k so inorder to get to Chiang Mai we took an overnight bus, thought it would be fine but the seats didn't recline very much so when we got to Chiang Mai we were fairly wrecked! so just walked about for the day, it was a Sunday so there was a big Sunday market there, was fairly class! we went to see some temples too. At one temple we got talking to a man, turned out to be the chief of police in Chiang Mai, he was very friendly. Told us all about his family, he spent six years studying himself, studied law before training for police. His daughter is studying medicine in Yale in US and his son studying law. Education seemed to be so important to him, he was very interested in knowing about our education and jobs. He was also very impressed to know Brian's dad was a guard at home! He told us his family had built that temple years ago and that his family is of royal descent so he has certain extra privilages around Thailand. He gave us his mobile nd said to ring him anywhere in Aisa if we in any trouble! Nice contact!
Next day was start of our three day trek. Nice friendly group we were with. The first thing we did was go to an elephant camp. We spent a while petting the elephants and then we went on a trek on them, it was deadly, so surreal! We fed them with bananas and when they stopped for water they soaked us by snorting the water all over themselves, funny though! After we had lunch, rice and vegetables, Brian really got into the local food!! After lunch we went trekking for few hours. After walking for about five minutes I stepped on grass in the middle of the track and a snake went flying out of it. We got some fright, it was brown though so not poisonous. A bit further on though we saw a green one (poisonous) and we also saw a tarrantula and its home. After about three hours we came to a waterfall. We all swam in it. It was really cool and beautiful because you could walk under it and behind it. Exactly what we all needed after the trek! After that we trekked for about another two hours before we got to our camp for the night. It was basically a shack with some blankets on the ground and mosquito nets covering each 'bed'. Authentic I guess!! Our shower was the local river and our electricity non existant! ha ha good fun though. Some of the local hill tribe women came around to show us there crafts and then our guides cooked us dinner. They gave us some of the local whiskey to taste. That night we had a campfire and they hd a guitar. Bitta and Dat were there names and both were musicians also. Brian taught them Hotel California on the guitar. They were delighted because they had loads of english songs and chords printed out but couldnt really sing many of them. While we were there a local tribeman passed through our camp and showed us a bird he had shot. He then cooked it and ate it. Yuk! Its how they survive but didin't like seeing it that closely!
Next morning we got up early and started trekking again. We went through some of the local villages. The women were weaving their scarves. It takes them a year to do a full one.