluorescent lighting is awful, and I'm too busy carrying my cumbersome shopping basket.

The fish are very much alive in that large tub. Her grill is to the right. Now that's fresh!

When I was traveling in Chiang Mai, I finally had the luxury of two free hands for taking photos and a market with good, natural lighting. This one had wooden beams and supports as opposed to the industrial feel of concrete columns at my own market. As I walked around, I was impressed by how dry this wet market is. At my Malaysia market, I'm used to slogging through puddles of melted ice mixed with chicken blood and whatnot. This Thai market actually had gutters on the table edges that channeled the watery runoff down a tube, through a hole and, I assume, into some sort of holding container or floor drain.  No cacophonous coconut shredder whirred in the background. Goods were laid out neatly on charming baskets and trays. Some items were pleasingly packaged with English labels. It was like the Whole Foods of Asian wet markets.

Dried peppers, dried lemongrass and Tom Yum herbs

Snacks ready to grab and go

My husband suspects that this might be a market aimed squarely at tourists because of the lack of locals shopping there. I'm not so sure as it was late in the morning, and the local crowd may have peaked hours beforehand like it does in Malaysia. As someone who has had her own routine market trips interrupted by tour groups, I took pity on the locals since this market seemed popular with various cooking schools. Imagine being at your hometown grocery store, but you can't reach the apples because a tour group is blocking your way marveling at how picturesque the apples are.




For some reason, I laughed that Bananas in particular are labeled in English.

Grilled satay and other meats

I could gauge how well I've transitioned into Southeast Asian expat life by how many of the exotic fruits and vegetables I could identify at a glance. Hairy rambutan didn't stump me. I couldn't resist the memory of the taste of sweet, juicy mangosteens that burst into my mind as soon as I saw them on the tray, and I ended up buying a few for a snack. As our cooking school tour guide quizzed the group by holding up palm sugar, turmeric, galangal and torch ginger, I had to keep my mouth shut lest I spoil the fun by sounding like the class know-it-all. However, I did come away learning that the mystery veggie in my previous night's curry dish was a golf ball sized, baby eggplant. Raw meat sitting out unrefrigerated no longer grosses me out, but flies crawling all over the meat still does.

Remember my previous post about my dislike of organ meat?
Guess my thoughts on raw organ meat with flies.

Prepared foods

Now that I'm back to my regular routine of shopping at my local wet market, I find myself longing for the fancy one in Chiang Mai.



Various curry powders sold in bulk

Related Posts:
Dirty, Hungry Elephants
Chiang Mai Sunday Market
The Ruins of Chiang Mai's Chedi Luang Temple
Visiting the Long Neck Tribe
Getting Lay's in Thailand



This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Traveler's Sandbox and Oh the Places I've Been on The Tablescaper . Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

The Ruins of Chiang Mai's Chedi Luang Temple

The ancient Wat Chedi Luang with its partially collapsed chedi.

For centuries, Wat Chedi Luang towered over ancient Chiang Mai. Construction began in the late 14th century, and by 1481, the Lanna-style chedi (pagoda) reached up 82 meters (246 feet) to the sky. Imagine what a humbling sight that must have been back then. Varying accounts have popped up to explain how the top of the chedi partially collapsed. Some say that it was an earthquake in 1545 while others claim it was caught in cannon fire when  King Taksin recaptured Chiang Mai from the Burmese in 1775. Either way,  I found it to be one of the more interesting temples in the old city.

 

No building within Chiang Mai's walled city are permitted to be taller than Wat Chedi Luang (60 meters/180 feet tall).

The Emerald Buddha used to reside within this temple until the Laotian king took it to Luang Prabang, Laos around 1545. That buddha is now in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew, but a black jade Buddha carved in 1995 sits in its place in the eastern niche. Other Buddha's are located all around the Wat, and a wire and pulley system is in place for pouring spiritual cleansing water over the ones at the top of the stairs.



Incense sticks in front of the Wat's many Buddhas.

A couple decades ago, the Japanese government and UNESCO contributed money for a restoration of the temple. However, no one knows what the original chedi looks like, so that was left untouched. The work that was completed has been controversial because some have declared it to be done in the central Thai style instead of the more authentic, northern Lanna style. In any case, it's quite easy for even a novice like myself to spot the restored versus untouched sections.




Left: Original brick and stucco elephant
Right: Cement restorations

Statues of Naga, a mythical serpent beast that sheltered Buddha while he was meditating.

This temple is also one of the most significant within Chiang Mai as it holds the city pillar, and is thus considered to be the home of the city's guardian spirits. The building is only open during the annual Inthakin festival in May, and only men may enter. At that time, blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity are invoked for Chiang Mai and its people.



The city pillar inside this building protects the city, especially from Burmese invaders.

The viharn (sermon hall) near the street entrance was built in 1928 and holds a large, standing 14th century Buddha with a disciple on both sides who are known for their mysticism and meditation. Everyone is welcome in this building, but please exhibit proper manners such as never pointing your feet at Buddha. Don't sit straight-legged! Sit "mermaid-style" with your legs curled around to the back. 

Inside the Sermon Hall

If you want to donate to the temple, numerous containers are located around the temple grounds.

A different pot for each monk.



This is the most secure donation box I have ever seen.

Monk Chat

A monk chat club is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the northern side of the grounds. Drop in to chat with them about Buddhism, a monk's life, Thai culture or other relevant topics. They get to practice English, and you get face time with a Buddhist monk. (Ladies, be sure not to touch them as it is taboo.) As their sign says, "Don't just stand looking from afar and walk away."

Dress Code

Please remember to show respect when visiting temples by dressing demurely and removing your shoes at the entrance to buildings. Ladies, despite how hot you may feel touring Chiang Mai, spaghetti straps and short shorts are big no-nos. You can fashion a skirt coverup out of a sarong and bring a wrap for your shoulders. They didn't seem to mind knee-length shorts on me. It is also forbidden for females to climb the corners of the moat structure around the chedi.

Keep these Do's and Don'ts in mind.

Kid point of view:

My kids would like me to let you know that they think this place is boring. My oldest son has done a Buddhism unit in Social Studies, and both boys have done field trips to the Thai Buddhist temple in Penang. They have a background understanding of temples but were still completely uninterested. So, I resorted to the age-old bribery trick. I traded a cultural morning of my choices for an afternoon of paintball and go-karts.

Related Posts

Dirty, Hungry Elephants

Visiting the Long Neck Tribe

Longing for a Chiang Mai Wet Market

Chiang Mai Sunday Market

Getting Lay's in Thailand

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Visiting the Long Neck Tribe

These girls have worn neck rings for just a few years. More will be added as they get older.
My daughter lives such a different life than them.

I remember sitting in my suburban Texas home when I was a little girl and reading about the Long Neck Tribes in the remote jungles of Asia. Looking at the explorer journal sketches of women with rings going up their impossibly tall, giraffe-like necks, these people seemed no more real than the inhabitants of Tatooine, Narnia or Middle Earth -- maybe even less so. They were so far removed from my life in the land of cowboys and astronauts. I certainly never thought that I'd one day encounter them face to face.

Baan Tong Luang is an eco-agricultural hill tribes village just outside Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was created in 2005 as a cultural preservation project, tourist attraction, and a way to create income for the hill tribes, many of whom are refugees from Myanmar. Seven distinct tribes are located here including the Padaung people, also called the Kayan Lahwi, a subgroup of the Karen tribe and famous for their women with long, ringed necks. 

Uncurling the rings of the Padaung women

At first, I was hesitant to visit. What if I was contributing to the perpetuation of an outdated custom maintained merely to separate tourists from their money? I wondered if it would feel like a Human Zoo. But then I decided that I never question visits to Australian Aboriginal Cultural Centers, Colonial Williamsburg or other living history museums. Perhaps I should give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that these tribes kept their traditions alive out of pride and wanted to share them with the world.

Brass rings encircle her neck, wrists, and legs
Does she long to remove them or is it an integral part of her cultural identity?
Does she wish people would see past the rings to the individual inside them?

I'm so glad that I went. I got to talking with one of the Padaung women, thrilled by how well she spoke English as my Tibeto-Burman language comprehension is quite poor. After chatting with her, I no longer felt like a mere voyeur but instead like someone who heard her story and carried it out to the world. We asked her what it felt like to wear those rings. "Heavy and hot," was her answer. "But it is better here," she said. "When I worked in the fields in Burma, they were so hot. It was hard to work. Here, I can weave and sit in the shade." She unfurled some of her handiwork. Each one takes 3 days to weave and are priced at only US$5. After listening to her story, I didn't  have the heart to haggle. Like most girls, she started wearing the rings when she was about 4 or 5 years old, beginning with just a few. Now, she has 25 rings. (The rings do not actually stretch their necks but squash their vertebrae and collarbone so it angles downwards, giving the illusion of a longer neck.) In this woman's case, she did not start wearing rings just to draw tourist dollars. Perhaps this village did indeed provide her with a better, easier life after fleeing the turmoil in her homelands seven years ago. She also mentioned that she cannot leave Thailand because she has no passport.

Weaving is better than fieldwork.
Her white shirt signifies that she's unmarried.

One of the tables held postcards of a young Padaung lady dressed in modern clothes. With her hair flowing loosely down her back and a contemporary jacket, the neck rings took on the look of a bold, statement necklace. It's a look that the fashion world would approve of.

This perfume ad with Charlize Theron in the in-flight magazine
definitely reminded me of the Padaung women.

This village is not just some place for their day job catering to tourists. They live here, too. Rice paddies line the walk in the middle of the village while water buffalo graze off to the side.

Top: Livestock of water buffaloes and roosters
Middle: Rice paddies
Bottom: Houses on stilts and their makeshift sink comprised of a hose and bucket

A small one-room schoolhouse provides the children with a few hours of education each day, more on weekends. I noticed that working age men and older children were missing. Perhaps they go out and earn other income during the day.

A Community Education Development teacher from outside the tribe comes by to teach them Thai, English and Burmese.

Surprisingly, the village path ends in a Catholic church at the top of the hill. While the hill tribes were originally animists, many are converting to Christianity after meeting missionaries.



St. Nicholas Church at the end of the village

Other northern Thai hill tribes live in this village as well. For the most part, it's a big market selling goods that the villagers make along with outside handiwork. No guided tour, lectures, or performances are part of the experience. Since admission is 500 Thai baht, they don't do high pressure selling or charge you for photos. Haggling is acceptable, although my husband teased me about how horrendous I am at it.


Another branch of the Karen tribe who do not adorn their necks with rings are at the front of the village. Originally from Tibet, they moved into China and then Myanmar (Burma). In the last few decades, political turmoil caused them to take refuge in northern Thailand.

Karen woman weaving on her backstrap loom.
Married women wear bold colored shirts.

The Kayaw are another subgroup of the Karen tribe. Like the long necked Padaung subgroup, their legs are also encircled with brass. However, their necks are adorned with loose necklaces instead of confining rings.

Kayaw girl reads while mom weaves.

Kayaw section of the eco-agricultural village

The Lahu Shi Bala is another tribe that originated in Tibet and moved down to China, then Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Their women insert big metal earrings into their earlobes. My kids really enjoyed trying out the handmade cross-bows with the elder males of this tribe.



Lahu Shi Bala grandmother tending to the baby in the hammock.

Lahu Shi Bala man demonstrates an instrument made out of a gourd with bamboo pipes emerging from it.

The Palong tribe is a minority tribe that immigrated from Myanmar to Thailand in the mid-1980's. When I first approached the children, they were happily playing. As soon as one girl saw my camera, she called the others to sit down and pose.

Palong children

Palong woman selling hats and elephant bullhooks

The Mien or Yao people are from central China but have been in Thailand for about 150 years. "Yao" means "not under the power of anyone." This was the only tribe I saw doing needlework and batik.

Top: Mein woman doing needlework; Hot coals keep the batik wax liquid
Bottom: Batik tool for applying wax to cloth. Those evenly spaced lines are drawn by freehand.

 IF YOU GO:

• Baan Tong Luang  Eco-Agricultural Village is located off Maerim-Samuang Road, about 35 minutes from the old walled section of Chiang Mai.
• In some ways, this place is merely a large marketplace. Turn it into a deeper experience by taking time to talk with the villagers. They want to share their stories. Feel free to take photographs.
• Allow 1-1.5 hours for your visit, depending on how much time you spend talking.
• Bring drinking water.
• Admission is 500 baht for adults and 300 baht for children
• Pair this visit with excursions to other area attractions: Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Sa Waterfall (a favorite among locals for picnicking and cooling off), or one of the many nearby animal encounters (Mae Sa Elephant Camp, Tiger Kingdom, Monkey School, or Siam Insect Zoo).

Related Post:
Dirty, Hungry Elephants
Longing for a Chiang Mai Wet Market
Chiang Mai Sunday Market
The Ruins of Chiang Mai's Chedi Luang Temple



This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox, Pret-a-Vivre, and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.