Chiang Mai is known for its trekking and since we are only here a couple of days we signed up for a one day trek rather than an overnight 2 day trek. Yesterday tops the list of the funnest activities i've ever been involved in....right next to jungle surfing, zorbing, natural hotspring waterfalls, horse riding, cave tubing, and all the other cool stuff!! Here is a map of Thailand to put things into perspective!
We've had some bad tour guides in the past but our guide yesterday was INCREDIBLE!! His name was Nadh (pronounced Nut we think) and he was just happy to show us his country. And wow Northern Thailand is just beautiful! So we started off with a big brekky that made us real tired on the 90 minute (hour and a half) drive north of Chiang Mai. We drove first to do some elephant trekking which was so much fun. Since we are all small, Jenn, Ioana and I all fit on one basket but we got the laziest, fattest elephant. His name was Nescafe. Well not really but we think thats what our elephant man said it was...or somthing of the sort in Thai! Anyways, Nescafe was soooo lazy that he just insisted on staying behind the other two elephants, even if they stopped somewhere. He just wouldnt take the opportunity to race or be a leader much less explore different parts of the jungle like the other ones. We figure he was a lover not a fighter. Along our hour long trek we took in the amazing lush views of northern thialand and picked some logans (like lychees) off the tree tops and enjoyed them. We took lots of pictures!
After the elephant trek we went bamboo rafting along a river, which was super fun! We got quite wet and the raft was semi stable but scary at times because the thai guy on the front was spashing us and making us violently sway from side to side! A guy on our tour was a proffessor from a University in Iran and he taught Math and Statistics so we called ourselves the Math Raft! Yes there is no end to our geekyness, but we were actually quite proud of our math raft. We had to resist the urge to start discussing math theorys. It was really funny when he fell in the water and almost lost his bamboo stick haha. But its great how life felt so simple while we were rafting...we were catching apples in the water and throwing them at the other raft, having splash fights...it was just simple amusment and so relaxing to not have a care in the world!
After bamboo rafting we got to the Karan village, which is this amazing village of Burmese settlers that came to northern Thailand about 200 years ago. They live so old school, one family each in a little bamboo room in a little bamboo house. All the women learn how to weave and wear sarongs if they are married. The men all learn to catch water buffallo. Marraiges happen very very young, but there are only 3 kids on average per household. It was incredble to see life so simply. The women all have black teeth because black teeth are considered beautiful by their people. To attain the blackness they chew on this Plu leave wrapped in chestnut bark. I was the only one that tried it and it tasted kind of spicy and kind of bitter....kind of like a...um..how do you say...leaf wrapped around a peice of bark!
From the Karan village we trekked past their rice fields(picture below) and to a waterfall that separates two villages. Along the trek we learned so much about plant life and saw different trees. Jackfruit, durian (which i finally tried the other day!!), mango trees, lime trees, chilli plants, basil...everything was so incredibly fragrant...like how things are supposed to taste naturally without any genetic modification!! I even got a temporary tatoo from the sap from this leaf which was later covered in charcoal from a rock in the next village .... my name in thai!
The next village that we went to was called Hmont and had Chinese settlers. All in all it was an incredible day full of learning and simplicity.
Also got to see Pirates of the Carribean last night...the first movie i've watched in a theatre after sooo long!! We wanted to see it Emperor's Class, which is what you would pay for a regular movie in Canada ($13.00 CAD) but you sit in these PIMPED out couches and get star treatment but unfortunately that movie wasnt playing in that theatre! But it was nice to just chill and watch a movie in a nice comfy theatre, for $4.00 CAD no less! And there were THREE popcorn choices, Cheese, Sweet, and Salty! Previews in Thai were fun and before the movie started everyone had to get up and pay respect to the King!! Tomorrow morning we leave for BK for the majority of our shopping and maybe some sightseeing. Then i'm home!!
1 comment:
J&A would love that elephant ride!!! sounds amazing...see you soon. love you. appa.
Post a Comment