And I wasn't really satisfied with the hilltribe trek that I had just joined.
I had to be at the hostel lobby by 7:30am because the bus will (supossedly) pick us up at 8:00am. So I really woke up really early even though I had a late night the night before because I didn't want to miss the trip. To my disappointment, the bus was an hour late. And since I'm alone (the tour operator) had to make me join a group of japanese tourists who were also doing the "long neck women" tour in Chang Rai.
I was amazed to see that most of them were guys, boys actually would be the apt term. They were on their early 20's, most I think were highschool graduates taking their time off just before they go to university. I actually enjoyed looking and studying their fashion sense more than our trip to Chang Rai to see the Paduang women.
The ride was rather bumpy and the tourist guide didn't really say much, due to limited vocabulary I suppose so I had to read the guide book to wash away my curiosity. And when we reached the village, we had to pay 250 Baht which they didn't say to us before hand. I though the tour included everything, the guide then told us that it was for taking pictures. I wanted to argue that I didn't have a camera with me but then he said that it was also for the village entrance fee, which I know was a rip off. I didn't want it to spoil my day so I obliged.
When we reached the village it wasn't really the picture perfect thingy that I was expecting. I swear the Tam-Awan thingy in Baguio is definitely more breathtaking. How I would have wanted to see the original tribe in Padwang, Burma. But because the county banned tourism for the moment the second best thing is to see the refugees in Chang Rai. It's very surreal though, it's almost as if we went to a human zoo and everything was so commercialized. The women weren't in their most natural, and the culture or the setting that were shown to us felt a bit contrived.
My disappointment with the long neck women, the metrosexual japanese boys more than made up for it. Too bad I didn't have a camera with me because I swear I'd easily finish two rolls just with them, and maybe reserve a shot or two for the Padwangs. As if for a moment, I was sitting on the front row watching the Koshino's and the Kato's collections. Fashion for them borders from the absurd to the kitsch.
In Japanese fashion, more is definitely more. To give you an example, there was this guy from the group who was sporting a neon orange fisherman's hat, with matching thin neon tie over his green baby-size polo. And here's the cherry for the topping, he was wearing an ash colored ripped jeans and a pair of silver boots. And to my surprise he's not even gay, he was stealing kisses from his girlfriend during the entire trip.
Cultural exchange at its best. That will be my next trip, Japan. I'll try to save money for it. But till that happens, I'd have to be contented checking out them Japanese tourists.
Konichiwa!
P.S. I'll be crossing the border tomorrow to Laos. My third country for this trip. Day 17 and still going... and going...
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