Chiang Mai Trekking

Trip Start Sep 06, 2007
1
8
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Trip End Sep 04, 2008


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Thursday, September 27, 2007

We spent a few days in Bangkok securing our visas to Vietnam and then headed off to the North of Thailand, Chiang Mai, famous for its trekking.  On arrival we immediately felt different about this city.  It is not like any other city we have been in todate.  Chiang Mai is an authentic Thai city, it has no 'hassle' vendors and has not been western-ised like the rest of Thailand.  You really feel as though you have walked into an old western town in Central America.  The town itself is protected my an old moat and huge river.  After we had settled into our guesthouse we headed off to explore the city (this could be achieved in an hour)....  Next day we had arranged with a friend we met on the islands (Elvira) to take on a one-day Thai cookery course.  This was based on a Thai farm way out in the country.  It is a really beautiful place, we learned how to make loads of Thai food, none of which I can remember, but it all tasted great!  That night I headed out with Elvira and her other Belgian friends, while Fiona was not feeling too good (she still has not admitted the connection between her not feeling good and eating her own food).  We went to a bar on the river and it was the first time I have ever seen Thai people really partying!!! It was really funny!

We took it easy for a day but booked onto an elephant trekking course.  This was a real experience.  First we were made (which we paid for) climb a huge steep mountain to find a hill tribe, by the time we got there our thighs were shaking from the muscles we had to use to get there!  This tribe amounted to 100 people, of which each man has up to seven wives!! We then headed off to get our elephants, there were eight people in our group, two per elephant.  Of course while myself and Fiona were taking in the view, and looking at the elephants we ended up last to get on our elephant.  After a small struggle getting on, both of us noticed that our elephant didn't seem to want to follow or do what the other three elephants were doing.  It didn't help that our elephant master was 10 years of age and roaring like a hyena!  The look on our faces said it all.  We were sh**less!  We had to go through a river on the elephant but she didn't want to go, then all of a sudden she went down on her knees.  Fiona and I were staring up at the sky as we couldn't look down, we were sure we were going to go head first off the elephant into the water!!!  As it turned out, our elephant was heavily pregnant and will be giving birth next month.  No wonder she was in a bad mood. Not to forget, our safety strap had come off the back of the elephant and its a miracle we didn't end up in the water!!! Next we went onto see another tribe (by the side of the road, we have a different name for these tribes in Ireland!!! hehehehehehe) and onto a waterfall.

The highlight of the day was the bamboo rafting down rapids on a river.  This was mental.  We were basically put sitting on five bamboo sticks tied together (with twine!!!) and plunged into a river... we got saturated, but loved every minute of it!!!  The guide stood at the front and did his best to steer us clear of rocks, he only knocked our heads off enough random branches to cause concussion !! Our time ran short in Chiang Mai as our Thai visa's were running out.  We definitely would recommend this area to anyone planning on travelling to Thailand!!! :)
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