A Brit in The Orient.

Hello Linkat, nice to see you! Glad you are enjoying the thread.

To give you a broad view on what I have eaten, I will go back quite a few years.

In The Sahara I once ate best part of a bowl of wriggling white bug larvae to please my Bedouin hosts.

That would have been in the very early 1970's.

Some twenty years back in Vietnam maybe thirty miles south of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) we were given a form of vegetable type soup in a village. There was a small amount of meat in the content, which I could not place, similar to chicken, I thought. I asked our guide at the time if it was chicken!

"No," he replied quite casually, "It is rat, no problem though, not from sewer, live in rice field, very clean!"

I have tasted rat and dog since in similar circumstances.

I have eaten water bugs, several different types of larvae and other bugs like fried grasshopper as well. These are considered quite a delicacy in The Orient. I have not gone out of my way to buy and eat them of course, basically, they have been offered as a special treat over the years, and not wishing to offend I have eaten the same.

I certainly cannot say that any of them at any time have been enjoyable to me or the palate.

The picture below (not mine by the way) is one of a bug stall in Bangkok Thailand. There are many on the streets selling the same and all of them appear to have a decent level of trade.







The worst experience however was about eleven or twelve years back in the mountains of northern Thailand, we had been trekking for weeks and staying at different villages.

We were in a jungle village when several men came in (they had obviously been out hunting) with a monkey fastened to a length of bamboo by its hand and feet, it was obviously dead and had blood stains on it's body and head.

There was a charcoal type fire burning in a hole in the ground they simply threw the monkey down onto the fire, (it might from memory have had a bit of a metal grille across the top) the smell of the hair burning was horrendous. Then they raked it off and quickly gutted the animal and skinned it, they cut off it's hands, feet and head and pushed a skewer through it, they proceeded to cook it over the fire, it looked just like a very small child.

Both of us were quite violently sick, and needless to say we did not eat either then or for all of the next day either.

I have also eaten snake, and shark, none of which I found palatable at all.

I hadn't managed to get the work done I wanted to on the thread today, I managed to answer Linkat but that was about it.

I'll put a few photographs on for your perusal and then later in the week I'll get around to letting you know about the first place advised to me by Aot.. "Ban Rak Tai"

A really beautiful place some fifty kilometers north west of Mae Hong Sorn. "The Land that Time Forgot."





The photograph above should give you an inclination as to how beautiful and interesting little place this is. I don't want to rush the entry on this one, so bear with me and I will let you have some brilliant detail and photographs as we found it. It is well worth waiting for.

In the meanwhile I am simply entering some photographs of interest we took on our way up to this isolated place of great beauty.

Health and safety doesn't come into the equation in these mountain areas especially. It is quite common to see small buses overloaded in this manner. You can look at them, smile to yourself and laugh a little. However, it is a different matter all together when they are involved in a head on collision and a further vehicle has run into the back of them, or the whole lot has gone out of control and careered over a precipice.

The hillsides below show the fields after the crops have been harvested.

This is a village type store, absolutely miles from anywhere, there was a small village in the vicinity but very little else.

The old girl below was sitting quite happily in the sunshine, she was quite happy to let Flobo take her photograph. She had a small denomination note in her right hand and what certainly appeared to be a well rolled thick joint between the fingers of her left?

The guy below had quite a selection of fighting cocks to show off. He was quite proud of this specimen.

I abhor cock and buffalo fighting etc etc. but these are issues quite steeped in the history of The Orientals and I dare-say it will be many years yet before the same is eradicated from their society.

This was an unmanned border cross point with Burma in Northern Thailand we came across on a road we apparently should not have been on.

I did cross the border, simply to get a photograph but was seen and received a real good bollocking from a border soldier complete with an AK47. He did not find it amusing!

This was the point I went over the fence so to speak, Flobo took my photograph but she was pretty mad at me, and then the soldiers turned up, I think they had been up the hill (that is the area they came from) probable having a break in a fairly decent sized hut up there.

Not sure I could handle the wriggling bug larvae even though I do not like to disrespect some one or their culture. I did eat a bug once though, but only when he accidently flew in my mouth.

I don't think I could have stomached the monkey thing either - it seems too close being in the primate family.

I think the most unusual meat I've had is kangaroo.

Well done Linkat;-

It's quite amazing what we eat in our lives without realising it, events have also proved that in order to survive, man would eat just about anything!

Approximately one hundred years ago a new breed of men began to appear in the hills of the southern Yunnan territories, Laos, Burma, and Thailand.

They were seeking new opportunities no doubt fleeing oppression, they were sturdy traders, and this particular breed have and really do still dominate the mountain areas of the aforementioned regions especially.
They dealt and still deal in a wide range of diverse goods from cotton to preserved fruit, weapons and opium. Even now they seek secure bases for trading operations keeping out of reach of the vengeful Ch'ing authorities, yet not so far south as to ruffle the feathers of the Chakri Dynasty in Bangkok.

The various people in these mountains have fought hard and long to establish themselves in lands claimed by many, the accepted borders mean little if anything at all to the Hill-tribes, they obey the rule of the gun and boundaries and limitations on travel are agreed. To a point.

I have witnessed much in these hills !

Remote and sparsely populated regions over the years such as Doi Mae Salong or Salong Stream Mountain.

In 1939 Siam became Thailand, a decade later the Chinese Civil War ended in victory for Mao Tse-tung and the Communist Party. The Peoples
Liberation Army entered the Yunnan territories driving before it the defeated Nationalist forces of Chang Kaishek, known as the Kuomintang or KMT as an abbreviation.

Most KMT surrendered, others took refuge in Taiwan. In the Yunnans many refused to run or surrender, withdrawing across the Burmese borders vowing to continue their fight against communism.

Over many years the Chinese establish small strongholds in the mountain areas the border town of Ban Rak Tai is one such place.

The Thai government offer them small areas of land, these wretched and poor people take the sanctuary of the same, knowing their purpose on behalf of the Thai government is to fight communist borderland insurgents

They work in harmony with the Thai government over the years vast areas of poppy cultivated lands disappear from the surrounding hills. New crops, tea, coffee, fruit orchards appear.

The villages remain uniquely a replica of Yunnanese type villages, as if transplanted to the hills of northern Thailand.

Chinese from Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are visiting especially. A few Europeans from time to time but the towns are basically set up to attract the Chinese type visitors.

Small resorts appear, legitimate business's boom!

The hills around Doi Mae Salong and Ban Rak Thai remain hidden and somewhat secure in the damp mists of the mountain dawn. Yet the tomb of Tuan Shih-wen a really staunch anti-communist and KMT die-hard looks down from its perch atop the peak on a thriving capitalist enclave.

I was told; "When you leave the safety of the village there are two roads, do not take the one on the left, it leads to danger!"

Ban Rak Thai (kmt. village)

This village is situated 44 kilometers from Mae Hong Son via Pha Sua Waterfall near the Thai-Myanmar border. Founded by Kuomintang Chinese soldiers, the village is famous for its breathtaking views and tea cultivation. Visitors can see how the tea is grown and harvested and taste some delicious U-long tea.

I am placing a photograph up of a tea shop the lady here gave us numerous teas to taste, we did buy at least two different brands (Oolong and a light Ginseng ) we have been enjoying their unique flavours since returning home every now and then. It is certainly a pleasant change to the normal Earl Grey English Breakfast and normal.




As you can see there were numerous types, the shop also offered special tea brewing cups for sale and complete tea sets. The Chinese shop owner took enormous pride in washing out the tea pot and brewing a fresh brew using the stainless steel kettle which was boiled on a portable gas cylinder ring which sat on the counter.

The shop itself was simply a dirt and straw constructed building with a dirt floor, timber slate roof covered in the heavy leaves as is the norm in these mountain areas especially.! It had quite a unique appearance all in all.

Apologies;-

The photograph prior to the above also shows a further tea shop with a restaurant attached and pleasantly sat overlooking the lake (actually it's a man made reservoir)

You will note the village is very clean and extremely well presented throughout.

The town dialect was not Thai, one or two of the inhabitants spoke a little English, not much. I did try to learn more about the underground prison but to no avail, there was much they did not wish to discuss with me at all. Most of the teas shops displayed aged photographs of Khun Sa and other Warlords!

I took a close up photograph of the village information map on the side of the tea shop building







The photograph of Khun Sa was displayed inside the shop and I simply took a snap of the same.

I do have a video of Khun Sa from 1991, but that is another story!

This particular village was found on the road to the left, it was certainly not attractive and the main stay could only be reached safely on horseback. The area was a haven for numerous snakes. We saw at least four in a thirty minute period.

This will give you an idea of the density of the jungle in the area, and show how the mountains stretch for miles with absolutely nothing but the lush terrain ahead!

This is perhaps a better photograph of the border road, I should not have been on, the route a head of me took us towards the hut the soldiers came from.

Obviously the vehicle, a 4WD twin cab pick up with rear cover canopy was ideal for our purposes and the off road use especially.

Bookmark

can't believe i missed this thread. 18 pages to catch up with. Starts good - with Laos, Thailand, and boxing...right up my alley.

Say, have you been through Cambodia as well, Mathos?

This is an amazing photo Mathos-love it - in terms of composition - colors - everything!
Also really liked the one of the old woman sitting in the sun and the shop- and of course the landscapes are beautiful. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I feel like I'm getting to know another part of the world.

dagmaraka
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

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Bookmark

can't believe i missed this thread. 18 pages to catch up with. Starts good - with Laos, Thailand, and boxing...right up my alley.

Say, have you been through Cambodia as well, Mathos?



Glad you like the thread Dagmarka. Yes, I have been to Cambodia, I have some excellent personal tales and brilliant photographs from there as well I will be doing some entries in due course.

I also have some brilliant information and tales regarding Mau Thai and other boxes of the kick boxing fraternity especially who go to The Orient, Thailand and Burma especially to train.

Mae Sot (or Mad Sot ) as a few of my ex Pat friends call the one time totally lawless border town is steeped in history regarding boxing. Even today some tournaments are arranged there leaving little at all to the imagination. I will not be putting those details on this thread, but may well do an alternative thread on the Mau Thai in due course. I have not made my mind up as yet.

The photograph below should wet your whistle with regards to Cambodia.