26 to 28 mar 2008, Mae Chan

thailand, myanmar and laos

ah pon's uncle drove us to the golden triangle

a view of myanmar from thailand

climb up to have a peek of myanmar"tok-kay" - a very common kind of reptile in this region. they got their name from the sound they gave. can you see the difference in size with the lizard on its right?

at their village, these banana leaves were collected and sold to smokers who use them as a wrap

anthony, ah pon, sk, ah moon and me having green mangoes. dip them in prawn paste and eat non-stop

ah yai and ah noi

food market at mae chan

termite's nest

we were supposed to leave Thaton for Mai Sai (Thai and Myanmar border) but we didn't make it on that day. for we met a Singaporean man, Anthony, on the same Saengthaew (pick up) with us. he is living in Mae Chan with his Thai wife, An Pon. it was when they spoke in Cantonese that we inquire where they come from. it was around 3.30pm when we arrived in Mae Chan and Anthony told us to put up one night at his place in the village and take a Saengthaew to Mae Sai the day after. we gladly took up the offer.

Both he and An Pon were very nice people. they knew almost everyone in the village. they told us stories while we have green mangoes together. lovely!

the next morning, An Pon's uncle took us on a day trip with them to Mae Sai and The Golden Triangle. at night, we had dinner at his uncle's place. their relatives living in nearby houses came by and drink through the night. amazing people. An Pon always says that living in the village is so different than in the city. people know and talk to each other. u wont see people talking to themselves in the streets. and one may not have to spend a single cent on some days for everyone grows vegetables and fruits in their land. Before I leave, An Pon handed me some basil seeds to grow them in Singapore. i hope i can do that.