An Akha Legend About the Origin of Opium

Extract taken from 212 House of Opium – Golden Triangle Thailand 

Akha Legend Version 1 

......

There is an old Akha legend about the origin of opium

A long time ago there was a young girl so beautiful that she has many suitors 

Of all these, seven men impressed her

Then one day all seven men came to ask for her hand in marriage

The girl did not want to choose one from among them for fear of making the others sad and jealous

She therefore decided to make love to all seven men

Even though she knew that it would surely cause her death

she was happy to make this sacrifice

When she could endure it no more she asked for death and to be reincarnated as a beautiful flower

Before dying she told her relative to take good care of her grave, on which a beautiful flower would grow up from her heart. 

She said that whoever tasted the flower’s sap would like it and want more but that it would bear both good and evil 

.......

Akha Legend Version 2 

.......

A long time ago there was a young Akha girl who was very beautiful but who had such bad body odour that no men would come near her. 

She therefore had such a sad lonely life that she died brokenhearted 

Before dying she made a wish and asked her fellow villagers to take good care of her grave 

Later a beautiful flower grew up from her grave 

When anyone tried its sap they would want to taste it again and again but this sap, apart from giving amazing pleasure, it also cause terrible suffering

A Lua Tribe Legend on the Origin of Tobacco and Opium

If there is a reason I keep going into museums after museum no matter how small or crappy it looked like, it would be for reason like these where I sometime stumble onto the local stories or myths. In a way I am a story collector despite my poor memory, stories fascinates me and throughout the years I traveled, I have learn to listen and just listen. ( Or in this case ... read )

Extract taken from 212 House of Opium - Golden Triangle Thailand

.........

A long time ago a very elderly women died of old age

Before she died she asked that she be buried near a busy crossroad 

After her funeral two tobacco plant appeared on the grave above the women's breast 

and an opium plant grew above her loins 

The villagers saw these strange plants and tasted them 

henceforth liking the tobacco more than opium, they therefore planted it and smoked it 

this preference for tobacco was because it came from the old women breast and thus children when weaned of milk smoked tobacco instead 

.........

Chiang Sean & The Golden Triangle

Day-trip from Chiang Sean to the Golden Triangle was very easy since it was only 10km away. I seriously wonder why did the Golden Triangle attract so much tourist when its just a place with nothing much to see. The history of Poppy and the drug-lords at the golden triangle was interesting but with the internet nowadays, one do not require to go all the way to the place to read the same print out and pasted on the wall for tourism information. 

Golden Triangle Park - Thailand 

In fact those were a thing of the past and the golden triangle has undergone a peaceful change to sustainable agriculture under the Thai Royal Project. Maybe it was the rumors and myths that refuse to move on with the flowing of time hence I still get warnings from friends and family about the dangers of visiting the infamous golden triangle of south east asia. 

Golden Triangle Park - Thailand 

212 House of Opium - Golden Triangle Thailand 

Golden Triangle Marker - Border of Three Countries Thailand-Myanmar-Laos

I guess I got suckered into the tourist gimmick trend as well, a relatively small town packed with tourist buses taking pictures of built up monuments for the tourism photo shot. I contemplated taking a ride all the way to Mae Sai, the border of Thailand-Myanmar just for the heck of it but the many days of riding fatigue was starting to eat into me hence I stayed back to Chiang Sean. 

The Merging of Ruak & Mekong River which marks the border boundaries of Thailand-Myanmar-Laos
Hence The Golden Triangle

Bluey riding around the Opium Park at the Golden Triangle Thailand 

Chiang Sean however was a surprise. Initially I thought it was just a cheap place to stay since guesthouse at the Golden Triangle was very expensive but riding around Chiang Seen, the city feels like a mini mini Ayutthaya. 

A city moat wall, mini temple ruins, Buddha statue left abandon and somehow all these was blend into the city of Chiang Sean. If one was not observant these ancient ruins could be passes as an abandon building in a run down city. I passes a few temple ruins initially without even seeing it but once I knew what to look for, riding round and round this small town Chaing Sean was fun for half a day looking at the forgotten temples. 

A broken Budha Statue in Chiang Sean 

Chiang Sean 

Chiang Sean 

Night time was always dinner by the Mekong river looking over towards the Laos side. 

Dinner by the River in Chiang Sean 

The local Menu

Mekong Fish Cooked in Bamboo - Thai Style 

Little Night Market in Chiang Sean 

Traveled on: Jan 2019