Mountain Inn Mae Hong Son

... steer and off we went. It was really nice, the rafts were more sturdy than i thought they would have been. At some points we came much too close to hitting a rock or something but we did fine and no one fell in. After the river we had lunch and then got driven to a waterfall. It was freeeeezing. It was nice though and it was good to do it, like a jungle man washing in a natural bath. We did ...

... a day ($10 NZ) as there is not many tourists about. Today was a day off for Long, so I had my own personal guide, deal was I pay for the petrol. We drove every where in the area, visited water falls, villages, elephant villages, rice fields and just drove, the sun was shining. Long explained to me basic jungle survival skills, what plants you use for what aliments. We both laughed at the cultural juxtapositions from driving through Mon villages where they have a polygamous society ...

... this through - Travel to Teach). Dennis said in most of their locations in Thailand they have a co-ordinator like him and several volunteers (who teach in pairs)...unfortunately, trust me to pick one of their least popular outposts, I'm here all alone. Still I count myself lucky as the area is stunning....I'm already falling in love with the place. Mae Hong Son is a small town, nestled in the misty mountains. Much quieter than Chiang ...

... else there. Then Hamish decided he would like to do a trek and chose the first trek company we found, this turned out to be an amazing experience, we will not forget, and are happy to be sitting here having survived 3 days with Mr Chart. http://www.trekpai.com/ was the company, Mr Chart the man. Kind of like a bush tucker man We walked into his shop front, was given garlic Cicadas and whiskey to drink and told about the Trek, complete with offers ...

On friday morning we left for the mounatins. After a 2hr drive west from chiang mai we first stopped at an elephant riding area. In pairs we were able to ride the elephants with an instructer on the front. We each bought some bananas and sugar cane to give the elephant during the walk. In total the walk was about 45 mins which was quite good and were even able to sit on the front of the elephant on top of the neck. Every few mins the elephant ...

... apparently managed to curtail this but it now means a lot of drugs flow into Thailand from Burma. The military and police check points along the way were evidence of that. At MHS I managed to see some incredible temples one having hundreds of steps leading up to it and the steps were flanked by what looked like dragons which huge tails stretching all the way to the top. This was really just a lunch stop on the way to Pai.

... about what to do when I get lost in thoughts, he points to his heart, not his head. One night, I realize that meditation leads to mindfulness, and mindfulness reveals suffering. But that's not a bad thing, because the recognition of suffering is a potential pathway to healing and an opportunity for compassion and forgiveness, mostly for myself. And apparently, that's something I need to work on. Coming Soon: Part VII: The Ghost Inside

... bungalows were Shan-style, set on stilts in the forest. Kind of like living in a tree house!! Our favourite companions while we were there were the dogs. Six very special guests who help keep the place safe and offer guide services when you head off into the adjacent national park. The two puppies were especially cute!! Our first day was spent exploring the town - it's morning market, the beautiful lake and temples and then later on, the night ...

... aldeia tipica da montanha - vamos ver tb as "mulheres girafa" esta tudo a correr bem (hoje passamos a tarde nas montanhas, dentro da piscina) e temos comido bem e dormido melhor! e para ja e tudo (nota: ainda so temos uma entrada / obrigado Isabel)