December 16, 2006 Chiang Mai, Thailand

December 16, 2006
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Spizz and I woke up just before 8:00 and wandered over to meet up with the girls. Spizz, Jackie and I prepared for our 2-day trek while Lisa got ready for work. When we finished packing we headed for our pickup spot (Tigers place).

At 9:30 a song tao picked us up and we set out on our journey. On the way we picked up some other trekkers. As we drove toward the national park (about 2-hours away) we got to know our fellow tourists. Surprisingly, all four of them were from England. Even so, they were all very nice and we bonded quickly. All 7 of us were slightly disappointed that all of our driving was done in a song tao (we were under the impression that we would be in “proper air-conditioned vehicles”).

After many stops to pick up supplies (rice and whisky) we finally arrived at a small village. Before setting out for a waterfall we ate a quick lunch (bland fried rice). We walked for about 30 minutes before reaching the massive waterfall.

The first thing I did when we got there was follow a guide to the top and jump off a cliff into the water (about 30 feet or 10 meters). The water was surprisingly cold and the current was stronger than anticipated. Still, we had a great time playing around in the water.

Thirty minutes later we left the waterfall and hiked up a bunch of stairs where we waited for our song tao. As we waited for our ride we met another group traveling alongside us (9 others). When the trucks arrived we piled in and had a short drive to a temple.

We climbed a lot of stairs before reaching the wat. Along the way we saw many impressive faces and figures carved into the rock. The view from the top was awesome. After taking a bunch of pictures we slowly headed back down. As we descended our guides had us try several native fruits. Not surprisingly, they all tasted very bitter.

From there we got back into the trucks and drove for about 20 minutes. Eventually we came to a small store and purchased some water and snacks. When everyone finished making their purchases we set out on a big hike.

It was a beautiful trek. We spent 2 hours going up and down mountains. Along the way we took many small stops to wait for the slow members of the group and give the guides time to explain things. Just before reaching our destination, a Karen Tribe village, we ventured through a small rice paddy.

When we reached the village (about 16:45) many of the local children came to greet us and try to sell us things. Jackie and I refrained making any purchases but Spizz got me a pink scarf as a present.

We spent the next hour chilling out and setting up our beds. We all shared a room with a bunch of mattresses on the floor. At 18:30 we sat down and ate dinner. Once again the food was not as flavorful as most of the Thai food we have enjoyed. Even so, we were all so hungry that it tasted good.

After dinner we sat around our fire and had a few beers. The guides had us try some local moonshine whisky while we relaxed. Eventually an old man from the village that knew many magic tricks joined us. When he ran out of tricks we headed down to the other groups camp to hang out.

It was a short but treacherous walk. The magician led the way with a small candle as his light. We climbed over several fences and scurried down a few small cliffs. The other group had a much larger common area. We all sat around a fire and sang some songs while the guides played guitar. It seemed as though everyone except Jackie and I got quite drunk (especially Spizzle Stix). The highlight of the evening was a beautiful rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas.

At about 20:45 Jackie and I decided to head to bed. Our magician friend offered to lead us up the treacherous hill. When we reached to top he demanded a beer for his efforts. To tired to argue, we got him his alcohol.

When we opened the door to our room we were met by an unexpected sight. Pretesh, one of the English fellows, was in his bed snuggling with our guide! Felling slightly awkward, Jackie and I set up our mossie net and climbed into bed. About 10 minutes later the rest of the group followed.