HIGHLAND HOME

Motorbikes are ubiquitous here. I fell in love with mine. The bulk of them are daily drivers – neither fast nor flashy – and ridiculously inexpensive to operate. Rainy season can be a little challenging but hey, you’ll dry. Are they dangerous? Yes. Always wear a helmet. Right of way seems related to size and vehicle expense. Moto’s are at the bottom of both lists. Though they’re small, they can be surprisingly utilitarian. I’ve loaded mine with a full size door, trees, and even a concrete mixing tub – though most often with lots of grocery bags and occasionally all three kids and my wife.

Love bananas? We do. That’s our banana tree. Know who else loves bananas? The Red Vented Bulbul. As bananas begin to reach peak sweetness, these little fellows tend to show up and take their pick. If you prefer your bananas without beak holes, it’s best to cut a hand or two of the yellow ones once the Bulbuls begin investigating. If you’re buying bananas from the market you’ll soon learn that there are many to choose from. Though four varieties are most popular, there are in fact 50 varieties in this country!

Mango’s are amazing. Rambutan are delicious. But sometimes – sometimes you just crave a familiar taste. Strawberries have entered the chat. Though I find them smaller than their western counterparts, local strawberries are nonetheless delicious. Their storied history began in 1969 when the King of this nation established a project aimed at helping hill tribe communities develop alternative income sources to opium farming and to promote sustainable agriculture. Strawberries were introduced as a cash crop in 1972 and have become a key income stream for tribes in the region. Care to pick your own? Head into the mountains in January and February for a relaxed morning of berry picking.

Though the South of this nation boasts some of the best beaches in the world, if jungle is more your jam, then head North. From forest treks to misty mountains, waterfalls and ancient temples, northern provinces have a lot to offer. Keep in mind that this nation experiences three distinct seasons. Cool season from November through February. Hot season, from March through May. And finally, Rainy season beginning in June and running through October. An unofficial season is “smoky season”, when farmers burn off the chaff in their fields. It’s generally hazy from January to April. Over the years we’ve had the best experiences outdoors just after rainy season as the temps begin to drop a bit and the air is clear.

This sign says, Rawang Chan, roughly translated, Caution Elephants! Imagine seeing one in the wild! Though the population has declined significantly, there are an estimated 3500 wild elephants in country and many more in elephant sanctuaries. Elephants are revered as sacred animals and worshipped in some parts of the country. They are seen as embodiments of power, wisdom and protection. We’ve seen them walking along the road, loaded in the back of trucks and up close at elephant camps.

When living near the city, we crossed the Mae Ping River continually without giving it much thought. The river flows just a few blocks east of the old city and night market. The old iron bridge is quite beautiful at night. Truth is, it’s the river itself that gave birth to the city. Through history it served as a liquid “Silk Road” between Yunnan and the Gulf of Thailand. It brought traders, investors and even missionaries to the river banks here. 

Just inside the Old City (surrounded by a moat) you’ll find a Sunday night market known as Sunday Walking Street – the road is closed to all but pedestrian traffic. Some might describe it as touristy and crowded, others vibrant and fun. We’ve had both experiences but always enjoyed the street food and browsing the work of local craftspeople. Of note are musicians with various abilities seated along the road with donation boxes. Pictured are musicians from a local school for the blind. As with many things here, the Buddhist notion of karma comes into play when considering the cultural phenomenon of blind street musicians. In Buddhism, there is a belief that if you make merit in your current life it will help you in the next. Donating money to someone less fortunate than you is one way of accruing merit.

Whether you’re in the city for a day or a decade, do stop by Warorot Market. It’s remarkable what you can find in the packed and winding passages. Pictured are the wares of a cast idol merchant. It struck me to see objects created for reverence massed together in a capitalist gathering of the gods. Having lived in this part of the world this photo also reflects how neighboring belief systems are intertwined and end up on the shelf together.

I’m not a green thumb by any stretch, but living here turned me into a bit of a gardener. The diversity here is simply over the top. We truly serve a creator God. The flower of one particular kind of tree continually caught my eye. It’s called a Sal Tree, pictured here flowering on the grounds of a Buddhist temple. In Buddhist tradition, the Sal tree holds immense significance. It’s believed that Buddha was born under a Sal tree, and also passed away under a pair of Sal trees. It is revered for its association with fertility, abundance and divine blessings and symbolizes prosperity and strength. I simply found it both incredibly beautiful and unusual.

I believe a large percentage of Jesus followers would say they go to church to worship. And from what I’ve learned here, I believe a large percentage of Buddha followers would say they go to the temple to make merit. Making merit involves acts of almsgiving, observing buddhist precepts and even meditation. It’s a way to accumulate good deeds and karma, aiming for a more favorable future rebirth. Specifically, it may look like giving food to monks, chanting prayers, lighting candles, and burning incense – which is said to convey prayers and wishes to the spiritual realm. This is a belief system with no concept of grace.

Getting around town is just a bit different here. Road safety isn’t as high a priority as it may be in your home country. Take this songthaew for instance. It’s a modified pick-up truck used as a bus or taxi with two benches in the covered bed of the truck and a platform on the back where additional passengers stand – sometimes lots of passengers. When school is out, this is a common sight all around the city.

For a Buddhist, making merit is believed to help you in your next life. One way to do this is through the ritual release of animals, liberating them from suffering. In many markets, little birds confined to small woven cages can be purchased for the purpose of setting them free. Here’s the rub, if I buy the bird am I in fact supporting an operation that repeatedly ensures birds causing them suffering for profit? Surely this is bad karma for the bird seller, right? Yet by trapping the bird and holding them for ransom, aren’t buyers then given an opportunity to make merit? So that would be good merit for the bird seller… or no? Karmic implications are not always straight forward for our Buddhist friends.

For our family, one of the perks of living here was the convenience of the city with easy access to the wild. Just a short drive could find you heading up a mountain, into a forest, or on your way to a waterfall. When off the beaten path it was wise to take a little extra care on the roads, particularly the curvy ones. The most popular 4 wheeled vehicles on the road in Thailand are pickup trucks. It was common to see passengers in the back of them.

We spent many weekend afternoons exploring local caves. Some of the formations we witnessed are truly incredible. Just look at the size of this one! The gold cloth wrapped its base is an indication that its a sacred feature of the cave. Though predominantly Buddhist, the belief system here incorporates animistic elements – beliefs that inanimate objects and natural phenomena can be inhabited by supernatural power and spirits. We would often see people making offerings to appease the spirits in such places.

In our experience, many middle-class locals love to travel domestically. A favorite way to spend time with our neighbors was to invite them, or join them, on day-trips around town and beyond. These excursions deepened our relationships, allowed us to practice language, and provided natural opportunities to ask questions about faith and culture. Not far from the city are natural hot springs. Two natural geysers there feed several attractions, including mineral bath pools, foot soaking, and egg cooking! Take an afternoon, invite your friends and enjoy! Be sure to stop for grilled chicken on the way home!

When praying to a Buddha statue at a temple, many people will make a small donation to receive a gold leaf square. The gold leaf is then pressed onto the Buddha statue as a merit-making activity. Over time, many Buddha statues – often made of bronze – become gilded in glittering gold leaf from thousands of temple-goers.

Experiencing a sky full of paper lanterns was magical. During the Yi Peng festival, the lanterns (called ‘khom loi’) can be picked up a many road-side stands that pop up for the occasion. Made of rice paper fitted around a wire frame, the lanterns have a criss-cross in the base to hold a candle which provides lift and light. The act of releasing the lantern is believed to symbolize letting go of the old year and inviting in the new.