Kissing Solid Ground
I know this probably means very little to most of you, but I was away for the past three days - well, even more away than I am in general. I've just returned from a three day trek and I've had such a magnificent time.
On Monday morning we left the guesthouse at 10A in a Songtao with our other trekkers in tow. Our motley crew consisted of me, Stacy (the girl from England I'm bunking with), Lucy and Laura (two Brits on holiday post-college), Conor and Jillian (a lovely young Irish couple - he just finished grad school), and Jan (a Dutch Undertaker!). We headed to the market to pick up supplies and food for three days and then drove into the jungle along one of the bumpiest roads I've ever been on. Although I was nearly sick when we arrived, I happily jumped out and landed on my feet by a river.
We had a bit of lunch and trapsed into the jungle for a good hour or so and then we had an elephant ride! It was an hour long and honestly, it was really hard work. We weren't strapped in or anything, so you're holding on for dear life and the beast you're on is just lumbering all over the place. Stacy and I rode together on Noy. The other twosomes had a guide on with them, but we didn't so I got to sit on the head with my legs tucked behind her ears. I was shaking so hard at first and when we dipped down to cross the river I thought I was going to tumble off the ol' girl! Because I couldn't take pictures of myself, everyone else took them of eachother. In all the pictures my mouth is agape because I laughed the whole time. It was such good fun!
(My camera battery died after the elephants, so you'll have to wait for pictures of this until I get some from Jan.)
We walked for a couple more hours and ended up in a hill tribe village for the night. Our bamboo hut had three areas: a kitchen, a central common room, and sleeping quarters. The common room had a spot for a fire right in the center and the roof had no ventilation and the whole structure was on stilts. I think at home this would never pass code!
Once we got there I sat on top of the most amazing mountain and rested with my journal. A village woman and five young children came to me and sat to *talk*. We introduced ourselves and the little girl was amazed at my fingernails. She showed the other children and they took turns holding my hands and rubbing my fingernails on their cheeks - laughing the whole time! They pulled my toe ring off and put it on each little finger in turn, and then the smallest girl opened my journal and flipped each page. She marvelled at my writing and when I took her little hands and traced them in my book to show her the size of her fingers on paper, she smiled the most beautiful smile with her whole body - her tiny eyes just glowed with delight.
Our *beds* were mats on bamboo and our bathrooms...? Well...? They were holes in the ground and a spigot with the iciest water I've ever experienced. Our tourguide, Kai, and his wife, Honey (Naka), treated us very well. Honey did the cooking and Kai was the only one who spoke English. After our meal we sat around the fire and sang songs as Kai attempted to play the guitar - he was really, really bad! :) Kai was really proud of his wife and kept telling us how he met her in this particular hill tribe only two months ago - and she's 20 (he's 36) - and they got married straight away. They really do adore eachother though, it's so easy to tell.
Children came and danced and sang traditional songs and we all slept pretty terribly in our makeshift beds...
The next day we trekked for a couple hours and went to a waterfall for a swim - and then another hour to a second waterfall. The water was cold, but heavenly as it's so very hot here! After another couple hours we were at the second night's camp and this time we were pretty much alone.
There were two sisters there who lived in the camp and (I think) their brother, too. We had dinner and then sat around the campfire talking until late in the evening. There were three little puppies there who wanted to sleep in our laps and one of the women taught me the coolest trick with just a loop of string. (I'll look forward to amazing you once I get back!)
This morning we left camp and after a short hike we went whitewater rafting. I wasn't scared at all to go, but just after we got on (yes, we were wearing helmets!) the boat flipped and I got caught underneath it. I couldn't really get out and swallowed a whole bunch of water, but once I did resurface and choked for a bit, I was fine but shaken. I got back on the horse and rode the rest of the time - it ended up being so wonderful! Stacy is a bit of a hypochondriac (sp?) and yelled at Jan for paddling and talked the whole time about her "near death" experience. It drove me a bit batty!
When we got off that raft, we went bamboo rafting and I took the piece of bamboo from one of the guides and directed the boat. They were really amused by this and kept trying to tip the thing over, making Stacy shout out.
After lunch and a long truck ride back, we arrived at the guesthouse and the first thing I did was shower, put on deoderant and Jasmine oil, and CLEAN CLOTHES! I dropped off some laundry and came here, to the Internet Cafe, to check in with life.
I can't tell you how great this experience was and hey, I'm a master at peeing in the woods now! Anyone who likes to hike should try to do this because it was challenging enough to be fun, but also really relaxed at times. I felt like an explorer... and the group of people I shared this experience were just the best. We sang Christmas carols in the jungle of Thailand!
I don't know if I'll give my sore muscles a day of rest or go to start my cooking course tomorrow - I've decided to do three days of it and that way I'll get to learn the fruit carving, too. There has been talk between Stacy and I of finding a pool to lay... and I must admit that it does sound heavenly!
***6:17P, Wednesday, Internet Cafe, Chiang Mai, Thailand
On Monday morning we left the guesthouse at 10A in a Songtao with our other trekkers in tow. Our motley crew consisted of me, Stacy (the girl from England I'm bunking with), Lucy and Laura (two Brits on holiday post-college), Conor and Jillian (a lovely young Irish couple - he just finished grad school), and Jan (a Dutch Undertaker!). We headed to the market to pick up supplies and food for three days and then drove into the jungle along one of the bumpiest roads I've ever been on. Although I was nearly sick when we arrived, I happily jumped out and landed on my feet by a river.
We had a bit of lunch and trapsed into the jungle for a good hour or so and then we had an elephant ride! It was an hour long and honestly, it was really hard work. We weren't strapped in or anything, so you're holding on for dear life and the beast you're on is just lumbering all over the place. Stacy and I rode together on Noy. The other twosomes had a guide on with them, but we didn't so I got to sit on the head with my legs tucked behind her ears. I was shaking so hard at first and when we dipped down to cross the river I thought I was going to tumble off the ol' girl! Because I couldn't take pictures of myself, everyone else took them of eachother. In all the pictures my mouth is agape because I laughed the whole time. It was such good fun!
(My camera battery died after the elephants, so you'll have to wait for pictures of this until I get some from Jan.)
We walked for a couple more hours and ended up in a hill tribe village for the night. Our bamboo hut had three areas: a kitchen, a central common room, and sleeping quarters. The common room had a spot for a fire right in the center and the roof had no ventilation and the whole structure was on stilts. I think at home this would never pass code!
Once we got there I sat on top of the most amazing mountain and rested with my journal. A village woman and five young children came to me and sat to *talk*. We introduced ourselves and the little girl was amazed at my fingernails. She showed the other children and they took turns holding my hands and rubbing my fingernails on their cheeks - laughing the whole time! They pulled my toe ring off and put it on each little finger in turn, and then the smallest girl opened my journal and flipped each page. She marvelled at my writing and when I took her little hands and traced them in my book to show her the size of her fingers on paper, she smiled the most beautiful smile with her whole body - her tiny eyes just glowed with delight.
Our *beds* were mats on bamboo and our bathrooms...? Well...? They were holes in the ground and a spigot with the iciest water I've ever experienced. Our tourguide, Kai, and his wife, Honey (Naka), treated us very well. Honey did the cooking and Kai was the only one who spoke English. After our meal we sat around the fire and sang songs as Kai attempted to play the guitar - he was really, really bad! :) Kai was really proud of his wife and kept telling us how he met her in this particular hill tribe only two months ago - and she's 20 (he's 36) - and they got married straight away. They really do adore eachother though, it's so easy to tell.
Children came and danced and sang traditional songs and we all slept pretty terribly in our makeshift beds...
The next day we trekked for a couple hours and went to a waterfall for a swim - and then another hour to a second waterfall. The water was cold, but heavenly as it's so very hot here! After another couple hours we were at the second night's camp and this time we were pretty much alone.
There were two sisters there who lived in the camp and (I think) their brother, too. We had dinner and then sat around the campfire talking until late in the evening. There were three little puppies there who wanted to sleep in our laps and one of the women taught me the coolest trick with just a loop of string. (I'll look forward to amazing you once I get back!)
This morning we left camp and after a short hike we went whitewater rafting. I wasn't scared at all to go, but just after we got on (yes, we were wearing helmets!) the boat flipped and I got caught underneath it. I couldn't really get out and swallowed a whole bunch of water, but once I did resurface and choked for a bit, I was fine but shaken. I got back on the horse and rode the rest of the time - it ended up being so wonderful! Stacy is a bit of a hypochondriac (sp?) and yelled at Jan for paddling and talked the whole time about her "near death" experience. It drove me a bit batty!
When we got off that raft, we went bamboo rafting and I took the piece of bamboo from one of the guides and directed the boat. They were really amused by this and kept trying to tip the thing over, making Stacy shout out.
After lunch and a long truck ride back, we arrived at the guesthouse and the first thing I did was shower, put on deoderant and Jasmine oil, and CLEAN CLOTHES! I dropped off some laundry and came here, to the Internet Cafe, to check in with life.
I can't tell you how great this experience was and hey, I'm a master at peeing in the woods now! Anyone who likes to hike should try to do this because it was challenging enough to be fun, but also really relaxed at times. I felt like an explorer... and the group of people I shared this experience were just the best. We sang Christmas carols in the jungle of Thailand!
I don't know if I'll give my sore muscles a day of rest or go to start my cooking course tomorrow - I've decided to do three days of it and that way I'll get to learn the fruit carving, too. There has been talk between Stacy and I of finding a pool to lay... and I must admit that it does sound heavenly!
***6:17P, Wednesday, Internet Cafe, Chiang Mai, Thailand
posted by Janice at 5:44 AM
2 Comments:
You are just the most awesomest person ever. You rode ELEPHANTS and SANG CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN THE JUNGLE! I'm just sayin'. Rock on, lady.
Thanks for the love from home, everyone! Sarah, I'm rockin' as hard as I can, chiqua...!
Stephanie -
The elephant riding was fun, but it was more trying to stay ON the elephant and less galloping gracefully into the sunset... trust me!
Jer,
I'll make something Thai or Cambodian when I get home - that's a promise!
Love, Janice
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