Day 6
Trip Start
Jun 30, 2008
1
5
Trip End
Ongoing
Chaing Rai,
Thailand
Thursday, July 10, 2008
We left Bangkok early to get to Don Mueang Airport. This is the airport used for domestic travel within Thailand. We were terrible; we went straight for the Burger King Egg sandwich. Our flight was little over an hour. The scenery from the air was farm land, mountains. We landed and met our guide; our first destination was the monkey cave. This was a long steep mountain with lots of rocks, and a stone stair leading to a cave. We were worried that the monkeys could get very aggressive so we decided to trek the mountain without the food. Probably a good idea. From the ground we saw some monkeys high in the trees but we didn't see any on our climb up. At the bottom of the mountain there was a pond with carp, which we fed. We passed one group on the way up the stairs that were coming down and they assured us that the cave was close and that it was worth it to continue. It was very pretty inside the cave, I think we have some pictures. At the top of the cave it started to rain heavily.
Our next stop was the Myanmar boarder you could easily walk across but we decided to have lunch at the boarder town and walk around the markets on the Thailand side this was the only time we really were approached by aggressive sales people mostly the people selling sun glasses. There were sun glass, pocketbooks, hats, many different types of nuts and fruit.
Our next desist nation was the golden triangle known for its opium trade. The farm land here is rice fields, rubber trees and corn field. We passed two boarder stops to check for drugs and immigrants.
at the golden triangle
We stopped at the village of Ban Sop Rauk, which was known to be the center of the opium traffic. We stopped at the large golden Buddha. The area of the triangle is very pretty with the Mae Kong River and the mountains as a back drop. The opium museum was interesting they showed how the opium crop was harvested, and the various myths on how opium plants began, and items used to cook and smoke the opium. After walking around the museum we went towards the large golden budda and took a smaller version of the long tail that we had been on in Bangkok, we drove toward the myamar boarder and we landed on the Laos boarder an area called Done Xas, Not much more than a little market for wares but the items were different then we saw before. A lot of hand carved items and whiskey with snake and scorpions in it. The tourist was a bit much, rudely trying to barging their way out of a three dollar necklace. We returned to Chaing Rai for the night, we were both hungry so was got a map and had found a spot recommended in the tour book near the clock tower, we never made it we passed this Italian yes I said Italian restaurant that smelled too good not to stop and there was a little dining area with air conditioning for us tourist. The bread sticks were homemade and delicious, the antipasto was ok a second thought we should of forgone this choice, but pizza was excellent , thin crust no sauce just the way Michael and I liked it, We were so happy with the main course we tried dessert, apple, nut pie and vanilla ice cream. The crust was flat, with cashews and raisins; the ice cream was actually an ice cream cake but good. We had no internet so we have to wait to send this with the pictures.
Done Xas Laos
Bye 
