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Published: July 19th 2008
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Day 7 Arrive at Chaingmai at 7am, transfer to the Serentiy Hotel. We take a walk around the city and a temple. Not feeling bothered to walk around the market we head back to hotel to chill out making the most of it before our trek starts tomorrow.
We go to the trek shop to stock up on essentials such as rucksack, sleeping bag, roll mat, rehydration salts, natural soap......
At night some of us head to the Irish Bar (wayhey) for dinner.
Day 8 Elephant camp on the way to the trek so much fun we feed it bananas along the way Its a cheeky chappy as will stop, throw his trunk back and demand some bananas as she can hear the rustling of the bags. We each have a turn off sitting on its head/neck!
We have to stop by the tourist police so we can get the pep talk and our leader has to give them our details and where we will be trekking, when we are returning.
We meet our local guide Ken and the local village men we have hired to carry our water - Superman and Superboy. Off we go with our
bamboo walking sticks and backpacks! After about 5 mins uphill in the searing heat we start to fade. Its hard. Dripping with sweat and panting like dogs we all power through, stopping occasionaly to catch our breath and so we dont pass out. Ken keps us entertained with tricks and brain teasers. 3 hours and too many dodgy bamboo shaky bridges later we reach the bamboo camp. We head down the the river in our full bodied sarongs as we cant show flesh to wash off the filth and sweat. What a laugh we had trying to wash in these contraptions. But it felt so good after.
The men cooked us all diner (how it should be) and it was delicious. Unfortuntely Hollie was feeling a tad poorly and opted for an early night. Our sleeping quarters was a bamboo hut for 6. Nothing but mosquito nets and ourselves. The toilet (happy place) was in a nearly hut and was not western.
A few of us stayed up and played cards by candlelight with the thai men. Funny how people from different cultures and speak different languages can all bond over card games which are clearly international.
Day 9 Sleep surprisingly well considering. We ate breakfast and some locals had come over to show some goods. We both bought some things including a crazy wee flute thing which will be our future party trick.
Another 3 hours mostly uphill. Sometimes through paddyfields which is cool! Although not so cool when there's a smake in one and you poke it with a stick - Matt! Today wasn't as tough as the first day but still tough. We arrived looking braw at Baan Khun Puai (Karen Village). After throwing our belonging in the bamboo hut and a horrific spider the size of your head incident, we went for a walk around the village. The houses are rased from the grounds and most have pigs and chicken underneath. We take turns having a shot on superwomand rice pounder. Good this is tough work and all just to get our rice for tea! We visit the school gounds and local church. Surprised to learn the religion here is mostly Christain - some Buddism mixed with animism.
We head again for a river wash this time some local boys show us the way. Through Paddyfields. Well what a laugh. On the way Hollie slipped
and splashed mud up herself and Laura and I tried to take a short cut and got stuck in the consuming mud. I abandoned my flip flops to save my self, luckily the lads went n after them! We have a pathetic was in the muddy stream then head back. The first casualty into the paddyfield, and by far the most specatular was Laura, closely folled by Lolita. We ccouldnt control the laughing. We make it back all a little muddier than we had started. Pointless!
Some of the girls help cook the village children they all get served dinner at the same time. We get fed then the children put on a show for us. The all introduce themselves in english and we do the same in their language Karen. The sing and dance for what seems like a very long time, so good though! Then the humiliation of Ken telling us we had to sing 2 or 3 songs for them Now he did warn us yesterday to prepare but we thought he was kidding! So embarrasingly we sang head shoulders knees and toes actions and all, then build me up buttercup. So humiliating for us and the
poor children enduring it. The Australian girls also sang a kids song (they are teachers) and the national anthem. The kids all came round and shook our hands, such a great thing to experience they went to so much effort. Outside we hung about for a bit listening to superboy on guitar. Then early night.
Day 10 We are rudley awoken by the loudest rooster in the world at around 6am. We get up and the local women are displaying their items everywhere. After breakfast we purchased some scarves they have made then get the raincoats on to trek back. The rain makes it a tad slippery but what a nice trek back. very few uphill, mostly down, no seering sunshine! 3 hours we arrived back say goodbye to Ken, and the Supermen who really are superheroes so strong didnt break sweat at any point and helped up over the scary bridges.
Back to the Serenity hotle Chiangmai for the most amazing shower ever!
To celebrate our success (any excuse) we head out for dinner at the riverside view restuarant, have wine the first in a long time. We go to a pub then a club for some drunken
shapethrowing on the dancefloor. Great night, our faces hurt from laughing so much.
Day 11 Hungover we stay in bed and order room service! Then meet the girls and Matt to go to the nearby hotel to use the facilities - rooftop pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi.
in the afternoon we go to Hilltop Temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which involves climbling 306 stairs but the view makes it worthwhile.
Dinner is on a boat up and down the river.
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Arlene
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Trekking
Hey girls. That trekking sounded like hard work. The spider incident sounds pretty terrifying. What an experience you're having! Jennifer - got my birthday card - thanks!!