Chapter 5: Tak Ticks and Kingdoms

Survived the last mountain trek for a while, not sure it lives up to the "Most Beautiful in Thailand" boast but 2,000 Thai tourists went to one campsite there over their New Year holiday, so who am I to argue?
More contact with the Karen refugees on the way down to Um Phang in the open pickup truck / bus and more camps, tucked away in these beautiful mountain valleys - apparently the Karen prefer it there as they are mountain tribes anyway.

The highest waterfall in Thailand was stunning, and bloody cold to swim in, but the trek went well, so it was back to Um Phang and over a final range of mountains into the central plains, the farming centre: rice, sugar cane, tobacco and veg for hundreds of miles, all the way to the coast south of Bangkok. Most of the rivers from the mountain ranges which make up North and East Thailand all flow into these plains. Its hot and dry.

But this is where the history is: kingdoms, cities rising and falling to invading Burmese and Khmer kings, and finally Siam (then Thailand being created in 18th century, I think). Here because of the trade routes (caravans from India, Burma to China), freshwater, agricultural richness and access to the sea, via the huge rivers, south of where Bangkok now stands.

Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai from the 13th century. Sukhothai was first capital of Siam. You have to bring your imagination with you as the buildings now look sad and crumbling. But when they were built they were covered in limestone stucco / plaster and ornately carved. The sacking of the cities, looting and erosion have done the rest - now World Heritage sites. Also only the temples and palaces remain, all other buildings plus all roofs would have been made of teak and so have disappeared.

Other thoughts:

• Burmese refugees: some in these camps since 1984. 150,000 in camps plus over 2 million "migrants" who do not even have a refugee status as they didn't flee active fighting. So these guys get no education, health benefits, etc, and it is these that all the charities are trying to support. Very sad.
• Hill tribes: government is putting in dirt roads, basic school and even solar panels to many villages. Will it destroy their cultures for the shorter term benefits, and are tourists a good or a bad thing? Discuss.
• Markets: they eat anything! Bags of live bullfrogs, water beetles, crickets, intestines. But trying to bring in law to protect the local markets, which are huge and go on day and night, by agreeing with the supermarket chains (Tesco the biggest with 7-11) how big they can build and how near a town centre based on its population! Good one.
• Buddhism: not pretending to understand but I am going to read more on it. All about protecting nature and leading a good life to achieve that. No superbeing about to cast you into hell, you do it yourself! Neat.

Off south to Ayutthaya, another kingdom that took over from Sukhothai for 400 years then Bangkok took them over. A train ride of 6 hours on a slow train - you can open the windows and take photos and watch it all slowly pass.

Photolink: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Thailand_2008_Chapter_5

Cheers! Mike