Back in Chiang Mai
Trip Start
Dec 28, 2003
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Trip End
Aug 2004
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
3rd January
Met with the Explore group this morning at the Royal Hotel - I am sharing a room with Divina - great to have someone to talk to - I seem to have been speaking to myself all week!! It seems a good mix of people, with several of us joining the group in Bangkok and being single - I think we will have fun!! Pok, our group leader, is very funny - but it might take a day or two to get used to his accent! After putting our stuff in the rooms we sat by the pool for an hour, all the others were recovering from the flight, I remember the knackered feeling I had when I arrived!! Later on in the afternoon we went on a Longtail boat ride - I have already been on a trip like this, but its a good opportunity to get to know people and I was really glad I went as we took different river to the ones I took in the week and even stopped to feed the fish!
Night train to Chaing Mai
! We had a quick visit to Wat Arun and then took a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel. Divina and I decided to sit and have a beer and soon most of the others had joined us - I glad to see we all like a drink!! Ate at Skyhigh, which is almost next to the hotel - fantastic food - all for 200bt which is less than 3 pound! Had a quick walk to Khao San Road, where we drank a cocktail, then back to the hotel and bed!4th January
We visited the Grand Palace this morning - it was lovely, but so busy and VERY sparkly! The colours were absolutely amazing and it is one of those places that will not be done justice in photos and you have to see to believe!! We were all 'Watted' out by lunchtime as we also went to Wat Po this morning - too much for one morning!! Lunch was at Skyhigh (again!) as we had to walk past it on the way to Banglampoo market. I think the highlight of the day was the Magnum ice cream we had in the heat of the afternoon!!
Went to the station at 6.45 to settle in the train which left at 7.40. This was a fantastic experience - we had a party until the man came to make our beds. This was very clever - the seats were made into the bottom bunk and the top bunk was pulled down from the ceiling! The pillows and sheets were put on and hey presto - a bed!! I can't say they were the most comfortable, but it was very exciting and when it got light at 6.00 we were up and looking out of the window at hills and trees - very different from what we left in Bangkok!
5th January
Oh dear - school goes back today!!! Well what did I do instead of going back to work??!
Chaing Mai
! I arrived in Chiang Mai at 10.00 and after dumping our bits at the hotel we went to Doi Suthep temple. This is set high on the mountain and road to get there was amazing - continuously up with hairpin bends, but luckily no sheer drops!! We then had to climb about 300 steps and by the time I reached the top I was knackered!! But the temple and views were amazing! You can see for miles - unfortunately it was a little hazy so we could not see the mountains on the other side, but it really didn't matter! It was well worth the trip!After another fantastic (and cheap!) meal Pok gave us the briefing for the trek - sounds hard work but very exciting - lets wait and see!!
6th January
We left Chiang Mai and headed towards the northern hills. We drove for 4 hours and stopped in Pai for lunch. After another hour in the mini bus we stopped by a little village and began the trek!! We walked for 2 1/2 hours through the jungle - it was a fairly easy walk, just to break us in! We were joined by two other guides, including our Tibetan Trekking Machine - he would walk for hours and not stop!! Eventually we reached the village of Mae U Mong, a Karen village in the middle of nowhere it seemed!! Home was a big hut and the bathroom consisted of a hole in the ground, a bucket and some cold water - all the creature comforts on this trip!!!
Village
! Pok cooked us the most amazing meal - just using an open fire - we had so much food - there is no excuse for me not cooking at home now!!! We drank the local rice wine (moonshine!!!) which was rather lethal and sat around the camp fire outside. The funniest part was getting into bed - imagine no light except torches and trying to get into a silk liner and sleeping bag all of which is inside a mozzie net!!!!!!!! Took a while I can tell you!!!!!!!!!!!! Sleep was not the easiest thing in the world, especially when the chickens start at 2.30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!7th January
Woke up (after not a lot of sleep!!) absolutely freezing!! Pok had told us it would be cold at night, but no one believed him as it is so hot during the day! We ventured out of bed to find him cooking with two jumpers and a woolly hat on - who is the sensible one now?! I was so cold and tired this morning that when it came to taking my malaria tablet I took Imodium instead!!! After breakfast (waffles, scrambled egg, toast and rice soup (!) - how does he do it?) the women from the village came and set up their stalls to sell things - the handicrafts are beautifully made and so cheap, so its a shame not to buy something!
Today was major trek day - this morning we walked for 4 1/2 hours - 1 hour for lunch (tuna sandwich using bread from Tesco!!) and a further 2 1/2 hours afterwards
Night, Night!
. The walk was extremely hard - lots of hills - fantastic scenery, everything from bamboo forest to the sides of the hills to wading through rivers! An amazing day, but boy was I glad to reach our village (but I was very proud of myself for finishing!). Tonight home was a Red Lahu village called Pa Morn. Again no running water - a very cold shower using a scoop to throw water over yourself!! Pok cooked an amazing meal again - Thai green curry amongst other things - how the bloody hell does he do it with just an open fire and about two pots!!!We had a very special evening tonight - the local children came to visit and did a small concert for us - it was fantastic - they sang for about 15 minutes - no adult with them- and were all in traditional dress (except the naughty in the corner who had a Tinky Winky sweatshirt on!!) After they finished they sat down and waited for us to perform - we sang 'If You're Happy and you know it .......' and 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes ....' but we were no where as good as them!!! We also met with the head man, who is only 33, and he seemed a very charming man, but so many responsibilities!
8th January
Were woken up early again by chickens - how do these people sleep? We know each other really well now as we sleep in the same room right next to each other - blimey some people snore really loudly!
Village chief
! After another fantastic breakfast we went to visit the children in their school. I showed them the photos of my class at home and the younger ones were fascinated - it was lovely to see their smiling faces although they could speak no English and me no Thai!! It was great going into their school and we had collected a donation for them and I had the job of presenting it to the head, which was a priviledge. The head man gave us a tour of his village and you could tell he was extremely proud of it and his people.Then it was time for more walking!! Only 2 1/2 hours this morning (easy!!!), but unfortunately I was attacked by a thorn bush and had to stop and be dethorned by Pok - I have never seen so many thorns - there were hundreds!! So now I look like I have trekked through the jungle - my legs are a mess!!! Lunch was cooked in the middle of the jungle while we waited for the elephants to arrive!!!
I wasn't actually too sure about elephant riding - yes, I know I ride horses, but it was different on the elephant - 1) its a lot higher 2) how do you stop an elephant and 3) its very wobbly!!!!!!!!!!!
But I did get on and had a real shock - I thought an elephants head would be hard, but its really soft and we had to tread on it to climb into the basket!!! Anyway I made it on and Pok then said I could ride by myself as there was an extra elephant - I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not?
Trekking
! It did actually get better and Macarba (my elephant) was very well behaved - more than I could say for my driver - he kept going away from the others and walking through rough jungle instead of the paths!! Pok was a little worried where he was taking me so followed on foot - the others thought I had been sold to be a Thai bride and would never see me again!!! It was good fun anyway!! The great thing was riding into town on the back of an elephant - cool or what??!!Again it was time for a cold shower and after a tour of the village, it was time to eat again - Red Thai curry tonight!
9th January
Up early again (bloody chickens!!) and after breakfast some rode elephants and others walked to the meeting points (about 1 1/2 hours). The walking was fun this morning - we had to wear sandals and wade through a river in 5 different spots - it was fine for those who are tall, but for us shorties, it was a little hairy at times!!!
Eventually we reached the pick up and drove to Cave Lod. This was the most amazing cave I have ever seen (not that I have seen many) but this must be a good one!! It was huge, we had to climb almost 100 steps to reach the top areas to see thousand of years of cave paintings (going up was fine - coming down - not so good!!). It was full of stalagmites and stalactites and columns where they met - amazing!
After lunch we had a two hour drive to the river, where we picked up our rafts and spent a very relaxing 1 1/2 hours drifting down the river in peace - lovely to do nothing for a while. Arrived at Golden Pai Resort at about 6.00 and had the most wonderful shower and sit down toilet ever!!!!
Children
!The trekking has been absolutely brilliant - we have not seen another westerner all the time we have been in the jungle and have visited villages which would not normally be visited by outsiders - having Pok has made the trip special - he knows everyone!!
10th January
Had a bit of a lie in today! We were staying in the village where Pok was born and grew up - about 7km from Mae Hon Song. He gave us a guided tour of the village this morning - it was brilliant - something you would never be able to do by yourself - we went into peoples homes (he seems to be related to everyone!!) and met local people. We saw one of his 'aunties' working with soya bean paste - she works from 3am to 1pm everyday and earns 100bt (1.50!!) - she does this 7 days a week!!
Today is Childrens Day in Thailand - a day when all parents take their children out - there are fetes, parties and children can also go to visit places where they may want to work when they grow up - hospitals, forces etc. We went to the local school, where they were holding a huge fete and it was lovely to walk around, especially as there were no other westerners there! We watched the children play games - I think the funniest was egg and chopstick - how hard would that be!
In school
!Visited Wat Phra That Doi Kongmou next - a temple on the hill - this gave us an amazing view of Mae Hon Song and the very short runway we will be taking off from tomorrow!! Went into town afterwards and ate pizza (there are only so many noodles and curry you can eat and I have 3 months of this!!). Had another foot massage and she also did head and back - FANTASTIC!!
Went to Sabai Corner for dinner tonight - its a lovely outside restaurant - we paid 200bt for meal and taxi (less than 3.00) and we had so much food it was obscene! BIG SURPRISE - the man singing suddenly changed tunes to Happy Birthday and in came Jacob with a cake and candles and Pok with 18 red roses!!! I was really shocked and managed to blow the candles in one go!!! Thank you everyone!!! But it hadn't finished there this was still just Birthday Eve!! I will write about my birthday day next!!!
