Hill Tribe Trek

For the last two days we had a two day Hill Tribe Trek. For Tom it was probably the highlight of the trip for we did more than just the trek.

Day 1 involved a quick visit to a butterfly farm where we scoffed a quick coffee as well.

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Our second stop was a very touristy visit to a Karen village; more of a open market of Karen folks with their handicrafts. It was interesting to see them with their traditional finery and ornaments and especially the long neck deal.

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From Wikipedia; The Kayan are a sub-group of Red Karen (Karenni people), Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma). The Kayan consists of the following groups: Kayan Lahwi (also called Padaung), Kayan Ka Khaung (Gekho), Kayan Lahta, Kayan Ka Ngan. Kayan Gebar, Kayan Kakhi and, sometimes, Bwe people (Kayaw).

Padaung (Yan Pa Doung) is a Shan term for the Kayan Lahwi (the group in which women wear the brass neck coils). The Kayan residents in Mae Hong Son Province in Northern Thailand refer to themselves as Kayan and object to being called Padaung. In The Hardy Padaungs (1967) Khin Maung Nyunt, one of the first authors to use the term "Kayan", says that the Padaung prefer to be called Kayan. On the other hand, Pascal Khoo Thwe calls his people Padaung in his 2002 memoir, From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s due to conflict with the military regime in Myanmar, many Kayan tribes fled to the Thai border area.[3] Among the refugee camps set up there was a Long Neck section, which became a tourist site, self-sufficient on tourist revenue and not needing financial assistance.

Kayan number about 40,000 in Shan State (around the Pekon Township area) and 20,000 in Kayah State (around Demawso and Loikaw). A 2004 estimate puts the population at approximately 130,000.  About 600 Kayan reside in the three villages open to tourists in Mae Hong Sorn, or in the Ban Mai Nai Soy refugee camp.

Next on our agenda was an elephant training camp. Here was an opportunity to feed and ride elephants. Everyone inour group was seemingly against the riding however most waded into the river with them and assisted in bathing them. The elephants returned the favour by spraying water over us.

Elephant camp area

Tom feeding elephant sugar cane. One of the female elepahnts was of the age that her teeth had decayed so badly that she couldn't chew sugar cane any longer and was fed a diet of bananas. Not sure if the sugar cane diet has any correlation with teeth decay..

Me and elephant -that is me on the right.

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Next we had some lunch where our group of four headed off on our overnight trek. We were joined by Addy and Jason from the Midlands in the UK who proved to be good company.

The above photos are enroute to lunch - it remains surreal to stroll past elephants...

Agricultural scenery prior to 'jungle trekking'. Our walk was quite the climb up hill as the description Hill tribe trek should have warned. It was hot and humid and the walk was steep in places. Birding was impossible; to pause was to be left behind.

Work place health and safety is not the issue in Thailand as it is elsewhere....

Cross gets Angry in Northern Thailand

Our trip started poorly and looks like it will finish in similar fashion thanks to the incompetence of some travel companies. Below is a very quick description of our how our trip started;

“We got to Thailand a little later than we originally anticipated due to me booking with the worst travel agent in the world; the ironically named Bestjet. Avoid them like the plague. Our problem was that Thai airways changed their schedule some 6 weeks before we flew and we were never informed of such changes so we arrived for a flight that no longer existed.

Bloody hassle because i did not understand what could have happened. Bestjet was unobtaianable. The Thai offices were empty and locked... Cancelled the first Thai accommodation. And then found out that we had been re-booked for the flight on Sunday....”

Now the end of the trip and Bestjet* changes and no advice is the gift that keeps on giving. I made flight arrangements from Chiang Mai to Bangkok initially taking into account our original flight schedule. We are flying from the north to BKK on the evening of the 14^th January and then spending a night  in a cheap airport hotel. We were then to fly about midday on the 15^th; so breakfast, transfer to the airport and then fly. 

* Since starting this trip i have discovered that very recently this company has gone bankrupt and tales of their incompetence and dishonesty have been made public. While i feel sorry for myself and my poor experience with them, I acknowledge that i have got off comparatively lightly compared with some who have lost sizeable sums of money and their [dream] holidays. At any rate it is good riddance to bad rubbish!!

Now those bookings were made on the original information – now we fly back to Oz just after midnight on the morning of the 16^th. A full day hanging around near the airport with nothing to do except watch planes and listen as they fly by. Had we have known about our schedule could have made a few changes to our itinerary so we do not have to waste so much fricking time….

So today bad karma continues….

I had organised a birding day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park from Chiang Mai with a birding company ‘Chiang Mai Birding’. Our hotel name, address and phone number were supplied to the company.  Pick up at 5-30am. Done.

So we’re up at 5. On the street outside at 5-20am. 

On the street at 6 am. 

On the street at 6-20 am. 

Back in our rooms at 6-30am.

I write the guide an email as follows, ‘Hello Uthai, We have been waiting outside our hotel on the main road now for over an hour and we have just returned to our room. The pick up was 5-30am as you wrote?’

He replies, ‘I was there  at 0520not see you

Not call me I have you phone number

Uthai

0815305654’

He then emails me a picture of a different hotel but with the same name as ‘proof’!? The email has no text.

He then emails again with a simple message, ‘The hotel phone no one reply’. Which we can translate simply to mean that while I was standing on the road he rang our hotel and it seems that we do not have 24 hour reception…

He sends a fourth email with the entire message, ‘Very sorry...’

Very optimistically he send a fifth email at nearly 9-30 in the morning, ‘Hello

If you still want to do Doiinthanon can do stir birds and visit National park

Reply now

Uthai’.

It is an hour and a half drive to Doi Inthanon so we would be talking about arriving for a birding trip in the tropics just before midday…He mentions nothing of the cost. He mentions nothing really in the way of the opportunity lost. I was bloody angry at this stage and did not feel like giving him a bloody cent. Also because I am pretty rarely in northern Thailand [first time for some 20 years] and his lack of attention to detail and incompetence has cost me this one opportunity I had. Looking at his web page some clients do say some nice things about him. It is a pity then that my experience has been a total fuck up and my opportunity has been thoroughly lost…

So poor plan B I decided to hire a Songthaew and go for a drive to Doi Suthep. Sadly, I got the worst driver in Thailand who seemed intent either to destroy his gear box, wear his brakes out, have a crash, kill someone or all of the above. We arrived at the hill top temple well after peak birding time at after 10am. Believe me when I say we did not beat the crowds. Temple crowds at a Buddhist Temple did not help my karma or me get calmer for that matter - they are noisy, they ring bells loudly for no good reason. And, childishly perhaps I was still pissed off. The birds were limited although I did get a couple of views of common species but there was nothing too interesting and at 1pm I decided to pack it in and return to Chiang Mai.

So that was the second day in Chiang Mai wasted…The first I cannot complain too much about as Tom was a little crook and needed to stay close to the room [are you with me?]  And to add more injuries - Tom's phone has committed suicide.

And now some bird pics from Doi Suthep.

Hill Blue Flycatcher - male

Hill Blue Flycatcher - male

Ashy Woodswallows - kind of like our White breasted Woodswallows - if they had been sleeping rough for about a week

Common Tailorbird

Velvet fronted Nuthatch

Velvet fronted Nuthatch

Grey eyed Bulbul

Sooty headed Bulbul [ red vented klossi ssp]

Red whiskered Bulbul

A Chinese Francolin trapped in a very small cage in view of our lunch table - maybe kama releases should be considered.

And finally one of the meal options we rejected at lunch time..

SIEM REAP - MERIT RELEASE CONTINUES

Some of the dead swept into a corner

In the middle of Siem Reap I was distressed to see very clear evidence of the continuing practice of merit release of birds and other animals by some well meaning but naive Buddhists.

According to a news story published in the Phnom Penh Post in 2015 that set out to highlight the problem they asked a local Siem Reap monk about the issue.

The purpose of releasing the birds was to “give life to the other being, and by giving life to make merit”, said Somnieng Hoeurn, former deputy head monk at Siem Reap’s Wat Damnak.

“Giving life is the best gift you can give,” he said. “But it also symbolises forgiveness and cleaning sin from previous actions. People wish or pray when they release the animals to cleanse their sins and to ask for forgiveness.” 

However, the ancient principle of merit seeking has turned into a thriving trade in capturing and selling wild animals for ceremonial release. It has taken root across Asia with devastating consequences for the animals involved. 

Hoeurn acknowledged the potential harm. “It’s very hard,” he said. “We need to raise awareness that other beings have the right to live happily and freely, not just from the religious perspective but also from the scientific and political perspective. Every life is equal.”

Market stall outside the temple

juvenile finches - some near death

Swallows and Swifts crammed into cages

Swifts

Red rumped Swallows

more swifts and swallows

even turtles were available for purchase and release.

The three year old article explained the animal rights issues involved with the practice; that is they were clearly being held in less than appropriate conditions. We saw clear evidence of this, including a pile of dead birds both within and without the cages. Some studies have suggested that the majority of birds released die within the first day or so.

In addition to the needless suffering and death of the caged birds there are the ecological problem caused by removing so many useful species from their natural habitats. For example swifts and swallows, insectivorous species, obviously are useful to a country reliant on agricultural production.

The merit release encourages wildlife trade, teaches Buddhists not respect of life but merely that wildlife are commodities to be bought and sold.

Again from the article; Daniel Roper-Jones, director of conservation education organisation Fauna in Focus, said, “The biggest problem that I see with the trafficking of merit birds is that conservation organisations do not yet have the authority to stop the practice.” 

He is working on campaigns to help build public awareness and support within schools, communities and pagodas. 

“If these awareness campaigns are successful, I hope it will build enough public support, especially among​ local monk leaders, to petition the Department of Cult and Religion to condemn the practice. ​

“If they do, conservation organisations working to protect wildlife will get the permissions they need to shut these ​activities down permanently.”

Sadly if my 2018 experience is anything to go by Conservation organisations in Cambodia still have a long way to go to make merit release history.