Chiang Mai, Thailand - Fireworks, Lanterns, and Junk Food

11-8-2008 Starbucks
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I have landed in tourist Mecca. No shortage of English language books, junk food, memory cards, Thai massage parlors, eager tuk-tuk drivers, Italian restaurants, travel agencies, and coffee joints here. There's a beautiful riverfront lined with attractive restaurants but almost no historic architecture is left. Sadly, while Thailand has protected much forest in national parks, there are no laws for the protection of historic neighborhoods or architecture. There are a few old teak houses that survive near the riverfront restaurant district. In these restaurants you find heaps of foreign tourists, despite the recent bombings and protests that have greatly reduced Thai tourism. The live bands all play American pop music, sometimes well, but always too loud. They all seem to be working hard on their American accents.

At night people crowd the riverfront and incautiously light all manner of fireworks. Teenagers shoot bottle rockets over the river. Men launch large exploding rockets of the sort we use for Fourth of July celebrations into the night sky. Massive noisemaker fireworks, small bombs really, periodically make your heart skip. And, most impressively, paper lanterns, fueled by small attached fires, rise glowing towards the moon.

While no one was paying much attention to the U.S. election in Thailand, the covers of magazines and newspapers from all over the world in the English language bookstores made it clear that the rest of the world was celebrating.

Sick Elephants, 21st Century Buddhism, and Obama Wins!

11-5-2008 Lampang Elephant Hospital, Thailand

When the U.S. presidential election was called for Obama I was riding an elephant in Thailand. This was odd, of course. Shannon called immediately to let me know and I passed the information to my fellow travelers. A shout of joy went out. Then Cyril, a witty Lebanese guy who is now a Bostonite, said we might expect another call in a few minutes letting us know Obama'd been shot. We all laughed nervously. It was dangerously funny, seeing as how it aimed so clearly at a terrifyingly real fear. Nobody in Thailand seemed to pay much attention at all, so I certainly missed the parties.

Dinner tonight was at a great restaurant in Chiang Rai. It's called Cabbages and Condoms and all of the proceeds go to family planning efforts. While the live music was typically too-loud Thai pop, the food was excellent, the waif-like waitresses were attentive, and the decoration was hilarious. "Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy" is the motto of the restaurant and it's proudly displayed on the menu and on the wall next to the giant Santa Clause, which is made entirely of colored condoms. All of this silliness actually encouraged me to look up the statistics on Thailand's national fertility rate. I was surprised to find that Thailand has had one of the most remarkable decreases in fertility in history. In 1974 the average Thai woman birthed 7 children. Today she has 2, which is the replacement rate. This shouldn't have surprised me so very much because I had been openly wondering days why there were so few children around. The difference between here and northern India was immediately apparent. This may help to explain why just about every car in Thailand was in better condition and worth more money than the average car at home. Large trucks and sedans are popular. The Thai are thriving.


Wat Rong Khun, near Chiang Rai

This strange and ever-growing temple complex is the brainchild of a popular local architect with a wildly imaginative vision for what will inspire people to Buddhist belief. As a child, he was the temple boy. Now he has designed and built a collection of ornate temple buildings and stupa. The main temple is entirely white and looks to a Westerner like someplace Santa Claus and his elves might prepare for their holiday work. It is entirely covered by small glass mirrors, which have had to be replaced three times due to the tropical climate oxidizing the plates to black. Finally a Belgian mirror was found to withstand the heat and torrents. Inside the still-uncompleted structure is the requisite gold Buddha figure.

Adding to the surreal oddness of the place is a wax statue of a monk in meditation that is so life-like in its depiction of the artist's original benefactor that we were debating whether he was real for half an hour after leaving. I was convinced that he was so deep in his meditation that my gaze couldn't faze him.

On the inside walls a massive mural is underway. It is the strangest element. The one completed scene surrounds the entrance way. It is shockingly secular, even tacky, in its dramatic depiction of the psychic struggles faced by modern Buddhists and, by implication, all of us. Mundane concerns and even the most horrible violence are depicted near the floor. Military aircraft fire at civilians. Keanu Reeves, dressed in black for his role in the Matrix films, stands ominously to one side in black sunglasses. A large, battleship from Star Wars attacks a wrist watch with a blazing laser beam. A hand gun fires. Above this, a massive nuclear explosion erupts from the surface, destroying all life. Higher up the wall the themes start to depict more enlightened themes: clouds, idyllic scenes of nature, family life. Even higher, centered near the top is a terrifying skull. Just above it a large lotus flower emerges from the skull and from it rises a beatific golden Buddha image, surrounded by adherents and bathed in the light of Truth. Adding to the surreal oddness of the place is a wax statue of a monk in meditation that is so life-like in its depiction of the artist's original benefactor that we were debating whether he was real for half an hour after leaving. I was convinced that he was so deep in his meditation that my gaze couldn't faze him.

Sukothai

11-3-2008
Sukhothai, Thailand

This morning we visited an official "touristic town." I'm not sure what exactly this government designation denotes, especially since the place seemed very much like just another Thai village. First we stopped at a clay pottery factory and saw how local clay from the fields is used to create planters and figurines for trade. The man working the potting wheels was able to throw large, simply decorated pots in less than three minutes (I timed him). The fire for a massive earthen kiln at the back of the facility was being stoked by a skinny, middle-aged woman wearing a ski mask. Many gardeners and others who work outside wear black or blue masks covering their face and head here. I'm told its to "keep the sun off." Strikes me as insanity because of the heat and humidity, but apparently vanity and style here require light skin. I was interested in the large pile of bamboo and sticks being used to fire the kiln. Thai law is very strict regarding deforestation and essentially no wood can be logged at this point, even for the domestic market.

After the factory, we moved down the road to the local school. This was wonderful, if a bit intrusive. We showed up when the smallest children were just laying down on their blankets for nap time. The school principal and teachers essentially stopped everything they were doing to introduce us to the students. It was a large school and seemed well-equipped and professional. Whether this is typical is hard to tell, of course, but schooling is compulsory here and the economy has been mostly improving for many years in Thailand. Many of the students were as interested in us as we were in them and their smiles and giggles and flirtations were infectious.

Sukhothai was the first capital of the Thai kingdom. Ancient Thai cities were walled squares along river courses. Although, Sukhothai was abandoned eventually for Ayuthaya, near Bangkok, and the area fell into decay. Today, grassy expanses and scattered ponds surround decaying stupas and giant Buddha statues. The impression it gives is of a holy golf course. We rented inexpensive bicycles and explored the area at a leisurely pace.

Trying to understand T'hai politics is a real challenge. T'his is despite the recent protests and bombing, which usually would focus my attention and provide press coverage that helps me understand other cultures. First of all, few Thai speak English so I've been unable to have a conversation that last for more than a few moments with anyone. My own guide, even, has limited English. Moreover, its not legal to criticize the monarchy here, either in the press or in private. Since the king wields substantial power still (over the army?) this forces discussions to omit much of the power structure. Also, the English language newspaper, The Bangkok Post, is hard to find and is severely limited in what it can say. Finally, there is no local or national news in English here. Thus, I feel about as confused as possible regarding local politics.

Here's what I think I know. The current prime minister was elected, but it's not at all clear that these elections were free and fair. There are ongoing protests in Bangkok against the current prime minister. These protesters are demanding the return of the former prime minister who left Thailand after being charged with corruption. As far as I can tell these protesters, who are largely professionals and public employees, are essentially anti-democratic and seek to circumvent the voting power of the rural poor who they see as susceptible to manipulation by politicians. They argue that a fixed number of seats should be set aside for each professional association in their House of Commons. I keep trying to imagine an analogy to U.S. politics to help me understand the situation. Thus, at the moment I think this would be similar to a coalition of liberal elites and union workers, say the Sierra Club and the National Federation of Teachers, seeking to sack the U.S. government and permanently limit democratic voting rights after George Bush's election, mostly by rural folks, in 2004. Regardless, it's clear that freedom of the press is lacking here and that there is a constant concern that yet another coup might rearrange the government of T'hailand. It's happened many times before.

Bangkok - Chinatown and Flooded Canals

10-31-2008 Royal Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand's roads and infrastructure are highly developed. Driving from the airport to the city feels much like being at home, though the green road signs are in an unintelligible text. The highway into town was elevated above the city below for nearly its entire length and carries cars only, no tuk-tuks, no bicycles. There is gridlock, however, on a Californian scale. Once you exit the freeway this gridlock is even worse. The "half-hour" ride to my hotel took two hours and fifteen minutes. Exhausted from hours and hours of travel, I slept on the back seat for most of the ride.

Bangkok is now a modern city with many office towers and more on the way. The airport is brand new and works well. A new train station is being built, I could see the red scaffolding above the construction. The city is in the delta of the Chao Phraya River. I learned this from a map, but you can see it immediately when you arrive and travel throughout the city. There is water in ponds, puddles, and canals running all through the city and much of the city is along the waterfront, where longboats and barges ply a surging brown current.

Virtually no one honks their horn while driving here. It's blissfully quiet given that there is absolute gridlock out there. My flight, already scheduled to leave LAX at 1:30 AM was delayed until 3:15 AM. Then, after 15 hours in the air, I missed my connection and had to wait another five and one half hours for a flight to Bangkok. My driver had apparently been waiting since 11 AM when I should up at 4:30 PM. It then took 2 hours to make it from the airport to my hotel in the city center. There are many pickup trucks on the road here. Didn't even occur to me that they were completely absent in India. Too much else to notice, I suspect. Also, I've already seen many women drivers here. Also, about one half of the immigrations officials at the airport are women. I left a message at Ron Knapp's hotel since he wasn't answering his phone. I'll try him again tomorrow. I must rest tonight.

11-1-2008 Royal Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand

I managed to meet up with my father's old friend Professor Ron Knapp and his photographer friend, Chester, yesterday. Ron is a cultural geographer who was my father's first college roommate at Stetson university nearly 50 years ago. Although I talked to Professor Knapp before applying to graduate school to study geography, I had never met him in person. Ron's specialty is the architecture of traditional Chinese houses which he has studied for nearly 40 years in his career at SUNY, New Paltz. So, after contacting him by phone, I took a taxi across town to meet him. I made the classic mistake of getting in a taxi that had no meter and paid the equivalent of $8 for a taxi ride that should have cost me $2. The driver, who spoke a little English, offered to take me to see some nighttime entertainment later in the day. These shows had brazen medically descriptive titles that I can't repeat publicly. I passed on these. He also offered to immediately take me sight-seeing, shopping, or to lunch. Pass, pass, and pass. It seemed that an American man traveling alone in Bangkok was a tempting target and a likely customer for all kinds of profitable consumption. But it was my first day here and I was glad to be out and glad to have found a taxi quickly so I didn't bother to protest him overcharging me. I simply thanked the man for his services. Despite my jokes I should make it clear that, like most cities in the world, the sex industry is clustered in a red light district and is not apparent as you move about town. Just as visitors to Los Angeles who expect to see freeway shootings or violent crime will be disappointed, visitors to Thailand who fear brazen vice will be pleasantly surprised to not find it. It's not as if prostitutes roam the streets, that's how we do it at home.

Ron Knapp is a thin, energetic man in his sixties. Dressed in shorts, walking shoes, a polo shirt, and a khaki vest of the sort that is popular with photographers and international journalists, he has about him the pleasantly agitated air that many scholars project when they're doing field work, hunting as they are for some esoteric gem that the more mundane world isn't even likely to notice. He seems to take great joy in chasing down a unique old house or a novel Chinese neighborhood. After chatting a bit, we met up with a young Thai finance student, Ploy, and a friend of hers who were assisting Ron in Chinatown. We headed to Chinatown in Ploy's small SUV. At first the streets were relatively empty and I wondered if Saturday morning might be the quietest time in Bangkok. However, by the time we got to Chinatown the gridlock had returned. Ron was planning to revisit a very old Chinese house that has been saved by its Chinese owner who added a four meter deep diving pool and a small kennel, each of which is used commercially. Ron explained that Chinese inheritance traditions tend to divide wealth among all the sons so it is rare to be able to afford to keep large, old properties in the family unless each generation is creative about income.


Chester was hoping to take a few more photographs at the house, but the previous night's rain storm had flooded most of the block with about half a foot of water, including the area immediately around the house. Instead we headed off to a two-hundred year old Chinese temple. Aromatic incense filled the inner courtyard where people were making offerings of bananas and coconuts and lighting candles. The clickity-clack sound of an old woman throwing prayer blocks repeatedly broke the silence as she slowly approached the alter on her knees. Chinatown is actually right along the Chao Phraya River and many of homes along the river were nearly swamped by the churning brown current and the splashing turbulence. The river was obviously very high from recent rainfall and large clumps of green vegetation torn loose upriver rushed past in the muddy brown water. Edifices of all kinds closely line the river which is surrounded by small cement levies that were often failing to keep the water out of the surrounding neighborhoods. Since Bangkok sits at the terminus of the Chao Phraya River and its delta, like New Orleans and Venice and many other waterfront cities, it is prone to flooding. Despite this, a wide variety of edifices closely line the levied banks of the main channel and numerous sie canals: rotting old teak houses, cement warehouses, shiny new municipal buildings, restaurants. And everywhere there is laundry hung out to dry.

I met the rest of the tourists in my group on Saturday night. They are a typically eclectic group, ranging in age from 18 to about 50 and hailing from various countries, including Portugal, Poland, Canada, Germany, and England. My roommate Les is an affable guy who works in the Gap Adventures office in Toronto and is taking his annual free trip. He's rail thin, 26 years old, well over six feet tall, and always wears a camouflaged cap in the sun because he sunburns easily. Our tour guide Ken is a youngish Thai man who speaks very deliberately. He's all smiles except when he's concentrating and he often makes silly jokes or puns based around language confusion or referencing Hollywood films. These jokes make him laugh too.

On the first morning of the tour we went to the Wat Arun complex to see, among many other Buddhas and stupas, the giant reclining Buddha. It's 46 meters long and over 16 meters in height. The building that houses it seems to stretch to just barely contain the statue. Truly impressive.