Chang Mai

as soon as we got to chang mai we organised a jungle tour which basically meant that we'd be going to see a few different tribes, staying overnight with one tribe and doing elephant trekking, bamboo rafting and white water rafting as well as a massive trek through the jungle. it was amazing, and we really enjoyed ourselves but for example when we went to the long neck villiage, we didnt stay for long. we got out of the car and it was as though the people had just been put there for our amusment, like a human zoo. they didnt look happy and although of course we wanted to ask them questions about the rings they wear on their necks, and if they hurt, take photos and look at them.... it felt wrong. it felt really wrong. it wasnt natural, it was made for tourists and even though we didnt like it, we were supporting it by even being on that trip, by paying the money to go and see those tribes.
it really sucked, we felt awful and ended up going and sitting in the car because it just felt so so wrong. it sucks when things are like that. because, of course you want to come to thailand, of course you want to see the tribes, of course you want to ride an elephant..... but what you dont realise is by doing those things, and paying for those things you are supporting the treatment (which is sometimes terrible) of the people involved. I dont know. it seems like in thailand tribes, and elephant mahouts etc dont really exsist any more, so you pay money for a kind of fake version. in india it is just so different, if you go to see a tribe you really really do see a tribe..... i guess india is no way near as touristy as here though. and also india is the land of culture, seriously i dont think were going to get anything nearly as good as the traditions and culture we saw there....

nevertheless the trip we went on WAS fantastic, we stayed overnight in the jungle, it wasnt with a 'tribe' so much as it was with our thai tour guides and 20 other tourists.... still that was really fun, we stayed in bamboo dorms and despite me being a little groped by someones drunken hands in the night (and staying up most of the night terrified) it was a good experience. we ate amasing local food, and took freezing ice cold commmunal showers, tried to learn french as we were the only english ones in the group, and nearly died on the 2 and a half hour uphil trek to the accomidation..... it was really good. but it was not real.... i dont really know how to explain it.... it was something that wouldnt happen normally, but had been created for tourists. kind of like a rustic thai version of disneyland i guess!!


on the first night we got to chang mai we went to the night market, ate AMAZING street food and bought a few pressies for home for pretty cheap, the atmosphere at the night market was so much more cultural than any part of thailand we have been to, but was still touristy. see the thing we have found with thailand is that yes, some parts are beautiful but you have to really hunt to get to them. The majority of thailand is so touristy that its been kind of ruined. infact its been really ruined. but dont get me wrong, we had a great time here, weve seen and done some great things, but if its culture your looking for, you wont find it here. sooooo were pretty excited to get out, as you can imagine... thailand also eats your money big time so were hoping to save a bit by moving to vietnam.

this sounds like such a negative post, but its not!!! hahah thailand has been great its just i guess for us our trip is mainly about culture, so it wasnt our favorite place to far. for some people it might be their favorite place in the world i guess, especially if you find somewhere untouched, then of course it is stunning, like the islands we saw on the boat trip (the ones where no one lives).

xxxx anyways if anybody reads this in time, im in bangkok ALL day tomorrow so ill be on skyypppeee!! xx