Mae Hong Son
I couldn't believe the last bus journey could be beaten so quickly, but it really was. I got the 7am pick-up truck, not bus, from Pai to Mae Hong Son. There is space for 10 people in the back, and 1 in the front. We all know I like to tell a good story, but I am not exaggerating on this one - there were 31 people including the driver for a good part of the journey. 3 in the front, 14 sqeezed on the seats in the back, 4 on the floor (squatting amongst boxes and trapped between legs), 5 on the roof with the bags, and 5 on the back footstep holding on by the ladders and roof-racks. Once you get over the safety aspect, it was extremely comical.
I walked down to the lake in Mae Hong Son, and checked in to Friends Guesthouse...he showed me the room and said he'd give me the key when I checked in. So I got ready to be a tourist for the afternoon, locked the door and went to the reception area. Turns out the key was for an external padlock, not for the regular lock, which of course didn't work. So then they had to break into my room by climbing through the window (seemed bit too easy!), and open the door from the inside.
In need of more adventures, I rented a motorbike for the afternoon to go and explore some sights. Beautiful scenery on the winding roads through the hills and rice fields. First stop was Nai Soi - village of the Karen hilltribe, also known as "longnecks". The women, by tradition, wear large coils of gold around their necks...adding more coils as they get older until married. Most are wearing about 6kg of jewellery, and they sleep in them as well!
Along with the colourful dress they have, it's quite a weird sight. Most of the folk in this village come from Burma originally. It has turned into a tourist mecca, and seems to be the main reason most people visit Mae Hong Son. There are loads of areas to hike, but most tourists seem to do that out of Chiang Mai or Pai. I'll have to come back another time :)
On to Pha Sua waterfall, which was really pretty. It has 6 levels in all, but only 3 are visible within short walking distance (I wish I had more time to do a longer trek but it was already late afternoon). Then to Thambla - Fish Cave - just in time before dark. Nice park area, and tons of large fish can be seen through a 'hole' in the cave floor.
I walked down to the lake in Mae Hong Son, and checked in to Friends Guesthouse...he showed me the room and said he'd give me the key when I checked in. So I got ready to be a tourist for the afternoon, locked the door and went to the reception area. Turns out the key was for an external padlock, not for the regular lock, which of course didn't work. So then they had to break into my room by climbing through the window (seemed bit too easy!), and open the door from the inside.
In need of more adventures, I rented a motorbike for the afternoon to go and explore some sights. Beautiful scenery on the winding roads through the hills and rice fields. First stop was Nai Soi - village of the Karen hilltribe, also known as "longnecks". The women, by tradition, wear large coils of gold around their necks...adding more coils as they get older until married. Most are wearing about 6kg of jewellery, and they sleep in them as well!
Along with the colourful dress they have, it's quite a weird sight. Most of the folk in this village come from Burma originally. It has turned into a tourist mecca, and seems to be the main reason most people visit Mae Hong Son. There are loads of areas to hike, but most tourists seem to do that out of Chiang Mai or Pai. I'll have to come back another time :)
On to Pha Sua waterfall, which was really pretty. It has 6 levels in all, but only 3 are visible within short walking distance (I wish I had more time to do a longer trek but it was already late afternoon). Then to Thambla - Fish Cave - just in time before dark. Nice park area, and tons of large fish can be seen through a 'hole' in the cave floor.
posted by Mhairi
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