In the Jungle...

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The observant of you will have noticed that I am STILL in Chiang Mai. After a week... unfortunately at some stage in most westerners' travels to the East you end up with Traveller's Tum. In my case, it has become a full on infection so I'm hanging around here until my course of anti-biotics finishes (Monday) just in case they don't work but it's been a nice excuse to do some reading and get pampered (Pedicure for 6 quid anyone? Or how about the AWESOME thai massage I just had for 4?!)

So... one of the big pulls for coming up to Chiang Mai is the trekking scene - in the North West of Thailand the scenery is amazing - mountains and jungle all around and it's also a hub for Elephant farms. The standard trek is to start with a ride on an Elephant, followed by a 3 hour trek through the jungle to a hill tribe village in the mountains where you camp over night. The next day is another 2-3 hour trek with a trip to swim in a waterfall followed by white water rafting and then a more gentle bamboo raft to the end. So that's what I did! Except unfortunately I got sick the night before I left... so it was an interesting couple of days. The first day (Elephant ride and LONG, HARD trek UP a mountain in the Asian heat) was gruelling to say the least. With pretty much nothing in my stomach (won't go into details...) and, not being the most strongly built of individuals in the first place, the rest of my group spent the entire day checking if I was ok. Determined not to complain, they got a pathetic 'I'm good' and pained smile each time. In fact, I must have looked so like I was about to expire that the group took it in turns to carry my bag for the majority of the way. love it. And those of you who mocked me will be pleased to know my super sexy trekking shorts (with zip on trouser legs) were put to good use on this trip. just FYI.

I felt immediately better when we got to the top (probably in the knowledge that there was no more movement for the day) and it was amazing. The Hill Tribe villages are set in the mountains, inhabited by various nomadic people who've migrated from Laos, Burma, China, Cambodia etc over the years. They live very simple lives in simple wooden huts on stilts and our one looked over the mountain - we got a great view of the sunset and had some delicious curry (a whole 6 bites for me... oh dear!). I think I had about 5 minutes sleep - sleeping on wafer thin mattresses under mosquito nets (they still managed to get me little beggars) in the huts but it's all an experience right? Next morning was a downhill stumble to a lovely waterfall where the 3 of us who were just doing the 2 day trek headed for a swim and shower before trekking down to the rafting base. About an hour's rafting (including me getting thrown out of the boat... yes I truly have made an amazing impression on my fellow trekkers) and we were ready to head back to Chiang Mai. It was a really amazing couple of days, ever so slightly blighted by my weakness, but I made the most of it and am so glad I did it. It's a shame the treks seem to be fairly formulaic now but I think when I head to Laos I will be able to do similar treks in less touristy areas and hopefully will be strong enough to enjoy it fully!

I've got a day to finish off my meds and, due to the extra time I've had to hang around here I'm going to cut some of the bits of northern thailand I had wanted to do as I'm itching to get to Laos. Brilliantly also met a couple of people on the trek who are heading that way nowish too so hopefully will be able to catch up with them when I eventually get there.

My doctor's orders include not eating fruit, vegetables or dairy for 3 days.
Past 3 meals:
(Dinner last night) Burger with no toppings and chips
(Breakfast this morning) Fried eggs on toast
(Lunch today) Bacon sandwich

Following on from my last blog - how can I be in this country and unable to eat anything colourful 😞 sad sad times. But I think the restaurant on my road does bangers and mash? Will they beat Lucy Coates' gravy though this is the question? I think not somehow...

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