Chiang Mai and the Omkoi region

Before I left the U.S. I was lucky enough to have been given some international contacts by friends and family whom I'd be able to reach out to while on my travels. The possibility of sharing a cup of coffee or going to an off-the-beaten-track spot with a local in a foreign land was, and still is, really exciting. Some of these contacts have worked out and some have not.


I was really hoping to get in touch with one in particular so much that I gambled and booked a last minute flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand where I'd take my chances finding him. Fifteen hours after landing in Chiang Mai I was in the back seat of a pickup heading south into the mountains of the Omkoi region to provide volunteer work for a local tribe through a remarkable Christian organization. So yes, my contact worked out (in a big way) and he sparked what would be the most inspiring and rewarding four days of my travels thus far...and that's all before spooning a 400 lb tiger!


"I've been coming here since I was a kid" says Mike Mann to me as he ate and I fumbled with my chopsticks at a stop four hours into our seven hour trek. He then orders us another bowl of bami mu daeng in perfect fluent Thai. Mike, my contact from Chiang Mai, is the director of Integrated Tribal Development Program (ITDP) whose goal is to provide clean water and sanitation to the hill tribes of northern Thailand.


Mike is also working with Lanna Cafe and has created the first fair trade Co-Op in Thailand. An extremely busy person, he is always more than ready for business with phone in hand. In fact, the one email string we exchanged (or so I thought) a few months ago wasn't with him but with his wife Becky (whom also works with ITDP). I didn't find this out till later but quickly realized why.


On this particular trip, Mike was heading up to rendezvous with a group of missionaries from California and I was fortunate enough to lend a helping hand in the work they were doing with the Karen (pronounced Karihn) tribe in Mo Ho Jo.


When we first arrived in Mo Ho Jo I was immediately fascinated with the beauty of the surrounding mountains.


I was also surprised to see a large school building perched just above the village because I couldn't imagine how any building material was brought up the steep and narrow dirt road. Well they brought it up (the first time with elephants over a decade ago), missionaries from around the world have been doing work here since, and Mo Ho Jo has seen an immense amount of development thanks to ITDP and its volunteers.


It is amazing, in any culture, to see a people rise above a common "plague" and become a more unified society. In the case of Mo Ho Jo, the "plague" is opium (popular with many tribes in this region) and the unifying force is Jesus Christ.


There is still a lot of work to be done but slowly opium is becoming a crop of the past, new crops like coffee are becoming more and more desirable, and tribes are beginning to see the "pros" of a good cash crop and the "cons" of drugs.


After settling in with a local Karen family, it was time to meet my co-workers for the next few days. Getting up early was the norm and waking up to first light, a nearby rooster, or a sneezing dog was pretty normal.


Fourteen of us (Brian, Zak, Matt, Darilyn, Ed, Kelly, Eric, Darlene, Jerry, Heather, John, Melissa, and Emily) worked closely most of the time and other times had to wait for dinner to find out what kind work we had done that day.


One of our tasks involved widening the narrow road by chipping away at a massive rock wall (by hand) so tractors could safely pass through to collect coffee from the village.


This was a ridiculously tough task which humbled me on various occasions throughout the day.


Other tasks (some which I did not perform) include working on a water irrigation system, painting, providing medical services, and construction.


Every task was done knowing the Karen people would be benefitting. They also worked with us on certain tasks aside from their everyday duties showing us how much they are willing to do for progress.


I really enjoyed the hard work and it was fun to push myself physically since nowadays my exercise involves a random hike or carrying my pack through a crowded city. Missions are primarily geared towards building something tangible but I was glad to see an emphasis on the importance of building relationships with the tribe members and each other.


I can confidently say I have made new friends in California. Everyone in the Fresno team was so genuinely friendly, accommodating, and generous and it touches me to have met such great people.


The Karen people were also incredible and I am honored to have participated in one particular occasion. After a long day working on the roadside rock and the ongoing school project, I decided to take a few pictures around the school.


One of the ITDP employees (a Karen man) pointed to the back of his scooter suggesting I get on. I ask no questions and before I know it we are cruising down the hill into town. He tells me there is a wedding in the village and he's taking me somewhere to eat. Next thing I know I am sitting on the floor with the bride's family eating some deliciously spicy food and sampling the locally made rice whisky.


I bombarded my host with questions mainly having to do with the food and wedding which he answered in what I think was broken English? Again, everyone was so friendly, welcoming, and generous especially on their daughter's wedding day. I asked if the bride was nearby and right then and there she walked out. She was young and beautiful and somehow was able to take a picture with her.


The whole experience was fascinating! We said goodbye to the Karen people on our last day, thanked our hut hosts for their hospitality, and gave them thank you gifts.


We would make the seven-plus hour drive to Chiang Mai where we would stay until the Fresno crew went back to the States.


Before that we would have a few amazing dinners, walk the nearby bazaars, mingle with soccer-playing elephants, and my favorite, stepped inside a cage with 400 lb tigers.


It was a bit terrifying at first but as soon as I started stroking these giant cats I felt more at ease. They are not sedated but well fed and it was so breathtaking to see them up close.


Circling back some, the Karen have had much hardship throughout their existence and have endured a great deal.


For the Karen in Mo Ho Jo there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to ITDP.


Let's hope the same can be done for the other hill tribes in Thailand.


If you would like to find out more about ITDP or Lanna Cafe please see the following links: ITDP http://itdp.webs.com/ Lanna Cafe http://www.lannacafeusa.org/ipad.php


Again, I'd like to thank Mike Mann for the opportunity to join the Fresno team and a BIG BIG thanks to Kelly Weaver who put me in contact with Mike in the first place. God bless!