May day

  Mae Salong, Thailand
Tuesday, May 1, 2007

We awoke this morning at the Yang Tone Farm Stay under a mosquito net (although I couldn't decided whether the net kept the bugs in or out).  After enjoying an amazing breakfast cooked by our host, we were on the road and ready for the adventure ahead. 

I haven't yet seen such an amazing landscape in Thailand.  The windy road took the three of us through bamboo and pine tree forests.  Every hundred feet there was another tree that seemed to have flowers instead of leaves.  The air was cool against our skin, and the clear sky told us that the day would be amazing.  Due to the winding road I was unable to get many photos (I needed to hold on!) But I did manage to snap one during a quick stop. 

About an hour later we were in Fang, where we stopped for nam tuk moo, somtam, and cow neow.  After clarifying the directions with our lady-boy server we hit the road again.  The scenery began to change as the altitude dropped, and soon we were surrounded by flat farm land covered in a huge variety of plants.  Tarps filled with grains lined the road and used the sun's drying rays.  We even passed a few orchards that claimed to have the best orange juice in Thailand! 

Our destination was the Chinese settlement of Mae Salong.  About sixty years ago the town was establish by people fleeing Communism. Now the area is known for its amazing tea, which is grown on the terraced mountainside.  It didn't take long before we found ourselves driving through areas reminiscent of Sapa.  The road began to climb upwards, and the jungle became thicker and thicker.  From a distance it looked as if the mountains were covered by huge ferns, but as we drew closer I realized that it was clumps of century-old bamboo.  We took a turn off the main road and with fifteen kilometers to go we began to climb even higher.  Soon we were winding our way around the tops of the hills.  The air temperature dropped considerably and it was then that the town came into view.

Countless family-run tea plantations lined both sides of the road.  After finding our guest house we walked through the town and found a welcoming tea shop.  Bags and bags of fresh tea filled the store.  When we asked to try certain brews, the shopkeeper would simply take a handful of leaves out of the huge bags.  Mike and I both fell in love with the ginseng tea, and had to buy a few hundred grams of it.  We then returned to the guest house and had an early dinner. 

The next morning we awoke at 5:30 so that we could visit the morning market.  each day women and men come from their hill-tribe villages with baskets full of fresh produce and meat.  Although I found it similar to the markets Mike and I visited in Vietnam, it was fun to see John's reaction to the different types of vendors. 

And with that we were off to Chiang Saen.