Busy Times Here In Isaan - Songkran and More

 

Tambon Nongwha Official Pours Cool Water On Back of  Elderly  man In Tahsang Village

It has been exactly one week since we returned to our home in Udonthani from our visit to Maehongson.  It has been a very busy week for personal, family, and cultural matters; many of them presenting some interesting photographic opportunities.

On Tuesday, I reported to the Immigration Police in Udonthani for my "90 Day Report".  As a condition of receiving a Long Stay Visa, foreigners have to report their address to the Immigration Police every 90 days that they remain uninterrupted in the country. If a person with a Long Stay Visa leaves Thailand and then returns to the country, they start their 90 day period start over from "0" upon arrival.  Reporting involves filling out a one-half page document and presenting the form as well as your passport to the Immigration Police.  The procedure can be accomplished through the mail, but I prefer to handle it in person rather then trust the reliability of the mail.  Normally the process takes no more than 15 to 30 minutes.  This week however was an exception.   Monday was a national holiday. Wednesday was also the last day this week that the office would be open due to the upcoming Songkran holiday.

Songkran is a very special holiday in Southeast Asia and in particularly in Thailand.  It is New Year based upon the solar calendar of the sun moving into Aires which falls on either the 13th or 14th of April.  It is now fixed as 15th of April.  It is a time when Thais return to their homes to celebrate with their family - sort of like family expectations of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  In the days leading up to and following Songkran, the roads, planes, trains and buses are filled with travelers.

Songkran occurs during the hottest time of the year here.  Our high temperatures for each day have been hovering around 100F (38C) with several days 104F and even one day 107F.  Fortunately because of low humidity, typically around the 35%, the heat is somewhat manageable.  It is said that there are two seasons in Thailand - "Hot and Dry" and "Hot and Wet".  We are currently at the tail end of the :"Hot and Dry" season with the return of the rains anticipated in May.  Traditionally Songkran was a festival where people sprinkled water on elders as a show of respect and an effort to help them cope with the heat of this time of the year. They also paid homage and clean Buddhist statues. Thai people also clean their homes - inside and out at Songkran.

On Wednesday, 10 April, Duang and I drove out to Tahsang Village for the start of the Songkran celebration.  10th of April?  Start of Songkran?  Didn't I just write that Songkran was fixed as 15th April?  Well life here in Isaan is like life elsewhere - there is the way things are supposed to be and the way that they are.  Although Songkran is fixed as April 15th, it is affected by weekends and by local customs.  In Pattaya it is actually celebrated on 19th and 20th of April.

Tambon Nongwha Government Officials Addressing Tahsang Villagers

In Tambon (Sub-District) Nongwha, which Tahsang Village is part of, the start of the celebration started on April 10th.  On April 10 and April 11, Tambon Nongwha government officials visited each of the villages in the sub-district.  The officials wore colorful flowered cotton shirts traditional worn at Songkran.  They arrived with their own truck mounted sound system to play Lao music and a fire truck to brink water to the village.  Here in Isaan there are very few, if any, municipal hydrant systems.  Fire trucks carry their own water and have a monitor on top of the truck to spray the water.

The arrival of the Tambon officials in Tahsang Village coincided with the monthly payment of public funds to the elderly people.  There is no Social Security system in Thailand.  The elderly are expected to be taken care of by their families.  However there are monthly payments to the elderly depending upon their physical condition.  People in good shape receive 700 Baht a month ($23 USD) and people with disabilities get 1000 Baht ($33 USD).

All the elderly villagers were assembled in the Tahsan Village Center - a small structure where village meetings, government classes, and voting take place.  It is a small structure with a concrete floor and cinder block 3 foot high walls with no doors or windows - just a corrugated metal roof.  It is sparse but suits the purpose.  It makes a nice place for the younger village children to play, too.

After numbered slips for the appropriate stipend were distributed to the person called out from a master list, the highest echelon of government officials arrived.  They addressed the elderly people and wished them a happy Songkran, good luck for the future, and apologized for sometimes talking bad to the people.  How unique!  How refreshing to witness a politician to humble himself before the people!  One aspect of Songkran is the commitment of some people to do better in the upcoming new year.  The sub-district headman was definitely taking that to heart if not extreme.

The head official and many lower ranked officials then entered the village center and using water from the fire truck to which they had added flower petals they squatted before each of the seated elders gentility poured water over their hands and down their back paying their respects.  The last official in the entourage gave each of the seniors a new umbrella.

Apparently I am also considered to be a senior too.  The headman came over and poured water on me too. later some young women came over and poured some more water on me and rubbed scented powder on my face.  Everyone was careful and considerate to not get either water or powder on my camera gear.

At the start of this ritual I had been joking with the villagers about being afraid.  I was acting concerned and afraid of the fire truck spraying water on all the seated people.  Little did I realize how close I was to the truth!  After they had received their new umbrellas, the villagers assembled outside in the narrow street.  To the pounding and throbbing beat of ethnic music, the people opened their new umbrellas and commenced to dance.  While this was happening, a young man from the sub-district climbed atop the fire truck and commenced to spray water over the assembled elderly people.

Government Official Commences to Shoot Water Over the Villagers

The villagers reveled in the water that was cascading over them, quickly getting them wet and wetting down the dust covered street.  The people in a sing song demeanor cried out about the rains were coming, the rains were coming soon.

Villagers Enjoying A Cooling and Refreshing Shower

The government officials then left the village and moved on to the next village.  Tahsang Village was left to continue on with their extended Songkran celebration.  The children of the village quickly set up along farm road 2125 to throw water at passing motor-bikes, cars and trucks.  With this year's drought conditions, the Tahsang Village water system has been dry for about three weeks.  Two homes have wells that have water in them and the slough at the edge of the village still has some water.  People use wheel barrow type carts to fill jerry cans with water from these sources and bring water to where they need it.

Bringing a New Load of Water to the Edge of Highway 2125

Naturally I got myself positioned where the action was to photograph it.  My little friends either out of respect or fear did not toss water at me.  I made sure to share to share my photos with the children.  They enjoy having their photos taken. I was also able to use some of my training as an engineer to help the children with regards to their water jugs and cart.  They would empty the water cans into a small plastic waste container from which they filled their small hand pails to throw the water.  Since the jugs were very heavy for them they would start emptying the jugs closest to the waste container and placing the empties in their original position.  Very quickly the cart would tip forward spilling some of the hard earned water as well as causing a panic.  After the second incident I intervened and redistributed the jugs and pointed out the need to keep the weight towards the back of the cart to keep it from tipping.  I didn't give the explanation about levers, fulcrums or moments but the children seemed to understand the principle quickly.

Road Hazards and Menaces Along the Road Outside of Tahsang Vilage

The children spent the entire afternoon tossing water on just about anything that came along the road - especially motorbikes.

"No Country for Motorbikes"

Public Transport Passengers Are A Target of Opportunity

We returned home in the early afternoon but not without having water thrown on our truck several times.  We passed at least five roadblocks along the roads back home - although they were not in operation yet they were a big reminder that one should not drink and drive during Songkran ... or any other time.

We were to return to Tahsang Village the next day for another unique Isaan cultural event and family obligation - "Tamboon Roi Wan", "Tamboon Jaak Khao"

Back With More Ammunition

Poi Sang Long Festival - Tuesday 02 April 2013

We arrived in Maehongson from Pai around 11:00 A.M.  After checking into our hotel we drove into town to have lunch at the Sunflower Cafe across Nong Jong Kham from Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang.  Four years ago when we attended the 2009 Poi Sang Long Festival , the festivities were either at or originated at these two Wats.

This year, unlike four years ago, there were no sounds of banging drums or clashing cymbals emanating from the Wat complex. After our lunch we walked over to the Wats to determine when the head shaving ritual would take place.

The Wat complex seemed deserted when we arrived.  I found one man, a workman, sleeping underneath one of the elevated buildings.  There were no people wandering around. anxiously waiting for the start of the ritual.  There were no decorations or floats that would be paraded through town.  In fact the Wat appeared to have fallen on harder times.  Fallen leaves littered the grounds.  A pavilion that displayed intricate religious carvings had been removed.  Many portions of the stucco walls were in need of painting.  Both Duang and I had the distinct impression that the senior Monk or Abbott from four years ago was no longer present at the complex and it had been taken over by a less caring or effective administration.

We walked behind the Wat and crossed the street to a school where I noticed that there were some people. From them Duang found out that festival was being held at Wat Hua Wiang this year.  Apparently the actual  location for the festival changes each year.  Wat Hua Wiang is located in the center of Maehongson -there is a pedestrian gate to the Wat from Th Khunlum Prapat (Highway 1095) however vehicle access is through the market (a narrow two lane street narrowed to 1-1/2 lanes by overreaching, overextended, and encroaching market stalls.  The remaining 1-1/2 lanes of the street are shared by one way vehicular traffic, four way or more motorbikes, parked trucks loading and offloading goods, and, soi dogs,  pedestrians, some wandering about oblivious to the danger surrounding them.

Wat Hua Wiang Bot

We eventually managed to get inside of the Wat complex and determined that the head shaving ritual would commence at 4:00 P.M.  Unlike the Wats at Nong Jong Kham, there was a great deal of activity at Wat Hua Wiang.  Inside an open sided building, several women were cooking food over two wood fires while several other women and young girls were busy preparing vegetables to go into the large pots that were set over the wood fires.  Outside a delivery truck of crushed ice was being off loaded into two large insulated covered plastic bins.

Several canopies had been set up with several tables and many chairs placed beneath them to shield guests from the glaring and intense sun as well as heat.  We set up ourselves at one of the tables to set up my photography gear and a restful spot for Duang to rest.  Eventually we were joined by a Frenchman and two Italian young women.  Unlike four years ago, there were not many foreign tourists attending the Poi Sang Long Festival.  I saw four other foreign tourists during the festival.  The first night at our hotel, there was a total of 16 guests.  Even in discussions with our friends in the refugee camp on the border, we were told that tourism is down significantly in the past four years. This really a shame for the local residents who count on tourism for their livelihoods   Apparently the combination of weak world economy, floods last year in Thailand, and political unrest in Thailand four years ago have contributed to the decline in tourism. Hopefully many more tourists will return to a fascinating area and visit the wonderful people of the Maehongson region.

Decorated Sala for Poi Sang Long Festival

Around 3:00 P.M. the musicians arrived and immediately commenced to play the pounding staccato beat that I have come to associate with this unique Shan cultural festival.

Dancing to the Music

I went into the Sala to prepare for the arrival of the young boys who would be taking their first step towards becoming Novice Monks.

Inside the Sala - Offerings For the Next Morning's Procession

The  26 young Shan boys who would be having their heads shaved that afternoon are following Buddha's son, Prince Rahula's path in becoming a Monk at an early age. In Prince Rahula's time long hair was symbolic of royalty.  Removal of hair then as well as today in the Buddhist culture symbolizes the renunciation of worldly possessions and goods.

One of Two Rows of Young Boys Bow One of Three Times Inside the Sala

Around 4:00 P.M., the 26 young boys and their families assembled inside of the Sala.  As part of the ritual, the boys bowed before a statue of Buddha three times - paying and showing respect to Buddha, the Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).

After the boys had completed paying their respects, the senior Monk of the Wat inspected them and took a roll call to account for everyone who was supposed to participate in the upcoming ritual.

The senior Monk Taking Roll Call

As part of the ritual, a part that I found very touching, the two rows of boys turned and bowed to their families. Here in Thailand respect for elders and respect for your family are extremely powerful elements of society.  The government does not provide many social services.  The needs of people are provided directly by their family and neighbors.

At the conclusion of the preliminary preparations inside the Sala, everyone went outside where 26 plastic chairs had been lined up.  The boys sat in the chairs with their family positioned behind them.  As the musicians pounded on their drums and clanged the cymbals, families commenced to cut the young boy's hair with ordinary scissors. The boys were taking a very important step in their religious and their temporal life.  The stress on some of the boys was very apparent.  The boys were now the center of attention and the representatives of their family in this cultural and religious ritual.  Although they were between nine and fourteen years old, it was obvious that they were conscious of bringing honor to their family and people.

The boys sat with a lotus leaf covered pressed metal ceremonial bowl in their lap.  As their hair was cut, family members placed the hair onto the lotus leaf.  At the conclusion of the ritual, the lotus leaf was folded up into a small packet.  The hair filled packet was then taken to the family home and buried at the base of a tree.

Once the boy's hair had been cut closer to the head, the family brought out safety razors and commenced to shave the boy's head. This year we noticed several boys who were nicked in the process and had blood commingling in the rivulets of water that flowed down his face and head.  As the boy's head became smoother and smoother many of them became more uncomfortable.  The cut hair and shavings dropping on to the boy's body irritated the boys.  I also suspect that all the attention that they were receiving also irritated them but in a different way.

A Monk Shaves A Boy's Head

An important part of the ritual is to have a Monk shave each boy's head.  It was at this point that the stress of the event showed on some of the boys  Some were physically uncomfortable.  Some were squirming in their seats.  At least two were visibly upset to the point that they were crying.

Once the heads had been completely shaved, water was poured over the boy to wash away the many hairs that had fallen onto each boy's body and clothing.  The head was dried with cloths and a salve made of the ubiquitous Myanmar beauty application, Thanaka (Thanakha) paste. Thanaka, which is made from certain tree barks, provides cooling effect to the skin, sun burn protection, and is anti-fungal; just what you need for a newly shaved head.

After the ceremony ended there were family photos after which the families returned home most likely for an early bedtime for they had to be back at the Wat the next morning at 4:30 A.M.

The Road to ... Maehongson

A Lisu Child Waits For Her Mother to Complete ATM Transaction In  Soppong

Today I was going to write a blog about the shaving of young boys heads prior to the start of this year's Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson.  However a news item this morning persuaded me to write instead a blog about the road, well actually roads, to Maehongson.

Early this morning, a bus from Udonthani, our home town, to Chiang Mai, the jumping off point to Maehongson, ran off the road and over a cliff killing five passengers and injuring 51 others.  It took over two hours for rescuers to commence extracting the people from the wreckage.  In addition to the coincidence of us returning home by way of Chiang Mai , the accident occurred on the route that we drove four years ago to Chiang Mai on our way to Maehongson.

Sadly and unfortunately, tragic bus accidents here in Thailand are all too common.  We used to travel to Bangkok by night bus but after seeing the wreckage of several buses over the past 6 years and reading of many fatal accidents we no longer travel by bus.

Besides the normal risks of badly lighted roads, kamikaze motor-bicyclists  poor lane demarcation  and  vehicles going 30 KPH (20 mph) and vehicles going 110 KPH (66 mph) all sharing the same two lane 90 KPH Max road, travel by bus has additional risks of driver fatigue, improper or non-existent maintenance, speeding, and amphetamine abuse by drivers.

There are many stories about reckless bus drivers.  My favorite is about the bus where the driver would not slow down despite the pleas and screams of the passengers.  He did slow down and drive more safely when one of the passengers, an off duty policeman, walked up to the driver and put a pistol to his head.  Having ridden on many buses and being aware of some other stories about police here, I believe the story.  Perhaps this anecdotal evidence could be used in the USA to resist gun control efforts and encourage "carry and conceal" permits - you never know when you will encounter a berserk bus driver!

For this years trip we decided to go south from our home rather than going west like we did the previous trip and that the buses do.  Our directions to Maehongson were Highway 2, Highway 12, Highway 11, Highway 107 and Highway 1095.  Taking the bus route saves about one hour but adds about 3 more highways and the roads travel through many more villages and shares the narrow roads with more buses.

Both routes take you through national parks where there are warning signs "Watch Out for the Elephant" and graphics indicating elephant crossings.  These warnings are for wild elephants.  We did not see any elephants or any evidence that elephants had used the road recently.  I was definitely not disappointed.  I do not want to encounter a wild elephant along a remote road either in or out of our vehicle.

North of Chiang Mai, you leave Highway 107 and take Highway 1095 to Maehongson. Highway 1095.   Unfortunately we had to drive the roughly 130 km to Pai in the dark and worse yet in the haze created by many fires burning in the forests through which the road twists and turns.  The road is not lighted and in many places there is neither a center line demarcation or demarcation of the road's edges.  Several times, I made right hand turns not confident that the wheels on the far side of the truck were going to remain on the road and not go off into the abyss.  After 15 hours of driving we finally arrived at our hotel in Pai, much to our relief.

Soppong - Lisu women wait for transportation to their village

The next morning with good light and a great night's sleep, we set off on Highway 1095 for Maehongson.  After about two hours, we stopped at the market of Soppong also known as Pangmapha.  The morning market in Soppong is extremely interesting.   Hill tribe peoples of the surrounding area come to sell and buy necessities, foodstuff, and other items need to maintain their lifestyles in the hills.  Lahu, Lishu, Karen, and Shan people commingle along the sides of Highway 1095 each group distinguished by their distinctive clothing and hairstyles. 

Lisu Women Selling Their Goods In Soppong

A Lahu (Masur) Vendor

After taking photographs and purchasing some fruit for the remainder of our journey, we left Soppong behind.  Two hours and many many curves, we finally arrived in Maehongson.

Young Lisu Woman At Family Table in Restaurant

National Museum BAN CHIANG

Gallery 3: Archaeological Work In Ban Chiang Display

Last week my wife and I finally got to tour the National Museum BAN CHIANG in Ban Chiang which is located east of our home in Udonthani. The museum is the centerpiece of the Ban Chiang World Heritage site.

The National Museum BAN CHIANG is a compound consisting of three buildings situated in a fenced in park like setting.  The museum first opened to the public in 1981.  In 2006 renovation of the museum were started with the museum reopening to the public in 2010.

Visitors to the museum first go to the HRH Princess Sri Nagarindra, the Princess Mother Building.  This building is where you pay entrance fees to the museum.  There is also a small snack bar, souvenir shop, and an auditorium.  The museum is open everyday except for Mondays from 9:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.  The cost for Thai people is 30 Baht ($1.00) and 150 Baht ($5.00 USD) for foreigners.

The second building, The Galyani Vadhana Building, houses 9 galleries on two levels.  The galleries are:

          Gallery 1:  His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Ban Chiang

Displays and photographs documenting the visit on March 20, 1972 of His Majesty King Bhumibol        Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirkit to the Ban Chiang excavation site.

2300 - 1800 Year Old Pot

          Gallery 2:  Archaeology In Ban Chiang

Exhibits related to Thai and foreign archaeological work in the area.

          Gallery 3:  Archaeological Work In Ban Chiang

One of my favorite galleries - it recreates the work environment during the 1974-1975 excavation by the University of Pennsylvania.

           Gallery 4:  Ban Chiang:  The Excavation Pits

Downstairs from the previous galleries, Gallery 4 is a reproduction of excavation pits.

          Gallery 5:  Artifacts from the Excavation at Wat Pho Sri Nai

Pottery, stone tools, iron tools, and  bronze ornaments from an excavation site 500 meters east of the museum.

Bronze Ornaments

          Gallery 6:  Prehistoric Culture of Ban Chiang

Several dioramas showing prehistoric pottery making, weaving, metal making, hunting, and farming in the ban Chiang area.

          Gallery 7:  Ban Chiang: Discovery of a Lost Bronze Age

Another of my favorite galleries which is adapted from a 1982 to 1986 international traveling exhibition organized by the University of Pennsylvania.

Human Bronze Age Remains

Evidence of Early Surgery

Long Before Coke, Pepsi - Humans Had Periodontal Disease

          Gallery 8:  Ban Chiang: A World Heritage Site

A gallery related to Ban Chiang's selection as UNESCO World Heritage Site Number 359.

          Gallery 9:  Distribution of Ban Chiang Culture Sites

Since 1972, 127 prehistoric sites associated with the Ban Chiang culture have been discovered in the Sakon Nakon basin here in Northeast Thailand.  This galley displays many artifacts from the various sites.

The third building of the museum houses a gallery that is related to the Tai Phuan people, a minority from Laos, that settled Ban Chiang 200 hundred years ago.  For some inexplicable reason, we did not visit the gallery or the nearby archaeological pit at Wat Pho Sri Nai.  Perhaps it was destiny - to reaffirm my desire and need to return in the future to photograph rice planting and rubber cultivation in the vicinity.

Coming Soon - 2013 Poi Sang Long

There are many festivals here in Southeast Asia.  The festivals occur year round so there always seems to be something interesting going on some where.

Four years ago we drove over to Maehongson (Mae Hong Son) to attend a local festival. "Poi Sang Long".

I wanted to return some year to witness the festival once again.  This year seemed like a good time to go back.

Poi Sang Long is a Shan religious festival where young boys are ordained as Novice Monks.  I had previously written blog entries about our previous visit to the festival.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/poi-sang-long-ritual-day-one.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/poi-sang-long-ritual-day-2.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/maehongson-02-april-2009.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/maenongson-03-april-poi-sang-long.html

The festival is held in Late March or Early April each year.  There are actually several festivals in the area with local Wats scheduling their celebration to suit their needs.  There are also Poi Sang Long Festivals held in Chiang Mai.

If you check the Internet you will not get specific dates for the festivals.

I had kept a Thai pamphlet regarding the Poi Sang Long Festival held at the neighboring Wats - Wat Jong Klang, and Wat Jong Kham.  I noticed that there were three phone numbers at the end of the pamphlet.  I asked Duang about them and she told me that they were phone numbers for the Monks.  Today she called the first number for me and the number was no longer in service.  However the second number was an active number for the head Monk.  From him, Duang determined that the festival for the two Wats will commence on April 2 around 14:00 with the cutting of the young boy's hair and shaving their heads.  This is not usually listed as the start of the festival but for me it is an integral part of the experience.  The three day festival will run until April 5th.

I had already done some research and discovered that it would cost $800 USD to fly round trip to Maehongson and once there we would have to rent a vehicle.  With that in mind, I had decided weeks ago that we would drive.  I had driven there on our last trip and for much less than $800 I can do it again.

This afternoon I made our reservations for our hotel in Pai and in Maehongson.  Pai is a good stopping point on our way to Maehongson and we have a cottage were we stayed on our last trip - Belle Villa Hotel $46 with breakfast.  We will be staying in Maehongson at the hotel that I have stayed at on all four of my previous four trips to the area - Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Resort - $43 a night with breakfast.  Both are excellent facilities and definitely easy on the credit card.

The next few remaining days will be busy ensuring the truck and my photography gear is ready for the trip.