visiting other spots in northern Thailand

Whilst I've very much enjoyed my time in Chiang Mai, I felt that I should also visit a couple of other places in the area.  Firstly the hippy village of Pai, although when I asked a fellow traveller what to expect of the place, he asked whether I was going "for the nature or for the drugs"!  & for sure, smoking weed is a big part of the culture there (I took one drag of someone's joint in my eight days there, it's not really my thing as I prefer to be fully present in all these places).  It really is a hippy place, and whilst there are some nice countryside sights (such as Pai canyon to the right here), it is almost worth visiting just to gawp at the hippy culture in the same way as you might for ancient cultures.  So many of the people there - both those originally from the West and a fair number of the locals - look quite distinctive, with their waist-length dreadlocks, their piercings and their extensive tattoos, including many on their faces.

But one reason I'd gone there was for an older culture -  a sub-group of the Kayan (aka Karen, Padaung, or 'giraffe-necked') women.  Tracing their ancestry back to Mongolia or Tibet, but more recently from Burma (Myanmar), they were persecuted by the Burmese government following the country's independence in 1948, as they wanted their own independent country - technically they had the right to secede one decade after the country's independence, but this right was not granted.  Their situation has worsened since the military coup of 2021, which has increased the number fleeing to neighbouring countries, particularly Thailand.  The 'giraffe-necked' sub-group are known for the distinctive brass coils worn around the necks of the women making their necks look very long - although contrary to popular belief the coils do not elongate the neck, but rather push down the rib cage creating the illusion of a longer neck.

I'd wanted to see these women since I first read about them several decades ago.  There is some controversy over their situation in Thailand, however, as most do not have citizenship and some fear that they are being exploited through the 'tourist villages' in which they live.  But I decided to go (couldn't resist...) and am so glad I did.  In the village I went to - within walking distance of Pai - the women spoke very good English so I was able to chat with them.  They explained that the first coils (weighing some 5kg) are fitted when the girls are five years old, replaced by a lengthier set when they get older if they wish for it.  Alternatively, some girls reaching adulthood these days decide to have the coils removed - the lady in the photo here told me that it is mostly girls who get into a relationship with a man from outside of their tribe who decide not to continue wearing them.  But she (and the others who keep them) feel not only that they are beautiful but also that they are an important cultural heritage.  This lady told me she was happy with her life in Thailand and did not want to return to Burma.

I also spent a few days in the town of Chiang Rai, best known for its so-called White, Blue and Black Temples.  Modern constructions, I have to say they quite appealed to that side of me, never lost from my teenage years, that finds human skulls so appealing.  On the first day I walked 12km to the south of the town, to see the White Temple.  A beautiful complex with some stunning buildings (all in white), it also includes the above path over the torments of hell (the hands of those trying to escape and the skulls of those who didn't make it) and the mouth of the devil, before a bridge taking you into the chapel.  Within the grounds is also an 'Art Cave' of caves and adjoining tunnels, stacked full of skulls!

The second day saw me travel the same distance to the north of the city, to get to the Black Temple, more correctly known as Baan Dam which translates as Black House - as it is a museum/art gallery, and not a temple.  Once again it features a number of skulls, but these are from buffalos, crocodiles and other creatures (all of which apparently died natural deaths), not from humans.  The museum contains some 40-odd dark wood structures, many of which look rather like temples, but which are there to house animal remains and contemporary art, often representing the darker side of human existence.  Walking back on a different route, I spotted a large white statue amongst the distant hills, so I added a few more km to my walk and went to see Wat Huay Pla Kang, with its giant (80 metre tall) statue of Bodhisattva Guan Yin (the goddess of mercy and compassion) as well as a temple and a pagoda.  I took the lift up to the 25th floor (eye level) but have to admit that the views weren't anything special.

& finally, on my third day, as well as visiting the Clocktower and the King Mengrai Monument, I went to see the Blue Temple.  Yet again there were skulls aplenty, but on the various guardian figures located around the prayer hall, not on or in the hall itself, which was a beautiful blue colour with a shining white buddha inside, apparently containing many silver and gold rings as well as some relics of Lord Buddha.