Phatthalung, Thailand
Our first real stop in Thailand, and already a treat was in store for us!
As was the case in Malaysia, hitchhiking in Thailand has been working out for us brilliantly so far.
We ended up getting picked up by a couple of journalists, who were on their way to carry out an assignment on the "jungle people", as they were called.
As we soon discovered, there were other folks, different from the Thai we typically imagine, who also inhabit this beautiful country. These people, however, haven't completely been integrated into Thai society, and still live in the jungle.
It was really interesting for me, because they looked like Africans. I had questions for the researchers, but none that could really be answered. I still wonder, "Where did they come from?", "How long have they been in the jungle?", and "Why do they look so different from other Thai?"
Researchers apparently "discovered" them only 2 years ago, and have been working to get them integrated into Thai society.
It was an experience, for sure. Still, I would have liked to have been able to communicate with them a bit more. Impossible, though. The poor boys were shy and pretty stand-offish. Understandable, since many folk just come to stare at them, most of the time.
Let's just hope for a prosperous future for these "jungle people".
Le stop en Thailande, s est aussi facile que les autres pays, sauf que ici, il y a tres peu de gens qui parlent Anglais. Mais encore une fois, la chance etait de notre cote, on rencontra sur la route deux reporters de la television Thailandaise qui partaient faire un reportage sur un peuple vivant dans la foret depuis assez longtemps.
Ils viennent tout juste d etre decouvert, il y a a peine 2 ans, quelques chercheurs sont partis voir comment ils vivaient et ils sont fait un petit bouquin. Pour les rencontrer, des gens du village le plus proche les avaient invite justement pour que ces 2 reporters fassent leur travail, et nous bien-sur on s etait fait embarque dans l aventure "des hommes de la jungle".
Ils etaient pas trop communicatif, car d une part moi le Thai, c est pas encore la langue que je parle le mieu et ils etaient tres timides aussi. Je peux aussi imaginer ces pauvres jeunes garcons etant regarde comme des animaux, je me sentirais pas forcement tres a l aise.
