25.05.2017 - Jordan

 

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Mae Sot - Towards Burmese border

Let's keep our old habit: we leave Paï in a hurry.

Pai - Chiang Mai - Tak - Mae Sot, in one looooong day and night.

However, at least, we're in an amazing bus, where neon lights are everywhere. Here, buses are almost as a Bangkok Tuk-Tuk: it's colourful! Let's not complain: it feels good to have quality service for once!

Drinks, food, etc.

 

In order, to be able to head to Burma with a free mind, we stay three days in Mae Sot. It's a Thai city, near the border. Only a river and a bridge separate both countries. If we wait so 'long' before we cross, it's that we need to end setting up our visas and internships. We know that internet access will be very limited once in Burma, so it's important to have foresight!

Design internship, check.
Visa, check.
Itinerary, check.

 

 

We stay in a hostel called 'Retro Twin Home', where we meet the main manager. Really kind, and pretty smart on a business level: he offers us to visit specific unknown places (from tourists), but he wants to film us to promote his place! It's perfect: we discover so much thanks to him. We go to places that we would never have been able to find: waterfalls as well as a beautiful coffee place, in an old farm, lost in the countryside. The few days spent in this area, we almost didn't see any tourists!

To have fun, he tells to many students around the waterfalls that we're French movie stars! Since he films, everyone is intrigued and look at us! Here we go: let's do a short photo shoot with them!

 

One night, we eat in a restaurant, where we meet an American, working for a local NGO, for a few years. There are many Burmese refugees at this border. It's easy to recognize them: they are the only ones who wear a yellow makeup on the cheeks, thing that Thais won't do. If there is a need of NGO's in this area, it's that Burmese refugees are not welcome in Thailand nor in their country of origin. They are in-between the two countries. It induces a lot of issues: money for example, which force kids to quest for their families. NGO's goal is to educate them and to give them useful skills to get a job. Then, they can manage to get away from poverty. Luckily, they really have an impact, and the American guy told us how it improved in the last five years.

 

 

On our last day, we are awakened by 'fireworks' which explode by series: welcome to the Chinese new year! Some Chinese, visit every shop to wish the new year, the Rooster one! Everything with music, traditional clothes and a few dances! Quite funny to look at!

 

Well, it's time to pack our bags: tomorrow, we have to get up early. We want to be part of the first people to cross the border, around 6 AM!

Here we come Myanmar!

Good night!