Trekking near Chaing Mai!!

---

Sorry we are so behind with this, there just doesn't seem to be any time to catch up! we are actually in Hoi An Vietnam now but will fill you in on our activities whilst in Chaing Mai!

We hopped on the 'express' overnight train to Chiang Mai treating ourselves to our very own little first class cabin. It was a bit rickerty rockerty and Michael spent half thenight chasing the cockroaches with his torch! In the morning we were able to watch the Thai farmers working in the rice paddie fields out the window. Seventeen hours after we set off we arrived!!!!


Bright and early the next day we set off for our trek into Bong Duet National Park aka the tropical rainforest! With our guides, named Tri and Song, we headed off with the rest of our group to pick up supplies from the market. There were not many English people here and locals took the opportunity to ask us about English! However, we were not much use! We headed off to a waterfall before driving deeper and deeper into the jungle. The first day of trekkking it rained and rained making the path slippy. This meant we did not make it to our hilltribe village we were meant to stay at but another village (Karen hilltribe) kindly put us up. They lit a fire for us, we sat round it and chatted until it was time to hit the sack in our wooden house on stilts.

After a hearty breakfast we set off early to try and catch up on the time we lost. It was still rainy, very slippy and hard going uphill in the heat! There were lots of rickery bridges to cross and the slippy tracks resulted in a few injuries; however, we manage to escape injury! We stopped off along the way at various hilltribe villages. It was strange to see the hilltribes living their modern life with addidas T shirts and traditional dress. After lunch we hitched a ride with the elephants. Mike and I were given the naughtiest elephant ever! He kept on going in the wrong direction to munch on trees. He would randonly go to the deepest park on the river (so our feet got wet).

As the river was the deepest it had been this year, we had to get off the elephants early and climb to where the bamboo make shift rafts were awaiting us. We jumped aboard to float down the river, there were a few rapids and we got pretty wet but it was pretty phenomenal to look up at the jungle as we rushed past! As we came to the end there was a huge rainbow. The perfect ending to a perfect day!

---

Photos

Waterfall
Looks beautiful but feels like someone throwing bricks at you!

Comments

[Catherine]

Sunny Manchester
Sounds fantastic, cant wait for the photo's, am looking out of my office window on a typical grey Manchester day and feeling very jealous! Take care Catherinex

[J, I, J & A]

Looks like Hell!!!
Just discovered that you have to actually visit your blog to get updates - I have been waiting for emails like on facebook!!! - Stupid me! It looks like you are having a great time - not sure I would be so relaxed about cockroaches and sleeping on a rug on the floor - we are definately going 5* to New York Tree if this is what you call "seeing the culture a bit!" Really missing you both but am loving the updates and pictures (now I actually know how to view them! xxx

[Anthony F]

Wet weather
Morning Troops, the trip looks fantastic I am looking forward to both your de-briefs. We've had a mini monsoon ourselves in Hexham for four days. (probaly not on the same scale as yourselves), so golf course is shut and had to resort to Wii golf instead. Hope the rest of your trip goes well, not long to go. Enjoy. Ps. Mike how's the knee bearing up? pps. don't worry mike I've bought a new golf glove.

[Clare Lushey]

Greetings from the CPH
Hey, glad your'e having a fab time! Love the pics and the story about the elephant, although slightly worried about the rickety bridges!! Keep having fun and I'll see you soon! Lots of love Clare x x