Night Bizarre

EVERY NIGHT IS BIZARRE AT THE BAZAAR!

Anyone who has ever been to a bazaar knows just how chaotic it can be. However, Chiang-Mai's Night Bazaar deserves special mention for the advanced hevel of chaos, crazy traffic, insane stall-holders, small alleyways, great bargains, even greater rip-offs, fantastic food, cheap beer and... THE HMONG (pronounced Hmong). If you thought Queensland has a problem with Cane Toads, you have not been introduced to the Hmong - but more of that later. First, some location shots:

Thai dancers at the Kalare Night Bazaar (A hotel in the middle of the Night Bazaar)

Wandering through the Night Bazaar


Lidy is still 'shopping'. She might even buy something one day.


You can buy almost anything - Even 'genuine' Rolex watches


Uh oh, Lidy is accosted by a Hmong tribes woman

The Hmong are a Hill Tribe who live North of Chiang-Mai in the hills of Thailand. They seem to exist by manufacturing a unique range of Hill Tribe clothing, souvenirs and... bloody wooden frogs that they 'play' as they wander around the bazaar looking for westerners as targets to sell their bloody frogs to. Lidy tried to talk to a Hmong woman on the first day we went to the Night Bazaar and suddenly, she was surrounded by Hmong, all 'playing' their frogs and trying to sell her small sized clothes (the Hmong are small in stature). From that time, every time Lidy goes to the Night Bazaar, the Hmong target her.

Word gets around the Hmong quickly. Lidy is at the bazaar.

Russell had had enough and decided to play the Hmong at their own game. He bought a Hmong hat and a bloody frog and followed the Hmong around the Night Bazaar playing his frog at them. You can see in the photo below that the strategy is working. The Hmong woman in the foreground can't wait to get away, while her friend joins Russell in a duet played on the bass and contralto frogs (CD out shortly.)

Russell gives the Hmong a taste of their own medicine and plays a duet


Russell freshens up with a Mai-Tai in Chiang-Mai at the Night Bazaar

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance - Confucius

Day 2: The Wat, What? Wot!

We decided on the tour of the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoravihara. This is the pre-eminent Buddhist Temple in Chiang-Mai. Perched high on the secret peak of Doi Suthep, the temple is a grand example of traditional Thai architecture. According to legend, holy relics discovered by a holy monk were given to the reigning King Kuena (1355-1385). The king gave one relic to the main temple in Chiang-Mai and placed the other relic in a howdah on the back of a sacred white elephant, which carried it to the area where Wat Phrathat now stands. On reaching this area, the elephant dropped dead beneath a sacred Boda tree due to fatigue from the long journey. The King knew this to be sacred ground and built the first temple there. The present complex dates from the sixteenth century and has been expanded several times over the years. There are three hundred and six steps, bordered by a Naga balustrade, which leads up to the temple which has beautifully decorated buildings and a Lanna-style Chedi covered with engraved gold plates, flanked by four ornamental umbrellas.

Russell tests the gong - hmmm, softer than the gong in MAN buses!

The statue of the Venerable Monk Kruba Srivichai who was responsible for building the road to the Wat

The Golden Pagoda

Lidy with her "sleeping Buddha"

Russell with his meditating Buddha

Russell sets the birds free...

Lidy endures the hard sell

Thai restaurant for luncheon - Lidy and Nonny

Silk worms at the silk factory

Silk cocoons

Boiling the cocoons to extract the silk

Weaving by hand, Thai style

Lidy enduring the double hard sell...

Walking Street

Later that evening, we went to "Walking Street". An area of Chiang-Mai that is closed on Sundays for the purpose of holding a five kilometre long bazaar.

As is usual: Russell, head and shoulders above the crowd.

Lidy enduring the hard sell... Again!

No, I can't take it any longer: I must buy it all!

The best coffee on "Walking Street"!!!

Alas, mouse cannot cast shadow like elephant - Charlie Chan

MAESA ELEPHANT CAMP

On 24th March, we visited the Maesa Elephant Camp outside Chiang-Mai proper. We have taken so many extraordinary photographs of these wonderful beasts that it has taken nearly a week to decide what to show you and how to talk about the experience.
On entering the camp, we walked down a road lined with the obligatory souvenier shops to the right while on the left, behind a copse of trees was a rapidly flowing river. One's eyes are naturally drawn to the cacophany of spruiking taking place to one's right and in doing so you are likely to miss the elephants and their Mahouts bathing in the morning sunshine.

Elephant bath house

The elephants are treated to a scrub and wash

The elephants and their Mahouts seem to love to roll around in the water, with several elephants staying completely submerged for several minutes.

After their bath, it's time for the Elephant Show which is designed to demonstrate how these magnificent but gentle beasts can be trained to perform many tasks from the brute force of one or more elephants working singly or in teams of two or three; to the trivial, Elephant 'Football'; to the artistic, Elephant 'Painting' and the hilarious, placing a hat on the Mahouts head and patting him on the hat. The mahouts live with and look after the elephants at the Elephant Camp. The purpose is to establish a firm bond between man and beast. At night, the elephants are allowed the freedom to roam the forest in search of food however, they are shackled to ensure they don't roam too far from the camp.

The show begins


Elephant Artistry

The mahout puts the paint on the brush the elephant does the rest, often seeming to take the time to consider where to place the brush, at first, the painting consists of only a few scrawled lines, but over time a truly beautiful picture emerges.

The completed works of art

True elephant art. These paintings sell very quickly. Not cheap either at $70 a throw. The kiosk which had everything from tee shirts to wall hangings for sale was inundated by people wishing to buy Elephant Art.

Elephant dance - Watch out for your toes!

At the end of the show, this elephant came towards me to say hello.

Lidy finds another friend in Thailand

The mahout beckoned me over to sit down. As I sat on the rail, the elephant came over and wrapped his trunk around me in an embrace. He had very hard rough skin but he was cute. He wouldn't let go. The elephant that is.

After the show, it was time to take the elephant tour of the Mahout's camp. We waited in line, only to discover, once at the head of the queue that we were dragged aside while they got a bigger elephant for us. Eventually, the largest elephant was manoeuvred into position, dwarfing the other elephants and, we were allowed to board.

The biggest elephant in the show to carry us both

Let's go that way!

Comfy on top

Oops! Where's the Mahout?!?!

We were taken through the rainforest where the elephants live with the mahouts and their families. At first we thought the accommodation to be rudimentery until we spotted the satellite dish.

Mahout Camp

Flower Power

ORCHID AND BUTTERFLY FARM CHIANG MAI (24-03-2551)

These orchids are the most beautiful flowers kept in hanging baskets with their roots simply dangling down. The orchids are watered twice a week. Fertiliser is delivered by the watering system. There is NO SOIL used! Thailand has about 860 orchid species, 473 of which can be found in and around Chiang Mai province.

Butterflies flitted around, this butterfly sat long enough for me to take a photo.

Lunch is served for the butterflies. Chiang Mai pineapple delicious!