Narita, Japan (02/15/2011)

Normally I wouldn't post pics from a 1 day layover, however Narita is quite a beautiful small town and a rather random thing also happened to me while here.

Narita Temple dates back to the 10th century (Tokyo's oldest), but only in the past few hundred years has it really become the site that it is today. It's also one of the largest temple complexes in Japan.  Walking through the grounds was immensely relaxing and refreshing, and at 9am I was one of only a handful of people present - giving me much needed solitude after the hustle and bustle of Bangkok (another layover of little note).

A strange thing happened to me as I was walking back to the train station - an elderly couple asked me in English if I'd like to learn more about Japanese culture. I asked for a bit more of an explanation and found they were UNESCO volunteers at the Narita Cultural Pavilion - why not? There they showed me how to participate in a tea ceremony, paint calligraphy, wear a kimono, appreciate koto, and even arrange flowers (apparently a masculine thing to do in samurai times). I felt somewhat ashamed of myself as during this whole process I was wondering when they'd solicit me for a donation. This never happened. It was a genuine pleasure for them to share their culture with me and any others who express interest.

I ended up getting invited to accompany the staff to lunch at a local shop, and I had a chat with a few of the volunteers (all retirees) about their perceived national future and the rise of China, their recent enemy. Surprisingly, they felt that China rising was generally a good thing as they felt their children had become too complacent and weak They were also saddened that young people were not interested in their heritage, although many people once reaching mid-life crisis age showed a renewed interest. I guess we'll see what happens.

Overall - it was a great day and a great end to my winter trip.

Tachileik, Myanmar (02/11/2011)

While I was around Mae Sai, I had the option of crossing into Myanmar, albeit to a limited extent. How could I resist?

What a sad place. I instantly went from the "land of smiles" to the "land of frowns".  I know border towns aren't by any means representative of their host nations, but still - there is a strong trace of the nation's condition within them. It felt like I had stepped across 1000 km instead of the 1000 m to cross over by foot. Even the tuk-tuks looked angry.

Tachileik itself was nothing more than a huge illegal market full of ivory and Chinese counterfeit goods ranging from watches to Viagra. There was quite an impressive pagoda at a mountain top, however it became less impressive when I found out it was merely a smaller scale replica of a pagoda in Rangoon.

I didn't spend too much time here. That said, I had met a brave 19 yr old from Montreal who had backpacked across Myanmar for 2 months and had nothing but good things to say about it and its people - perhaps the countryside is a different story (let's not even talk politics here).

Chiang Rai and Golden Triangle (02/09/2011-02/14/2011)

The Golden Triangle was an area which until quite recently was a hotbed for drug smuggling (opium and heroin largely) and considered rather unsafe.  Consequently, I thought this would be the perfect place to find less tourists :). Besides being a cultural center for the former Lanna Empire (whose language is still largely spoken aside Thai), this region is home to numerous minority tribes such was the Aka, and Karen (one subset of which are the long-necked kind shown below). While their lives and body modification practices may seem bizarre or even inhumane, it is ultimately their choice to continue them or not - and I'm happy that Thailand gave them refuge from persecution in Myanmar. I visited one of their refuge villages and got to see how they currently live. Not ideal, but much better than across the border.

Chiang Rai itself is a quaint city with a vibrant night market culture - especially interesting is the vast Saturday market that spans several kilometers! There are also numerous temples, great restaurants, and free outdoor cultural dance and music shows in the central night bazaar.  Around Chiang Rai are elephant camps, the 'modern' White Temple, a temple formerly shared with monkeys (who have since moved to ground level due to tourists feeding them) and the scenes of some more recent historical events. One such place is Mae Salong, which is a place where 4000 KMT troops retreated to from Yunnan, China during the civil war. They recently switched their mode of subsistence from growing opium poppies to tea cultivation.

Koh Chang, Thailand (02/07/2011-02/09/2011)

I started a new step in my professional life and figured I wouldn't have a chance to relax for a while. So, given all the political instability going on, I figured I'd go somewhere remote, affordable, and safe that had already surmounted a little bit of political turmoil - Thailand!  Having gone to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, and Chiang Mai, I figured I'd first visit a relatively undeveloped island, and then go to the Golden Triangle (border regions of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar) to see a relatively secluded, unplugged, and pristine areas of the country.

Koh Chang was my first stop - a relatively small island reachable by ferry from Trat in the eastern Gulf of Thailand. I stayed at a small villa (purpose was to relax, after all) next to a quaint fishing village. Getting around the island was impossible by foot so I rented a small scooter, which was quite fun, especially after getting a flat tire.  The air was clean, the sights were beautiful, the weather perfect, and the seafood was excellent. It was the first time I ever ate a mantis shrimp (see here for a humorous description) - and one could definitely see how they got their name.