🙂 WOW! Really off the beaten track. Teeny, tiny people!
🙁 These people have so little….
We were up at 04h30 in Bangkok and took the mini bus to the airport with the rudest driver – these people fluctuate from being so lovely to being downright awful… probably despise Westerners. Arrived at 06h00 and told that our air ticket was invalid … nearly had a fit – which worked and we finally boarded plane with minutes to spare! We arrived in Chiang Mai but our bags did not ….
Met by Sak from Johnny Boy Treks who was lovely. We are astonished to see that they are still going, nearly 30years later but under Johnny Boy Elephant Care. Our flights were on the next flight so we waited for that to arrive and thankfully they had arrived. Packed our overnight bags in a hurry whilst chatting to a lovely Canadian couple who would be walking with us and who were Loggers! We drove for quite some time and then headed up a very steep and bumpy off road track. We reached the end which is where we hopped off to start our trek. The views were spectacular and it was cool which made for easy walking. Apparently opium is grown prolifically throughout the area.
we met the most amazing and photogenic characters along the way – they were all fascinated by Trent and his blonde hair. One old man had a bamboo shoot full of grubs which he offered to us to eat!
We finally arrived in this tiny rural village where we felt like we had taken back a step in time…
We were welcomed and shown to our hut and where we were to sleep which was above where the pigs lived! We wandered around taking photos and giving little gifts to the Villagers. Dirty children with snotty noses, pigs snorting, water buffalo groaning and dogs growling while the elders stared – we really felt like intrepid explorers! Ate in our hut and it was dark early so read by candlelight before falling asleep to the sounds and smells of pigs squabbling beneath us! Huge storm with thunder and lightening at 02h30 woke us but it passed after about an hour of lighting up the sky!
Just amazing seeing this children, nay of them in dresses made from rice sacks. Quite an eye opener.
We were up at 07h00 for breakfast which was noodles. Packed up and headed on our trek which was two hours to an elephant camp.
**DISCLAIMER: WE WOULD NOT RIDE THESE ELEPHANTS NOW. WE WERE A LITTLE MORE IGNORANT IN the 90s!**
Stopped here for lunch.
We were allocated three elephants: Paul and I, Trent and Carolyn and Simon. They had hair like the ‘Fly” and farted and poo’d constantly. They were chained and prodded with hooks which did not look great. We hopped on and they wandered through the thick forest for about 1.5hours.
We then got off and helped to feed and bathe the elephants…they particularly liked Smarties which they fired like machine guns from their trunks into their mouths! LOL!
We headed on for another 3 hours in intense heat and humidity … hard work! Trent was really good and did not complain and led the way. We arrived at a much bigger village … and went to bathe in the river and soon a huge audience gathered to watch us! LOL.
as the afternoon wore on, literally hundreds of other children from neighbouring Villages who had heard about the blonde child started arriving!! We handed gifts but had not expected so many children so had to give a pencil each! Trent was drawn into playing with the children who started by playing ‘chase’ – this soon escalated into full blown Thai kickboxing which was getting out of hand, so we had to intervene! We decided to teach them English songs instead which lowered the excitement but they all joined in enthusiastically, particularly loving “Old Mac Donald had a farm” which went on for about an hour!
Once we had our meal and things calmed down, Trent gave the children of the home that we were staying in his toys and they gave him a catapult, so he was very happy with this exchange! They all settled down and played nicely while their Momma blissfully smoked an opium pipe, which we graciously declined. (!)
Our accommodation above the pigs was very comfortable and Trent was out like a light after the evening’s excitement and full day f walking!
The next morning we had breakfast and were ready to leave at 07h30 for the two hour hike to the river for our white water rafting! We were shocked to see a wide and fast flowing river and rafts which were simply bamboo poles roped together!! Rather sceptical about safety… …but, what the hell – you only live once so we hopped on and hoped for the best! Trent and I were in the middle and actually spent more time under the water than on top of it. Paul and Sak did well steering for the 1hr45mins that it took to get to our destination!
Had lunch and changed and got back in the mini bus to head back. Heading back Trent was out like a light for the drive back and looked a little like one of the Thai boy Villagers! 🙂
We got back to Chiang Mai …and then headed to the top of the highest mountain in Thailand called Doi Inthanon meaning the ‘crow’s pond top’. It is 2,585m high. One of the major attractions in Doi Inthanon is the location of the Royal Twin Pagodas there. Thai Air Force built the pagodas to commemorate the 60th birthday anniversaries of the His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in 1987 and 1992 respectively. We then visited a spectacular waterfall which was worth a stop.
We checked into a fantastic room at Johnny Boys and headed off in search of a place where we could do an international phone call. Had lovely dinner and shower and well deserved bed!
Up early to prepare for our departure from Thailand…bade Simon and Carolyn farewell… they had received dreadful news… 🙁 all their logging work colleagues had gone down in a small plane heading off on leave and had died – if they had not been on this trip they would have been on that plane.
We took a Tuk Tuk to the temple and set two bids free for goo luck (no doubt poor creatures are immediately recaptured!!)
Johnny Boys have been excellent! Had last green Thai Curry and boarded Air India flight to Kunming in China … dreadful food and plane falling apart – chair would not com out of recline… Next stop CHINA!
Go Back o: Thailand
Go to: China
