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Good evening to you all, Tina have just returned from our 2 day trek which was truly amazing but absolutely shattering.
I hope that you will read this in conjunction with the photo album as the photos willprobably describe some of it better than I ever could. My photos so far are only from my iPhone so once Tinas gets all her photos off the camera then the sights can really be appreciated.
I hope if heather, Steve or my parents read this then will appreciate the town duck (yet to be given a name-suggestions welcome) was in a few pictures. Anyway down to business, the day (Sunday 13th) started with an early morning wake up and bus/small open top van is a better description to the pick up point. I'd be lying if I said I was hoping that there might be an Aussie or an English person on the trip but this was soon out of the of the question as our trip was with mostly French, an Italian couple, 2 danish girls and 2 overweight peruvians who were living in the USA.
The trip began with a stop off at a butterfly and orchid farm, I'm not even going to try and make out this was interesting as it wasn't. The stop was for twenty minutes, we were done in ten and i have seen more and better looking butterflies in London. A few pictures were taken just for novelty sake but we are done on that subject now.
I now continue this blog on a Tuesday morning having stopped off at a French cafe as Tina suddenly had her hunger panic. I only say this as I know dad would find it amusing as the whole place is kitted out in tin tin items, no Belgium flag in sight.
Right down to business and we got o our destination and were excited to see elephants in the distance although more concerned to see people on the White water rafting and as they went through the rapids someone fell off the back and given that we were doing this on day 2 gave cause for concern. Our guide looked was a Thai chap who spoke some english but loved either singing bob Marley tunes and shouting random words that seemed to tickle
Me. The long trek began through the beautiful jungle like mountains Which was to be a 4 hour long sheer climb in temperatures around 34. I won't lie and say it was easy but it is made easier when you look around to see such amazing sights, you hAve a guide shouting words from the speedy Gonzales cartoons and you know the 2 Peruvian women were struggling so you cant look any worsethan them. Again I would refer you to the photo album to try and appreciate the views as truly breathtaking the higher you get. Tina managed to get more photos, these were done between when nature didn't conspire against as all plants and Mosquitos must have thought it was Christmas day come early win she rocked up a they went to town on her legs, bur the Danish girls seem to suffer the same fate.
I would have to say I was surprised that everyone made it out of there alive given that health and safety doesn't seem to exist on these treks, the guides just race on ahead leaving people to cross rapid like water with a slippery like bridge striking resemblance to Indian jones and the temple of doom. I did try and call the guide Mick Dundee and few times
But obviously the beauty of crocodile
Dundee has yet to hit Thailand, France or any of the other nationalities that we travelled with. We crossed another trek on elephants which stopped for photos, I was about to pose next to one but it decided to turn it's back and take a massive crap- I had to respect this and carried on regardless of this obvious snub.
We arrived extremely tired at a local tribe where we would stay the night and I have to say the sense if achievement was apparent by all. The feeling reminded me of reused burying the finish in the last minutes of the play off final against barnsley, again I kept this story to myself as I felt it could be lost on everyone including Tina on the trek. My relief soon turned to exciting when a cooler was brought out with beer! I don't think I have ever tested a sweeter beer as that, at that point I even think I would have drink a pint of carling, moss you should know that takes alot.
The evening was great and the sights even better as we were literally placed on top if the mountain.I think the girls were slightly shocked at the bamboo beds, cold water shower and hole inthe ground toilet but for myself I finally met a tribe on my wavelength. Their tribe didn't speak Thai but another dialect much like England can never understand anyone from the west country. I did learn a new word, 'Abu yaoh' meaning both hello and goodbye and inreturn I gave the guide and tribe 'cheers mate', which he used every time I raised a can of frosty change beer in his direction. We drank into the night with me spending time with georgiou alessandro the Italian and we did rounds much to Tinas disgust. I think he appreciated our visit to Italy and he taught the ways of Italian drinking, he also had an amazing joey barton esque moustache that I had wanted to touch since the start of the trek. The guide left and turned up later in a very stoned state and sang bob Marley tunes in Thai. I actually felt bob marleys grave turn as his songs were murdered one by one. He taught us a new drinking game that not even gazza or George best would have done called 'Jessie bond'. I soon learnt this was meant to be James bond but I didn't want to pick at such details and proceeded to be shot when he pointed at me and drank. The girls refused to go to the toilet after a large spider was spotted in there, I laughed this off but didn't go for a wee until the following morning.
The next morning was an early wake up but the sights amazing seeing the clouds/mist across the mountain below yes which again the photos will capture than I could describe. My favourite moment was seeing an Italian given a packet of instant coffee and his confusion at what I was. I showed him
As he said Italians have never seen such things and quickly followed this with 'cheers Mate'. Another 2 trek followed to a waterfall where I had been shown a video another group had taken where a canadian had backflipped off and cracked his head. He had been taken to hospital, I decided to paddle my feet given that Tina had given me a look that I have learnt means "you do that and I'll leave you".
We got to the elephant riding area and it was 2 to an elephant. I have to say I isn't particularly enjoy this given the great height that we sat at and the elephants walk so close to the mountain edge. I think I nearly broke my fingers with the tight grip that was applying to the seat we were on. This was then followed by a White water rafting ride to the bottom. It doesn't help when a new guide comes in and speaks even less English and he is supposed to be giving you a 2minute safety talk with words like 'go go' and 'stop'. We made it alive although extremely soaked, we then took a bamboo raft the rest of the way and a small van home.
There were many funny tales but I grow tired of the autocorrect on the phone and I'm sure if you have made it this far you are extremely bored.
Phuket next on Wednesday and I look forward to this. Today (Tuesday) I can write in a few words. Relaxed and done very little, getting my washing done here as I have given up on having yellow clothes now. I stupidly wore my England shirt around chaing mai meaning every tuk tuk driver, local, begger etc.. Wanted to stop me or sell
Me something- not again! I finish this in a local bar with wifi and hopefully I can organise the skype thing with parents, Ed etc... At some point along the way.
I would recommend Tinas blog for the pictures as mine are taken on an old iPhone which are as useless as the toilets we came across.
'abu yoah' to you all or 'cheers mate'. Robbie c out for now.
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