The Hill Tribes

Dan and the mob took advantage of the opportunity to visit Thailand's distinctive hill tribes above Chiang Rai. These peoples manage to retain an independent identity in spite of strong pressure to assimilate into the greater Thai culture.

There are many Hmong immigrants here in Anchorage. I just stopped at a stand in a nearby park run by Hmong to buy a wonderful bowl of homemade Capria? It is a kind of spicy red curry, $3.00 for a generous portion. I try to stop by there every Saturday when they are open during the summer months.

Someone gave this village dog its own distinct identity.

Although the hill tribes practice subsistence farming, their main livelyhood depends upon tourism and selling hand crafts.

The most visually unusual of the tribes are the Karen people with their exaggerated neck rings worn by the women.

As they age the women gradually add more rings. This cannot be a healthy activity. This woman is spooling a ball of yarn.

Another Karen woman works the yarn into fabric on a hand crafted loom.

They create their own entertainment.

A flowering tree. Do you know what it is? I do not although it could be the tree that produces capers..

A magnificent, Blue-crested Lizard.

Back in the city Dan's wife Julie took a nap and dreamed that Dan had turned into a real tiger.

Dan tries the patience of the poor beast even further. Tourists, what can I say?

A disturbingly sensuous Buddha.

Another one. I wonder what the living Buddha would have thought about all of this?

This post wraps up Dan and the gang's trip to Thailand.