Jungle Trekking

Just come back from a rather enjoyable three day trek through the jungle.
It was a very interesting mix of people ... Lots of Dutch (including Marcel and Sander who I met in Bangkok), a slightly older French couple who were die hard walkers (even had their own walking sticks that they took with them around the world), also another Frenchman, Emmerich, who was travelling with a Bolivian guy named Sebastian and two girls (one Vietnamese and one Thai) whose names escape me. Also, by a spot of lucky coincidence, Julie, the French girl we met in Bangkok happened to choose the same tour we did (albeit only the two day version she left us after the first night). There was also a very young, very pretty, very ... Essex girl named Carla, who was actually very nice despite what they say about people who come from Essex.
After a fairly lengthy minibus trip to the foot of the mountains we took luncheon and then made our way up the first leg of the mountain. It was about 45 degrees up for a few hours and it was extremely hot and humid (what else is new???). However, as we had quite a few guides we could separate the wheat from the chaff and a few of us pushed on ahead. There were two guides who led the way, Pracak, a young mute hill triber, and another boy who couldn't have been more than eight years old. He would have to have been one of the meanest looking little men I've ever seen. Definitely a juvenile delinquent if ever i've seen one and probably a gangboss on layby to boot. The only times I saw him smile where when he threw a rock at a dog and when he shook a tree that I was walking under so that I was drenched in water. Interesting thing to note was that all of the guides went either barefoot or just wore thongs or sandals. Hardly the most appropriate footwear for such a steep and slippery climb you would expect. I was the firt one to the village and we must have arrived a bit earlier than expected because one of the village girls was sending an SMS from her mobile when I walked in (not a very traditional form of communication for such rustic conditions but that's probably more the real Thailand than the brochures).
Sleeping arrangements where very basic, just mats on the floor with mosquito nets to protect us from the more aggressive bugs.
We were given a very nice green curry for dinner and afterwards we had some beer (something I didn't expect would be provided in such tranquil surroundings) and we also drank the Tullamore Dew graciously provided to me by young Robespierre at the airport (also smoked some mountain weed, which I was hoping would be found on the mountain). There was the option of chasing the dragon while we were up there but it was declined by all. It got dark around about seven but when it gets dark on the mountain it gets DARK. We had candles but they weren't very good and the circadian rhythm seems to take over when one doesn't have enough electric light to keep one up. Some retired early and I struggled for while with a few others. We were trying to communicate with Pracak, the mute boy, he would half sign, half mutter, half gesture and write (he was a little bit literate in English and fully in Thai, but there were none of us who were). As the night wore on there were more and more elaborate interpretations as to what he was saying (you want us to come down to the village, you want to be a movie star, you want us to go to bed, you want us to do a handstand etc etc). When we finally got to bed at a very reasonable hour it wasn't too hard to nod off, there was no discernible difference between having my eyes closed or open, it was PITCH BLACK.
However, the fucking roosters (and there seemed to be hundreds of them) decided that daybreak should have been at 3am and proceeded to wake up the entire group. I can sleep through most things (ask anyone who's tried to get me up for work) but that combined with a full bladder (and a nightmarish walk to the 'traditional toilet') meant sleep wasn't too great and I was the first one up at dawn and therefore had a very long wait for the traditional western breakfast of a boiled egg, three pieces of cold toast (all Thai bread seems to be loaded up with sugar so is way too sweet for me) and instant coffee with powdered milk.
We said our goodbyes to the two day trekkers who had a slightly condensed version of the trek to go. The group was reduced to me, Jean-Paul and Annique (French) and the Dutch, Marcel and Sander, Marlocs and Laura (sisters), and Irene and Monica (friends). We just had one guide, Khan, who took us off up the mountain for more touristy goodies. Saw quite a few other tour groups trekking along (including the same group that I was originally going to go on from my old guesthouse) ... There has to be about thirty or forty tour groups at any one time wandering around the mountain, the guides timing themselves so there's minimal interaction to spoil the idea that you're the only ones up there.
First major stop was a beautiful waterfall where we had a quick swim. There was one of the cutest little kids you've ever seen and he was like a little Yoda, I was at my bag and he kept on putting his hands in it and trying t take things, I eventually gave him my pen (which I needed later on) to appease him. After we'd had a swim he ran up to a big rock and then jumped off it onto me catching me round my chest and then I put him on the ground. I thought this was very endearing ... At first. After I put him down he did it again. Then again. Then again. Eventually we wandered down to the hut and his mother tried to sell us some bracelets and necklaces. She was saying 20 baht and he was screaming, 50 baht,50 baht ... A tuk tuk driver in the making methinks.
Also had bit of a medical emergency, I stepped on a bamboo shoot in barefeet and got a pretty major splinter in it. Now, normally, I wouldn't attempt this kind of operation myself without a fully equipped medical team and a quart of whiskey to steel my nerves but it was a ery painful splinter. I asked one of the girls if she had tweezers and she shook her head, no. What about a needle? No. Oh well, i'd have to live with it. I have got pincers if you need them she said. Hurrah. Damn Dutch don't know what to call a pair of tweezers, mrmghmm mwhrmm ...
Second stop was another waterfall that was so strong it was like getting a Thai massage on your back. You couldn't stand up straight without being pushed right over, definitely the highlight of the day. The walking was very easy the second day. Hardly any hills although a lot of river crossing on very precarious bridges and rocks. This was also where I seemed to be clunk. At least I didn't fall in.
Came to camp which was just a small hut with a kiosk next to it (also selling beer ...) and we had a very nice dinner and then stayed up all night playing Shithead (i've got to find a more appropriate name for that game ... It's very hard to invite a very elegant adult Frenchman to a game with a name like that). Sing, one of the guides from the first day also joined us at camp and he didn't take too long to learn the game (it also didn't take him too long to learn how to cheat at the game either). Stayed up way too late with the Dutch guys that night, they were very polite and spoke English for my benefit for the most part but as the night wore on they started to slip a bit. It was nice to be a honarary dutch for a few days though I have to say./
Got a much better night's sleep that night (there was only one rooster at this place and he seemed to know when dawn was) and after a very nice Thai scrambled eggs breakfast we had a very brief walk to the tourist assembly line. It would have to be one of the most efficient operations i've seen in this country. Loads of tour groups all being dropped off at the site then put on an elephant (finally got my elephant ride, yay!) walked up a road and back (a few stops for cars on the road and for bananas to feed them) then taken back to the main site where we alighted the elephants and another group is put on their backs. We were then given helmets and lifejackets and put on the white water boats (the boats were dropped backup from down river at a pretty constant rate) where we had a rather tame but still quite exciting raft down the river. A few rapids but nothing too difficult then we get off at one spot , heave the boats on to a truck (so that they can be driven back for another group, not the next, the next few are already on their way, strategically spaced out so you don't have too much crossover) and then jump onto some waiting bamboo rafts for an idyllic float down some more calm river. Get to the end and there's a short wait before Sing, our guide, drove us back to the start of the trek where we have lunch and then had back to town. Very nice trip I thought ... Not enough walking and the highlights (ie elephants and rafting etc) were pushed at us a bit too quickly but definitely recommend it as a good way to spend a few days at chang Mai. Next stop will be pai, I think, the hippies paradise if Lonely Planet is tobe believed but I want to check out a bit more of Chang Mai before I go. Also thinking of doing another one day walk later on from Chang Mai because there are supposed to be some very good difficult walks in the south.
Photos will follow when I get my arse into gear.