Jungle Trek Day 1

Jungle Trek

Finallw we were both well, and we could do the trek.  We caught our early morning lift and headed up towards the mountains.  Along with us, there where another 10 people, 6 from Holland, 2 English, 2 Germans.  We all got on well, the guys from Holland seemed really cool and chilled, and got mine and Ems silly innuendo humour ;-)

Before we could start the trek we had to do the customary hours of just sitting around doing nothing while we waited for… not really sure.  But eventually we set off with the sun beating down on our backs, rice paddies stretching of in the distance and the giant jungle mountains stretching into the horizon.  Our guide Maxi, a 35 year old from the North of Thailand, worked doing the treks and also training with the Elephants in the camp that we would pass through.  He had great laid back attitude, an easy infectious smile, as we went along our journey he would stop and point out local plants and what they would be called, herbs, fruit what types we could eat.  He also showed us what looked like just long blades of thick grass, if you grabbed it each side of the stem and pulled down quick it would shoot the stem flying into the sky.

Our first day on the trek was spent on a constant uphill track zigzagging through the jungle, though sweltering heat, to the point at one stage it looked like I had just taken a jump in a pool as I was totally drenched!! 

  As we continued along the trek Maxi would fashion various items from local foliage and bamboo ranging from hand fans, hats made from giant leaves, glasses and small rings made from bamboo!! 

We spent all day trekking and finally reached our destination a hill tribe village as the sun was setting, and shortly after the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour which would continue on and off all night (unheard of during this time of year). 

During the evening after we had dinner, Maxi came and chatted to us about the next day’s activity at the elephant camp, knowing that there would be question about the treatment of the elephants.  We were told that even though they would be chained up at times this was for safety reasons while they were being fed; as awesome as these animals are they still do weigh in at several tonnes and a stampede rushing for feeding time would be impossible to control.  A German couple from another group, where worried about them having to carry tourists around, which Maxi pointed out the weight of carrying a person was equivalent to us carrying a small rucksack.  After chatting over a fire for a while longer we headed to bed for one of the worst night’s sleep so far.  The mattress and bedding did not look like it had been changed or cleaned in a long time so we both slept fully clothed… oh well at least we had a dry place to sleep… sort off ;-)