Day 17: Chiang Dao to Ban Nor Lae to Thaton, Northern Thailand
Photo montage today – enjoy
We start off at the Sri Sangwan “sticky waterfall” – you can actually walk up them without slipping, due to being limestone which is like soft sandpaperA key part of travelling, meeting people along the way (thanks for reminding us of that Mike), nice chat with Emily from Paris – travelling for 8 months. We confirmed these really were sticky, she was concerned because just two days ago she slipped on one – broke a tooth and bruised her chin and head – but it had not dampened her adventurous spiritStopped at the local market at Arunothai – an ethnic Chinese border townNotice the Chinese letters at this crossroads market – and the large yellow fruit that is like a cucumberWe will be heading into these mountains of Doi Angkhang on the border of Mynamar and North ThailandWith our driver, Mr. Mon, at the breathtaking Sui Thang viewpoint at 4,600 feet – Mynamar is on the other side of these mountainsChecking out the rock garden at the Royal Project agriculture research and training centerView of the Royal Project garden, a research and training center for the hill tribe communities founded by King Rama IX.Trying out the local Chinese cuisine of tom yum soup, curry over rice and special deep fried eggs, with our guide Yo and driver Mr. Mon.A quick shot of the army guards (taken quickly out the window) at the first of four checkpoints – this time they checked our passports and opened the doors.At the army base at Bon Nor Lae with Mynamar hills surrounding us on three sides – there is fencing, barbwire and actual bunkers on this site that was involved in a ‘war’ or border skirmish with Mynamar rebels in 2001. Now it is a tourist site complete with stories of annual festivals between the countries’ armies to show they are both keeping the peace.One of a few landslides on a twisty, steep climb up and down through the border mountain range. We both agreed this would have been a terrible road to bicycle through.On our balcony on the Maekok River Resort, owned by a British couple who were international school teachers in Hong Kong and decided to be more involved in outdoor education and community building. Now they host over 3,000 students each year from around the world to build school facilities for the mainly poorer migrant/Hill Tribe communities.On the Maekok River (flows into the Mekong river at the Laos border) we will take a one boat ride down this tomorrow morning. Just last month it flooded over the banks devastating nearby homes and farms.
I see the Reply by Email feature of WordPress didn’t work very well. My full reply is: You have a photo with a random fellow traveler you briefly met along the way. That’s one more photo like that than I have from my 10-month trip. 😁
Siri and David Adventures 
You have a photo with a random fellow traveler you briefly met along the way. That’s one more photo like th
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I see the Reply by Email feature of WordPress didn’t work very well. My full reply is: You have a photo with a random fellow traveler you briefly met along the way. That’s one more photo like that than I have from my 10-month trip. 😁
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Thanks Mike, Siri was especially thinking of your advice when we took that picture 🙂 hence the call out to you
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