25 June 2005
The Queen and I
We arrived bright and early in Chang Mai last Monday morning. Jumping off the train we were immediatly set upon by a pack of rabid tuk-tuk drivers all standing baying at the platform edge "tuk-tuk tuk-tuk cheap ok you go" in a continuous loop. With our bags we went for a what passed for a taxi in northern thailand, a converted truck with a tin roof in the back and wood seats which took us to a guesthouse in the old city.
Chang Mai is really laid back compared to Bangkok, there are some great course on cookery and thai massage to do (sorry people we didn't take either) instead we signed up for a 3 day jungle trek into the northern mountains.
We set out bright and early Tuesday morning in a slightly bigger truck for a 3hr ride into the mountains to take an elephant trek. Elephants are surprisngly big... and very very uncomfertable to sit on. The little Thai man who was "driving" the elephant thought it might be a good idea for us to have a bash. It wasn't. As close as you can to crashing an elephant we did it. "driving" the elephant ivolves sitting on its neck and hoping to god you don't fall off since they don't come equipped with handle bars and have a habit of rising up to eat bark off of trees that is easier said than done. (hence ed's picture).
Another 2 hr ride we reached the top of the mountain range and started out, I am sure the views were stunning from there but we had a slight rain problem as whichever deity is in charge in this part of the world was chucking buckets of the stuff at us. However wet it was we were still in Thailand, so that was cool. The other problem with the rain is the wet stink we got on the first day festered for the next two so developed quite a fragrance.
The walk brought us to a hill tribe village where we spen the night in a bamboo hut 30km from the burmese border. The villagers were all strung out on rice whisky and various opiates by the time we got there. Whilst we can't speak for the quality of the opium in the jungle the rice whisky was damn good, and i didin't go blind. Bear in mind that we are coming off four years of college so a drink best described as one part Sake two parts petrol is quite relatively delcious. Most impressive was a little guy called Ijaah who was honestly about up to my hip. He stumbeled into the local hut where we thought we were being super daring and taking shots of this stuff and promptly filled a glass full of the stuff downs it and pours another.
Anyway gotta go watch the british lions maul the all blacks in a bar in Hanoi, more to follow
E+S
Chang Mai is really laid back compared to Bangkok, there are some great course on cookery and thai massage to do (sorry people we didn't take either) instead we signed up for a 3 day jungle trek into the northern mountains.
We set out bright and early Tuesday morning in a slightly bigger truck for a 3hr ride into the mountains to take an elephant trek. Elephants are surprisngly big... and very very uncomfertable to sit on. The little Thai man who was "driving" the elephant thought it might be a good idea for us to have a bash. It wasn't. As close as you can to crashing an elephant we did it. "driving" the elephant ivolves sitting on its neck and hoping to god you don't fall off since they don't come equipped with handle bars and have a habit of rising up to eat bark off of trees that is easier said than done. (hence ed's picture).
Another 2 hr ride we reached the top of the mountain range and started out, I am sure the views were stunning from there but we had a slight rain problem as whichever deity is in charge in this part of the world was chucking buckets of the stuff at us. However wet it was we were still in Thailand, so that was cool. The other problem with the rain is the wet stink we got on the first day festered for the next two so developed quite a fragrance.
The walk brought us to a hill tribe village where we spen the night in a bamboo hut 30km from the burmese border. The villagers were all strung out on rice whisky and various opiates by the time we got there. Whilst we can't speak for the quality of the opium in the jungle the rice whisky was damn good, and i didin't go blind. Bear in mind that we are coming off four years of college so a drink best described as one part Sake two parts petrol is quite relatively delcious. Most impressive was a little guy called Ijaah who was honestly about up to my hip. He stumbeled into the local hut where we thought we were being super daring and taking shots of this stuff and promptly filled a glass full of the stuff downs it and pours another.
Anyway gotta go watch the british lions maul the all blacks in a bar in Hanoi, more to follow
E+S
