Note: This is taken from emails sent in Sept/Oct 1999. Hemi
hi everyone !
just got back from a three day trek to the northern rainforests of thailand.
it was really great. we ordered it from the guesthouse and the guide picked us up on monday morning. we met up with the rest of the group, atotal of 9 tourists and 3 crew members.
we drove north of chiang mai to the area of chiang doi – the 2nd highest mouintain in thailand. our trek centered around this mountainous area (max hight = 1600 meter). the truck drove from the road to a muddy bypass starting to climb and at some point we got off and started walking with our backpacks. it started very nicely but after 2 hrs it started raining so hard that we could barely see ahead. we were soaked to the bone. safi found a fish in his underwear…
later on we even had to cross a river kneehigh.
in te evening we reached a remote little “village” – 5 huts, and people of a hilltribe that had last seen visitoes 5 monthes ago.
we stayed in a hut whos owner has married off his daughters to other villages so that he had plenty of room for us. we ate food prepared by him and the crew.
very tasty and after we dried up we all felt pretty good.
after we dank some of his rice whiskey , we felt even better…
the next day was better wheatherwise, as we continued walking up and down beautiful mtn landscape rich with plants and bugs of all kind.
it was very cheerful even though are shoes were all wet and we were kind of stinky.
toward the end of the day we had to cross a deep river using a raft and then we slept in a little hut in a campsite by the river.
this time we took a shower in the river and washed our clothes as well, te current was very strong and the water was brown from dirst but we still felt pretty good.
the crew once again did not fail us and the food was sumptious. the whiskey was good too. (actually the whiskeey tastes like cats pee, but after the 4th glass, i didnt give a damn) today we rafted down the river for an hour on bamboo canoes, and later rode on elephants (only females). safi and i had a really mad one, she must be at that time of month.
then we were taken in a truck for a 4 hour torture drive thru the backwoods of the mountains, in order to get back to the paved road.
every once in a while we had to get off so the truck could pass easier thru amounts of mud that cannot be encompassed. i am talking about mud deeper than the tires !!
finally we made it and without any harm…
tommorow we head west to a place called mae ho song…
by for now and take care.