Chiang Mai Trek - Thailand

Bridge, Randi, and I arrived in Chiang Mai a few days ago. While waiting for Kate and Bri to join, we visited the Sunday Night Market, got lost, saw some movies, danced to some reggae, and bought matching trekking shoes for only 350 baht. Bored of cities, we (Bridge, Randi, Kate, Bri, and I) decided to escape into the jungle for a few days, so we booked a 3 day trek. Note: It rained all 3 days.

Day 1: We visited an orchid and butterfly farm. Then, we hiked to an elephant training camp in the hills. We embarked on an hour long elephant trek up a muddy mountain. The elephants were not willing participants, so there were a few divergences from the muddy trail. In order to safely stay on the elephant, we held firmly to our metal seat. Back at camp, we spent the evening huddled around a picnic table in an attempt to escape the cold rain. We slept in a straw mountainside hut.

Day 2: We awoke to a beautiful view of the valley and watched as the elephants bathed in the pool. Then we began the rigorous part of the journey: a 3 hour muddy, rainy, and slippery trek up a mountain. Our guide, Yui, made us all bamboo walking sticks, which helped significantly! There was a lot of sliding backwards, a few falls (Randi suffered the most scratches), and some fear and anxiety (Did I mention that I’m afraid of heights?!). Our new Canadian friends, Bryden and Mike made it to the top first. I pulled in last, followed by our friendly and helpful guide. We settled in atop the hillside village. Due to the rain and cold, we spent the next 8 hours around the campfire. We listened to Mike and Bryden play the guitar, had some Chang, and played some drinking games. We were, also, entertained by the state of our guide. Turns out, many people trek into the mountains for the opium. Us gals politely declined.

Day 3: After a cold nite, we set back down the slippery mountain. There were less falls than expected! We gained a great appreciation for our bamboo walking sticks. At the bottom, we visited a beautiful waterfall. The boys braved the freezing weather and took a quick dive in. Next, we went white water and bamboo rafting. Despite the freezing air, water, and rain, we all had a blast! Lastly, we visited a Karen long-neck tribal village. This was actually our least favorite part of the trek as it was more like a zoo display than a depiction of village life.

Overall, we all had an amazing time in the jungle! We conquered some fears, enjoyed the company of friends, experienced village life, saw breathtaking views, and had a lot of laughs. That night, after receiving messages, all 7 of us and our friend, Andrew, went out to some bars

Yesterday we rented motos, experienced some very windy roads, and visited the Golden Temple atop the hillside. Some of us are quite sore and walking rather stiffly. There aren’t mountains like that back in Michigan!!

~ Stacy