Trekking out Mae Raem
Trip Start
Nov 01, 2009
1
4
8
Trip End
Jul 01, 2010
Mae Raem,
Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Sunday, November 8, 2009
and we are loving it
. But nonetheless, we are hardcore travellers, and this was what we came here to do! Boon walked us around the incredibly poor tribe village, whose inhabitants are known as 'Karen people'. Women are expected to be married by as young as fifteen, certainly before twenty, and must wear white dresses until this time. Quite a culture shock. The whole village was surrounded by animals: pigs, chickens, dogs, cats... all of whom seemed to get along fight-free! It was beginning to get dark by this point, and the temperature gradually dropped until it became jumper-cold. The whole evening could only be described as a backpacker's dream... Eleven trekkers seated around a candle-lit wooden table chatting about each others lives and journeys, Thai guides cooking rice and green curry for dinner, one million bright stars in the clear black sky with a toasty campfire beneath it, but best of all, the feeling of true inner happiness. Bliss. However, when we woke up in the middle of the night freezing cold, despite the sleeping bags, and laying on a wooden floor in our jungle shack, bliss became less blissful... But only a little, because it's still a memory of a great adventure!'GOOD MORNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!' came the shout from Boon, around 6:45am, pretty much an hour after we'd finally managed to fall asleep. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, toast, and really yummy sweet little bananas
we wont forget this either
. At this time in the morning, the view of the mountains, trees and sun casting a gentle light over everything combined with that cold but fresh morning air was just beautiful. We trekked again for another three or four hours - a better walk than yesterday, as we took a route which ran alongside a river and lots of pretty waterfalls. It was brilliantly hot and sunny but bearable because we were shaded by the trees. Boon showed and talked to us about so much along the way: spiders we came across, rice fields we walked through, little plants that close when you touch them, amazingly tall trees with ladders running all the way up them and more. Again, the views beyond the trees were just breathtaking. We climbed steep mountains a lot of the way but the knowledge that we were making our way to a waterfall with a pool underneath definitely helped keep us going! We arrived there after midday and within seconds Ken and I were in. The water was freezing but we couldn't resist swimming right up to the waterfall and standing underneath! It was an amazing experience. After about 45 minutes we sat in the shade to eat lunch - noodle soup followed by fresh pineapple - then walked another couple of hours to a truck which led us to our next adventure... riding on elephants! We sat on them for an hour through the jungle and in the river... Quite a rocky experience! If we said 'Bon Bon' they would reach up their trunks for a banana... So sweet. :) Lastly, we made our way to another part of the river for a 45 minute ride on a raft made of bamboo - Ken asked the guide if he could steer, which was peaceful for about ten minutes until we met some rapids, crashed into a rock and stopped moving
en route
. I thought we were going to fall in the river for sure, but Ken heroically manouvered us free, only to find that just around the bend was a waterfall...! We were advised to jump onto the banks and be guided across the rocks to safety, but Ken being the ultimate adventurer thought it more worthwhile to actually stay on the raft and see what happens. Well, we sat on a raft, made of bamboo, and went down a waterfall. AHHHHHHHH!!! We got soaked, we all laughed, and it was SO much fun! And after this amazing day of adventure and laughter, it was time to go home. Despite the mosquito bites, the weary legs and the stinky toilet, our two day trek in Mae Raem, Northern Thailand, is an amazing memory we will never ever forget. The people we met were so lovely, the culture brought us right back down to earth, and the whole experience was uplifting.
We are now back in Chiang Mai, and in about two hours will be making our way to Laos by bus, followed by a two day boat ride. Today we wondered around Chiang Mai and felt we deserved a treat, so booked ourselves in for a relaxing Thai foot massage! The perfect end to an exhausting but FANTASTIC couple of days!
Comments
Wow, great blog, brilliant pics.