sign in a cave in Laos
5 January 2009
Naga Mas photo (taken from Star)
This photo of us coming down from Naga Mas was "illegally" used by Star Sunday Metro on 4 Jan 2009 to advertise trekking in Penang. The photo was taken by the Star stringer, Anthony Law, on our trip to Gua Tambun & Naga Mas.
30 December 2008
Tambun rock paintings & Naga Mas fossil (Star)
Star
Metro North
Delicate lines: Paintings showing a herd of deer. One doe appears to be pregnant.
THE prehistoric rock paintings in Tambun, Ipoh, may not be the only ones in the area.
Archaeology student Noel Hidalgo Tan believes the rock paintings are clues to show that there are other similar paintings yet to be discovered.
This, he said, was because prehistoric paintings were always found in clusters.
Tan, 30, who is currently doing his thesis on the Tambun prehistoric paintings discovered by the British army in 1959, was in Ipoh to take part in a guided tour of the Tambun caves organised by Perak Heritage Society (PHS).
Tan added that the limestone paintings in Tambun were of archaeological importance.
“I believe these are the only prehistoric iron oxide paintings in Malaysia,” Tan said of the paintings located several meters high on limestone walls.
Tan said he believed the prehistoric people used scaffolding to paint a dugong, a catfish, a turtle, a flying fox, a tapir and a herd of deer on the limestone walls.
“I will conduct an inventory of the paintings, none has been done so far,” Tan said.
He said his research would include determining the age of the paintings by carbon dating and conducting a chemistry test on the material used in the paintings.
Seashells found scattered nearby the prehistoric rock paintings.
The site of the prehistoric paintings was once under the sea, judging from the presence of seashells found scattered on the limestone hill which is at least 30m high.
Perak Heritage Society president Law Siak Hong said the paintings were not cave paintings as they were not found in caves but on the face of limestone rock.
After viewing the prehistorical drawings, the society members travelled south to Naga Mas near Gopeng to see the fossil of a mammal embedded in a cave wall.
“The bones belong either to a leopard or cat,” said Liz Price who has written many books on caves.
The bones, though high up, have been vandalised and need protection as there are people who are trying to remove the bones, believing that they have supernatural power or potential for the practice of black magic.
Metro North
Monday December 29, 2008
Art of our ancestors
Story and photos by ANTHONY LAW
Delicate lines: Paintings showing a herd of deer. One doe appears to be pregnant. THE prehistoric rock paintings in Tambun, Ipoh, may not be the only ones in the area.
Archaeology student Noel Hidalgo Tan believes the rock paintings are clues to show that there are other similar paintings yet to be discovered.
This, he said, was because prehistoric paintings were always found in clusters.
Tan, 30, who is currently doing his thesis on the Tambun prehistoric paintings discovered by the British army in 1959, was in Ipoh to take part in a guided tour of the Tambun caves organised by Perak Heritage Society (PHS).
Tan added that the limestone paintings in Tambun were of archaeological importance.
“I believe these are the only prehistoric iron oxide paintings in Malaysia,” Tan said of the paintings located several meters high on limestone walls.
Tan said he believed the prehistoric people used scaffolding to paint a dugong, a catfish, a turtle, a flying fox, a tapir and a herd of deer on the limestone walls.
“I will conduct an inventory of the paintings, none has been done so far,” Tan said.
He said his research would include determining the age of the paintings by carbon dating and conducting a chemistry test on the material used in the paintings.
Seashells found scattered nearby the prehistoric rock paintings. The site of the prehistoric paintings was once under the sea, judging from the presence of seashells found scattered on the limestone hill which is at least 30m high.
Perak Heritage Society president Law Siak Hong said the paintings were not cave paintings as they were not found in caves but on the face of limestone rock.
After viewing the prehistorical drawings, the society members travelled south to Naga Mas near Gopeng to see the fossil of a mammal embedded in a cave wall.
“The bones belong either to a leopard or cat,” said Liz Price who has written many books on caves.
The bones, though high up, have been vandalised and need protection as there are people who are trying to remove the bones, believing that they have supernatural power or potential for the practice of black magic.
21 December 2008
Bantimurung: Butterflies and blue pools - BT
Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Bantimurung: Butterflies and blue pools
Breathtaking: The Dreaming Cave is 500 metres long and full of stalactites and stalagmites. Bantimurung is a protected area with beautifully-coloured butterflies as souvenirs.Picture: Courtesy of Liz Price
Liz Price
MAKASSAR
Sunday, December 21, 2008
THE pool was such a milky turquoise colour that it didn't seem real at all. It reminded me of the blue school uniforms worn in Malaysia, although was slightly paler in colour, as if mixed with milk. The through a wooded gorge and then it plunged 15 metres down the Bantimurung falls. Once it reached the bottom of the waterfall it had lost its blue colour. Unfortunately it was dry season so there wasn't much water, and the rocks supporting the waterfall were hardly covered. The bottom of the fall was a sea of people; it was a Sunday and this area is very popular with Indonesian day- trippers.
About 45 kilometres north of Ujung Pandang at the Bantimurung waterfalls are set amid lushly vegetated limestone cliffs. Bantimurung is crowded with Indonesians on weekends and holidays, and at other times it's a wonderful retreat from the congestion of Ujung Pandang. Ujung Pandang (Makassar) is the capital of Sulawesi, the octopus-shaped island of Indonesia. To get to Bantimurung from the city, we took a bus for Maros. Local passengers asked where we were going. We found all the Sulawesi people to be very friendly, they are a mix of Makassarese and the Bugis Muslims, and the Christian Minahasans.
Before the bus I took reached Maros, it stopped, and we were told to get off. We were a bit puzzled and were wondering what was happening, then someone shouted at a microlet driver. We were bundled onto this, and without saying anything, we were taken to Bantimurung Waterfall Park. I suppose it was obvious to the lcoals where we wanted to go. The road passed under a giant monkey, which was waving with one hand and scratching its head with the other. It was as if it couldn't decide whether to welcome us or not. Apparently this 6 metres tall statue is of a lutung, which is a black, long tailed leaf monkey indigenous to Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
The road ended at the park, so we paid the driver then entered the park, paying a small admission fee. That was when we realised we had made a mistake by coming at a weekend, as there were people everywhere. We headed straight for Gua Mimpi, or Dreaming Cave. Bantimurung lies at the southern end of a limestone outcrop which houses a series of caves and rock shelters. There are many caves, but Gua Mimpi is one of the best, and is equipped as a tourist cave.
The cave consists of one long passage, maybe 500 metres
long, and is full of stalactites and stalagmites. Some were white in colour, others varying shades of cream, yellow and brown. In addition some looked like large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a wooden plankwalk all the way through the cave, so presumably the floor is covered by a river in the wet season.
We came out at a smaller backdoor, so decided to walk back through the cave. As we emerged, several Indonesians asked to have their photo taken with us. I suppose they don't get too many European visitors to this area. To the left of this entrance is another cave, Gua Istana Toakala. There was no plankwalk in this cave, but we went in, and again it had some great stalagmite formations.
We went back down to the river and followed the right bank up to the waterfall. Several times we were stopped and had to have our photo taken with the locals. Steep steps lead up the side of the tufa waterfall and onto the gorge with the blue river. It reminded me of the Bei Shui river which flows through the Jiuzhaigou Nature Park in Sichuan province in southern China. It must be the tufa which gives the milky blue colour.
The pool looked inviting but no one was in the water. All the water was resurging from a cave. We were curious so went in to have a look and found a dry passage above the water. However the cave was very short and we soon popped out on the other side. There was another beautiful blue pool, with the water seeming to come out of yet another cave.
We then made our way back downstream, and we followed some steps which led up to another cave. Here some enterprising men had lanterns for hire so we went in to the cave, but it was quite short and nowhere near as nice as the two caves we had explored earlier.
The Bantimurung Nature Reserve covers 1000 hectares. There are many other caves in these cliffs but apart from the scenery the area is also famous for its beautiful butterflies. The naturalist Alfred Wallace collected specimens here in the mid 1800's. Among all the butterflies that he caught was the Papilo Androcles, one of the rarest and biggest, with a tail like a rare swallow. Today entomologists still come here to look at the butterflies and other insects. It is certainly a beautiful area, with white falls and bright butterflies.
Nowadays Bantimurung is a protected area, but there are still kids besieging visitors with beautifully coloured butterflies as souvenirs. The best time to see living butterflies is when the sun appears. They form a riot of colour as they fly.
According to a tourist leaflet, Bantimurung means a tranquil place for getting rid of sadness (membanting kemurungan). It would be difficult to be sad in such a beautiful place.
The Brunei Times
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2008/12/21/bantimurung_butterflies_and_blue_pools
-------------
© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission
Bantimurung: Butterflies and blue pools
Breathtaking: The Dreaming Cave is 500 metres long and full of stalactites and stalagmites. Bantimurung is a protected area with beautifully-coloured butterflies as souvenirs.Picture: Courtesy of Liz Price
Liz Price
MAKASSAR
Sunday, December 21, 2008
THE pool was such a milky turquoise colour that it didn't seem real at all. It reminded me of the blue school uniforms worn in Malaysia, although was slightly paler in colour, as if mixed with milk. The through a wooded gorge and then it plunged 15 metres down the Bantimurung falls. Once it reached the bottom of the waterfall it had lost its blue colour. Unfortunately it was dry season so there wasn't much water, and the rocks supporting the waterfall were hardly covered. The bottom of the fall was a sea of people; it was a Sunday and this area is very popular with Indonesian day- trippers.
About 45 kilometres north of Ujung Pandang at the Bantimurung waterfalls are set amid lushly vegetated limestone cliffs. Bantimurung is crowded with Indonesians on weekends and holidays, and at other times it's a wonderful retreat from the congestion of Ujung Pandang. Ujung Pandang (Makassar) is the capital of Sulawesi, the octopus-shaped island of Indonesia. To get to Bantimurung from the city, we took a bus for Maros. Local passengers asked where we were going. We found all the Sulawesi people to be very friendly, they are a mix of Makassarese and the Bugis Muslims, and the Christian Minahasans.
Before the bus I took reached Maros, it stopped, and we were told to get off. We were a bit puzzled and were wondering what was happening, then someone shouted at a microlet driver. We were bundled onto this, and without saying anything, we were taken to Bantimurung Waterfall Park. I suppose it was obvious to the lcoals where we wanted to go. The road passed under a giant monkey, which was waving with one hand and scratching its head with the other. It was as if it couldn't decide whether to welcome us or not. Apparently this 6 metres tall statue is of a lutung, which is a black, long tailed leaf monkey indigenous to Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
The road ended at the park, so we paid the driver then entered the park, paying a small admission fee. That was when we realised we had made a mistake by coming at a weekend, as there were people everywhere. We headed straight for Gua Mimpi, or Dreaming Cave. Bantimurung lies at the southern end of a limestone outcrop which houses a series of caves and rock shelters. There are many caves, but Gua Mimpi is one of the best, and is equipped as a tourist cave.
The cave consists of one long passage, maybe 500 metres
long, and is full of stalactites and stalagmites. Some were white in colour, others varying shades of cream, yellow and brown. In addition some looked like large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a wooden plankwalk all the way through the cave, so presumably the floor is covered by a river in the wet season.
We came out at a smaller backdoor, so decided to walk back through the cave. As we emerged, several Indonesians asked to have their photo taken with us. I suppose they don't get too many European visitors to this area. To the left of this entrance is another cave, Gua Istana Toakala. There was no plankwalk in this cave, but we went in, and again it had some great stalagmite formations.
We went back down to the river and followed the right bank up to the waterfall. Several times we were stopped and had to have our photo taken with the locals. Steep steps lead up the side of the tufa waterfall and onto the gorge with the blue river. It reminded me of the Bei Shui river which flows through the Jiuzhaigou Nature Park in Sichuan province in southern China. It must be the tufa which gives the milky blue colour.
The pool looked inviting but no one was in the water. All the water was resurging from a cave. We were curious so went in to have a look and found a dry passage above the water. However the cave was very short and we soon popped out on the other side. There was another beautiful blue pool, with the water seeming to come out of yet another cave.
We then made our way back downstream, and we followed some steps which led up to another cave. Here some enterprising men had lanterns for hire so we went in to the cave, but it was quite short and nowhere near as nice as the two caves we had explored earlier.
The Bantimurung Nature Reserve covers 1000 hectares. There are many other caves in these cliffs but apart from the scenery the area is also famous for its beautiful butterflies. The naturalist Alfred Wallace collected specimens here in the mid 1800's. Among all the butterflies that he caught was the Papilo Androcles, one of the rarest and biggest, with a tail like a rare swallow. Today entomologists still come here to look at the butterflies and other insects. It is certainly a beautiful area, with white falls and bright butterflies.
Nowadays Bantimurung is a protected area, but there are still kids besieging visitors with beautifully coloured butterflies as souvenirs. The best time to see living butterflies is when the sun appears. They form a riot of colour as they fly.
According to a tourist leaflet, Bantimurung means a tranquil place for getting rid of sadness (membanting kemurungan). It would be difficult to be sad in such a beautiful place.
The Brunei Times
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/life/2008/12/21/bantimurung_butterflies_and_blue_pools
-------------
© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission
5 December 2008
Naga Mas - Heritage News
Gopeng: No protection for ancient cave fossil
Heritage News, July - Oct 2008, Vol 5, Issue 4&5 , p11
The fossil of a mammal embedded in the cave wall at Naga Mas was found in 1992. It is thought to be a leopard or other cat. No tests have been done, but concrete steps leading up to the cave are overgrown, and the signboard erected by the Dept. of Museums and Antiquities is missing. -- Liz Price
Heritage News, July - Oct 2008, Vol 5, Issue 4&5 , p11
The fossil of a mammal embedded in the cave wall at Naga Mas was found in 1992. It is thought to be a leopard or other cat. No tests have been done, but concrete steps leading up to the cave are overgrown, and the signboard erected by the Dept. of Museums and Antiquities is missing. -- Liz Price
23 November 2008
Cave dwellers of modern times - BT
Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Still living down to earth as modern cave dwellers
One of the region's oldest human settlement (Top): A replica of the Perak Man dig site. Far from the crowd: Even today some people still choose to live in caves. (Above and Middle) In Malaysia, there are some people that have chosen a nice small dry cave and converted it into a home. Pictures: Liz Price
Sunday, November 23, 2008
WHEN humans first started walking on this planet, they used caves as shelters. Caves were ideal places as they provided shelter from the natural elements such as rain, storms, cold or heat. Often the caves chosen were on high ground or on hill slopes in valleys.
These provided a good view over the surrounding plains and countryside. From here the inhabitants could see any predators in the form of wild animals or other humans, and also see animals which were suitable for hunting.
At that time humans were hunter gatherers. These people belonged to a society whose primary subsistence method involved the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild. They foraged and hunted and probably lived a nomad lifestyle. They possibly hadn't started the process of domestication of plants or animals.
Traditionally men were the hunters of wild animals, and women the gatherers of plants for food, medicines and handcrafts. This way of life was in existence for some two million years, from the early Hominids during the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, through the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age until the start of the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
During that time people had stone tools. These were used as arrow and spear heads, and as cutting and scraping implements. So they were able to hunt large animals, and then prepare the carcass for various purposes. None of the animal was wasted as what couldn't be eaten was used in other ways, such as the skin for making clothes, and the sinews and bones used to make tools.
Man knew how to use fire, so was able to cook the meat and other foods, and later on could improve some tools by heat. It was a simple existence and probably quite comfortable if they had chosen a good cave.
Evidence of this lifestyle has been found by archaeologists from caves all over the world. Digging in caves has revealed plenty of remains of these ancient people.
Some caves show existence of prehistoric burials, others have remains of fire and food items. There might be old tools buried as well as jewellery used by those people. All these items can be dated to reveal how long ago people lived in those caves.
Cave man also spent his leisure time drawing paintings on the walls. Often these scenes depicted hunting parties and the animals that existed at that time. The oldest known cave paintings are in Europe and date back some 30,000 years.
Jumping forward to the present time, we find that humans still use caves. One of the most common uses is for religious purposes.
Temples and shrines are built into caves and provide peaceful places for worship and meditation. This is particularly common in caves around Southeast Asia.
Some caves are also used as homes for hermits and religious people who want to escape from the modern day world. Caves have been used as factories and stores and hideouts, especially during periods of war.
Today caves might be used as wine cellars (for storage), or for growing mushrooms or aging and storing cheese and wine, as they have a relatively constant temperature and absence of natural light.
Many of the more beautiful caves have been turned into commercial sites and fitted with electric lighting and walkways so the general public can enjoy the beauty of the underworld. These show caves are particularly popular and some really stunning examples can be seen throughout the world.
And even today some people still choose to live in caves. In Malaysia I've seen a few examples where people have chosen a nice small dry cave and converted it into a home. However more commonly people use cliffs and rock shelters; they build wooden houses in front of the cliff, using the natural wall as the back of the house.
There is a danger of course from rockfalls and there have been some tragedies in the past where cliff dwellers were killed by falling rocks. But over time people return and build new houses.
Of course today these cave dwellers don't have to hunt their food, they can simply go to the local shop or keep their own livestock and crops.
They even have an electric supply so can enjoy modern luxuries such as refrigerators and televisions. I've even seen a barber shop built into one cliff face and with the walls painted white, it provides a unique setting to have a hair cut.
Caves have been an important part of Man's existence since prehistoric times, and will probably continue to be used by people in the centuries to come. The Brunei Times
These provided a good view over the surrounding plains and countryside. From here the inhabitants could see any predators in the form of wild animals or other humans, and also see animals which were suitable for hunting.
At that time humans were hunter gatherers. These people belonged to a society whose primary subsistence method involved the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild. They foraged and hunted and probably lived a nomad lifestyle. They possibly hadn't started the process of domestication of plants or animals.
Traditionally men were the hunters of wild animals, and women the gatherers of plants for food, medicines and handcrafts. This way of life was in existence for some two million years, from the early Hominids during the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, through the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age until the start of the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
During that time people had stone tools. These were used as arrow and spear heads, and as cutting and scraping implements. So they were able to hunt large animals, and then prepare the carcass for various purposes. None of the animal was wasted as what couldn't be eaten was used in other ways, such as the skin for making clothes, and the sinews and bones used to make tools.
Man knew how to use fire, so was able to cook the meat and other foods, and later on could improve some tools by heat. It was a simple existence and probably quite comfortable if they had chosen a good cave.
Evidence of this lifestyle has been found by archaeologists from caves all over the world. Digging in caves has revealed plenty of remains of these ancient people.
Some caves show existence of prehistoric burials, others have remains of fire and food items. There might be old tools buried as well as jewellery used by those people. All these items can be dated to reveal how long ago people lived in those caves.
Cave man also spent his leisure time drawing paintings on the walls. Often these scenes depicted hunting parties and the animals that existed at that time. The oldest known cave paintings are in Europe and date back some 30,000 years.
Jumping forward to the present time, we find that humans still use caves. One of the most common uses is for religious purposes.
Temples and shrines are built into caves and provide peaceful places for worship and meditation. This is particularly common in caves around Southeast Asia.
Some caves are also used as homes for hermits and religious people who want to escape from the modern day world. Caves have been used as factories and stores and hideouts, especially during periods of war.
Today caves might be used as wine cellars (for storage), or for growing mushrooms or aging and storing cheese and wine, as they have a relatively constant temperature and absence of natural light.
Many of the more beautiful caves have been turned into commercial sites and fitted with electric lighting and walkways so the general public can enjoy the beauty of the underworld. These show caves are particularly popular and some really stunning examples can be seen throughout the world.
And even today some people still choose to live in caves. In Malaysia I've seen a few examples where people have chosen a nice small dry cave and converted it into a home. However more commonly people use cliffs and rock shelters; they build wooden houses in front of the cliff, using the natural wall as the back of the house.
There is a danger of course from rockfalls and there have been some tragedies in the past where cliff dwellers were killed by falling rocks. But over time people return and build new houses.
Of course today these cave dwellers don't have to hunt their food, they can simply go to the local shop or keep their own livestock and crops.
They even have an electric supply so can enjoy modern luxuries such as refrigerators and televisions. I've even seen a barber shop built into one cliff face and with the walls painted white, it provides a unique setting to have a hair cut.
Caves have been an important part of Man's existence since prehistoric times, and will probably continue to be used by people in the centuries to come. The Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/travel/2008/11/23/still_living_down_to_earth_as_modern_cave_dwellers
26 October 2008
Gua Naga Mas - letter WildAsia
No protection for ancient cave fossil
on Wild Asia's Message Board
In a cave known as Gua Naga Mas in Perak, Malaysia, there is a fossil of a mammal embedded in the cave wall. It was found in 1992. No real tests have been done, but the fossil is thought to be a leopard or other cat, and may date to the Pleistocene, 1.8 million to 10,000 years BP.
Even though the Dept of Museums and Antiquities erected a sign board at the base ofthe steps leading up to the cave, no stringent form of protection has been enforced. From her very first visit to the site in 1996, Liz Price was disheartened to see that pieces of the fossil have been unscrupulously removed over the years in her subsequent visits.
In Oct 2008, Liz went back to the cave again but discovered that the signboard had completely disappeared, and the steps were totally overgrown and were not to be seen. Also a factory has encroached right up to the hillslope.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Original URL: http://www.wildasia.net/main.cfm?page=msg&messageID=2405
Published: 22 October 2008
© 2008 WILD ASIA
All Rights Reserved
on Wild Asia's Message Board
In a cave known as Gua Naga Mas in Perak, Malaysia, there is a fossil of a mammal embedded in the cave wall. It was found in 1992. No real tests have been done, but the fossil is thought to be a leopard or other cat, and may date to the Pleistocene, 1.8 million to 10,000 years BP.
Even though the Dept of Museums and Antiquities erected a sign board at the base ofthe steps leading up to the cave, no stringent form of protection has been enforced. From her very first visit to the site in 1996, Liz Price was disheartened to see that pieces of the fossil have been unscrupulously removed over the years in her subsequent visits.
In Oct 2008, Liz went back to the cave again but discovered that the signboard had completely disappeared, and the steps were totally overgrown and were not to be seen. Also a factory has encroached right up to the hillslope.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Original URL: http://www.wildasia.net/main.cfm?page=msg&messageID=2405
Published: 22 October 2008
© 2008 WILD ASIA
All Rights Reserved
Isaan area, Thailand - Star
THE STAR
Lifestyle > Features
Saturday February 12, 2005
Life in Isaan
Story & Pictures By Liz Price
THE village street consisted of about 10 houses, and yet there was a hive of activity about the place. Women were going about their daily chores, which included making handicrafts. Animals lazed around.
The men were conspicuous by their absence. Obviously, they were taking time off, leaving the womenfolk to do all the work. Maybe they were working in the fields, although from what we had seen earlier, it seemed to be mostly women who were planting padi and attending to the corn. The men were sitting on the tractors watching!
This area of Khon Kaen is in the heart of Isaan country, Thailand. Isaan is a general term for north-eastern Thailand, from the Sanskrit name for the medieval kingdom “Isana”, which encompassed parts of Cambodia and north-eastern Thailand. The area is less developed than the rest of Thailand and has comparatively fewer tourists. There are many archaeological sites scattered around the 18 provinces which form the region, famous for its silk and cotton.
Among the work women do here is spin cotton.
The best silk in Thailand is said to come from the north-east, especially around Khon Kaen, Khorat and Roi Et. There are several silk-weaving towns and the finished products are cheaper than in other parts of Thailand. As we travelled round some of the villages in the rural area, we stopped at one small village where we could watch the whole weaving process. One lady was spinning the cotton, teasing out the knotty strands and winding them neatly onto a large spool. Although the cotton is still grown locally, and they still harvest silk from the silkworm cocoons, much of the materials used nowadays are bought from the town of Loei.
Other ladies were weaving the yarn on looms. The white cotton thread was wound around the large framework of the loom, and coloured yarn was woven in, according to the pattern. It was a laborious process requiring much patience and concentration. I was surprised to see one lady using green string to form the pattern of her material. This looked like the plastic string used so commonly in Malaysia and Thailand. I imagined this would give a rough feel to the finished product.
There are actually two methods: tie-dye, and ikat, in which the cotton is tie-dyed before the weaving. Many of the ladies wear the traditional skirts and blouses as part of their everyday attire. It reminded me of the Indonesian ikat. Most common is the geometric, diamond-grid pattern.
Some women were laying out chillies to dry in the sun; others were attending to the livestock which were relaxing under the stilted houses. It was all very peaceful. The children were obviously at school as there were none to be seen.
One villager came out with some sticky rice wrapped in leaves for us to try. I was still full from breakfast but I had to be polite and sample the offering. I enjoy trying the rice packets in Thailand as you never know what you’ll find inside – sometimes it’s sweet, and sometimes savoury . . . so it’s a pot luck affair.
Open stalls selling desserts.
We wandered down to the nearby river and it was quite busy with traffic, mostly of the non-vehicular kind. White ducks were paddling quite hard in an effort not to get swept downstream. The river was swollen from the previous night’s rain, and the water was brown, darker than kopi tarik. I wondered how the ducks stayed white.
Ladies were crossing the river with empty baskets on their way to the fields. Then a man came to the water’s edge with a small herd of cows. At first the cows looked reluctant to enter the water. They obviously knew it was deeper than usual, and were unsure of their footing. The one leading was persuaded into the swirling water and the rest followed suit. They looked quite comical swimming diagonally against the current.
Next to entertain us was a tractor with a few workers onboard. The tractors in these parts consist of a wooden platform which forms the trailer body, and then 2m-3m long handles lead to the tractor with the engine. It reminded me of the long-tailed boats so commonly seen in Thailand. We were in the heart of farming country.
By now it was time for lunch. Luckily, the Isaan have good food, the specialities being chicken and sausage. In fact, Isaan food is known for its pungency and choice of ingredients. We stopped at a series of roadside stalls, which were all selling spicy chicken. The chicken pieces were flattened and stuck onto bamboo skewers and grilled by the roadside. One enterprising lady had some skewered pieces of chicken and was standing at the roadside waving to entice passing motorists.
It worked, because we stopped. The chicken looked no different from the chicken sold at street stalls all over Thailand, but the taste was good. We ate it with glutinous rice and chilli sauce – simple, but delicious.
Later that day, we tried the som-tam, a spicy salad made with grated papaya, lime juice, garlic, fish sauce and fresh chillies. As the combination of tastes hits the palate, it is a shock to the system and makes the mouth tingle. But soon you warm up to it and tuck in.
That afternoon we found ourselves driving along the Wang Saphung to Udon Thani road. My guidebook mentioned a famous cave, and as it was only 2km off the road, we decided to have a look. There are signboards at the turn-off, but in fact you can clearly see the cave from several kilometres away. A large seated Buddha is at the entrance, which is high up the cliff face. Tham Erawan is one of the most famous caves in this area.
It is located by a wat (temple) of the same name. Having seen how high up the cliff the cave was, my two friends decided to stay in the car, leaving me to tackle the steps alone. Of course there was no mention of how many steps there were. The signboard only told of the legend of the lady with scented hair.
I began the climb and found that the flights of steps were interspersed with gentle slopes. As the trail wound around, it was impossible to see how much further I had to go as the cave was hidden from view. After much huffing and puffing I was relieved to reach the entrance with the huge sitting Buddha. Buddha gazes out over the plains and across to the other limestone hills in the distance.
The men here seem to take things easy, while the women do all the work.
The cave is huge, and there is an enormous chamber which slopes downwards. Luckily there was some electric lighting as I had stupidly left my torch in the car. There were a few very large stalagmites, and the roof was some 30m above my head. It was worth the effort of the climb as the cave size was so impressive. I wondered how many foreign tourists come here? Not many I imagine.
After we left the cave, we drove through very heavy rain, almost monsoon-like. Once the rain stopped, we were treated to a spectacular sight of a double rainbow. We thought this was wonderful. Later we were able to see the entire arch of one of the rainbows. We stopped the car and took many photos, but we were too near to get the whole arch in the viewfinder. It was quite a spectacular end to our day in Isaan country.
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Lifestyle > Features
Saturday February 12, 2005
Life in Isaan
Story & Pictures By Liz Price
THE village street consisted of about 10 houses, and yet there was a hive of activity about the place. Women were going about their daily chores, which included making handicrafts. Animals lazed around.
The men were conspicuous by their absence. Obviously, they were taking time off, leaving the womenfolk to do all the work. Maybe they were working in the fields, although from what we had seen earlier, it seemed to be mostly women who were planting padi and attending to the corn. The men were sitting on the tractors watching!
This area of Khon Kaen is in the heart of Isaan country, Thailand. Isaan is a general term for north-eastern Thailand, from the Sanskrit name for the medieval kingdom “Isana”, which encompassed parts of Cambodia and north-eastern Thailand. The area is less developed than the rest of Thailand and has comparatively fewer tourists. There are many archaeological sites scattered around the 18 provinces which form the region, famous for its silk and cotton.
Among the work women do here is spin cotton.
The best silk in Thailand is said to come from the north-east, especially around Khon Kaen, Khorat and Roi Et. There are several silk-weaving towns and the finished products are cheaper than in other parts of Thailand. As we travelled round some of the villages in the rural area, we stopped at one small village where we could watch the whole weaving process. One lady was spinning the cotton, teasing out the knotty strands and winding them neatly onto a large spool. Although the cotton is still grown locally, and they still harvest silk from the silkworm cocoons, much of the materials used nowadays are bought from the town of Loei.
Other ladies were weaving the yarn on looms. The white cotton thread was wound around the large framework of the loom, and coloured yarn was woven in, according to the pattern. It was a laborious process requiring much patience and concentration. I was surprised to see one lady using green string to form the pattern of her material. This looked like the plastic string used so commonly in Malaysia and Thailand. I imagined this would give a rough feel to the finished product.
There are actually two methods: tie-dye, and ikat, in which the cotton is tie-dyed before the weaving. Many of the ladies wear the traditional skirts and blouses as part of their everyday attire. It reminded me of the Indonesian ikat. Most common is the geometric, diamond-grid pattern.
Some women were laying out chillies to dry in the sun; others were attending to the livestock which were relaxing under the stilted houses. It was all very peaceful. The children were obviously at school as there were none to be seen.
One villager came out with some sticky rice wrapped in leaves for us to try. I was still full from breakfast but I had to be polite and sample the offering. I enjoy trying the rice packets in Thailand as you never know what you’ll find inside – sometimes it’s sweet, and sometimes savoury . . . so it’s a pot luck affair.
Open stalls selling desserts.
We wandered down to the nearby river and it was quite busy with traffic, mostly of the non-vehicular kind. White ducks were paddling quite hard in an effort not to get swept downstream. The river was swollen from the previous night’s rain, and the water was brown, darker than kopi tarik. I wondered how the ducks stayed white.
Ladies were crossing the river with empty baskets on their way to the fields. Then a man came to the water’s edge with a small herd of cows. At first the cows looked reluctant to enter the water. They obviously knew it was deeper than usual, and were unsure of their footing. The one leading was persuaded into the swirling water and the rest followed suit. They looked quite comical swimming diagonally against the current.
Next to entertain us was a tractor with a few workers onboard. The tractors in these parts consist of a wooden platform which forms the trailer body, and then 2m-3m long handles lead to the tractor with the engine. It reminded me of the long-tailed boats so commonly seen in Thailand. We were in the heart of farming country.
By now it was time for lunch. Luckily, the Isaan have good food, the specialities being chicken and sausage. In fact, Isaan food is known for its pungency and choice of ingredients. We stopped at a series of roadside stalls, which were all selling spicy chicken. The chicken pieces were flattened and stuck onto bamboo skewers and grilled by the roadside. One enterprising lady had some skewered pieces of chicken and was standing at the roadside waving to entice passing motorists.
It worked, because we stopped. The chicken looked no different from the chicken sold at street stalls all over Thailand, but the taste was good. We ate it with glutinous rice and chilli sauce – simple, but delicious.
Later that day, we tried the som-tam, a spicy salad made with grated papaya, lime juice, garlic, fish sauce and fresh chillies. As the combination of tastes hits the palate, it is a shock to the system and makes the mouth tingle. But soon you warm up to it and tuck in.
That afternoon we found ourselves driving along the Wang Saphung to Udon Thani road. My guidebook mentioned a famous cave, and as it was only 2km off the road, we decided to have a look. There are signboards at the turn-off, but in fact you can clearly see the cave from several kilometres away. A large seated Buddha is at the entrance, which is high up the cliff face. Tham Erawan is one of the most famous caves in this area.
It is located by a wat (temple) of the same name. Having seen how high up the cliff the cave was, my two friends decided to stay in the car, leaving me to tackle the steps alone. Of course there was no mention of how many steps there were. The signboard only told of the legend of the lady with scented hair.
I began the climb and found that the flights of steps were interspersed with gentle slopes. As the trail wound around, it was impossible to see how much further I had to go as the cave was hidden from view. After much huffing and puffing I was relieved to reach the entrance with the huge sitting Buddha. Buddha gazes out over the plains and across to the other limestone hills in the distance.
The men here seem to take things easy, while the women do all the work.
The cave is huge, and there is an enormous chamber which slopes downwards. Luckily there was some electric lighting as I had stupidly left my torch in the car. There were a few very large stalagmites, and the roof was some 30m above my head. It was worth the effort of the climb as the cave size was so impressive. I wondered how many foreign tourists come here? Not many I imagine.
After we left the cave, we drove through very heavy rain, almost monsoon-like. Once the rain stopped, we were treated to a spectacular sight of a double rainbow. We thought this was wonderful. Later we were able to see the entire arch of one of the rainbows. We stopped the car and took many photos, but we were too near to get the whole arch in the viewfinder. It was quite a spectacular end to our day in Isaan country.
Getting there© Liz Price
MAS and AirAsia fly to Bangkok. Within Thailand, there are lowcost domestic airlines flying to Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai. Buses and trains also serve these towns, departing from Bangkok. Khon Kaen is considered the “gateway”.
Driving is easy, as signboards are in English. The highways are also good.
The north-east is one of the drier places in Thailand, and the dry months are from Dec-May.
Compared to the rest of Thailand, the pace of life here is slower. People are friendlier in the Isaan provinces and although few speak English, travelling is easy.
Accommodation is easily available, from budget to top-end in the larger towns.
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