No 57      Mekong @Golden Triangle   (  Part 2 )

But throughout the boat trip which lasted only about 20 minutes as they say ,I was also saying my prayers silently as I was afraid. But there are also people who are afraid to take small Burmese boats like me. After we came back I talked to Ma Oo who said she didn’t ride the Burmese boats as she was afraid when she was there. I didn’t know at that time that we can go to the Thai side and take the more bigger Thai boats to cross to the Laos border.

 

Anyway the boat ride had been safe for us. We visited the Laos side which has nothing much but a few shops selling fake brand bags. So after spending some time there we got onto our boats and cross the Mekong to go to the Thai side. We climbed the concrete stairs to the customs office. and while someone get our clearance papers we look around.

 

Oh!  I was fascinated…the signboard on the other side said Chiangsaen Customs Thailand –Laos crossing Point.. I am very happy to see Chiangsaen. At present I am translating a book called Amongst the Shans, a very old book published in 1885. As it’s title it was written about the Shan people of long ago, starting from their origin which was China. From there the Shans spread westward to Yunnan, Merng Mao, Indo China until Manipur India. As the Shans spread west they built towns which were named with the word Chiang as it means town. And so Chiang Hung (Sipsaungpanna )Chiang Mai, Chiang Hai, Chiang Saen, Chiang Lao , Chiang Learn , Chiang Tung etc. were born. As the book is about the Shan people surely these places which were their old places have to be mentioned in this book.So This is why I am happy to see Chiangsaen with my own eyes as the 1^st in the series of Chiang towns. Later I will visit Chiang Hai Chiang Mai and maybe Chiang Lao (star ) Chiang Learn (moon )

There is a sitting Buddha statue about 1 block away from the customs office. As it is hot to walk we each took a motor cycle  to  take us there. We paid our homage at the Buddha statue, took some photos at the Golden Triangle rememberance monument and resume our journey to Myanmar Land.

P S….On our return journey the boats are as swift as when we came. But I think our company members had become less afraid , that nobody cared to fasten the life jacket straps…..