Rooks Holiday Mae Hong Son

<br>Suite de la descente en rafting sur la riviere Pai, la jungle est magnifique , on peut entendre les Gibons (singes) chanter a la cime des arbres, des papillons magnifiques, des oiseaux multicolores comme le KingFisher.<br><br>Et nous avons mange des guepes... Hakuna Matata !<br><br ...

... the things that are simply lost in translation...how do you move a couch on a motorbike....well you do here. How do you drive a motorbike full speed, with no helmet, a skirt on and 3 passengers....sweet as. Ha or where swine flu masks are trendy, and come in all shapes and sizes....some with a pigs face! Or the finer details like how do ladies here manage to sit side saddle on he back of a bike, and always look so graceful....I just can't do it and end up looking rather masculine ...

... well knows most forms of transport don't mix well with my innate lack of co-ordination....I'm holding off trying that option for now. He offered me a van, but again I don't really want to drive here. He must think I'm a total wimp! I hired a bicycle today....not exactly my favourite method of transport either, but I needed something. The guy at the cycle shop was a bit worried about me when he saw how pathetically unsteady I was on the ...

... me carrying a Hand Gun as well if I liked. Jaye was scared, but as usual, gave the green light after a serious private safety discussion. So next morning we were to depart on a 3 day Trek, just us and 2 guides (and one dog as the other 2 have recently been killed fighting monkeys in the Jungle). Day 1- 6 hours walking, about 40 kms. Jaye had no shoes, but was taken to the market first thing to buy $2 rubber shoes (4wd ones they call them here ...

... falling over to one side. She became very upset and admonished me for making fun of the "primitive people". I can see how she might have misinterpreted my intentions and I suppose this sort of cultural miscommunication is unavoidable in certain circumstances, especially with a language barrier. It's clear that as I venture into less Westerner-friendly areas I need to be more sensitive to social mores. This morning I went for a run in my usual running ...

... raise its trunk and we put some food in it which was quite good. At one point we even crossed a shallow river and were sprayed!! After another short drive, we had lunch before embarking on our trek. The trek was about 3hrs of walking. We were accompanied by a trek leader and 2 local men who were to carry our water and any other group items. As this was the first day it was mainly uphill. This added with the humidity and heat did sometimes make ...

... a slight short cut through the southern stretch of the journey. This was ideal really, the roads quieted down and the scenery began to change. Amusingly enough, our first break on the way was at a Tesco supermarket.. we odd, just like the one's back home! So much for getting off the beaten track! More to follow.. Next step Songkhan.. Photos for the 'the loop' on Flickr..

Dreaming, they say, is the mind's playground. At Doi Suthep, where I don't even allow my mind the luxury of getting up and stretching its legs during the day, dreaming becomes more like Disneyworld, a rollicking and hyperactive theme park filled with roller coasters, thrill rides, and neon lights. I remember this from years ago, when I used to spend weeks camping in the back country. When you divorce the mind from its regular sensory stimulation, like ...

... As is our preference (thank gawd for the dysentry-preventing effects of Ducoral) we ate local food from the many vendors. Wonderful, tangy grilled meats, spicy papaya salad, and the most sinfully sweet little pancakes filled with creamy coconut yumminess. Zoe enjoyed sticky rice and bananas and Liza munched on a paper thin crepe with fresh bananas. Yes, we need to go on a diet when we return. Liza says that despite this penance every "sinful ...

I landed in Pai with Ian, after a funny 3h trip in a really winding road. We got a couple of bungalows along the riverside and here we are chilling out a bit from a long trip! Actually Pai is a very small village (4 streets really!) in the heart of the golden triangle (...with all its consequences! ;-)), pretty hippy and laid back, famous for night live music. We ...