Archives for "Chiang Mai"

Continuation from:-
Good Morning Chiang Mai
Kalare Night Bazaar
Elephant Riding

3rd March 2009
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T’was a long, long journey uphill. Everyone was really quiet, minding their own business. We didn’t even introduce ourselves to each other, didn’t even know each other’s names (besides those i managed to catch during the interview with the tourist police in the morning) but eveyone else didn’t seemed to be bothered so i slided lower in my seat and enjoyed the view instead.

Starting point

It took us maybe about 1 or 2 hours to reach the starting point, I’m not too sure. I lost track of time and might have dozed off for a bit but i remember my rear being really numb and it definnitely wasn’t due to the elephant ride earlier in the noon.

Thank god that we had transfered into a van instead of travelling by songtaews like some of the other tourists that passed by our us enroute.  It was bad that we were suffering from stuffiness and lack of leg room… and hand room for that matter, having to suck dust and have it blown all over your face the whole journey would be agony.

Getting ready

Jeb (our hiking guide)  beckoned us down from the van to regroup at the foot of the trail. A ‘prep talk’ was in order – about safety and health and all the other regulations we were suppose to abide to. With that out of the way we tightened our backpack strap and had a sip of water before trudging ahead.

Foot trail

I was vexed about my limited water supply. It was obvious that the sun would not relent today and we would possibly risk dehydration. My skin was already lobster red merely at the start of the hike. As we went higher up the hill, the sun bore down directly on us and it was immensely hot.

Boyfriend and i would have to be careful not to waste our 2 bottles of water. I knew bringing just 1 backpack for the hike was a huge mistake.

Way to go bonehead -_-”.

Amazing view

First part of the hike was fairly easy. We just ploded along the well-used trail taking in the view as we go higher. it wasn’t so bad if it wasn’t for the hot weather which already had us soaking in perspiration. The view was amazing although i was finding it harder and harder to concentrate because i was busy wiping sweat away from my face and eyes.

I was feeling feverish again but as you know i’m always feeling gungho at the wrong time, so against better judgement and the boyfriend’s pleading i continued with the hike. Both of us dropped behind however to save energy and so not to block the other hikers in our group.

I can’t believe that boyfriend and i were the youngest in the lot and we were beaten by people in their 30′s, 40′s and even 50′s! They (Jeb and the other 6 hikers) practically ran up the hill while both of us were walking slowly but panting profusely as if we had ran a hundred miles already! Quite embarrassing when they had to stop a few times for us to catch up.

Banana trees

I suspect Jeb made us stop for rest more times than was planned for i was dropping really behind, once or twice they were so far out front, boyfriend and i could barely catch our breaths hastening our pace. But Jeb didn’t say anything except made a few jokes while we gulp down water and neither did any member of our group complained.

Red ‘berry’

On one stop Jeb went into the bush and come out with something wrapped in his fingers. Seeing the wide grin plastered on his face, i wondered if he had caught a spider or some other insect.

I braced myself for i thought that he was about to scare us with it, maybe flick it onto one of us because he’s such a joker and show-off. But he opened his fingers there were small red fruits like somekind of berries on his palm.

The berry was supposed to help quench our thirst but i was anxious and suspicious. Come on, it’s picked from the bush by the hill, it could be poisonous! I has a vision of my skin covered in itchy rashes before developing into puss filled poxes. I guessed the disgusted and reluctant expressions on our faces clearly betray us so he volunteered to take a bite before we did. Thus, we had no choice but to be a good sport and sunk our teeth into the red fruit.

I spat it out immediately, it was awful! Tasted really raw and weird. I’m almost sure it was Jeb‘s idea of a joke -_-”.

Professional walking stick maker LOL

The picture here shows Jeb expertly making walking sticks out of bamboos for each of us. We needed it to continue the harder part of the hike.

He really looks quite tiny for a hiking guide doesn’t he? Haha. But the minute he takes off his shirt, it’s muscles all over and he is super agile too. I bet… no i guarantee he can run up to the Karen village in less than an hour as oppose to the 2 hour hike we are doing.

The stream

The foot trail had vanished. Into the jungle we went.

I regret that i didn’t take any photos of this phase because i was concentrating really hard not to roll down the slipery hill or get poked in the eye by protruding branches or scratched and punctured by deadly thorns, all the while looking out for snakes and giant spiders under giant dry leaves on the ground and trying not to grip too tightly on the bamboo walking stick because my fingers was red with blistered, slightly bleeding.

Yeah it was fun! *grin*

Cooling down by the stream

Not long later we came upon a stream. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Ok, not that there’s lack of streams in the area but because we we extremely exhausted and the cool stream water seemed so inviting that we were elated to see it.

Rambo (the American guy) obviously was the happiest among all of us. He wasted no time stripping down to his shorts, ran into the stream and dunk his head into the water.

While everyone else gladly went to cool off their body, splashing about in the river to ward off the heat, i rested under the shade by the stream drinking as much water as i dare – afraid the water supply would run out before we reach our destination. Mom always told me not to play in the water when having a fever else it’ll get worst. I took to her advice.

Blazing sun

Cool water from the stream freshened us up but we were reluctant to move on. All i wanted to do was to stretch on the long bench and enjoy the light breeze under the shade.

Nonetheless Jeb managed to coax us. It was getting getting late even though the sky was still bright as morning.

Paddy field

Not far ahead we came upon a plain. As we got closer it became clear that it’s a paddy field, abandoned during the hot weather. The lanscape was still amazingly beautiful.

Walking accross the embankment gave a feeling of euphoria.

Beautiful field

The landscape after the paddy field slowly evolved into a more level terrain making it easier to travel.

This i was grateful. Calves muscles visibly bulging aside, the blisters between my thumb and forefinger were getting worst so that gripping the walking stick became a painful affair.

Resting hut

There was an unpretentious waterwall a good way ahead. We spotted from afar a few wooden huts on the plot. I heaved a sigh of relief at the opportunity to rest my aching feet.

Waterfall

The huts as it turned out, some were resting huts with wooden bench and others were changing rooms and squat lavatories.

By now i’m getting used to the hole-on-the-ground-without-flush type of lavotory but i still find it awful to scoop mirky water from the big pail in order to wash the waste down the hole. But that’s how it is here and you can’t expect a 5 star lavotory in the jungle right? Right.

Wooden huts

The girls chucked their bags on the long bench and ran into the huts to change into bikini’s while the guys stripped down to their shorts before running gleefully into the waterfall.

Backpacks

Look, there’s our group under the waterfall

Under the waterfall

I wished i could played in the water too for everyone was enjoying themselves. They were so enthusiastic you would have thought it was the first time they saw a waterfall haha!

Resting our aching feet

Instead, boyfriend and i took out our sneakers and relaxed under the hut.

zzzZZZzzzzzZzt

To kill boredom, i point my camera everywhere LOL.

Please don’t ask me about the cat or the chicks. I have a thing for animals.

Chickedies!

When the clothes on the hang-line dry (which was amazingly quick with the help of the sweltering sun), we pack our bags quickly because it was almost evening although the sky was as bright as ever.

Feeling rather cheery after the break, everyone was smiling and laughing when we heaved our bags and continued the hike. It was supremely good luck that the journey ahead is not a difficult one, we are to travel along another foot-trail.

Drying line

Jeb promised that we weren’t far from the Karen Village and sure enough we came upon the village within a short while.

Almost there

To be continued at:-
A Day and Night in Karen Village
Heading Downhill

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.