Day 14--The Trek

I had to rise with the roosters this morning because my trek was set to leave bright and early. In addition to myself, we picked up an Austrian couple and a family of four from the UK at a nearby guesthouse. This diverse group of strangers became quick friends on the one and a half hour drive southwest of Chang Mai to the Mae Hong Son area. The trek, as it was outlined by the outfitter, would involve trekking, elephant riding, bamboo water rafting and visiting three villages. Our guide, Duang, an Eagle House staffer, was from a Karen village and spoke the indigenous languages in addition to Thai. That day he wore a colorful shirt from his village that his sister had made. I think it was so we could easily spot him in the thick jungle.


The first jungle obstacle came in the form of a rickety bamboo suspension bridge several meters above a river. It seemed to be a left over prop from Indiana Jones. The bridge was so unstable, we had to cross it one at a time. As we made our way uphill, Duang whistled away and pointed out different flora along the way. He also picked herbs and bananas as we trekked behind him. Forty minutes into the ninety minute uphill hike, we approached a village woman coming down the hill. She was balancing a big basket of fruit on her head. Duang said she goes down to the market to the local market every morning and treks up in the evening. That was enough motivation for me to forget about fatigue and the 100% humidity. The vistas of pure jungle and surrounding hills were also a great pleasure.


Upon arriving at the Mae Hong Son village, we set our things down and Duang introduced us to our hosts for the evening. After the days activities, we were to return and spend the night in the village. From the Mae Hong village, we continued trekking to another village, the Karen. Each of these tribes and villages we were visiting was unique with distinct language, clothing, and customs. Some of these tribes have eventually migrated to Thailand from China, Burma, and Tibet. It was really a "National Geographic" special come to life. Again, Duang scored high marks with his translating abilities and putting up with my constant questions.

Since we had been hiking all day, the hike to the waterfall didn't strike me as anything special. The waterfall itself was impressive and overpowering. There were other small waterfalls around it that framed the main fall perfectly. Do to the strength of the current, we were not able to go in for a swim.

Shortly before lunch, my favorite part of the day took place: the elephant ride. When Duang asked who wanted to drive the elephant, I didn't hesitate to raise my hand. So, Duang and some locals were on one, I drove the elephant with the Austrians, and the British family were on 2 others. I named my elephant Hannibal because he was the biggest one of the lot. Riding an elephant on a basket strapped to it's back is one thing. I, as the elephant driver, had to sit on the head. I'm not as agile as the local Thais, so I decided to straddle the neck. Instead of using my feet for commands I used my hands to give Hannibal direction. Also, whenever we passed anu trees that might scrape me, I just tucked my legs behind his ears for protection. Hannibal had a mind of his own as he randomly stopped whenever he felt like to munch on bamboo and grass. There is no doubt that beast was controlling man in this case. Along the way, we passed several huts on stilts with people selling bananas. Every time Hannibal brought his trunk up to be fed, I was doused with a little bit of elephant slobber. Riding back to the Mae Honf village on Hannibal is one of the best experiences I've had to date. There is nothing like seeing the Thai jungle and the Burmese border in the fading distance than from the top of an elephant.