Making Friends
Our grand tour of the North starts well, with some stunning travels through the beautiful and remote mountain scenery of the Burmese border region. Being by now an experienced biker, I feel the thrill of the long sweeping bends, marvel at the well-made roads, and relish the complete absence of other vehicles.
But our travels come to an abrupt halt in the backwater town of Phrao. As tourists, we're an oddity, and within 24 hours, the warmth and joy of some locals has us hooked. We get involved in village life, starting with the cremation of their head monk - a truly auspicious event, involving 3 days of festivities. Our initial fears of sombre Buddhist chanting are soon allayed, as the music starts up, the dancing girls get on stage, the hot air balloons get lit, and the fireworks are dropped amongst the crowd.
But our travels come to an abrupt halt in the backwater town of Phrao. As tourists, we're an oddity, and within 24 hours, the warmth and joy of some locals has us hooked. We get involved in village life, starting with the cremation of their head monk - a truly auspicious event, involving 3 days of festivities. Our initial fears of sombre Buddhist chanting are soon allayed, as the music starts up, the dancing girls get on stage, the hot air balloons get lit, and the fireworks are dropped amongst the crowd.
posted by Keith at 3/03/2006
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