I just came back from a few days in the jungle with an amazing tour guide and 11 other travelers~ all being German. It was a quirky coincidence but it made the hiking in here in thailand feel more like a walk in Bavaria. They were all wonderful except they didn't speak english very often and I'm still working on my German. The first day, we took a side hike up to a beautiful waterfall. The water was so refreshing after the long, hot tramp up to the top. Afterwards, we walked a bit to Karen villiage for the evening. Our guide, Chan, pointed out the different plants along the way that were edible or interesting in some way. On one bush, you seperate the leaf from the stalk without detaching it thereby exposing a gooey substance that can make bubbles, like when useing dish soap. It was very entertaining. WE also were taught how to find native mushrooms that are in season at the moment. WE were lucky enough to stumble upon some to use later for dinner.
The village people were really wonderfully welcoming. Just as soon as we found our beds for the evening (read: mosquito nets over mats), the rain started. I sat in the kitchen and helped Chan make what became the best curry I have ever tasted. We enjoyed our food under the shelter of their home and took in the sounds of the nature around us. I chatted for a bit and we all went to bed quite early.
The next day, we hiked to a couple of different hill tribe villages and ended up at an elephant camp for lunch. From there, we coupled off and jumped upon one of the gentle giants who took us to our last village for the evening. The elephant was so amazing. The majority of the time, he was belly deep in a river. From here, we saw a water snake and many cattle who our elephant was trying to intimate by running towards. That was crazy. All in all, I was sad to see our new friends leave. We met another tribe within their villiage. They were just as welcoming and friendly. I really enjoyed their energy. We had another one of Chan's creations, a bit spicy but tasty all the same, and talked into the night while being bomparded by three inch bugs. Funny enough, one of my fellow trekers studied biology in university with a focus on the classification of insects. I soon found out that our new guests were indeed crickets, cicadas, and a few others i don't recall. Not all that exotic but HUGE and therefore remarkable. *Smile*
Today, we jumped upon a bamboo raft made by the local village and journeyed downstream. While standing, we manuvered with bamboo sticks around the rocks and other white water obstacles. It was more intense than i imagined and a lot more fun! We hit a few rocks and got stuck but nothing too intense. If we did break the raft, we would have had to hike the rest of the way over the mountain rather than along the river back. We were all happy to arrive at our distination in one piece.
Tonight, I'm planning on going to the night bizaar here in Chaing Mai. Tomorrow, I have a cooking class during the day. i'll keep you posted!
Love to all!