Day 7- Chiang Mai to Phuket

My taxi driver has a sense of humor.

It's time to depart the mountainous north of Thailand and head for the world's most beautiful beaches on the Andaman Sea coast. My morning flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket brings me to the stunning Andaman Sea and Karon Beach. The transfer from the airport takes about 3 hours because of traffic and awful taxi drivers, but then I'm quickly off to enjoy a short "warm up" coastal paddle. Don't worry, I will take lots of pictures! Maybe I'll even have a kayak guide do the paddling at some point so I can relax and enjoy the view...

The most important part of this day was dinner. I found a Mexican restaurant at Karon Beach and went to town with tacos. I don't know if I was just really over Thai food, but this was some stellar mexi-fun. I downed it and with my now happy Buddha belly, could go on for a few more days on Thai food. 

Future plans include: kayaking, beach camping, rock climbing, exploring the small islands by longtail boat and yes, some relaxing beach time!

Day 6- Thai cooking class and smelly markets

Since I fell in love with single track mountain biking yesterday, I decided to get one more ride in before heading back to Chiang Mai. I headed out with a group of 5 other riders- 2 experienced mountain bikers and 3 Army/Marine athletes who I'm sure will kick my butt. As the only novice in the group, I'm proud to report that I kept up with everyone (though this ride was much more challenging and I was pretty much breathless the whole way uphill!) 

After my bike ride, I had the opportunity to participate in a traditional Thai cooking class... enjoying the fruits of our labor of course! We made Tom Kha Kai soup (coconut milk base with mushrooms, hot chili peppers, ginger, lemongrass, tomatoes, chicken and garlic and some other things I can't remember). Holy crap! Our small group got a little aggressive with the hot peppers. That's what happens when you have a group that likes spicy food! We also made a noodle dish- Pad See You. This dish uses a rice noodle mixed with tapioca and mixes in Chinese kale, sweet soy sauce, oil, white pepper, egg, veggies, garlic and i think a few other things. This was yummy and not too spicy. We learned our lesson after that soup!

After lunch, it's time to head back to Chiang Mai and celebrate a great week of trekking, biking and paddling. My guide had a little surprise for me on the 2 hr drive back. We stopped at a market and walked around. I can't tell you how many times I nearly vomited from smell and/or the looks of certain things. I mean, they had meat sitting out with these weird circulating fly swatters, catfish splattering around in buckets, lots of veggies, fruits and insects! Crickets, silk worms, cockroaches, bugs I couldn't tell what they were, and HUMONGOUS praying-mantis type insects! Ewwwww! Not gonna lie, really wanted to eat an insect so I could say I've done it, but absolutely not. I was so nauseous from walking around the smelly market that I would have most definitely vomited everywhere! Interestingly, I was stopped by a man who recognized my CO flag shirt and tells me he just moved to the area from Denver. He was really nice and told me a little bit about the market. Honestly, I just wanted to get the heck outta there! Even though it was an open air market, I began to feel like I was suffocating.

Intestines

Silk worm

Back in Chiang Mai I wandered the streets where they were setting up for the night  bazaar. I settled in at an Irish Pub overlooking the market and continued to watch all the people setting up thousands of stands in the street and selling millions of t-shirts, trinkets, fake purses and jewelry. Lots of junk!

For dinner, I met up with my guide and some of my fellow travelers for a nice dinner cruise along the rive. It reminded me of the Charles. When we got back to the dock, the restaurant was booming. There was a live band playing American pop hits. Except a few awkward words/lines/lyrics that didn't translate, they were actually pretty good. When the band was done I hopped in a tuk tuk for my first ride through Chiang Mai.

Day 5- Chiang Dao Valley

This morning I could hear wild elephants outside while brushing my teeth! I'm a little sore today and have a few awkward sunburn spots on my ankle and tricep areas. Woops.

Today we depart to the nearby Chiang Dao valley, to start our bike ride (pearl: Chiang = valley). It's mostly uphill, winding through more small villages and "wealthy" areas. There are lots of farms, small markets, and people hanging around on the streets. It still amazes me when we ride by a shack without running water, but they have a satellite dish for tv. Apparently the government subsidizes the cost of solar panels here, so many rural villages have solar power now.

Bike ride up to Chiang Dao caves.

We continue our bike to the Chiang Dao caves wherein lies a fabulous cave system of five interconnected caverns extending some seven miles into the mountains. This complex was inhabited by Burmese monks for thousands of years. Over 300 yrs about the monks would come live here during June, July and August before returning back to their home villages. Apparently, this is when the mosquitoes are the worst and the people didn't want the monks to get bit or attract any diseases. The villagers would bring the monks food and gifts for those 3 months.



The caves were incredible! Stalagtites and stalagmites everywhere and lots of tunnels where I had to actually get down on all fours and crawl through to the other side. At one point in time, the villagers would scour these caves to collect the bat poop to use for fertilizer and fuel. There are fewer bats in theses caves now that there is tourist traffic. But at one point, I thought I could hear a noise other than our lantern. I looked up (yes, I had a headlamp on-- nerd) and I saw a ton of small bats hanging from the ceiling! Ewww! They looked so peaceful so we just kept moving. The back of the cave has a Burmese Buddha lying where the former Burmese monks used to live. The Burmese Buddhas are in a reclined position, facing up to the sky whereas the Thai Buddhas are typically on their side or seated.

Just outside the caves, there is a small market selling remedies for various diseases or ailments. There was everything from "period pains" to "sexual remedies". Even a vegetable that was indicated for "luck". When I walked by I was coughing, so a woman came up to me with a brown powder and shoved it towards my face to smell. She looked at me and mimicked a cough and then we played a game of charades. I think the answer was: Take this brown powder and boil it in hot water and sniff it. Hmmm. I'm sure it works but no thanks.

A Karon woman and her cute little nugget!

After our visit to the caves, we're back on our bicycles for more scenic cycling traversing orchards, paddies, plantations and visiting hill tribes via dirt roads and some single-track trails. We stopped in a small Karon tribe village where we met a family of 'long-ears'. The women of this tribe wear large gauge earrings to continually expand their earlobe. This way, as they age, they are becoming more and more like Buddha. (Side note- There are over 350K Karon people in Thailand and many different types of tribes from the long-ears to the long necks. We didn't meet any of the 'long-necks' but this group of Karon tribe women wear 25 rings around their neck to elongate their necks. They add one ring on each year starting at age 5 until they get to 35 rings. The rings can weigh up to 5kg! That's a lot of weight on your neck.) Anyways, when we happened upon the long-ears they were sitting outside basking in the sun to stay warm. One woman was weaving baskets and another was nursing her 2 mo old baby. I asked about the labor & delivery process for these villagers (since I just got off my L&D rotation), and she told me that no one delivers at home any more. When they are about 2 mo from their due date, they head down the mountain to the city where they stay at a special long-stay type of hospital for pregnant women and then are delivered by a midwife or physician. If you happen to deliver in the car or bus on the way to the hospital it is considered extremely good luck for the driver! Call me crazy, but having to clean all the bloody mess left in your car sounds like bad luck to me!

Sulfur springs bathing area.

We journey past this village further uphill to the hot springs where the sulfur scent lures us to our destination. At the springs we see several of the Karon tribesmen bathing. The springs are set up so that there are several tanks linked together with the top one from the source serving as the hot water. The water temperature gradually declines by the time you get to the last one in the chain and next to the flowing river. I also noticed large orange sashes tied around some of the trees in the area. My guide told me that it signifies trees that should not be cut down unless you want to risk bad karma.

Our bike continues off the main road to a single track mountain trail. It was AWESOME! I've never been on a trail like this before. Up and downhills, packed dirt, loose sand, through tree limbs scratching you in the face and brush nearly taking you out, dodging crevaces and rocks all over... SWEET! Simultaneously terrified of going heels over my handlebars and having an exhilarating adrenaline rush, I was gripping my handle bars so tight and smiling the whole way. I think I need to buy a mountain bike now.


We end our day at a small "eco-lodge" which is located adjacent to a Palong hill tribe village, where we can relax and make a campfire. Though this lodge is rustic, it was very nice. It was a raised house with individual rooms and a shared bathroom at the end of the hall. Kinda reminded me of a dorm floor. There is a large dining table underneath the house where we all congregate, play cards and relax with a few Chang's while our guide makes us dinner.

Have I mentioned that I've been eating soup and either rice or noodles for every meal? And there's no such thing as chocolate here. How do these people live? I would kill for some Chipotle or a pizza right now.

Day 4- Changing gears: biking in Sri Lanna National Park

Changing gears this morning, we hop on bicycles and cycle right from the resort to the ruggedly beautiful Sri Lanna National Park. We peddle small back roads through real Thai countryside passing through villages, plantations and small farms. Much of the biking is on land following the irrigation channels used to water rice paddies and orchards. I watched farmers picking, watering, planting and harvesting many different types of produce from lemon grass and chiles to garlic and papaya.

We biked about 12 miles to the entrance of the Sri Lanna National Park. We come to a lake where we swap out our bikes for kayaks and shove off for some lake paddling. We kayak about 3 miles to a floating restaurant to enjoy lunch in a gorgeous outdoor setting. There are many floating homes along this river. Most all of them are occupied year round by fishermen. It was strange to see a floating 'neighborhood' with a restaurant and little homes, surrounded by longtail boats and fishing gear. After lunch we paddled back and then return to our bikes and ride a different route back to the hotel. On the way back, we go through a more prosperous village than the ones we'd been traveling through. We stopped outside of a school and watched the boy scouts and girl scouts doing some sort of safety training.

Floating fisherman's village. 

Having a little fun on the lake at lunch.

While biking back to the resort, I realize that biking in Thailand is like being inside a Nintendo game. You jump over ditches, swerve to avoid stray dogs that come at you, dodge motor scooters and cars that speed past you, and to top it all off, I have to remember to stay on the left side of the road!!! You really have to pay attention here!

When we get back to town, I ask my guide to take me to a drug store so I can grab some allergy meds. My allergies are going nuts here in Chiang Mai and I don't want this to turn into a sinus infection! When we walk into the drug store, I ask the lady for some flonase or something of that sort. Obviously, we have a language barrier so when I mimic a cough and sneeze, she immediately hands me a box of ammoxicillin. No wonder there is so much antibiotic resistance! I have a sniffle lady, not a bacterial infection. I write down the names of a few drugs since all the labels seem to have Thai and English on them. She comes back with more antibiotics and some other stuff I've never heard of. After about 20 min of back and forth with some awkward translation from my not-so-fluent driver, I settle on a nasal spray and some cough drops. The woman is laughing and I ask my driver if she's making fun of me. He says yes, she thinks you're a doctor of something and wants your help behind the counter. I smile and told him that I do work in medicine and that's why I was being difficult :-) He laughs and gives a big "OH! that makes sense!" Back at the hotel, I pop a Benadryl and doze off for a solid 12 hours.

Day 3- Trekking continues

Today is a beautiful day of trekking (4 hours), following jungle trails through large stands of bamboo, coconut and banana trees through another village. We pass through countless coffee bean farms and are greeted by workers harvesting their goods. Periodic views into the lush valleys below are an excellent treat along the way. One of the dogs (who I named Scout) follows us all the way down the trail. My guide tells me that he does this every time he hikes through and he'll be able to find his way back home. Impressive. I certainly could not find my way back through that jungle!

Scout

In the early afternoon we meet our vehicles for a transfer to a local "resort" where I am able to enjoy a well-deserved hot shower and cold beverage, relax by the pool, and treat myself to a Thai massage! Only 200 Bhat for an hour ($6- and that's the resort price!). I cannot believe how strong this little old lady's hands are- she kicked my butt! I definitely need to have more Thai massages while I'm here.

Rubber tree farm 

Green tea leaves picked right off the hillside plantation.

Coffee bean tree.

Day 2- From the Lahu hill tribe to the "Shan" village

I woke up to the sound of pigs and roosters running around underneath me. I walked out on the porch and see my 8yo friend using a machete the size of her torso to cut up some slop to feed the pigs. Suddenly there are 6 or 7 little piglets that come running out of the brush to greet her.  

We bid our Lahu hosts farewell after breakfast and head out for our longest trekking day. We're told it will be approximately 8 hours of hiking through jungle forest and mountainous trails. Initially we hike uphill through jungle forest, reaching a ridgeline that opens our path for a good part of the day. This portion of the trek is a challenging jungle trek for about 12 miles, with the final 2 miles rewarding us with truly spectacular views. The only view that wasn't spectacular, was a GIANT spider along the path hanging right next to the largest poison ivy plants I've ever seen.  Had to be super careful going through there! En route, we pass through a local coffee plantation and a rubber tree farm.  

Rubber tree farm

Giant spider! Measures from fingertip to my wrist! 

Green tea bunch, fresh picked on the hill side

This evening is spent in an impressive "Shan" village. The Shan of Thailand, or Thai Yai (Great Thai) as they 

are known locally, are a small but significant Tai-speaking ethnic group in North Thailand. Their historical 

roots are in Yunnan, China. Only about 30,000 Shan live in Thailand, mainly in the Maehongson province, west of Chiang Mai and near the northwestern border. The Shan are of Thai descent and speak a Thai dialect. The language is related to Thai and Lao, with a written script that is less complicated than Thai. Few of the younger generation of Thailand-educated Shan can read their own language, but all of them still speak it. The majority of Shan are farmers growing rice to eat and a variety of crops to sell in the market- especially coffee. 

Prayer and offerings to the monk

Most Shan are Buddhists. The life of most communities is centered around the temple and its rituals. Every morning the villagers bring food and pray with the monk that passes through. The Buddhist lunar calendar structures the ceremonial cycle with four holy days each month. There are temple festivals celebrating events in the Buddha’s life. The Shan insist that they do not worship evil spirits, only good spirits. However, there is a very real fear of spirits evident among them. Almost every house has a 'spirit house' out front which houses a good spirit to ward off any evil spirits that may try to disturb them.

It was really great to do a home-stay with a Shan family and see what their life is really like. The house was covered in house plants which the woman sells at the market. There were also tons of bags of coffee beans which is their main source of income. They grow coffee beans and shell them and dry them. The entire roof of the house next door is covered in coffee beans which are drying in the sun. I head inside to scope out the basic house of our host family. The woman even put up mosquito netting for us westerners so we don't get eaten alive.... a good thing since I forgot to take my anti-malarials! Woops.

Home stay

Cooking, or grilling, our breakfast.

Coffee beans drying on the roof top next door.

It was nice to be able to take a shower, though the 'hot' water comes and goes and the shower is in a shared room with the toilet and part of the kitchen sink. One interesting thing that I noticed as I was getting ready for bed, was this couple has cell phones, but no consistent electricity or matress. I think I'd go for the mattress over the cell any day. Our guide is friends with this family so they spend the evening catching up and I play with the 2 puppies who I named Max and Bella.

Max (left), Bella (right)

Day 1 - Chiang Mai

Today I'm meeting up with a group of other outdoor enthusiasts to explore the northern hill tribes and hike through some hilly, forested terrain. We depart this morning on the northern road toward the Maetaman Valley where we first make a stop at the Elephant Training Center in Chiang Dao to ride an elephant through the surrounding forest with our mahouts and learn about caring for these gentle giants.

At the training center, we meet with the mahouts (elephant trainers) who live at the center in bamboo and teak leaf housing. They briefly say hello and then disappear into the mountainside to gather the elephants. The mahouts bring the elephants in to the center once a day to feed and bathe them. These elephants have been rescued from the logging industry where they were used for manual labor. Many elephants would actually get injured or have legs blown off from stepping in landmines along the boarders. These mahouts rehabilitate and take care of these elephants. I got to see a baby 1yo and feed her. The strength of her trunk was incredible! She grabbed onto my arm and gave me a little tug. Quite impressive for a 1 year old! The mahouts then let us mount the elephants and give us a tour of their grounds. We went up a mountain and through the river. The elephants love the water! They were playing and splashing with the mahouts. Quite a fun and interesting experience.

Then we head up into the neighboring mountainous region to Mae Tang river camp for lunch. We take an afternoon hike up to a tiny Lahu hill tribe viallage about 4 hours straight up where we spend the evening in a rustic bamboo hut. The Lahu, like many other northern hill tribes, fled Burma (Myanmar) in the late 1800s due to the oppressive practices of the Burmese government, settling in northern "Siam". They refer to themselves as the "Children of the Blessing" after their belief that the blessings of health and security were the greatest gifts that their Creator could bestow.The Lahu tribe is the second largest tribe in Thailand, next to the Karon tribe. As we're hiking through some small villages, I ask my guide, Mr. Pan, about the medical needs of these people. He tells me that they have a shaman in the village and they recently starting having a medical doctor come up there once a week or every other week to check on people and bring medication. Most people are now using western medicine, even in these hill tribes.  

Lodging for the night.

The first of many squat toilets.

Our guides prepare an excellent dinner tonight while we relax and soak up the lush beauty of the surrounding valley. Our lodging at the tribal village is VERY rustic. We all share one sleeping room upon a raised sleeping platform in a longhouse made of bamboo and thatched roofing. Bathrooms are basic outhouses with a hole in the ground that you squat over and then 'flush' your business down with water from a pail. There are some makeshift showers and there is no electricity. It's kinda like camping except that I don't have to worry about bears! But there were lots of pigs, roosters and wild dogs running around.  

There is an 8yo girl living next door who comes over to meet us. She doesn't speak any English, but pulls out a sling shot and some rocks and starts showing us how to hit a can about 10 feet away. Clearly she spends a lot of time doing this. Then one of my fellow hikers pulls out her iPad and starts playing Angry Birds. Ironically, the little girl knows how to play this game!!! All the way up here in a remote village without electricity and this girl plays Angry Birds. Interesting.