Trekking through hill-tribe villages in the mountains and riding elephants

3 Oct 08 -

After a long bus ride (with tiny uncomfortable seats that reinforced my opinion that I am far too large for Thailand) we arrived back in Chiang Rai. From there we met our guides to the hill-tribe villages, a non-profit called the Mirror Art Group: http://www.mirrorartgroup.org/. As we were preparing our packs for a 4-day trek through the mountains I realized that I had left my camera on the bus :-( I allowed myself a brief grieving period - wah wah, I lost so many good pictures, I can't remember anything now, I can't show people at home, so on and so forth. Then when I felt I was ready, I allowed myself to let go and now I'm completely over it. Perhaps it can be viewed as a good thing to keep me more present. I was still a bit blue when we arrived at the first hill-tribe village, but after meditating on the impermanence and inevitable loss of all things - including but not limited to possessions - I was able to completely let go and probably enjoyed myself even more.

I looked around in amazement at the 100% bamboo house on stilts we were staying in. It reminded me of a tree-house and I felt like I was in Never Never land - J.M. Barrie's, not Michael Jackson's creepy lair. As usual, we were greeted with open arms and genuinely warm smiles. We were lucky enough to arrive during one of their frequent festivals in which they scare off any evil spirits that may have followed them back after the harvest. Again, they dressed us up in traditional garb - beautiful black/multi-colored fabric and head-dresses with silver coins dangling. We had a blast playing instruments - drums, cymbals, and hollowed-out bamboo that was struck on the ground - while dancing around a fire in true pagan ritual form. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings of joy I experienced. I spent much of the night playing with exuberant children, who kept me entertained until I was sweaty and out of breath. But their love and energy was boundless and I still continued to play - perhaps enjoying it even more than them.

5 Oct 08 -

We trekked from the Akha village for about 2 hours towards Chiang Rai. We stopped at a waterfall and swam in the rain for a while before enjoying our packed lunches - pad thai wrapped in a banana leaf. It was nice not having to worry about producing trash for once. We continued a while longer to Chiang Rai and the view was amazing. Lush mountains covered with bamboo and rice fields, sprinkled with cows and small bamboo huts. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I learned that we were going to Chiang Rai to pick up elephants for the rest of the trek to the next village!

I don't think I have ever been that close to an elephant. They struck me as very odd and almost alien-like creatures. We were harassed by their awkward trunks looking for food as we walked to the platform used for mounting them. The ride was bumpier than expected but I was engrossed in amazement that I was actually riding on top of this huge and powerful animal. At one point our rider randomly jumped off and the elephant continued on its own. Naturally, I took advantage and jumped down from the platform to ride on its neck. His head was smushier than I would have guessed and I was overwhelmed with compassion for this seemingly old and wise majestic creature. It was funny how they would just grab shoots of bamboo and other foliage with their trunks and munch on it while we walked. Well, it was funny until it snarfed up some of its cud up onto me. But I laughed and took it in stride. I was sad when we arrived at the village and I had to get off. What a magnificent beast!

This was our first Lahu village and I found these people to be similar to all Thais - joyful, loving, excessively hospitable, and overly concerned with making us as comfortable as possible. Again, they dressed us in traditional garb and we danced and sang around a fire. We slept in another bamboo hut raised on stilts with animals living beneath. Every house is like this. It's fun once you get over the somewhat disconcerting sounds of pigs and hens directly beneath you while you sleep. After meals, we simply lift up the bamboo floors and drop the leftovers for the pigs. All is well until the roosters (who seem to have megaphones tied to their beaks) begin at dawn!

We got up early this morning and hiked for 6 1/2 hours over two mountains to the next Lahu village. It was quite a haul with our packs. Fortunately, it poured which I much prefer to sweltering heat, but I still drank well over a gallon and sweat most of it out. We would periodically reach clearings from which you could survey the splendor of Thailand's mountains for miles in all directions. Massive ripples of earth covered in thick green jungle. I pulled two leaches off of me and we ate some bamboo worms alive, which look exactly like white grubs but taste like coconut. I was exhausted by the time we reached the village. As always, we ate like kings for dinner and they serve the most delicious tea after every meal. I grew to love the smell of fire as you walk into the bamboo huts. They are completely bare-bones but somehow remarkable homey.

6 Oct 08 -

We left the village this morning and literally bushwacked with machetes through bamboo forest. It was exhausting so I was happy when we stopped at a rice patty clearing in a valley for lunch. I was excited as the guides taught us how to cook and eat completely from the land. We used bamboo cylinders to cook the rice and eggs, wrapping the inner wall with banana leaves that we also ate. We collected fiddlehead ferns from the valley and made chili from bamboo worms we had collected during the hike. We even carved chop sticks from bamboo. It was an extraordinary and wonderful feast. We then trekked a bit further to a Karin village by a river in the lowlands. I felt spoiled since there was actually an outhouse! Funny the things you take for granted...

10 Oct 08 -

We stopped in Ayutthaya for a day and a half enroute to the sea gypsies on a small island in the south. We spent the day biking around the city and visiting Wats (temples) that were 600-800 years old, mostly in ruins. By the end, I found myself feeling a bit Watted out as I have already seen so many and they are tourist traps. I don't want to give the wrong impression - they are absolutely stunning and magnificent cultural monuments - I have simply found that I'm more interested in the Thai people themselves rather than their accomplishments.

Last night we went a discotheque and I had a lot of fun dancing. I was hungry before going in and saw a food cart just outside. I went over to find a skinny old man selling crickets, grasshoppers, and bamboo worms. I could hardly believe that this man made a living selling insects outside of a club! "I guess it's smart since only a completely intoxicated person would consider eating these," I thought as I sampled each one. The grasshoppers were to crunchy and stringy, the crickets were quite good, but I ended up buying a bag of bamboo worms for 20 baht, or about $.06. It's a good thing I have a strong stomach or I would starve here.