Not really successful day today…
In the morning I got very bad news. Even if Myanmar visum is valid for land border crossing, I cannot go inlad, because the route goes through military or war teritory and foreignes cannot go there. This means I have to fly, so it did not make much sense to come to the border.
I take this as a lesson that military dictatorship sucks…
As I spent all the morning by (unsuccessful) searching of transport options, I only started moving in the afternoon. I got to Chiang Saen for 50 THB by minivan and from here I wanted to go to Golden Triangle by boat on 10th biggest river in the world – Mekong.
Second problem of the day was that the boat trip costs 600 THB, which usually divides by 6 people, but as I am there in low season, I need to pay whole boat myself. Nothing to do here, Mekong boat trip will need to wait until I get to Vietnam.
I got to Golden Triangle by hitchhiked motorcycle. The name comes from the time when a lot of opium was cultivated in the area where 2 rivers are creating borders of 3 countries – Thailand, Laos and Burma. Opium used to be called black gold and real gold was used to pay for opium. Therefore Golden Triangle.
The sharp border of 2 rivers is incredible
Opium came from mediteran sea, first to China and then brought by refugees (whos village I visited yesterday) to this area.
Here are 2 opium museums, small „opium house“ in the center (entrance 50 THB, opened until evening) and big „opium hall“ aproximately 2 km away from Golden triangle, which closes already at 4pm – which I discovered only when I arrived there around 5pm! Really lucky day…
There si a nice legend about opium origin:
7 mens wanted a beautiful girl, as she did not want to hurt any of them, she let all of them to make love to her at same time, which cause her death as she expected. Beautiful flower grown on her grave and everybody liked the fruit of this flower, but needed more and more.
Weights for opium
Recommended position for smoking: lie on a side
Head should be supported by porcelain pillow – it is hard, but if you smoke a bit, you feel it is soft as a pillow made of clouds 🙂
Water pipe