I left Chiang Rai mid-afternoon and took a bus to Chiang Saen, a Mekong river port town. Chiang Saen has a particularly complicated history as an on again off again capital of a Northern Thai kingdom, an important Burmese city for control of river traffic up into China, and a ruin following its recapture and forced desertion by the founding king of Bangkok. It was re inhabited in the late 19th century. It is nice and a bit sleepy.
Back at the bottom of the hill I looked around some newly built temples and the like and poked around a kind of closed for the night but accessible textile museum with about 20 looms with cloth in various states of completion.
The next day, back on the bike and back up temple steps (390 by my count). 
This time shoes seemed permitted. I think. Anyway, I did.
Chiang Saen's monuments are plentiful, and range from old and decrepit to shiny and new, passing through well preserved and fully restored on the way. While the sky is murky the countryside looks very pretty, with traditional homes built on stilts (used when it is dry for storage and al fresco dining).
So I saw the sights, went back to the textile museum to see the ladies hard at their looms and generally had a pleasant day around this lovely, historic town. And picked up some sore spots from the time on the bicycle.
Today I took the pick-up style shared taxi service 60 kilometers to Chiang Khong.
This taxi was loaded with 20 people by the time we left, luggage on top. That is three in the cab, 15 in the two benches running down the bed of the truck and two more standing on the bumper hanging onto the back.
Chiang Khong lacks Chiang Saen's monuments, but it sits across the Mekong from Huay Xai, a Lao town with an open border crossing post. I hope it has a boat down the river to Luang Prabang. I have been hoping this for 11 days since I read an article in the Bangkok Post that the Mekong River is at all-time low water levels.
The river certainly looks low. Chinese dams and global warming are both mentioned as the reason. In any event, the boats have not made their normal two day run to Luang Prabang for two weeks. But service is supposed to resume tomorrow. I hope.
Chiang Khong does have some temples and markets and interesting shops with Hill Tribe goods. Less commonly, it has a KMT (Chinese Nationalist) grave yard.
After loosing to the Communists, some of the Nationalist army moved into Burma, then Laos and then Thailand. Elements of it ran opium in the Golden Triangle. There is a village not far from here where its decendents live. This is where a couple hundred are buried, facing China.
This is the nice policeman/taxi that drove me to it on the back of his patrol motorcycle. Then helped me find a gap in the fence. Then helped me climb in and out.
I got wounded on the way out. There was some barbed wire and my foot slipped while working my way between wires. No problem with the wires, but I ended up with a wood chip rammed under a toenail (this would have been a more authentic South East Asian experience had it been bamboo, but I try to remain true to the facts). The rest is not of much interest, except that the proprietor of the internet cafe I am writing from brought me some cotton balls, alcohol and a bandage. For which I am grateful.
So, this should be my last post from Thailand, boat schedules and water level permitting.
Best regards,
Sam
It was late afternoon by the time I got into a hotel room. I rented a bicycle and pedaled a couple of miles to the base of a hill top temple. 
I find large numbers of stairs (here, 254 by my count, and then a reasonably long trail the rest of the way) strangely enticing. However, footwear etiquette is tricky. Shoes allowed or no? This evening I thought no (the sweepers were barefoot). And it feels kind of neat to run around barefoot. Thinking reverent thoughts, OK, when I got to the leaf covered trail I thought about snakes, then I thought about ringworm and other fun fungus, then I got to an area where construction was going on and thought about nails and other construction detritus, then I got to a hard covered oil splotched stretch and thought about whether I would ever get clean again. But, otherwise, thinking reverent thoughts 
I was rewarded with a view across the Mekong into Laos that would have been great on a clear day. I hadn't seen the sun clearly since leaving Bangkok. I think it is all agricultural fires. The place was nice. If the view wasn't the best there were good noises. A monk beating a gong. 
Thai music from a road house on the slope below. Scary creatures moving through the leaves on the trail.
I find large numbers of stairs (here, 254 by my count, and then a reasonably long trail the rest of the way) strangely enticing. However, footwear etiquette is tricky. Shoes allowed or no? This evening I thought no (the sweepers were barefoot). And it feels kind of neat to run around barefoot. Thinking reverent thoughts, OK, when I got to the leaf covered trail I thought about snakes, then I thought about ringworm and other fun fungus, then I got to an area where construction was going on and thought about nails and other construction detritus, then I got to a hard covered oil splotched stretch and thought about whether I would ever get clean again. But, otherwise, thinking reverent thoughts 
I was rewarded with a view across the Mekong into Laos that would have been great on a clear day. I hadn't seen the sun clearly since leaving Bangkok. I think it is all agricultural fires. The place was nice. If the view wasn't the best there were good noises. A monk beating a gong. 
Thai music from a road house on the slope below. Scary creatures moving through the leaves on the trail.
Back at the bottom of the hill I looked around some newly built temples and the like and poked around a kind of closed for the night but accessible textile museum with about 20 looms with cloth in various states of completion.I rode back to town, returned the bicycle, got a cold drink from a store and joined the local crowd on the steps leading to the Mekong. As dusk deepened I could see the temple I'd climbed to glowing gold with its lights through the haze.
Walking on a bit, I went to the big chedi and ruined temple in the middle of town. I had it to myself, save a couple of dogs. Very nice.
I struggled a bit finding a restaurant. The food carts looked fun but seemed a bit too much trouble for an non-Thai speaker farangi. 
I found an English menu, had my meal and returned to the hotel to find two tour group buses parked out front and luggage generally covering the lobby. Seemed a good night to hide, urr, spend in my room.
I found an English menu, had my meal and returned to the hotel to find two tour group buses parked out front and luggage generally covering the lobby. Seemed a good night to hide, urr, spend in my room.
This time shoes seemed permitted. I think. Anyway, I did.
Chiang Saen's monuments are plentiful, and range from old and decrepit to shiny and new, passing through well preserved and fully restored on the way. While the sky is murky the countryside looks very pretty, with traditional homes built on stilts (used when it is dry for storage and al fresco dining).
So I saw the sights, went back to the textile museum to see the ladies hard at their looms and generally had a pleasant day around this lovely, historic town. And picked up some sore spots from the time on the bicycle.Today I took the pick-up style shared taxi service 60 kilometers to Chiang Khong.
This taxi was loaded with 20 people by the time we left, luggage on top. That is three in the cab, 15 in the two benches running down the bed of the truck and two more standing on the bumper hanging onto the back.Chiang Khong lacks Chiang Saen's monuments, but it sits across the Mekong from Huay Xai, a Lao town with an open border crossing post. I hope it has a boat down the river to Luang Prabang. I have been hoping this for 11 days since I read an article in the Bangkok Post that the Mekong River is at all-time low water levels.
The river certainly looks low. Chinese dams and global warming are both mentioned as the reason. In any event, the boats have not made their normal two day run to Luang Prabang for two weeks. But service is supposed to resume tomorrow. I hope. Chiang Khong does have some temples and markets and interesting shops with Hill Tribe goods. Less commonly, it has a KMT (Chinese Nationalist) grave yard.
After loosing to the Communists, some of the Nationalist army moved into Burma, then Laos and then Thailand. Elements of it ran opium in the Golden Triangle. There is a village not far from here where its decendents live. This is where a couple hundred are buried, facing China.
This is the nice policeman/taxi that drove me to it on the back of his patrol motorcycle. Then helped me find a gap in the fence. Then helped me climb in and out.I got wounded on the way out. There was some barbed wire and my foot slipped while working my way between wires. No problem with the wires, but I ended up with a wood chip rammed under a toenail (this would have been a more authentic South East Asian experience had it been bamboo, but I try to remain true to the facts). The rest is not of much interest, except that the proprietor of the internet cafe I am writing from brought me some cotton balls, alcohol and a bandage. For which I am grateful.
So, this should be my last post from Thailand, boat schedules and water level permitting.
Best regards,
Sam
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