Hill tribes

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Hello every body!
This Key boards a bit funny so some words might seem a bit strange!

These last few days have been very cataotic and great. I left my hotel and with my group we traveled via sleeper train up to
chang mai (where i am now!). The trains were very intersting and much better than i expected. Although I got no sleep at all due
to the fact they dont seem to know how to turn lights off in the trains so it was constantly bright, the train was fun. The
toilets were discusting. mind you, I discoved that they clean them at 3am so during a night time wonder I got a nice clean toilet ( if you
can call a hole a toilet.

We got picked up from the staion, which was covere with a massive cloud. This is because they are burning all the floors at the
moment to make way for the raining season so the water can filter through properly.

We are staying in the oldest hotel made of a certain type of wood ( I cant remeber which though). I spent the day lazing by the
pool reading a book I found, as I had got no sleep the day before. I also went up to a temple.

This temple was up a very tall mountin with windy long roads. My means of transport was a sangthaw thing which is a type of van
with the back open taht you sit on. So feeling quite sick from the crazy sharp turns and due to holding on for dear life so as
not to fall off the top of the sangthaw thing. When I got to the top (incredable views) I saw an elepahnt and fed it some cucumber!
I then had to walk up a further 200 steps though beautifuly decorated staircase to the top. Only foriners had to pay to get in
30 bht so not much. I had to take off my shoe like youhave to for every building or temple, and luckly I had remebered to wear
long trousers and a t shirt (as women have to cover the legs and shoulders). The temple itself was stunning. I enjoyed looking round
just as much as the reclining budda on the other day. It was very gold and the genral feel was so tranquil and peaceful. there was
flowers and incence much like every where else, but this place just had a lovelyfeel about it. I got blessed by a monk as well
and they tied round my wrist a piece of white string which is for good luck. Many thai people here have it round there wrists youwill find.
All you could see at the top were treeses and mountings and singing birds and crickets. I spent a good couple of hours there before
heading back.

Later that everning We all went out to downtown chang mai to the night market, which wasnt thta busy. I had the best meal of the
trip so far at a local sea food restrant. It was the cheapest out of everyone also. It cost me 40 bht (55p) and it was traditiaonl thai noodles
and stuff. It was soo tasty. ( I must mention the food here is defintly the best in the world).

After supper and a lazy stroll round the market, the group decided that they wanted to see some thai boxing. Hmm I wasnt too sure
but went anyway as it is very famouse. After meeting a group of 40yold english men who got us in 100 bht cheaper, and who also explained the whole
game to me. I got the scare of my life as a ladyboy appeared infont of me and took me complatly by surprise. They were very funny
though and kept doing little girly dances in there groups. Some of them ( there were quite a few) were very convining and realisic
(the boys in our group stand no chance when they couldnt work out who was a girl and who was a boy.) They were a happy bunch of people in
there own little group though.
The boxing itself was actully great. It was a skill not a fight. The fighters ( some were as young as 12) were in perfect shape
and girls also forught. There was on guy though who was austrailan! and was so tall that the little thai guys didnt stand a chance!
Also there was one match where they blindfolded three guys and let them fight which was very very funny as they looked like
crazy hamsters all twitching.

The next morning we started off for our trek. All I needed was packed into a tiny rucksack for three days. We stopped on the way to
swim in a waterfall which was so much fun. Standing under the water was like having a million hail stone fall onto you at once
like some sort of crazy massarge. we then headed off to see some hot springs where they were 40 degreeses. It was lovly to put your
feet in but very hot. We then saw some 100 degresse plus springs bubbling and smelling so stongly of very rotton eggs mmmm.

After that we started the proper trek. Although the views were most incredable, and the animals eqully so, I started to wonder why
I had paid money to walk up very very very steep montins in the sweltering heat, so hot that afeter a few steps your mouth was so dry
it was hard to swallow. but then on the way down you wonder why you were making all that fuss when it is such a lovely mountin and the weather is
lovely! (until you start to go up again). We stayed the night in a hill tribe village, sleeping in the homes of the locals ( and there was a small wedinng going on)
OUr hut was held up by stilts and outside were animals and birds and childern roaming about so happly. I had a realy good night sleep and was refreshed for the next morning.

Next morning we started treking again, this time for 4 hours. But I enjoyed every minit of it. OH I forgot to mentinon at the water fall
I decided to fall over and skidded down the hill on my knee so I ended up with a massvie cut thing. Coveded in iodine, alchol and
other disinfectants, It started going intersing colours. Anyway back to our trek.
We came across an amazing temight mound (though I must say the temights were not so great nasty things). It had leaves on the top
which the people had placed there when they pray ( why would you pray on a termight mound I do not know!?) We walked though another village for another refresing stop until we
walked the final distance to the elephants.

Now then first we had another specatiual meal ( our guide is a very very fine cook and this is the best food ive tasted in a long time
(apart from supper at home of course). And a quick dip in the river ( where my knee turned a minty shade of green. We saw a man
washing his poor dog in the river. I saw poor cos they were shivering when the got out because they were so small. They do treat animals very well here.

Then It was time for the elephant ride. I must tell you that these elepahnts are very happy. They are free to go where ever they want are
and are let free to roam up and down the steam. If they wanted they could just walk away. They were not kept in a field or cages of any sort.
Riding the elephant was a whole new expericane. It was CRAZY!. My elephant had it in for me. Now then you dont get seet belts so you just have to
grip on for dear life, and I was doing just that. My elephant was determained to go down the stepest slopes ( they are not
tighted up, they just make there own way in there own time.) so I was constally in a fit of hystericas as it was very fun, trying not to fall off.
My elephant had a baby also which was determand to trip up its mother. When we were going down a slope in to the rivers it would run
upwards and try and make my one fall over or lose balance. The route was very senic. we were walking in a valley followingin the river
and constaly going through it so the elepants didnt get too hot. We finaly arrived at the village tribe that we were staying for the night.

I Loved it here. After a refresting shower. ( This means standing in a bamboo hut on stilts, and tipping pots and pots of ice cold
water on you, it is realy fun.) I had a very cheap thai massarge and so did the rest of the group. we didnt have much chouice
the ladys wouldnt leave until we had one. I had a mum training her kid also to do massarge.

The food we had that everning was the best ever of the whole trip. It keeps getting better and better. We had green curry and sweet
and sour noddles, morning glory and beans and rice and it goes on. I ate about 4 plates as it was sooo good. That everning I played
with the local childeren. Although they didnt speak any english I managed to teach them lodes of games tht I have learnt from crazy
chinese people and slovinen people over the years. It was great fun. They had also made a play shop out for old stuff they had found aronnd the place.
It was amazing. Later that evening I played a game with the group and if you lost you had to cover your face in black coal of the pans.
OH I forgot to tell you tahtt these people had a fire in the kitchen on the floor of a completly wodded hut on stilts. it was crazy.

I didnt want to leave. Breakfast was amazing ( banana cooked pancakes and so much fresh water melon and pineapple).
Then we headed back to the river where we boraded bamboo raftes. These are long boat made from just bamboo and tited togeather

'with reeds and stuff. They had made tripods to hold our bags. I became a piarte for the 2 hours and had a great time jumping
onto the other boats and pushing the thai boys who were paddling and stearing the boats into the water. And haveing crazy water fights
but I was so lovely as it was hot and the water was refesting. When we finaly got off much to my dissapointment, as I could have
stayed on all day, I found that my knee was defnaly green now. Hmmm not good. OH WELL! Another quick amzing meal. I will be so big
after thailand, then we had to board the sangthews back to chang mai. 😞 I didnt want to leave, I could defeinaly stayed in the
hill tribes much much longer. I am even getting used to the holes as toilets in little huts. I found lodes of wild bufflao also
which I had been looking for. I finally got my choclated dose which we had all been craving for half way back when I had the
cheapest magnum in my life (about 40p~!!!!!!!!!) awesome. Back at the hotel we said goodbye to the nice thai people. and I went for
a swim in the pool too cool off get my natrual coulour back. I was so dirty in mud and coal and river. It has been such a gret few days
up in the mountins. Then I came down here to write this emailto you lot. Im sorry its so long, I just Love talking :P IM going to
see a ladyboy cabaret show tonight which should be fun. I shall email again soon.

Love from Katharine xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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