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Published: November 15th 2010
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It was an hour and half drive up a mountain in a rickety old truck before we arrived at our home stay with the Akha Hill Tribe, luckily we got to sit in the cab, whilst the other Thai students who were heading up with us had to stand in the back of the truck!
As we went higher up the mountain, the concrete road changed to a dirt track, which at some points was almost vertical and the temperature dropped significantly! It was a bumpy ride but quite exhilarating too.
We arrived and checked in but the first hut had a squatting toilet (a little too rustic for us), so we requested one with a proper loo. 200baht more but well worth it, it also had the added bonus of being built on concrete instead of wooden stilts, so also felt a bit safer. It wasn't 5*, but what do you expect deep in forest on the side of a mountain? There were plenty of cobwebs in the hut and we spotted a big spider in the bathroom seconds after putting our bags down (only about the size of a big English spider really). The massive trial of
ants leading from the bathroom to the bedroom, two geckos chilling on the walls and the big gaps in the ceiling left us feeling exposed to the elements but it was all part of the experience.
We got settled, had some tea in the communal hut (complete with Wifi!), and then got ready for bed. By then the temp had dropped loads and without the creature comforts of insulation or central heating we put on socks, trousers, tshirts and hoodies to sleep in. We tightly tucked the mozzie net under the mattress, got in our sleep sheets and under the blanket and went to sleep.
The next morning we were woken up at 6:30am by the local children playing near our hut and the sun shining through the window (we didn't have the benefit of curtains) so we got up to an amazing view of the valley below. Had some brekkie, overlooking the forest below and then jumped in the back of the truck for a quick drive to where we started our trek.
We met our guide Amae and set off on the first 5-6km trek towards the elephant camp. He demonstrated his impressive slingshot skills,
hitting two dragonfly with stones one after the other, then let us both have a go. Let's just say we weren't as good a shot as Amae. After the long trek we arrived at the Kok river and hopped on a longboat to get across to the Karen Hill Tribe Elephant Camp.
We rode on our elephant for 30 minutes and then gave him a good feed to say thank you, with a load of bananas and sugar cane. Then we had some lunch at the tribe restaurant, had a quick look at the souvenir stalls (Buying a miniature elephant to remind us of our ride) and the massive, fat python in a cage, which had obviously just had a big lunch too.
Then we hopped back on the longboat for a 10 minute journey to some hot springs. The place was empty and it was too hot to swim in hot water so we began our next trek, 6-7km up hill to the Yao Hill Tribe. It was a long and steep trek but fantastic. The views were stunning and we saw lots of wildlife - a baby snake, crazy looking caterpillars, a family of thirsty pigs
that Jo gave a refreshing drink of water to, and also lots of busy tribes people at work in the rice fields, tea and coffee plantations. We eventually arrived at the Yao Hill tribe and had a look around. The only people we saw in the remote village were mothers and their young children, all the men were out working. There were hundreds of animals running around, each hut seemed to have its own pigs and piglets, dogs and puppies, cats, chickens and baby chicks (very cute).s We were a little surprised to see TV aerials, satellite dishes and solar panels though!
We carried on uphill, where we drank from a natural spring, using a big leaf as a cup. Then we had a little rest near the top of the mountain, where Jo picked up a brightly coloured fury caterpillar with a leaf. It was a good job she did as Amae told us when he saw it that it was poisonous and could give a nasty bite!
Once we'd taken in the beautiful views and caught our breath, we headed further uphill with a very steep incline, through the tea and coffee plantations. Then we arrived
in the Akha Village where Amae showed us the museum he was building with his own hands. It was not finished but contained several traditional Thai items on display and was in beautiful grounds with a little waterfall, six ducks and a pig. We then met his family and saw his home which he had also built himself and was renovating to make room for home stay accommodation.
We returned back to base and then headed up towards the big waterfall the Akha village was known for. It was a rocky climb and just before we got to the waterfall, Jay slipped and cut his shin on a rock, it was quite deep but Amae knew what to do and found some "Thai Herb" which would help stop the bleeding and prevent infection. He used it to cover the wound and made him a walking stick from Bamboo so he could carry on to see the waterfall. We made it with no more hiccups and both got to enjoy the breathtaking waterfall for a few minutes. On the way back to our hut, Amae made us hats from leaves, and cups and chop sticks from bamboo, to add to
the bamboo carving he made us earlier in the day. They can and do make just about anything from Bamboo, huts, tools, crockery plumbing and lots of other everyday essentials. Later that evening Amae got his first aid kit out and disinfected the cut and dressed it.
The next morning one of the Akha drivers dropped us at the English speaking hospital, where they singed it to stop the bleeding, gave it a good clean and new dressing and gave Jay some anti-biotics, just in case. Just so you don't worry, its healed nicely now!
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Carole Hartley
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Hats and skinned shins!
Love the pic of you both in goblin hats! Oh dear, Jason with injured leg - the guide sounded very helpful but the singeing in the hospital sounds a bit barbaric? Luv mumX