As things turned out, we had only one full day in Chiang Khan, the small town on the banks of the Mekong River in northern Thailand, where our friends, the Tiparos family, are spending their own year away. When we awoke that day and turned off the air con in our guest house aerie overlooking the neighborhood, we could hear birds twittering, roosters crowing, the national anthem broadcast over the town at 8am sharp, followed by a long loud list of the mayor’s public announcements, the woman next door ranting at someone, dogs barking, the ice cream man on his musical bicycle (with only one tune, just like at home) – the sounds of real life in a Thai village. The most magical sound was the chanting of monks that drifted over across the river from Laos at dusk.
As mentioned in a previous post, Tahn Tiparos had been a student in my last K class at Breakwater School. I remembered him as a remarkably lovely kid, so well-balanced, easy-going and likeable - in an unassuming and low-key way. Tahn is now 10 years old and still a delightful person. Chiang Khan is his dad’s hometown and the town where his grandmother and uncles still live. He speaks the Lao language (this border area has changed hands between Thailand and Laos over the years) – and he knows his way around! On our short two-day visit, he offered to show us around while his mom and brother worked on a big school assignment for school back in Portland.
The first thing that Tahn did, in preparation for our outing, was to get money from his own supply of cash. We quickly protested that we would pay for lunch, but he was determined to be the guy in charge and the host. The three of us walked together toward the main street of town, only a couple of buildings away from his home. Just across the street we saw a woman stringing thread on a frame in order to create a comforter with batting inside. At the corner, we passed Than’s grandmother’s house, and then guest houses, little cafes, small shops selling clothes and bags and souvenirs. Lots of t-shirts sported pictures of a bicycle, and some of the shops had bikes as part of their décor. It all adds to the ambience of a place where you can “get away” and relax doing something quaint, like riding a bike. A few tourists, mostly from other parts of Thailand, strolled the narrow street. Tahn pointed out the local hardware store and noted that it was “Chiang Khan’s version of Lowe’s”.
As we passed a store where handcrafts were sold, I slowed my pace. Ever the intuitive guy, Tahn immediately proposed stopping and looking around. He led the way to the proprietor, said a few words, and we were ushered upstairs to look at one of the rooms in the guest house, fitted out with traditional décor.
Soon back on the street, we found a passage to the waterfront where a boardwalk parallels the river, lined with more guest houses and restaurants, some still under construction, all built in a charming, old-fashioned style. Katie, Tahn’s mom, tells us that Chiang Khan has been “discovered” only in the last couple of years, leading quickly to all of this development. Although it is changing the lives of the residents, fortunately it’s the kind of development that attracts travelers who appreciate the quiet, traditional nature of the town. Change has found its way to remote Chiang Khan.
(photo)
Tahn’s neighbor was stringing thread to create a comforter, one of the typical products of Chiang Khan.
Chiang Khan’s version of Lowe’s Hardware Store.
Bruce and Tahn stroll down the street in Chiang Khan.
Toward the end of the boardwalk, Tahn deftly directed us into an open air restaurant for lunch. He spoke to the owner and did the ordering in Lao. We settled in for a lovely meal of pad thai with fruit shakes. We chatted and enjoyed the beautiful scene looking out on the river.
Our handsome host at lunch.
After lunch, we continued our exploration, passing one of the six temples in town. Tahn pointed out, with a tone of bemused interest, that women were not allowed into a particular part of the temple. Next stop was a mobile ice cream cart, owned by an older gent who gave Tahn a big hug. Dessert was delicious coconut ice cream.
The entrance gate to one of the temples in Chiang Khan
Further down the road, we came to Tahn’s grandmother’s house again and popped in to say hi. With our mutual lack of language, we couldn’t say much more than that. Back on our tour, we came to a woman selling banana wedges that had been fried and sprinkled with sesame seeds. We were pretty full at this point, but Tahn’s hollow leg wasn’t quite there yet, so the yummy banana treats topped it off. I think he wanted us to savor all of Chiang Khan’s delicious assets.
Our very cool host ordering fried bananas
At the other end of town, big buses were parked outside of the school, surrounded by high school students wearing jackets that said “Nong Khan”, a city about 50 miles east. I am intrigued by the bus art in Thailand. I had read that young artists in Bangkok were having difficulty breaking into the classic art world and had found their outlet in public art, such as buses. The buses are definitely palettes for wild creativity! I was snapping a few pic’s of the bus, when I suddenly realized that the tables had been turned. A couple of girls were pointing their camera at this strange-looking “farang”. I smiled and they piled out of the bus, clustering around me while one of them snapped. That was my opening to take their photo. They seemed pleased to oblige. It was a great swap all around, with a good laugh thrown in! Cute kids!
Girls from Nong Khan in front of their jazzy bus.
Our town tour finished up with the public schools, all lined up, beginning – appropriately - with primary school, then middle school and high school, where one of Tahn’s uncles teaches. His great-grandfather had been the first superintendent of the schools in Chiang Khan.
Kids on the school playing field. Tahn will be going to school here when he and his family return from a biking trip to China.
We headed back to the Tiparos home, grateful for such a personal look at Chiang Khan. While we relaxed, Katie suggested a Thai massage. Tahn gave Bruce a sample. A massage had been on our ‘to-do’ list, and what could be better than a recommendation from someone we knew. So off we went for massages, Bruce’s first ever!
Tahn gives Bruce a sample massage. He loves it!
For an hour, as we lay on mats on the floor next to each other, our bodies were rubbed and stretched and pulled and kneaded. I could look out the large open front doors at the guest house across the street and see the sky above it. Our masseuses were not young women. We were clearly in very experienced and capable hands. I found it relaxing and soothing. Though I don’t think that Bruce will seek out another massage experience, I was pleased that he had given it a try.
That evening, Katie, Tahn, and Cody joined Bruce and me for a pre-dinner stroll along the boardwalk to watch the sun set over the Mekong. It was a beautiful and timeless scene.
I love this pic of the Tiparos family! (Wish Dtaw had been in it, though!)
Sunset on the Mekong River
Following a simple meal along the street and then ice cream at a popular Chinese resto beside the river, Katie, Tahn, and I walked to a nearby indoor badminton court, where we watched a few matches. The players were extremely skilled. One of them had recently competed in China. It was really fun to see this sport being played so well. Apparently it’s popular in this area of the world, as we had also seen matches being played under the lights in Luang Prabang. Tahn was itching to get a chance to be on the court one day soon. Watching good playing has that effect. I was feeling the same way.
And so ended a delightful day in Chiang Khan. We had been privileged to see it through the eyes of Tahn, our generous and capable guide, and his family. As change and prosperity wash over Chiang Khan, I hope that the town is able to hold onto its traditions and timeless quality.
As mentioned in a previous post, Tahn Tiparos had been a student in my last K class at Breakwater School. I remembered him as a remarkably lovely kid, so well-balanced, easy-going and likeable - in an unassuming and low-key way. Tahn is now 10 years old and still a delightful person. Chiang Khan is his dad’s hometown and the town where his grandmother and uncles still live. He speaks the Lao language (this border area has changed hands between Thailand and Laos over the years) – and he knows his way around! On our short two-day visit, he offered to show us around while his mom and brother worked on a big school assignment for school back in Portland.
The first thing that Tahn did, in preparation for our outing, was to get money from his own supply of cash. We quickly protested that we would pay for lunch, but he was determined to be the guy in charge and the host. The three of us walked together toward the main street of town, only a couple of buildings away from his home. Just across the street we saw a woman stringing thread on a frame in order to create a comforter with batting inside. At the corner, we passed Than’s grandmother’s house, and then guest houses, little cafes, small shops selling clothes and bags and souvenirs. Lots of t-shirts sported pictures of a bicycle, and some of the shops had bikes as part of their décor. It all adds to the ambience of a place where you can “get away” and relax doing something quaint, like riding a bike. A few tourists, mostly from other parts of Thailand, strolled the narrow street. Tahn pointed out the local hardware store and noted that it was “Chiang Khan’s version of Lowe’s”.
As we passed a store where handcrafts were sold, I slowed my pace. Ever the intuitive guy, Tahn immediately proposed stopping and looking around. He led the way to the proprietor, said a few words, and we were ushered upstairs to look at one of the rooms in the guest house, fitted out with traditional décor.
Soon back on the street, we found a passage to the waterfront where a boardwalk parallels the river, lined with more guest houses and restaurants, some still under construction, all built in a charming, old-fashioned style. Katie, Tahn’s mom, tells us that Chiang Khan has been “discovered” only in the last couple of years, leading quickly to all of this development. Although it is changing the lives of the residents, fortunately it’s the kind of development that attracts travelers who appreciate the quiet, traditional nature of the town. Change has found its way to remote Chiang Khan.
(photo)
Tahn’s neighbor was stringing thread to create a comforter, one of the typical products of Chiang Khan.
Chiang Khan’s version of Lowe’s Hardware Store.
Bruce and Tahn stroll down the street in Chiang Khan.
Toward the end of the boardwalk, Tahn deftly directed us into an open air restaurant for lunch. He spoke to the owner and did the ordering in Lao. We settled in for a lovely meal of pad thai with fruit shakes. We chatted and enjoyed the beautiful scene looking out on the river.
After lunch, we continued our exploration, passing one of the six temples in town. Tahn pointed out, with a tone of bemused interest, that women were not allowed into a particular part of the temple. Next stop was a mobile ice cream cart, owned by an older gent who gave Tahn a big hug. Dessert was delicious coconut ice cream.
The entrance gate to one of the temples in Chiang Khan
Further down the road, we came to Tahn’s grandmother’s house again and popped in to say hi. With our mutual lack of language, we couldn’t say much more than that. Back on our tour, we came to a woman selling banana wedges that had been fried and sprinkled with sesame seeds. We were pretty full at this point, but Tahn’s hollow leg wasn’t quite there yet, so the yummy banana treats topped it off. I think he wanted us to savor all of Chiang Khan’s delicious assets.
Our very cool host ordering fried bananas
At the other end of town, big buses were parked outside of the school, surrounded by high school students wearing jackets that said “Nong Khan”, a city about 50 miles east. I am intrigued by the bus art in Thailand. I had read that young artists in Bangkok were having difficulty breaking into the classic art world and had found their outlet in public art, such as buses. The buses are definitely palettes for wild creativity! I was snapping a few pic’s of the bus, when I suddenly realized that the tables had been turned. A couple of girls were pointing their camera at this strange-looking “farang”. I smiled and they piled out of the bus, clustering around me while one of them snapped. That was my opening to take their photo. They seemed pleased to oblige. It was a great swap all around, with a good laugh thrown in! Cute kids!
Girls from Nong Khan in front of their jazzy bus.
Our town tour finished up with the public schools, all lined up, beginning – appropriately - with primary school, then middle school and high school, where one of Tahn’s uncles teaches. His great-grandfather had been the first superintendent of the schools in Chiang Khan.
Kids on the school playing field. Tahn will be going to school here when he and his family return from a biking trip to China.
We headed back to the Tiparos home, grateful for such a personal look at Chiang Khan. While we relaxed, Katie suggested a Thai massage. Tahn gave Bruce a sample. A massage had been on our ‘to-do’ list, and what could be better than a recommendation from someone we knew. So off we went for massages, Bruce’s first ever!
Tahn gives Bruce a sample massage. He loves it!
For an hour, as we lay on mats on the floor next to each other, our bodies were rubbed and stretched and pulled and kneaded. I could look out the large open front doors at the guest house across the street and see the sky above it. Our masseuses were not young women. We were clearly in very experienced and capable hands. I found it relaxing and soothing. Though I don’t think that Bruce will seek out another massage experience, I was pleased that he had given it a try.
That evening, Katie, Tahn, and Cody joined Bruce and me for a pre-dinner stroll along the boardwalk to watch the sun set over the Mekong. It was a beautiful and timeless scene.
I love this pic of the Tiparos family! (Wish Dtaw had been in it, though!)
Sunset on the Mekong River
Following a simple meal along the street and then ice cream at a popular Chinese resto beside the river, Katie, Tahn, and I walked to a nearby indoor badminton court, where we watched a few matches. The players were extremely skilled. One of them had recently competed in China. It was really fun to see this sport being played so well. Apparently it’s popular in this area of the world, as we had also seen matches being played under the lights in Luang Prabang. Tahn was itching to get a chance to be on the court one day soon. Watching good playing has that effect. I was feeling the same way.
And so ended a delightful day in Chiang Khan. We had been privileged to see it through the eyes of Tahn, our generous and capable guide, and his family. As change and prosperity wash over Chiang Khan, I hope that the town is able to hold onto its traditions and timeless quality.
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