Chiang Rai - a hill tribe trek and a wacky temple!!!

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we arrived in chiang rai and quickly left as we organised a room in an akha hill tribe village. it was a bumpy ride out to it in the back of a truck but the scenery was stunning and there were lots of nice tea plantations nearby! our lodgings was a hut on the hillside which had a fantastic view across the valley, however the price was quite a high infestation of bugs which meant that our bug spray was quickly used up and we turned to the shower to hose them away! we left the following day on our three day,two night trek with our two guides - Apee and Thor. we left the akha village, packs on and with our bamboo walking sticks feeling very much like the hobbits leaving the shire - 'mr frodo sir'! the first day was really fun and felt like a ray mears trip as our guide Apee chopped down a bamboo tree with his machete, and carved us two cups and two sets of chopsticks! we had a go at carving our own but with fraying parts of bamboo on my own effort i decided his was the best to keep. we then dammed a stream to catch some fish for our lunch, and we used bamboo to boil water and our veg!apee then put veg, and cracked eggs into bamboo then after it was cooked cracked it open having made omlette! the noodles were cooked in massive banana leaves which became the bowls! it was a brilliant experience, using so much natural stuff from the jungle. the trekking was pretty hard in the heat as it was steep climbs up and down with our guides often having to hack a clear path with their machetes! several hours and buckets of sweat later we arrived at the village, passing some villagers packing and sorting all the picked lychee fruits to then sell in the city. it went dark at about half 6 so we had to rush a wash before then - wash being a quick swill with bucket water in an outside block! apee made a brilliant potato and coconut soup for dinner, cat in particular was loving the chunks of potato on offer! the next day was a long day of trekking to reach the next village! at one part we had to climb down a really steep incline, i ended up on my bum several times and then when we finally reached the bottom our guides said it was going to be too difficult as it had all overgrown,and we needed to go back and go another way! we tried to stop for lunch near a small stream but then we got attacked there by leeches! one got hold of my finger and thor had to burn it off! so we walked further to a village for a lunch stop and there we got a real insight into village life. a lady kindly let us use her house and cooking area, and there was another lady who was processing the honey from the rainforest and she let us try it and it was the best honey ever, really rich and nice! having gained some energy it was onwards to our village for the night which was really nearby, not too far to walk! the village was smaller and our room for the night was just a bamboo hut and some cushions and blankets on the floor - and an outside hut with bucket of water for the shower! we all sat on the porch which had stunning views out over the hills to chiang rai. we helped apee with some english, he hoped to run his own trekking business in his own village and he comes to do the akha hill trekking to try and improve his english, when we were trekking and there was a new word he had learned he would pull out his tiny notebook and write it down! :D it was another really surreal and amazing evening, eating dinner with our guides looking at amazing views while in the middle of nowwhere! the night was more difficult as we got massacred by mosquito's and both felt things crawling on us! our heads were right by the wall, which had an outer ledge running around the outside, we were woken with a start and shot out of bed by the sound of a rooster which sounded as if it was in the room - but it appeared it was on the outer ledge on the other side of the wall! our final day had more activities and sightseeing,we trekked to an elephant camp and had a ride there, it began to head right for the river, our driver sat across its head using commands and then it waded in and walked right down the river with me and cat praying for the seat chains to hold! we came out of the river and went on a quick circuit of the village before getting off. from the elephants we got a boat down the river to the hot springs! in the already baking heat we were not sure how much we were going to enjoy it but suprisingly it was really nice and relaxing for our aching muscles! our final sight was a stunning (probably the best so far!) waterfall near the akha village! it had a small pool at the bottom and no nipping fish!! we spent a while in there and it was going so well until i slipped on the rock climbing out - more concerning was the guides helping me up as they were far too close to my legs that i hadnt been able to shave in three days!!! we sloshed back to the village in our wet stuff, slipping all over the place! we had a final night at the akha hill tribe before heading back for a day in chiang rai! we got a local bus to the raved about white temple which was pretty cool! it was an amazing sight as the white stone sparkled in the sun, it had several quirky features including sculpered hands reaching up from the ground and inside the temple there was a painted wall which we guessed was to depict a hell with the twin towers burning and images of superman and neo from the matrix as suggested false idols. on the opposite side of the room was a monk meditating. but the night market in chiang rai that evening eluded us as there was a torrential downpour and so nothing was on! we spent the evening waiting for it to stop while getting hooked on one of the thai soaps on tv! it was onwards to the laos border the next day but only after breakfast in the best bakery in chiang rai that did cornflakes and ...COLD MILK! heaven! Laos here we come!!

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