Follow the Journey

Omchapeur from the Karen tribe and us at Chiang Mai! After a beautiful and touching homestay experience, the Fall Seasia group embarked on our first trek and what was to be a truly authentic three days in Thailand. After the ride back to Chiang Mai we decompressed at our new hostel Mojito Garden, which included a complimentary hammock, a Koi pond (where I had my camera lifted off of me by a catfish), and easy access to not one but TWO massage parlors run by ex-prisoners! That night we spoke to the two men who would be leading us on a three-day trek through deep and virtually untouched Thai jungle. These men, Sim and Ooh, immediately connected with our group and kept us excited for the expedition at hand. The next morning after a FREE fried rice breakfast we departed in two Song Tao’s, covered trucks fit with benches. The ride was a peaceful hour long trip out of the city and up into the densely forested mountains of Thailand. As the road lost paving and our rides grew more bumpy we knew we were approaching that which most of us were hoping for: an escape. A look at Thailand that most passed by, and a chance to walk through those jungles we so often saw hazy in the distance.
We finally stopped for lunch and a nice dip in the *near boiling* mineral waters and warm pools of a hot spring retreat. Here we swam, ate sticky rice and watermelon, and gazed at distance peaks rising green into the sky. It was here that we embarked to our first village, Po Kao Long, one of three for day one. We hiked a total of four and a half hours, stopping in villages only to snack and refuel our water. Arriving before nightfall at the largest of the three villages we unpacked and spread out for downtime under our mosquito nets, listening to the cacophony of chickens, cows, and cicadas all around us. We finished the night with a massive and candle lit dinner around the village longtable, and then, full and happy, talking the night away.
Awaking bright and early to the screeching calls of roosters we ate a delicious toast and egg breakfast before heading out to the days activity: feeding and bathing Elephants! After a long hike up and down muddy paths and a terrifying trip over a less than stable bridge we reached our goal. Eating a fruity and rainy lunch we grew antsy for touch of rough, leathery hides and the sight of trunks waving in the wind. Being led to the river in our swimsuits we saw them at last, two huge, grey elephants already happily bathing themselves. We fed them the last of our pineapple rinds and a massive stash of plantains before climbing onto their backs in the river and gently washing them, their trunks often peaking around our faces, curious and eager to grasp for food. Such an incredible thing to be able to do, and such incredible creatures. We talked lightly with other travelers there to ride them and departed after the sound of elephant blasts faded into the trees. The rest of our day ended much the same as that before, and the feast just as good.
On our last day we went about packing and showering off the mud caked to our legs, and praying that the rain would stop so we could ride the bamboo rafts floating in the river below us. Our calls were answered, and splitting into groups of three we jumped onto the long and thin rides, shoeless and already soaked. The next hour and a half was a torrent of rapids, close calls with spiders hanging from the trees around us, and falling in. Purposefully and otherwise. Though far too short of a journey the river ride was beautifully quiet, and lonely in a way only the rising tides of jungle surroundings can provide. We docked at a large huddle of rafting and kayaking buildings and ate a hearty lunch of fried rice and mysterious fruit. Here we ended our journey, reflecting back on all we had seen and heard. Pathways too thin to walk confidently on, ravines and vistas massive and lush, bonding time unmatched thus far. In my opinion, the best part of the Semester yet. After a ride back to the city in our Song Tao’s we stumbled exhausted and smelly into Mojito Garden, already our rooms and packs a distant memory between the past three days of feasting, trekking, and rafting. I cannot wait to do it again, and look forward to hushed walks through parts unknown.
-Keelan