Chiang Mai (Jungle Trek) - Day 78-80
Trip Start
Jan 31, 2008
1
61
251
Trip End
Ongoing
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Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Started the jungle trek today, we first drove around 2 hours on some twisty mountain roads through a big storm. First stop was a beautiful waterfall set back in the jungle. Went for a quick swim in the pool beneath the fall and a power shower under the cascading water. The water actually stung when it hit your skin, the fall must have been over 15 metres high.
After leaving the waterfall we drove for a further half hour before stopping for lunch. Then after eating, a 10 minute drive to a dirt track where we were dropped off to start the trek. Very glad to get out of the sawngthaew. Pretty uncomfortable vehicles to travel in for long periods.
Today was only a short one and half hour walk through the jungle to a hill tribe village called Maejok. The village is situated in the Nat Huaynamdung national park. We just made it to the village before the heavens opened again with another deluge.
We're staying in a hut close to a stream which is high and muddy due to the recent rainfall. I can hear the torrent of water pouring down the small valley while in the hut, should be a very peaceful way to fall a sleep this evening.
We have two French guys, a Swiss girl and six Brits on the trek. Quite a good mix of people, we all get along well which is lucky as we'll be spending the next 3 days together in very tight quarters.
This evenings meal is probably the best I've eaten in Thailand so far. Really, really good and lots of it too. After the fabulous meal we spent the evening with a couple of local guys playing silly match games which involve moving the matches a certain number of times to create an object or animal.
Jungle Waterfall
Strange games but rather addictive.Day 79 - 11/05/08
Today was a more strenuous day. A 9km walk in very heavy rain to Elephant camp with some reasonable ascents.
Still enjoyed the walk even though I was completely drenched. We passed through, thick jungle, fern meadows and a paddy field, very beautiful landscapes. When we approached the camp I saw my first Asian elephant's bathing in a small stream. Stopped raining when we arrived at camp which was much appreciated. We had a quick lunch of noodles and then set off on the back of the elephant's for a short trip to the village where we are staying tonight. The elephant ride was fun. A little bit precarious when going down steep hills but elephant's are so steady and sure on their feet for such big animals. The elephant's we rode are semi wild. They work in the morning and let loose in the afternoon to do their own thing.
The elephant's dropped us off, and we had a short walk to Pakawlam village. Which is quite a large village with a school and dozens of houses. The village even has a football pitch. The guys from the village wanted to have game so we accepted the challenge. Europe versus Thailand. We played for 2 hours until the sun set. Europe were triumphant of course.
Spent the evening playing drinking games with Chang beer. Lethal stuff at 6.4%. Quite an entertaining night!
Day 80 - 12/05/08
When we went to bed last night one of the British guys started snoring. Then he got out of bed and started sleep walking and talking about chilli sauce.
View of Jungle
Very funny! The French guys couldn't sleep due to these loud nasal sounds and started banging on the floor to try and wake him. The occasional French expletive could be heard being uttered under their breath, so amusing.Bamboo rafting today for 4 hours down the rapids of a river through the jungle. The rafts are very simple, and basically just lengths of bamboo strapped together with an A-frame on the front where we put our bags. The A-frame keeps our bags away from the water. Three people on the raft have long bamboo poles which are used to steer and propel the rafts.
Our group had two rafts. The raft I was on nearly capsized within 5 minutes of setting off in a rapid. I was the only person left on the raft. I didn't want to fall in as my cigarettes were in my pocket. Obviously a life or death situation, couldn't get them wet. We managed to get the raft pointing in the right direction again and we continued down stream. At one point the bags were just a couple of inches from the water. Disaster averted.
When my raft caught up with the other raft, we started to try and knock each other off with the bamboo poles we use to steer. Then we tried to board each others raft and cause some havoc. This behaviour continued for most of the day and by the time we reached the point where we needed to get off I was completely knackered.
We returned to Chiang Mai in the afternoon and I was dropped off at the Royal guest house. In the evening we went to an all you can eat BBQ with the guys from the trek. Really delicious and you cook you're own food on the grill which was pretty cool. Felt like I was back at home working in my parents take away shop.
Massive earthquake has just hit central China. It was felt in Thailand but I was in the river on the raft when it hit and didn't feel anything. It's killed 10000 people so far. Some horrible things have been happening around me in the last couple of weeks. I've been sandwiched between the cyclone in Burma and now the earthquake in China. Lucky really, I could have easily been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Comments
trek
ahh makes me want to go back to thailand...trek sounded great