Day 14 - Waterfall, Mountain Summit, Twin Pagodas and Karen Tribe Village

Hey! How about learning some valuable Thai?
Hello - Sa Wad Dee Ka/Krub (ka if you are a women speaking or krub if you are a man) Krub (roll the r with an ooohb sound)
Thank you - Khob Khun Ka/Krub (cob coon kah)
No, Thanks - Mai Pen Rai (my pen rye)
No spicy - Mai Ped
Beautiful - Suey (soo-ee)
easy going - Sabai sabai (sah-bye)
It's OK - Mai Pen Rai (my pen rye)
and most importantly
Toilets - Hong Nam (hung nahm)

It was a long drive to the Doi Inthanon National Park but our coordinator, Dome, our guide, Pat, and our Road Scholar representative, Rung, made the journey wonderful. Their timing of bathroom breaks, leg stretching and snacks was impeccable!

Steam bun...

filled with bean puree.

Banana chips!

Two young Parisian men, 20-somethings, asked me to take their photo at the waterfall and then reciprocated by taking mine! They were an adorable couple.

L-R: Pat, our guide. Dome, our coordinator. Rung (roon), our Road Scholar Representative

Eating longan. (lawn-gahn)

Beginning our forest walk to the 8,000' summit.

A fantail bird.

A drive to the twin Pagodas where King Rama IX and his wife are buried. This site is guarded by the Thai air force.

Pagoda of Queen

Pagoda of King Rama IX

Interior of Queen's pagoda

Wall murals depict the activities of the Queen which improved the lives of her people

One mural depicts her travels and here we see the Statue of Liberty

The gardens behind the Queen's pagoda are manicured and a sight to behold!

The twin pagodas are best viewed from atop the bridge in the Queen's garden.

Lunch at the Royal Project where farm-to-table is practiced and the Queen provided jobs for many more of her people.

Stir fry green sweet beans

Duck base with coffee

Tilapia

Shitake mushrooms in oyster sauce

Chayote. We also had a Thai omelet with minced port and jasmine rice. Rice is served at EVERY meal in Thailand.

Tilapia after the meal

Strawberries are a new introduction to Thailand. Fruit is usually served as dessert with a meal.

From the jasmine family and it caught my nose before it caught my eye!

And we are fully geared up and rested for our visit to the Karen Tribe Village with our hostess, Dee. Dee spoke no English but she speaks Thai and Karen.

Coffee beans roasting in the sun. Then they will be shelled and sold.

Where the old ways coexist with the new. The stilts allow them to stay high and dry during the rainy season; provides cooling breezes above, below and through the walls; keeps them safe from animals and other people while allowing their livestock to be sheltered below.

A tethered pig. They DO tend to wander if you don't secure them. Food not pets!

Children are the same the world over no matter their state in life. Love, health, food and lodging and they are happy!

Pet. Not food! LOL

Dome takes advantage of my adventurous eating spirit and gives me a "delicious" pea! Unknown to me, he pretends to put HIS in his mouth and say how good it tastes. So I pop mine in and get a surprise! It's spicy hot and BITTER! Hence, the name...bitter pea. It's edible but my face tells everyone else to STAY CLEAR! This is finding a laugh wherever you can!

Grandma Pipi (pee-pee) is 98 years old, lives alone and makes her own meals. She climbs coffee trees and still brings home a heavy bag of the beans on her own. She only speaks Karen, so Dee (her granddaughter) translated from the Thai. Dome, our coordinator, comes from the Akha Tribe Village to the north and always stops to see Pipi when he is in the area. The Elders are revered in the tribe but their families provide for them if they are unable to provide for themselves.

The tribes are allowed to use government land with some restrictions. They can gather wood from fallen trees but cannot cut down any live trees in the forest. They can use the land to grow coffee.

Insight into the culture of the elderly people.

Me, tiny Pipi and Dee. Dee is 36 years old, has a 19 year old son, entered into an arranged marriage (by her mother) at the age of 16. The clothes she is wearing she made herself. At age 13, the girls begin learning to sew.

Pipi's kitchen, living, cooking and sleeping room. A flush toilet was added not too long ago in some of the homes and Pipi's children and grands installed one for her as well. She has lived in this village her entire life but this home was only built 6 years ago for her to replace the original one.

Notice the mosquito netting on the right.

She has some electricity for one light bulb and her slow cooker of rice. There is a propane tank in the corner for all other needed cooking that can't be done over a fire.

A long ride back to Chiang Mai awaits us for this has been a day filled with nature and culture unlike others so far.