Yep it's treking time!!!
Picked up from our guest house 8:30am for our two day adventure of the jungles of Chiang Mai.
First up we drove out to the markets to get the food for the next few days and then it was into the jungle for an elephant ride. Yep i know we didn't want to do this after we experienced one of the worst things ever in Vietnam, but everyone was reasuuring us that the elephants are well looked after and it isn't cruel.
So boarded the elephant we did (we also brought some bannans to feed the elephant, so we didn't feel bad about it). and it was pretty cool! The elephant driver didn't have some big metal spike to jab the elephant with. Instead he would give instructions to the elephant and the elephant would happily go along (as long as he got some bannans for it) After a brief ride through the jungle it was down to a river and this was when the ride got AWESOME! I got to sit up front and drive the elephant!!! I was a pro directing the elephant this way and that and it happily walked along the river bed........( or maybe the elephant had done this so many times and you know what they say... an elephant never forgets).
After the elephant ride it was lunch. Stopped at a local house and they cooked us up.......yep you guessed it rice and chicken.
After lunch it was trekking time. We set off with our bamboo walking sticks into the jungle and treked for about 2 hours before we stopped at a waterfall for a dip. This waterfall wasn't as massive as the one in Vietnam, but was more peacefull and secluded. Jumped in for a swim and tried to stand under opportunity. Bec got some great photos.
After our swim it was back on to the trekking trail for another 2 hours to our overnight stay in one of the hill top tribe villages. Talk about a simple life, no traffic, no pollution (no electricity, no hot water!) just perfect......Except for the bloody rooster who woke us up at 5am!!!!
Dinner was cooked by our guide and it was amazing, green curry and yep chicken and rice, but this time we also had mixed veggies, so all good.
After dinner we sat around the candle light (did you expect electricty all the way up here) and had a few drinks with our guide and a local guy. They had heaps of match stick (bamboo sticks) tricks and problem solving games. I managed to solve one, but theres was no hope with others. I think they got a kick out of tricking the westerner with their party trick, so i didn't mind them getting the better of me.
Retired to bed which was a bungleow in the mountains (1,300 feet above sea level) with a mosquito net (AWESOME) and belive it or not, but it was a pretty good nights sleep.
Next day it was breakfast around the camp fire. Bec and I even got to help cook, which was cool. Then back on the treking trail for our decent down the mountain.
After a few hours we arrived at another waterfall and once again Bec and I jumped in for a refreshing swim. After the swim it was lunch back at the house we stopped at yesterday for a noodle dish with chicken, so relief there it wasn't rice.....
Next up was bamboo rafting time down the river. Bec jumped on to the middle of the raft and i was given a big bamboo stick and told "stand at back and paddle".........first up i was a bit wobbly on my feet, but then focused my mind and tuned myself into the teaching of the karate kid and performed a bit of Daniel Son at the back of the raft.
The ride down was pretty cool , we cruised through the rapids like they weren't even there and directed the raft safely to our final stop. Where we jumped back into our jeep and headed back to our guest house in Chiang Mai.
Next up is Phuket for 5 days of total relaxation can't wait!!!
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