Have you ever found yourself in a place where you knew of the history or current events, often violent or momentous, but it simply looks like a beautiful piece of nature? I have felt that way standing on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec(where the British defeated the French) or Little Bighorn, Montana and Southern Saskatchewan(where Sitting Bull bravely led his people against colonizers), Brisbane, Australia(where I found myself in the middle of a First Nations uprising/riot) or New York after 9/11. And again when I found myself in a boat sitting where the Ruak and Mekong rivers meet and where the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet in The Golden Triangle. Our guide had said we would see the countries where executions were taking place last year and where the Chinese are buying huge areas of land to develop for Chinese investment, but I didn’t understand that we were going to literally sit in a boat at the confluence. But we did…I sat there, with my hand in Myanmar waters, then in Laos waters, listening to the couple in front of me from Singapore explain in detail about the civil unrest in each country and the layers of internal and external fighting, all as our tour guide spoke of the history of the area that used to have different borders because much of the area was called the Lan Na Kingdom. As I absorbed the almost overwhelming tales of kings and battles, invasions and political plots, current revolutions and power plays, we sat slowly turning on the spot…to our left, current internal conflict and political coups, to our right, financial colonialism, and behind us, Thailand, where conflict with Myanmar is still felt as somewhat recent history. I’m glad they let us stay there for a while, all of us commenting on the oddness of borders that we cannot see, and thankfully, the group I was with also wanted to be silent for a moment to absorb it all. Our guide Fern, shifted our focus, talking about how the Mekong River comes from the Chinese Himalayas through the Tibetan peninsula…which pulled me and those around me into another conversation as we looked upriver towards faraway Tibet. As we puttered back to the dock under the Buddha, some of our cohorts happily announced it was time again for ice cream, an announcement that had gleefully been made throughout the day. There it was again, the light and the heavy, flowing around and with each other.
Until our time on the rivers, I had moved at my own speed through Chiang Rai, now accustomed to the Instagram phenomenon in front of so many attractions and temples, quietly moving around the various photo shoots to find a place in temples, under trees, in museums, to be still, and to think. Early in the day, Fern noticed my solo-ness, checked in with me under a tree and otherwise left me to it, which was thoughtful ~ allowing me the reminder that I am seen and can be on my own. I’ve been gifted with amazing conversations that break into my solo travelling. Though I do not often speak, there are days when I receive thoughtful and informative perspectives or kind check-ins that help ground me and pull me out of my reflections. Krabi is next; no temples, just beaches, jungle walks, lab and schoolwork for a few weeks. Big hugs to you all.
Photo Gallery: Blue Temple, White Temple, Ganesh Temple ~ Chiang Rai, Thailand
Photo Gallery: White Temple, Blue Temple, Baandaam Museum/Black House, Golden Buddha at Ban Sop Ruak and the Golden Triangle(Myanmar on the left, Laos on the right, Himalayas far upriver)
anilā travels 