Chiang Mai is instantly an easy place to like. You like it when you first see the map. A city built around a square historic section and what looks like a moat. I've never been much more north than Bangkok in Thailand before, but many I know had. From their descriptions I drew up an idea that it is a bit of a back-water. Of course I knew it was Thailands second city, but then again Battambang is Cambodia's second city, Wyella is South Australias second city. Just because Chicago is the US' second city (or is it LA), doesn't mean that another country can't have a bloody great drop-off from the big one to the next biggest. What I did notice straight away from arrival at the guesthouse, to the obligatory first confused wander up the street for food, is that if Chiang Mai has a comparison (and I'm always looking for them) it is Queenstown in New Zealand. Every two steps you pass a travel agency and each travel agency has something for you to do. Chiang Mai is somewhere you go to 'do something'. We had in our mind before arrival, a mental cruise along in the last week and a half. In reality we booked ourselves on a 2 day trek.
But first we had our teeth to sort out. Sarah came out with antibiotics and some good advice. Chris living up to the stereotype of British having bad teeth, left minus a tooth and some painkillers and antibiotics, oh and half a day of intense pain as my gum got used to being an open wound. Now it is free of pain and life is easier. This is something that should have been sorted in Saigon, but I was scared of what that teenager would do to me. The Thai dentist did an amazing job. I also think I've learnt something about myself, I look over my dental history from the nurse at school to recently, and I trust lady dentists only. Men don't put me at ease.
Anyway dentists aren't interesting so onto the trek. It was a small group, just one other couple in fact. Italians called Guilio and Ariana who were great company throughout. I read in the guidebook a trek can be good or bad based on the group not the guide or itinerary, so in that case we were set.
The action took a while to get going. Past the orchid and butterfly farm (I've wasted too many words on that already). Then a snake zoo, with a snake show. Scary cobra's and pythons etc and men goading these snakes to bite them, with a few facts how poisonous the legless reptiles are. The only entertaining aspect was the MC who had such a creepy seductive voice. "heh let big snake kiss little snake (a penis) and 30 seconds you sleep for long time.... mmm oh yeah".
A visit to the Kayan tribe, the people with long-necks was a disappointment. I thought it would be part of the trek, but in actuality it was just a turn off on the main road, and there was the most artificial of villages with the tribe making scarfs and other crafts. Everyone taking pictures and thinking they are of National Geographic calibre, but really it was like taking photos of animals in the zoo. I was quite uncomfortable with it, but left questioning what I really expected. The ladies put an extra ring around their neck, for beauty I'd imagine. The weight of rings pushes the shoulders down, rather than stretches the neck. Nowadays, it's probably done more for tourism than feminine beauty, which made me wince a bit seeing little girls started on this process. Little girls bred for tourism. I can't reconcile my view of ethical tourism with this, but it sets my moral compass in a bit of a confused spin.
After a 15 minute stop at a market (*shrugs shoulders*) we eventually arrived at the start of the trek. Lunch of rice and watermelon was a good slow release energy meal for what was to come. We met our guide, who introduced himself as 'Wit'. An adequate guide as guides go, although having got pissed the night before was often lagging behind with a hangover. We would later find out Wit is hungover all the time. It didn't matter too much as the trail was easy to see. It was also very hard work, for us anyway. The Italians suffered less it seemed.
It was uphill almost totally for about 4 hours (including frequent stops). The humidity was fierce, and sweat poured through me, and left me not caring whether it rained torrents or not. In fact rain was what I would have wanted. To see a flat bit was a relief, but often all to short before another steep climb would show itself. My coping mechanism was to go 'into myself' and meditate for a bit. One swing of the stick and count four steps, one swing of the stick, count four steps, again and again, my own pace. Of course I would often come out of this trance noticing it slowed me down and the rest of the group, including Sarah and the hungover guide were miles ahead. An energy sapping sprint would redress my moments of contemplation.
The village was basic and perfect. Of course as soon as I arrived I sat myself on the floor of the bamboo veranda and gulped down water and just... well sat and sweat. The others were checking out the sleeping quarters, and showering. I just sat. My moment of nothingness was broken by two girls and a baby playing around me. They saw my camera and asked me to take pictures. Such cute kids, more joined us later. Including a young chap who's pet was a stag beetle on a lead. I'm not lying.
After a shower, which was a tap a meter off the ground surrounded by bamboo walls, I saw our sleeping area which we would share with Guilio and Ariana. It was a big room with mosquito nets, and mattresses. It looked so cosy, but maybe after that walk it wouldn't be hard to make anything cosy.
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| pet beetle on a lead |
The following morning after another wood smoked fire cooking our breakfast we walked back down to hill to the waterfall. Walking downhill uses another set of muscles and isn't necessarily easier than uphill. Still we made it there, accompanied by the village dog. A black mini-wolf shaped thing, whom Sarah named 'Bandit'. He went with us up to the waterfall and then went back home.
The waterfall was as scenic as you'd expect a waterfall would be, but with the heat and humidity, jumping under it was obviously the aim. It was very cold, and after 5 months in Asia, really cold water is rare. The heat bakes any water which stands still for a second. Climbing over the rocks isn't easy, neither is standing under the waterfall itself. The water dropping a great height can be almost painful as it bashes on your head. Still the refreshment from the falls, tided me over until we reached the end of our trek and the next stop. Incidentally with the waterfall reached, so was the bottom of the hill. Therefore, we had a nice level stroll back.
Our next stop was lunch of noodles followed by an elephant ride. It was ok, and we bounced along on top of these slow moving beasts for an hour. Quite exciting, but you get the feeling the elephants have done this journey a million times, and their boredom rubbed off on me.
The final bit was the white water rafting. We saw some others doing it, and wondered if we had a guide, as it looked a bit hairy at times. We did, and he made it all so easy for us. "GO" meant paddle forward. "STOP" meant stop paddling and hang onto the side rope "BACK" meant paddle backwards and "GET DOWN" meant get down off the edge and inside the boat. Four different orders to work out, easy enough. The rapids were exhilarating, and refreshing in the heat to have a huge wave hit you in the face. At one easy point the guide said we could get in and swim. I was the only one to. Just floating with life jacket down river was probably as good as the tubing in Laos. Then Sarah told me about snakes and I headed as fast as I could back to the boat. Unfortunately swimming up river is impossible so I positioned myself for the boat to come to me. Getting back into the raft was impossible without help as it is too high out of the water. The guide sorted it out by telling me to turn round, then he pulled my by my life jacket out. Once in the raft, my life jacket was around my waist and my shorts showing a considerable arse-crack, this was a beautiful moment. Also it turned out the snakes weren't a threat at all in the water, there was no need for me to head for the raft so fast.
We ended the adventure with a bamboo raft floating down to our final stop, where a truck was waiting to take us back to Chiang Mai. En route I noticed how bad I smelt. Some girl was holding a cloth over her nose the entire time, and being French Canadians (I think) they switched to French and I know I heard the word 'peu' after a struggled giggle. Oh grow a tolerant bone you Quebequi Cow!
We got back to Chiang Mai, showered off the stains of our trek, had a meal and lights out by 8:30pm, satisfied that despite our fatigue, we'd done something really memorable.
This morning we were awake for 8am to watch the US Presidential debate. Romney was impressive and passionate. Obama, seemed like he just turned up out of the goodness of his heart, and that his record will be enough. Maybe his lack of passion here, in the debate about health, taxation and the economy could cost him dearly. It's the domestic issues which will concern American voters. Maybe turning up the passion on the next debate, being foreign policy could be too little too late. Who cares? Whoever gets in, I will still be sat in front of a computer for 40 hours a week.
Tomorrow we are off to see some tigers, if I get round to booking it. Then the day after it's the night train to Bangkok.
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