So after a few days of rest it was time
For our trek. Something I've been looking forward to since i first decided to travel Thailand. The morning before our guide Lan, a short thai man with a belly like buddha and a demeanour to match, had come to the hotel to explain what would happen and what we needed.
6am I was up and packed, the
Hotel had agreed to Keep the big bags so all i needed to carry was the small one ( easy enough ). Lan arrived at 7 and we jumped in the pick up. Stopping at various other spots for other like minded Trekkers. After an hour we arrived at the elephant camp ( another TAT treat) where we mounted and docile steads and started up trough the jungle. What should have been an experience of a life time quickly turned sour. Our elephant was a mother and her young calf followed us, amazing. Except whenever her baby stopped to drink or wander, she would stop too and our " driver" didn't like that. Using a stick he lifted it high over his head and brought it down full force on the elephants head. Creating a loud knock with echoed around. A gaps escaped our mouths. The driver found this hilarious and spent the rest of the trip mocking us. In tears and in the jungle we had no choice but to wait till the ride was over. The mud was knee high and we couldn't have walked back so we stuck it out and mopped.
As soon as we were back
At the camp we dismounted and refuse there pictures. Fed the elephants some banana's as our was of apology and made straight for the truck. Eager to leave as quick as humanly possible.
Two hours drive and we arrived at the Karon village. The Karon tribe make their living on the paddy fields. Miles of lush green as far as the eye can see us tended to by the small collection of people, men woman and children. When we arrived they had a meal prepared for us and we dutifully sat to
Eat. It was at this point the heavens opened. It was unlike anything I'd seen before. Sheets of rain you can barley see through pounded to The dry sandy ground creating a thick sludge that could suck your shoe off like a Henry Hoover on a split ashtray. Lan took me to the bridge we'd crossed no more than an hour before and the water was streaming over the wood nee had no choice but the stay the night in the village.
Back home on a day like this I would have curled up with a book, or watched a film but none of the options in the jungle. The local woman where in a makeshift shed about 15ft square with mounds of corn ears. So we joined them and sat husking the corn
Listening to the woman chatting( Karon tribe speak Karon not thai so the little thai I picked up was utterly useless).
Lan then took us to our abode for the night. The cheif's brother,Robert, had agreed to let us stay in his house for the night and had put down mats in
Mozzy nets for us, while Lan for
Busy preparing dinner.
Roberts wife was Naa. She had hurt her back some days before and found it hard to Move but she still came out to help and make us feel welcome.( I loved her, we played checkers with stones and leafs)
A night sleeping on a Concrete floor is not comfortable. I was too short for the mozzy net and it was unbelievably hot. But the going to sleep with the sounds of the jungle was amazing. Insects and animals came alive and the sound of the water was like natures lullaby.
At 5 am the roosters started and so Began our day. Breakfast and a quick tour of the village where Lan introduced us to a variety of plant i've never heard of, a bleeding tree, leaves that blow bubbles and plants the move when you touch them. Then we packed up and started our 10km trek.
It started off so well. A nice nature walk where Lan would point out insects and tracks( for the first km) then it all went downhill from there( metaphorically spreaking) 9km of practically vertical mountain range. I swear i thought I would die. A lovely german girl took my backpack
And LAN found me a bamboo stick to help, but being overweight, unfit and trekking in 33 degree weather wasn't exactly a stroll to the shops as you can see my this blogs picture. After about 5 hours we arrived at our destination. A beautiful waterfall with three wooden shacks all set up with mozzy nets. Blankets and a campfire. The only problem....the previous days rain had washed away the bridge and we had to use a small plank of wool to navigate across a very strong current. The boys in our group took it upon themselves to make sure we girls got across ok.( Very Dickensian of them). 25 minutes later we were all safely across and in out campsite. A few of us wasted no time in changing and jumping straight into the waterfall. It was freezing. But a welcome change from being dirty hot and sweaty. We swam for a short while when Lan said he had to go and look for another group who were lost. The rain was bringing to fall again and the trail gets dangerous when wet so myself and Emma started to prepare dinner along with Robert ,who had arrived shortly after us supplies of food, water and
More importantly beer!.
We sat with Robert for half an hour while he showed us what to do and taught is the Karon name for the vegetables( pumpkin is fook choo), then Lan appeared with a group of five very wet and dirty Trekkers.
By the time dinner was ready the group had dried off and changed and we all gathered for a selection of curries and sticky rice, a few beers and a night of card games round the campfire.
A good nights sleep and snotty breakfast of toast, jam and pineapple and we were on our way back to Karon.
This time all down hill and a third of the time. Lunch at the village and back in the truck we heading to a bamboo rafting company. The rain had been so bad that it was unlikely we could go but Lan wanted to make sure so we didn't miss out on anything. We arrived and sure enough no rafting.
We couldn't complain though. Everyone of us had had an amazing time.( I even lost a got bit if weight)
Back to The hostel for a deep clean and some dry clothes and another early morning the next day for a trip to the golden triangle....the only place in the world you can be in three places at the same time ....and home of the opium trade.