Hello all! This is Komodo otherwise known as Patrick on the other side of the world.
I was writing to you today to tell you all how these past three days of trekking have gone. On the first day we woke up at 7:30 and left by 8. We took a 3 hour Song-Tao ride out of Chiang Mai. The road was steep and very curvy. We were driving up and into the Thai Jungle. When we arrived at our destination it was a hot spring fed by geysers further upstream. It was weird stepping into a creek of nearly boiling water. It was a nice view while we ate out packed lunches of fried rice and chicken our guide Susin made for us. After lunch we started our hike; I have never trekked before so my big internal frame backpack was a struggle to carry up and down the rolling mountains of the vast Thailand jungle. The scenery was something like this. You are walking up a dusty path with fallen dried leaves everywhere. when you look up the sky is blocked by 100 foot tall bamboo patches. The land is very very dry since it is currently the dry-season. We hiked for 5 hours which turned out to be about 9 miles. I was so exhausted but it felt so good to have a good couple bowls of curry, rice and Pinapples. I really enjoyed passing through the few villages we saw. The architecture is very simple and minimalist in these villages. The building we stayed in was nice and cool during the day. We went to bed seeking the much needed rest after all day of hiking.
The next morning, at about 3:41 AM I woke up to every single person in our group freaking out over how cold it was. I mean It was necessary to fight like wild animals over the few blankets we had but we managed to work out a good system. Breakfast was at 7:30, we would have toast and scrambled eggs. An hour after breakfast we went to go hike to go ride some elephants. I have honestly never been around an elephant with no wall separating me and it. I could not believe that at one point I was steering a 2,000 pound animal with my legs. Everyone in the group had a chance to ride on the elephant’s neck. After a few hours of that our guide brought us to the school that many villages in the area send their children to. We got to hang out with a classroom of 6 year olds and that was fun. After that me and a few of the students and leaders went swimming in the nearby brook. It was quite refreshing. When we returned a few of us were a little under the weather so they went on the raft to the next area down river. It was about one third of the group that rafted while the rest hiked. I was a part of the group of hikers. About 2 thirds of the way to our next sleeping site Susin asked our group if we were more comfortable walking up a very steep mountain or wading with our packs in the water. We all agreed that the water seemed more explorer/adventuresome. We walked through the water until just around the river bend. It was then a short hike to our sleeping area after that. When we got there the other group already passed us and were strewn about the bamboo patio 20 feet above and overlooking the river. I helped cook dinner which was Chicken cashew, spring onion chicken and green beans with tofu. Rice is served with every meal and I enjoy this. After dinner we had a campfire on the bamboo patio in a frame constructed of wood and dirt. We had much more blankets and covers at this area so the sleeping was much more comfortable.
The last morning (this morning) we woke up and had rice soup, fried rice and Pineapple. At about 9 we started the bamboo rafting portion of the trek. There were two rafts for the whole group and the entire raft structure was made of bamboo. I was surprised by the flexibility and sturdiness of the raft. Each of us took turns using long poles to push and propel our raft. It was very beautiful and peaceful being in the creek. in most places the water was between knee and waist deep. I enjoyed the moments where the current was slow enough for me to swim along the raft. There were also rapids. Coordinating the direction of pushing, holding your footing, and watching what is going on up ahead is something we all had to do. It was my second favorite part of the trek. My best highlight is when we waded in the water. After we arrived at out destination we had fresh Pad Thai waiting for us in a small restaurant on the river. After that meal I ran into Susin in the part of the restaurant where the guides hang out for their meals. He shared his delicious Pork salad (ground pork w/a tiny bit of vegetables), and a mashed eggplant dish made of eggplant and chili peppers. with sticky rice those were definitely one of the best things I have had in a long time. Every so often I will taste foods I have been exposed to by my Dad’s side of my family because he is Cambodian. I have had that dish before but I don’t remember how it was.
The trekking was super fun and now that it is over I am missing the nature. We are back in Chiang Mai now. It is Becoming evening and we are all tired from the last three days of expended energy. I am entirely grateful I possess the opportunity to experience the myriad of different encounters everyday with this unique group of fantastic and wonderful people.
