14 May 2006
Chiang Mai
Next stop, the northern capital of Thailand, we spent a week here. Known for its accessibility to the hill tribes, and also for great cooking courses, we did both. We tried to learn how to cook Tom Yum, green curry and mango with sticky rice - Yum. After eating the best part of the 7 dishes we cooked, we rolled out of the cooking school and straight to bed - its a hard life this travelling lark!
The next day we started off on a 3 day trek we naively signed up for. Only after the hour long elephant ride and hour long uphill hike on foot, did we realise that we hadn't really thought this through when we signed up for 3 days!!! And it was absolutely knackering!!!! However by the evening we had arrived at the village of a "white Karen hill tribe". The people at this village, like all those from "Karen" tribes, were descendants from Tibet, and had settled in Thailand, although they do not have any status and make their living by weaving clothes and such. The children have to walk 2 hours morning and evening to school. We all sat around a camp fire and the children sang us songs and we in turn did a rendition of "hokey-pokey", and "i'm a little teapot". That night we slept in a wooden hut under mosquito nets and insects galore watching over us - however we were too tired to freak out about this! Next day up early for another glorious day of uphill trekking (why oh why did we think this would be a good idea!) Lunch at another "White Karen" hill tribe village and then thankfully it was downhill from then. That night we stayed in a jungle campsite by a small waterfall. It was the first bit of running water we had seen in 2 days so we all ran for it. Our final day on the trek saw many heavy down pours, and turned our jungle terrain into a huge mudslide (and not the one you drink!) Baked in mud we eventually found a village to get cleaned up, but were then whisked off for our last but by no means least, event - the bamboo rafting. This entailed us sitting on a long bamboo make-shift raft which then dipped half a foot into the river which in turn was caked in mud from the recent downpour. In this position we proceeded to float down the river and be laughed at by the onlookers. Not an experience we would like to repeat!!!
One more day in Chiang Mai now and then off to Chiang Kong for the border crossing to Laos, and a 2 day trip on a slow boat down the river Mekong - lets hope this boat is not made of Bamboo.
18:00 Posted in Thailand | Permalink | Comments (10) | Email this
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Dear Hayley
Wishing you a Happy Birthday for Friday. I received your card this week, and Michelle reads me your diary and shows me your photos. Pleased you are having a great time. I had a super time on the cruise. Take Care
Lots of Love Nanna x
Posted by: Nanna | 17 May 2006
To Hayley
WISHING YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Have a wonderful day, I will be thinking of you. I'm glad you're having a good time, am enjoying keeping up-to-date with where you are and what you are doing. Loving your face on the cooking photograph! Tried to send an email to you, did you get it. Take Care. With lots of love from Shell xxxxx
Posted by: Michelle | 18 May 2006
oh! je suis trop nulle d'avoir oublier! joyeux anniversaire, ma cherie!! where and how did you spend that special day? in the jungle with the mozzies...? i'm sure whatever you did, it will be an unforgettable birthday!
well, for a while, i've had trouble keeping up with your journal as my internet was messed up but now that it's working fine, I'm getting so impatient to read about your next "étape". come on, tell me more quick!! what can I say, i'm addicted, you too are great story tellers, the texts are fun to read and the photos beautiful!
gros bisous à toutes les deux!
Posted by: Patricia | 19 May 2006
Joyeux anniversaire et merci pour toutes ces photos . Nous sommes tres impressionnes . Nous vous souhaitons un excellent voyage pour la suite de votre periple. Nous vous embrassons tres fort .
Fred et Thierry
Posted by: thierry | 21 May 2006
A belated happy b-day hayley,
Your photos are lovely.
Don't create too much havoc in Thailand as the Revueltas are going there in November.
Gors bisous
Mary
Posted by: mary revuelta | 26 May 2006
Hi, Happy Birthday Kerry (hoping I've got the right day) and happy belated birthday to Hayley too! Great to be able to follow your trip, especially reading about your trek around Chiang Mai which brings back great memories, as I did wonder too at some point what possessed me to do this. We probably stopped at the same waterfall as well and were luckier with the rafting (although it did rain for a bit too), and I can still taste green curry if I close my eyes. Take care and keep making us dream with stories and photos.
Posted by: Marie-Agnes | 31 May 2006
Have a lovely birthday Kerry! and don't let the viets rip you off on your special day, you kno what they're like ;-)
wish i was there with you guys to celebrate!
lots of love.
Posted by: Patricia | 31 May 2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KERRY! Bonne anniversaire - hope you had a fabulous Birthday...sounds like you're having a great adventure - did you manage to wash all that mud off yet??!
Posted by: Denise | 31 May 2006
Hi Kerry,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Sounds like your having a great time. Hope you found a decent bar to spend the day in and celebrate.
lots of love
Simon
xxx
Posted by: Simon T | 31 May 2006
Hi Kez
Sorry! Bit late! But HAPPY BIRTHDAY darlin! sounds like you are having a wonderful time! Hope you had lots of drinks on your birthday and celebrated in true style!!
Take care honey. Love you loads. Miss you. JO xx p.s. Michael sends his love too. x
Posted by: Jo | 01 June 2006
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