Welcome to the Jungle

---

(Fair warning, this is a long entry. Feel free to ignore the text and enjoy the photos!)

As promised, here is the account of our jungle trek. It was advertised as a 2 day/ 1 night jungle trek complete with a waterfall, hot springs, overnight stay in a tribal Karen village, elephant ride, and bamboo rafting. How could I resist?!?

We started around 9:30 on the morning of January 24th. We piled into the back of a pickup truck with 8 other trekkers. There was a roof and some bench seats along the sides, so it was safe, just bouncy. Our group consisted of one other American, three Slovenians, two Austrians, two Mexican girls, one Brit, and a girl from Holland. Our ragtag group made a quick stop at a market to pick up some essentials (water, TP, bug spray, snacks) before we hit the trail. Our guide, King, gave us a lesson in Thai insects with a bag of “snacks”. She explained that many Thai people have trouble getting enough protein in their diet, so they eat bugs which are readily available everywhere. When she was done, she offered them up to anyone who was interested in taking a bite. I was one of the 2 people who took her up on the offer. I went for a silk work. It was creamy, squishy and salty, with a nutty aftertaste.

The first real stop of the trip was the Mork-Fa Waterfall. We could hear the water thundering down into the pool before we could see anything. The spouts cascading down into the crystal clear pool were breathtaking. We waded into the freezing water and took the plunge beneath the water. I was almost knocked down by the force of the water. It was shocking and invigorating. I was ready for anything!

We grabbed a quick lunch of fried rice before shouldering our packs (my mini-backpack from the front of my giant travel bag) and grabbing a life vest for the bamboo rafting the next day. King took the lead as we headed into the jungle. I immediately felt like I was transported to the mysterious jungles of LOST or the Costa Rican island in Jurassic Park. I half expected a polar bear or velociraptor to come bearing down on me at any moment. I hiked along, withdrawn in my own fictional wonderland, until we began our ascent. After 20 minutes of steady uphill progress, I knew I was in trouble. I had (in my pompous naivety) assumed that the trek would be easy enough to handle. Sure, I’d sweat and feel the burn, but this was a trek for tourists. I’ve hiked the bluffs of Devil’s Lake; this would be fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. Being a bit out of shape and unaccustomed to the humidity, I began to worry about the next 3½ hours. Soon, the terrain leveled out and I was able to catch my breath. Before long, we were headed downhill, which was almost as challenging as the uphill climb. It wasn’t as taxing on my lungs, but it worked all of the complimentary muscles.

Our first real break was a small Karen tribal village. We were able to sit and rehydrate as King pointed out orchids and tribal huts. Phase 2 was less strenuous. We were winding along the side of a mountain, so the ups and downs were less extreme. There was a stunning view of the hazy, lush hillsides from our highest point. We traversed down to the second, larger Karen village where there were more people and more homes. There were animals everywhere. Nearly every home had a pig tethered somewhere on the property. According to Karen tradition, before a couple can get married the bride-to-be must present her future in-laws with a pig to ask for her husband-to-be’s hand in marriage. Chickens and little chicks clucked about under our feet and water buffalo lounged under the raised bamboo dwellings. I have very mixed feeling about parading through these villages. I hate to snap pictures of these people as they go about their daily lives despite our intrusions. Do these tours exploit these tribes, or provide them with an opportunity to continue with their traditional way of life and not be forced to assimilate into mainstream culture? I certainly hope it is the latter…

After the second village, we started the final stage of our trek. Though it began with a STEEP incline, I was feeling good. Completing the trek was a matter of pride. I was going to make it…with a smile on my face. After the ascent and our final level trot, we began the final descent to the elephant camp. My mind began to wander as I thought about how I was going to share this with everyone at home. Before I knew it, my hands were bouncing off the ground, my feet were over my head, and then I was sitting upright on the ground. I had wiped out in true Veverka style. I looked up at all of the startled faces around me and did a quick bodily inventory. Bleeding? Broken? Bruised? Nope. Nope. Nope. “I’m okay!” was my instant reply. Everyone still looked really worried, but they relaxed as soon as I started laughing at myself and dusting myself off. Thomas (one of the Slovenians) pointed out that I had scratched up my knee and it was bleeding a little bit. It wouldn’t be a true tumble without a battle scar. J

Elephant droppings and a rooster’s call let us know that the camp wasn’t far away. Katie kept insisting that it wasn’t the end (better to expect the worst and be surprised by good fortune than the other way around). Luck was on our side and we had finally arrived. The river ran cool and clean to our left as we approached a giant fire pit and several large bamboo huts that were about 4 feet off the ground. King gave us a quick tour of the village (bathroom, beverages, and beds) and Katie and I headed straight for the river to wash off and cool down. We wore our swimsuits (to honor the modesty of the Thai people), but something was lost in translation and our Slovenian friends stripped down to nothing. Poor King tried to get them to put their suits on, but she was met with a resounding, “Why?!?” It was interesting to be on the outside as the two different cultures clashed on the riverbank.

After our rustic bath, we changed into the driest clothes that we had (my pants were still a little damp from the waterfall). We joined everyone for a delicious meal of rice, curry with chicken and potatoes, mixed veggies, and an orange for dessert. Everything always tastes better when it is served outside after experiencing a day of physical activity. I would have been perfectly content crawling into bed right then (as the exhaustion from the day was sluggishly oozing through my veins), but then I realized that it was only 7:30. We sat by the fire and King told us all about the elephants and tribal villages. The elephants could only work for 4 hours a day, and after that they were released into the jungle so they could have their space and not be caged or chained. In the morning, someone goes into the jungle to wrangle them for the rides. If they don’t want to work, they won’t let themselves be found. They actually hide. I couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image of an elephant standing behind a single stalk of bamboo like, “You can see me!” Soon, the fire had dwindled to smoldering ashes and I was very ready for bed. I tripped in the doorway on my way into our hut, but I was soon snuggled under my blanket (and mosquito net). I could hear the group out by the fire, the crickets, and the whispering water flowing along. It was colder than I had expected it to be, but I soon drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t long before the roosters were crowing “day break”. They began their piercing calls long before the sun rose. I was in and out of sleep until King’s chipper voice urged us to “Wakey Wakey” and get some coffee. Sitting there sipping instant coffee as the mist rose from the hills and rolled across the water, I realized it was truly a magical moment. I kept thinking, “I am in the jungles of northern Thailand and I am about to ride an elephant.” Wow.

We packed up and we were heading down to the river to do a final weight test for the bamboo raft when the first of the elephants showed up. We had to climb up onto a platform to get on our elephant. Katie and I got to ride one together. There was a little wooden seat perched on his back. Our bags were tied behind the seat and we climbed aboard.

It was surreal to be riding something so immense. We swayed back and forth as his massive bulk shifted beneath us. Our first move was down a steep slope and into the river. Katie started to panic and shriek (“I am always scared at the beginning of things…”) and our “driver” shushed her. Then he muttered, “Oh my Buddah.com!” That cracked us up. I had heard the Buddha for God substitution, but I was unaware that the enlightened one had a website. As we trudged along in the water, “Col. Hathi’s March” from The Jungle Book kept running through my head.

It was nice to have a chance to actually take in the scenery. On the trek, I had to watch my footing and I was so focused on my physical state that I often forgot to look around and take in all of the beauty. There were all kinds of leafy fronds and gnarled branches covering the slopes that hugged the river. Toward the end of the ride, or elephant driver offered to let one of us take his place sitting on the elephant’s neck. Katie wasn’t interested, so I jumped at the opportunity. I slid down and soon my hands were resting on his bony skull and my knees were tucked behind his flapping ears. I quickly began to regret my decision to wear flip-flops (which had been encouraged by King) because I nearly lost them about a dozen times in 5 minutes.

Getting off our noble steed was a bit tricky. I was still on the neck, and I wasn’t quite sure how to climb off. The elephants had all pulled up to a ledge that was about even with their backs. It made it fairly easy for the people in the seats to step off, but know quite how to get up, then climb off. I ended up doing a weird bendy leg thing and relying on the guide to pull me.

I really had to go to the bathroom and I knew that we would be hopping right onto the bamboo rafts (which had been steered down the river by King and friends alongside our elephant parade) as soon as everyone was off of their mounts. I told Katie to watch my bag and I scampered ahead on the path to take care of business. As I squatted there, a few hunters (who came out of nowhere!) walked by, smiled politely, and went on their merry way. I pulled up my pants as quick as I could, which was none too soon because our entire group came right behind them. Apparently, we had a short walk to the building where we would set off on our rafting adventure. There were bathrooms and everything. Oh well. My way was more “adventurous”.

The rafting portion was amazing. Our group was divided onto two rafts. We had a crazy young guy calling the shots from the front and King and Brendan (the other American) polling in the back. The rest of us got to sit and enjoy the ride. Cool water, bright sun, distant birds, bubbling rapids. It was great. There were a few good natured “attacks” on the other raft. Our front man kept soaking Thomas (who was one of the back pollers for the other raft). Try as he might, Thomas just couldn’t reciprocate with all of the gusto that he would have liked.

When we finally came ashore, changed into dry clothes, and filled up on pad thai, I couldn’t believe that the entire adventure had only taken a day and a half. I felt like I had gotten to take part in so many of my favorite stories and adventures. I had tested my physical limits (as my aching body would remind me for days) and come out stronger for it.

---

Photos

...I swallowed a bug.
Hakuna Matata
*Making LTC Proud

Hot Springs
The ground was boiling.

Up in the Trees
Villagers gathering fruit

Bamboo Bridge
I felt like Indiana Jones crossing this bridge