Today's trip went to Khao Yoi in the province of Petchaburi . Khao Yoi is about 90 km from Hua Hin and can be reached in an hour's drive on Highway No. 4 In Khao Yoi and a few surrounding villages living members of the Lao Song Dam, a 200 years ago from Vietnam and Laos next ethnic minority group. The Lao Song Dam , Thai Dam (Black Thai) were also called, are a Thai-speaking tribe in the valleys of the Dum-Daeng and rivers in northwest Vietnam. In that region Sipsong Chu Thai, now Dien Bien Phu to the Lao border, talking to their own separate communities. under King Taksin they were in 1779 Vietnamese prisoners of war to Thailand deported as and here in the villages around Petchaburi forcibly settled among others. Most Lao Song came in a second wave of resettlement 1826 Khao Yoi, King Rama III with a fresh attack in Vietnam remembered as.
The term Lao Song Dam has a lot to do with their clothing. "Song" originally meant trousers but was later adopted as a general term for clothing, and "Dam" means black. The men wear black trousers with buttoned black jackets. The women dress in a black buttoned closed Baumwollsarong along with dark blue blouses. Her long black hair they wear on their heads together put a Haardutt into which they weave sometimes even into fresh grass.
Their houses are wooden stilt houses standing lengthwise, with the reed plates are covered out of each other. The roof is in its base from an always odd arrangement of bamboo bars and points in its outer shape of a turtle back, because the turtle enjoys among the Lao song in high regard. The raised living area is reached by a wooden staircase railing loose. Up there, there is always a pleasant living environment, since construction and the use of pure natural materials never gets hot is the open is through. The floor plan is divided into three parts and consists of an open wooden porch to the front side, a large central living and sleeping area and a rear compartment space for the house spirit. There are no windows, no room and no doors.
The space underneath the house consists of a clean work surface for everyday tasks such as cooking, weaving, spinning.
Tools and household utensils are made exclusively of natural materials such as bamboo, wood and clay made with bamboo is the base material. For example, many kitchen and attachments are made of bamboo, yes, bamboo is even - in addition to sticky rice - a staple ingredient of their cuisine.
The main source of income for Lao song is the cultivation of rice, which is why their settlements are preferably near water courses. They also like to live in close proximity to a mountain, because they believe that Thaen, the highest spirit lives on mountain peaks.
Although they are Buddhists, they maintain a strong belief in spirits and a lively practice ancestor worship. In each house there is a Lao song dedicated space for the house spirits and the spirits of the ancestors, which may be accessed by any unauthorized person.
Involved in their traditional ways of life they feel obligated to a life in harmony with nature and the environment. They are based on the four proclaimed by Buddha basic needs like food, clothing, housing and employment and pursue a self-sufficient lifestyle.
The Lao Song of Khao Yoi have until the present day preserved their cultural identity in and still practicing their traditional customs and rites. This may be interested in attending their local cultural center ("Sum Watanatam Thai Song Dam Khao Yoi") each witness. Here you can visit their store buildings and their craftsmanship and insight into their ways of life to receive. It is a nice quiet garden with 12 model homes and a central event pavilion.
Old women in black dresses run looms before making their Sarongröcke. Others explain the production of silk and show in a tiny Tiki Tray feeding silkworms with chopped mulberry leaves. In addition are the cocoons of caterpillars and have developed a fierce ball of bad disentangled raw silk that is wound on a spindle.
Of a charcoal grill, there are "giab Khao", a flat bread like sweet glutinous rice flour and coconut milk from Knabberspezialität that tastes delicious.
In a large saucepan over a circular grill schmurgelt a curry dish made with cooked pork and bamboo Pla raa (fermented fish sauce). This fragrant sticky rice is served. Getting used to a snack.
After dinner the guest can enjoy a glass of Klebreiswein, which is derived from a deep-bellied Tonkalebasse. It is a cloudy liquid which is obtained by addition of yeast from a fermented Klebreismasse. It tastes fruity and reminiscent of young white spring and reportedly contains no alcohol.
Well it is now strengthened the shindig. On the main stage is already a couple of old women sit in rows and a bamboo wind instrument right mood for the show. Shown is untangling a ball of hair and the artistic re-plugging of the hair by means of a single hairpin. Thereafter, the application of a sewn together Rocksarongs demonstrates what looks easy.
But fail helplessly as two voluntary visitors on stage with their attempts to recognize the awkwardness of the matter. Now the ice is broken and you throw in clever vortex throws to feather-filled cotton balls. This is a game that goes back to an ancient rite of friendship between young men and women. It's called "In Gon," and according to tradition, the catcher must dance the ball with the thrower. Now come the old women dancing down from the stage and mingle with the audience. The bamboo wind instruments to play and the spectators lined up in the old folk dances and try to imitate the swaying body movements and facial expressions of the dancers delicately twisted fingers.
The Cultural Center is supported with funds from the provincial government. Unfortunately, insufficient. Of the 12 model homes 10 in a visible state of disrepair. The supporting wooden pillars of the houses are all infested with termites and all the roofs have severe damage. A reed roof must be renewed every 4 years, but unfortunately this is no money.
In Khao Yoi and surrounding communities now live 8000 Lao Song Dam. Every April, celebrates the small community with the traditional New Year celebrations their biggest festival. Then also meet Lao song from other parts of Thailand here.
Outside the cultural center there in the Wat Yang school is a small ethnographic museum, where you can see pieces from the collection Lao Song culture. Exhibits include weaving looms, rice mills, traditional costumes, basketry and pottery. With luck, visitors can when teaching students to be there that are still taught in traditional knowledge and folklore know the traditional dances.
The cultural center is open daily. The visit is free. By telephone arrangement offers demonstrations and dances, has to be paid for according to performance-Cents. The visitor can stay for only 100 baht in one of the two model houses are still intact. However, there are no beds and no mosquito nets. Sleep on soft mattresses mats that lie on the bare wooden floor. Washrooms and toilets are available.
From Hua Hin drive along Highway No. 4 towards Bangkok. It's on Petchburi and reached after another 25 kilometers Khao Yoi. Here we use the U-turn and goes back about half a mile. Before the rock solid, turn left. The Cultural Centre is signposted here.
After a curve to reach the right hand of Khao Yoi Höhlen wat. You drive past it and turn behind the plate to the right.
Follow the narrow Betonsträßchen and takes in another fork in the road to the left. At the end of the lane, turn left and reached after about 100 meters, the cultural center.
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