THAILAND

Mae Hong Son, Pai and Chiang Mai (in the northeast) was more touristic again. It is hardly worth paying the 12,5 Euro entrance fee to nationalparks which are scattered everywhere. Every waterfall has it`s own national park.

In Chiang Mai we are getting visitors from Mittelbiberach. Together we drive to the first and only elephanthospital which is near Lampang. It is a sad story. (Photo T 12: Elephanteye) We meet elephants which stepped on landmines, others got overworked on logging sites, brake their legs and get druged with amphetamines. Some are there which work in touristplaces like pukhet and Bangkok. They have lung problems from the exhausters and get fed with sweets only. Our visitors are leaving and we want to meet them on the Mekong.

Again we drive through the mountains and a long a beautiful river (not the Mekong) which is the border to Laos. The landscape reminds of the Toscani in Italy with many hills and valleys and lonely villages in between. There are many roadblocks. There is no problem for us but we hear that since three months their is some tension along the border. We are moving slowly and reach Nong Khai on the 7. And our visitors are already gone.(Photo T 13 + 14: thairoutine. Kolja on the Talat. Tokyo and Moni washing in the river).

We want to prepare our next moves. At a guesthouse we want to get visas vor Cambodia. Not possible. Arent`t we watching the news? Thailand is on war with Cambodia and all borders are closed, we get told. Ok, we read about some riots which broke out after a famous thai soupoperaactor said in puplic that Ankor Wat (Cambodias famous templecomplex) actually belongs to Thailand. To call that a war we find a bit exaggerated. They say we should got to Cambodia over Laos. No problem. We talk to two tourist and they show us todays newspaper. Some bad news, but not about Cambodia but about the peaceful Laos. Yesterday, only a couple of km away from here, 10 people got shot by mysteriuos new rebellgang. Two of them came from Switzerland and traveled individually on bicycles. It seems exactly when we turn up everybody goes crazy. We are a bit confused and decide to proceed with our plans to go south to the main Cambodia bordercrossing. By then the situation might look different, hopefully.