Thailand

 During the beginning of the Tet holiday, Anh and I flew to Bangkok to join up with our friends John and Caroline and Nikki to set off on our adventure through northern Thailand and Laos. I had never spent any time up in the northern part of Thailand before and was anxious to see it since I've heard so many great stories about it.Our first stop was Chiang Rai, a northern town in Thailand.

 The White Temple is located outside of Chiang Rai and is something that should not be missed if passing through this part of Thailan. The ornate temple is all in white and silver and looks almost like something you would find in a frozen landscape. I can't remember the whole story about this place but do know it is still a work in progress. A Thai artist has come up with the concept and gets most of his funding through donations.

We rented a car in Chang Rai and drove up to the northern border with Burma (Myanmar). A group of people called the Karens live up there and are known for the heavy brass rings they wear on their necks that push their shoulders down, giving them the appearance of having extremely long necks. I remember seeing an article about them in National Geographic when I was a kid and was fascinated by them. To see them in real life is even more fascinating. They begin the process of stretching their necks at a very young age and life their entire lives with the adornments. I picked up one of the neck bands and was shocked by how heavy it was. I estimated it to weigh at least fifteen pounds.

The Karen people come from Burma but have fled across the border into Thailand to seek refuge from the heavy-handed Burmese government. They live in simple mountain villages and make their living today mostly from tourists that come through and buy their handmade jewelry and clothing.