About the Buyer

Dino's Travel Blog

Thailand - Trekking North

Wed June 3, 1998

Mon, 16 Mar 1998

My legs are still paining from the extensive trek, me and my brother and 9 other international travelers did 3 days ago. I think I'm due for one of those traditional Thai massages from the Massage Conservation School where the massages are performed my blind women for $3.50 per hour.
We drove 3 hours into the Doi Inthanon National Park (the tallest mountain in Thailand) where we began our 4 hour trek into the hill tribes of the Hmong farming village which is located at approximately 1,500 feet above sea level. They are known previously for their opium and marijuana cultivating however this is illegal now in Thailand. Although an exception is made for the older, addicted Hill Tribes people.

It got soooo cold that night that even a sleeping bag and blanket didn't help much. In the morning the roosters starting their wake up call at 4.30 am ,what's up with that???!!! I thought they were supposed to start at sunrise, but not these loudmouths! Then the chickens, the pigs and the dogs started joining in! Sure we were in the middle of nowhere but I might as well have been sleeping under the Q.E.W!!! I was feeling pretty rough that morning, but I decided to walk about this 10 family village and capture the morning routine on film. I got some amazing pictures throughout this trek!
That morning, we hiked up and down huge hills on slippery terrain, through rivers on 2 bamboo stalks which was a 6 hour trek in total. This was followed by a 2 hour elephant ride up hills and trails. I never knew these huge beasts were so agile. I rode on the elephant’s neck with my legs behind it's large rubbery ears; what a weird sensation! It's known to be the most comfortable place to ride from the elephant's perspective and it kept me from falling off by securing my legs at the most appropriate time.
We ended up walking through huge lush rice fields to a Karen Hill Tribe village where we would spend the night. We were invited to the village's local celebration where we danced and drank Thai whiskey with them. They wanted us to sing a song to them through their PA system so with all the different languages and in a drunken stupor we sang Frere Jacques with a twist (no comments please).
The next and final day was a 3 hour trek followed by a 3 hour bamboo raft river ride. At the end of the ride they dismantled the rafts so that they can transport them back up by jeep. We were picked and driven to a very welcoming and refreshing water fall, followed by a visit to the tallest mountain in Thailand where 2 Buddhist temples were built . Then it was back to Chang Mai. This trek with meals and everything cost us $45 CDN for 3 days and 2 nights!
I just completed 3 days learning Thai cooking at the schools here in Chang Mai. I am so full but the food is oh so good! Each full day course where you eat all the food cooked cost me $25 CDN.
Tomorrow I will rent a motorbike and ride out to the elephant farm and watch them work and drop kick a soccer ball, Go figure! Then I will go visit the most famous temple in this region and then I may finish with the massage I was talking about earlier.
We plan to head to some of Thailand's southern beaches before my brother heads back home in 2 weeks. At this point I may go to Vietnam in the beginning
of April for 3 weeks. Well that's it for now. Ciao.