[I have been pulling my journal notes together for Ogblog using a dictation app – no prizes for guessing what some of this piece looked like before I corrected the dictation]
Rose quite early – left Lisu village.
The taller of the sweet children was a bit tearful saying goodbye to us
Headed north. Long drive – stopped for coffee on Mae Kok/Myanmar border.
Then on to Akha village [see headline picture and below]
I seem to remember that Chinese lunch being especially good, with high grade barbequed meats as a centrepiece, but we obviously did not find Mae Salong (now renamed Santikhiri), or at least the part of it we went to, photogenic.
Then Chinese lunch in Mae Ta – on through the market and then to Mae Taeng elephant ride fiasco followed by bamboo rafting.
I described the elephant ride as a fiasco, because I recall really feeling uncomfortable about the elephants, especially my one, who seemed unhappy and hungry. Mine kept wandering off to the side of the track to try to grab a nibble, only to be roughly discouraged from doing so by the dude at the front of the elephant. I note that if you Google “Mae Taeng Elephant Park” 25 years later, you find a lot of bad reviews and references to cruelty. I’m not surprised based on our experience.
Unusually for me, I found the raft trip afterwards more to my taste than the elephant ride, whereas I was expecting to feel more comfortable on land!
In the Lisu Village – Kongburi negotiating while I display the body language of indifference
Then on to Lisu Village – quaint Lisu Lodge – just us [staying the night]…
…the music and the giant flying roaches.
Showered washed and walked around village – got sold to – ate – got played at – then to bed.
I really should expand the story of our stay at the Lisu Lodge. It was a lovely but fairly rudimentary place back then. It is a fancy-schmanzy eco lodge now. Good luck to the place.
The Lisu people were sweet and gentle and very welcoming. They did seem especially keen to sell us their trinkets though.
We were the only guests that night.
Janie and I particularly remember the meal. We have just the one photo of me being served the food (above).
We had been looking forward to our private dining experience. However, we were joined more or less throughout the meal by a local who serenaded us with his traditional stringed instrument, which was probably a relative of the pipa or Chinese lute. He played pretty well and at first it sounded really nice, but after a while we were craving a little more privacy and a little less noise.
Then, out of the blue, came a giant flying roach (or beetle) which noisily landed right behind us and startled us both. The musician calmly stopped playing and gently removed the beetle in his hands. Daisy and I gave the musician a round of applause for removing the giant insect, which he took to be applause for the end of his set, so he bowed and left, taking the pipa and beetle with him.
Thus we spent the rest of our meal in quiet, tranquil privacy.
All of our photos from the Thai leg of the journey can be found on Flickr through the link here and below.
Very photogenic – see headline picture, above and below. In truth quite a touristic place, even back then.
Return to town – fabulous seafood lunch on Soi 24 Sukhamvit – top rate.
Then home straight on to Oriental Hotel and shopping plazas – light supper in River City Shopping Centre – then home for early night.
I look a little under-dressed there for the Oriental Hotel, but oh my gosh I still have that holiday short-sleeved shirtDaisy looks like the sort of lass who likes her grub.
All of our photos from the Thai leg of the journey can be found on Flickr through the link here and below.
Writing up our first major independent travel holiday, 25 years later, in March 2021, is no easy task. While I did take notes on this trip, which helps, I did not keep the sort of comprehensive journal that was my habit on earlier big trips and became my habit again later.
Further, Janie and I have both mislaid our printed itinerary for this adventure, although I know I did have a copy of it as recently as 2011 when we were arranging a return visit to Vietnam; infuriating.
Still, we have a wonderful collection of annotated photos, which helps. I also still have our trusty mid 1990s copies of the Lonely Planet Guides to Thailand and Vietnam, well thumbed and helpfully folding open easily on the more oft-used pages.
So let’s go!
12 March 1996 – Left London on time! Event free flight.
I told you the notes are quite light. I’m pretty sure we flew Thai Air. Last class it would have been, but on Thai Air that wasn’t too bad.
13 March 1996 – Arrive Bangkok on time (6:20 am). Went to BelAire Princess [now BelAire Bangkok] with drunken guide Kai.
