No wet...No fun!

---

Today our of all the days I've been here has to have been my favourite. It was just so fun filled and the fact that we woke up before midday was a bonus! At 8.30 this morning a mini-bus came to collect us from our hostel for a day of trekking! And what a day it was! After collecting a family and a couple from their separate hotels we enjoyed about an hour long travel just outside Chaing Mai to a district called Maewin.

The day started with a walk around the local tribe where we could see their live stock, go inside their homes and see what way they made their scarves. To be honest the way in which they made them was so impressive. It took them 3 days from start to finish. The rooves of their homes were covered in leaves picked from near-by trees as they only needed changed every two years. The guide we had was very good, especially with all of the knowledge of the surrounding area and the history of the tribes. One thing I will say is to get a trek with a valid T.A.T. license. You may be able to book one in your hostel and if it is valid you will have the license number at the top of the page.

After leaving the tribe we got back into the mini-bus and went for a drive and went for a little walk down steep steps and a little mucky area and we were greeted by a waterfall that you just wanted to dive into straight away! Conor and I went and got changed in the near-by changing rooms, which will cost you around 30 Baht. It was a slippery slope going into the waterfall and to be honest I went flying in! I had my feet basically stuck to any rock I could find and of course the one I was on my foot slid the whole way down! I can remember seeing Conors face, already swimming happily in the waterfall stream and then it suddenly disappearing! The best way to get wet though! The current was strong but the whole atmosphere of everyone being beside the cliffs and enjoying the heat and the water was great.

We had a fwe more activities to do for the rest of the afternoon, but a collective decision on the minibus was to have a bite of lunch before doing anything else as hunger was fast approaching! We were given a mixture of dishes and large pots of rice (all included in the price of the trek) and enjoyed sit down getting to know our fellow groups.

After an enjoyable lunch it the part of the day I was most looking forward to...THE ELEPHANTS! On our long journey previously we had passed them on the side of the road but nothing was like actually seeing them and being able to play with them and then new addition pakiderm! How cute! We were allocated an elephant (that we soon named Alfred) we had to climb onto him and sit on a paddes metal seating, with a few cloths underneath us and on his skin so it wouldn't irratate him. Getting onto him I kind of felt uncomfortable and I didn't want to hurt him especially as I was told to stand on his head whilst getting on him. The first few moves were a bit nerve racking, actually the first time going down-hill it felt like going on a slow motion roller-coaster! But enjoyable all the same. However, our enjoyment was over-shadowed by the pain these elephants endured from their keepers. Every so often the elephant came to a wooden hut were you could buy a bag of bananas for 20 baht and straight away the elephants trunk would go behind his head as a gesture to feed him. Soon after we started our keeper jumped off the elephant and just walked behind us, I was a little worried but soon enough it just seemed normal. Sopon after the feeding huts we came to a well where the elephants could dampedthemselves to keep themselves cool. He drank and sprayed himself again and again. The amount he went through was unreal! After passing by a few of these we came to a large well were the elephants could wetten themselves to cool them down, it was so funny as our elephant soaked us a number of times! To Conors delight our keeper asked Conor if he would like to sit on Alfreds neck, Conor jumped at the chance! All of a sudden it was me alone in the cage and Conor on his neck! Awh, it was the funnest part of the ride! Feeding him and directing him towards the end of the line! We were the only two that were alowed to do that aswell, no-one else was given the opportunity! The best part of the day!

Our last activity of the day we went Bamboo rafting! I have never laughed so mcuh in all my life, the majority of the time we were in shallow water which was a great opportunity for our instructor to shake the bamboos and also have us tipped over. Within about 5 minutes of being in the water, he threw his bamboo down, soaked us and said ''no wet....no fun''. Brilliant! It made the whole journey for us. Each of the men on our raft, a German man and Conor each had a go at steering the boat from the back. At one stage Conor even fell in! Was so funny! Some stages it actually felt like we were white water rafting as the current was strong and one bamboo raft even got suck. Such an enjoyable part of the day. (Pictures and videos to follow).

It was a nice end to the end, Conor and I went for diner in the same palce as last night...the one recommended by the lonely planet and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Now, we're off to end the night opn beers and a mid-night swim!

---