Visiting a Traditional Lisu Village in Mae Hong Son Provence

     Ploy and I just traveled to Mae Hong Son Provence. It was a dangerous 4.5 hour motorcycle ride from Chiang Mai.

    The locals have affectionately called it the road of a thousand hair pin curves. That is not accurate, there are over 1,800 tight turns over the course of 175 miles. The jungle surrounds both sides of the road, and mountains tower over most of the sky. The scenery is spectacular, however the drive is not for anyone who gets motion sickness. I promise.

     One of our very good friends recently had his first child. His wife is from a small Lisu Village, outside Bang Mapra, Thailand in Mae Hong Son Provence. Lisu People are a hill-tribe group most distinguishable because of their traditional clothes, or costumes. They wear very brightly adorned shirts, and with many colors, and make all of their own clothing.

     The village of our friends wife is home to about 200 people, most of whom are related. I was accepted to join the festivities, and talked with both the old and young. Lisu speak their own language, as well as Thai. My friend does not speak Thai, so I was able to talk with his Father in law and translate for him. Lisu are an an extremely kind and hospitable group. It was a special occasion to meet so many of them in their own town and not to feel like a tourist who was just shipped in for a brief photo op.



     Please enjoy these pictures from a Lisu Village we spent some time in, and celebrated one of our close friend's having a new born son. In honour of having a firstborn son, they held a large party for everyone in the village to come.

     A full grown wild boar was killed and cooked for the dinner's feat. It was made into four different meals.

     The raw pig meat was cut into many tine pieces and pounded by the ladies of the village, into a raw pig meat and chili spicy appetizer.

Here is nice girl that we met and talked with a little. She is in 10th grade.
That is traditional Lisu clothing that she is wearing.

Fish Cave, Mae Hong Son Provence, Thailand (Carp Swimming up stream into a an Underwater Cave)

     Last week Ploy and I were traveling to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai, when we stopped off for a short rest at Thai Nature Park, where the fish swim upstream into an underwater cave. It sounds less amazing that it is, so I took many photos of the park and of the beautiful fish to convey how special it is to see them.

     This fish cave park is an absolute must for anyone who travels to Mae Hong Son. It is not a tourist attraction, but a natural wonder.

The large fish swim around in the ponds and stream, until they reach the cave,
where they disappear into the dark cavern beneath the water's surface.

Here is spot where the fish swim into the cave and likely breed in the cool water.

Cave Exploration in Northern Thailand, at the Bang Mapra Tham Lot

   
     The cave at Bang Mapra is far more extensive than one would predict before entering it. This cave is close to one mile long, and is only accessible by floating downstream on a tiny rickety bamboo raft, with both a guide and raft-man.

    As we approached the cave, there was a back board set up in all its glory, as a wary hazard for first time spelunkers.

    This is Thailand, so we knew it could be rough, as we climbed aboard out small bamboo craft and drifted into the mouth of the cave.

    The original cavern is about 50-60 feet tall, and filled with both stalactites and stalagmites.

Bamboo rafts awaiting their riders.

Approaching the cave's mouth.

     The main cave has three offshoots, one to the right, which is easily manageable, and two off to the left, both of which are only accessible by climbing up a very tall, very straight ladder set all the way up to the top.

Here I am, on the raft as we entered the large cave.

 Thank you for looking, and please enjoy these pictures of teh Bang Mapra Cave in all its splendor

A Village Market, in Mae Hong Son Provence. Fresh Vegetables, and local organic produce.

   
     Recently Ploy and I were traveling through Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son Provence when we stopped off at a small local market in the town of Bang Maprah.

     The vendors were very nice and I talked with a few of them. They let me take pictures of their fresh vegetables, some of which I was not accustomed to seeing even in Chiang Mai.

      Check out this post to see what the local Lisu Villagers grow and sell at the market. These vegetables are fresh off the farm, and their sellers likely helped to plant and harvest them. Your money is going directly to the source. The farmer himself. In this case, himself and herself. Enjoy the pictures and plan the next Thai dinner you make at home.

Nice size brown potatoes.

Small green pumpkins.

White and red waxy chilies.

Very spicy green peppers.

Parsley.

Chinese Cabbage.

Pak Bung.

Chinese kale.

Cabbage.

The Annual Chiang Mai Thailand Food Festival, December 2013

   

     The 26th Annual Chiang Mai Thailand Food Festival was kicked off again this week. The location was outside of the Robinson's Central Department store, in a gigantic parking lot. All types of high quality local and regional Thai food was available.

     It is one spot not to miss if you are traveling through Thailand this winter.

Here is a very tasty steamed fish in curry,
nestled in a banana leaf as a bowl.
This is also environmentally friendly!

These are fish Maw balls.
Eaten with a sweet dipping sauce.

A nice guy selling his Pad Thai.
He was proud to be at the festival. You could tell.

Some of my favorites. Beautiful Andaman Sea Crabs, delicious Thai Scallops,
fresh large mussels, and grilled squid.  I ate some of the mussels, and they were good.
Cooked in a spicy sauce, directly over the fire.

Here are the fixings for fancy Thai Som Tam Salad

Here are the rest of the ingredients to put into Som Tam.
This is one of the most well liked fresh spicy salads in Thailand.

Grilled Breaded Fish!