Westerners/tourists/teachers usually go to Mae Sai only to renew their tourist visas (crossing the border into Myanmar gives you a 30 tourist visa upon coming back to Thailand). It's a strange town. Sarah and I were completely unaware that the town basically shuts down at 6pm and becomes a creepy ghost villa. People are there for the day to renew visas and hang out in Myanmar (which supposedly has loads of bootleg goods and casinos). I think a lot of the street vendors live over the border and need to return before it shuts for the night at 6pm. If they don't make it in time, they probably turn into pumpkins.
There are a few guest houses however, and we stayed in one called Monkey Island, run by an ex-German engineer who retired to Thailand. The whole experience was weird, and we didn't really like being in an abandoned-by-night town overall. The guest house had only four rooms and a communal bathroom. Along with our room key, we also had the keys to unlock the front entrance! (the owner seems to leave around 7pm or so). We had to walk through a "lounge" area with a pool table, bar, and bikes/motorbikes to get to the stairs leading up to the rooms. The dude who runs the place really trusts people I guess. The worst part was the bathroom. In order for the light to go on, you had to be inside and close the door behind you. After a few-second delay, you get a few horror movie flourescent flashes where I totally expected the girl from The Ring to emerge from the toilet with her black hair in her face. Yikes, not cool!
In the end, it was all good once it was over. We woke up the next morning with one final mission - - to visit the Golden Triangle! (photos coming soon)
the road to Myanmar:
a closer shot:
abandoned guesthouse across the street from Monkey Island:
the streets of Mae Sai, before everyone disappeared!
looking at Myanmar from Thailand. Country borders are strange...
3 comments:
o.k. Joey... If the isolated empty temple on top of the 700 step climb wasnt bad enough, now your in an abandoned village by night, in a guest house alone... are you sure the sign outside didnt say "The Bates Motel" I think its time to come down off the mountain, raise your tablets and say " Im going home to New Jersey
Good one, Peg!
Our family is cuckoo. For reals. (Yeah, and I don't care if you 2 loony birds see this!) :)
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