Northern lights

About 10am on the 11th Aug I had my first coffee in 12 days. It was a sensory delight. I smelled it for a full minute before drinking the first sip and fondled the cup shamelessly. The locals glanced briefly at this strange farang behavior but they tend to pay little attention in Phun Phin to us because we are just passing through and they don't want to sell us anything. It was a nice change and the town is quite pleasant. I spent two days catching up on sleep, emailing and over-eating with the town going about its daily business.

On the 13th I flew to Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, via Bangkok, which took most of the day but was painless enough. I had pre-booked the Hollanda Montri guest house for the first 2 nights based on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum advice. The rooms are big and the all women staff are a real family unit and are a laugh a minute. They said they are charging 10 baht a compliment and they give me one at least twice a day so I'm well in debt.

After Suan Mokkh I am still in a routine of in bed early and up by 7:30am each morning, so was up and at them on the first morning. I decided to rent a push bike and take a look around the old city. The bike was only 50 baht and the day was cool so I set off with my map and a bottle of waher and proceeded to get completely and utterly lost...you see they have a moat, a canal and a river. I can distinguish the difference now but initially i ended up 6 km out of town before I reached a landmark and turned back...and before the Ladies start throwing there eyes up to heaven sighing 'Men!', I did ask for bloody directions but people just smiled and pointed in the directions I was was going. Street signs are posted about every 2-3 miles so not of much use.
Anyway, I got to Wat Phrat Singh, took a few pictures and meditated for 30 minutes. Then I had a bite to eat in the courtyard and was interviewed first by the owner to see if I was a 'respectable citizen' and then by his good friend, the Director of Law at the local university. Because I was a teacher I was cordially invited to visit the Queens Thai Silk clothes factory which was only open for 4 days every year and entry was by invite only. He explained the options for a Gentleman like myself...long shirt, pants, etc...OH, and my I could order for my family and get it sent to Ireland...I listened patiently for 30 minutes and nodded in all the right places. I went no where near the place.

Instead I went to the hospital; Chiang Mai Ram. The ants in Suan Mokkh had created a wound that got infected and needed attention. The hospital is state of the art and has more staff then the White House. I was ushered around the place by efficient nurses in white and blue fitted uniforms and eventually met with a Doctor. My experience of Doctor's has been good but they always have an air of confidence and slight superiority about them. I know I always have the urge to be more childlike during visits. But this Doctor was the meekest most mild mannered man I've ever meet. He ordered a lab test. I relaxed in the lobby listening to The Coors for an hour and then was fetched by a nurse to see the Doctor again. I had a fungal infection that would require oral treatment with Itraconazole, which my body will slowly be absorping for the month. Sorted. BTW, don't get the infected area wet. Hmmm.

I next three days I had organized a 3 day trek. Now I had looked into organised treks and eco-trekked and all sorts. All seemed a bit touristy and had quiet large groups. Also I was still feeling the effect of the retreat so decided to go with a private trek. I met with Sunny who's card I found at the Hollanda Montri and explained my story. He did me a good deal and I booked this trek, http://www.thailandsunny.com/trekking/trekking_tours4.html, but without the elephant ride (I was going to the Elephant Conservation nature park in a few days and knew this was an unnatural activity for the elephant).

The trek was fantastic. The first day we hiked for 3 hours and stopped along the way for an hour to visit a friend of the guides, Chai-nee. We had Jack fruit cut down from the tree outside and I put plasters on my Leech wounds...they just would stop bleeding. The little feckers drop to the ground and attach to your shoe and climb up till they hit skin...apply some anesthetic and then suck away. I sucked away on the Jack fruit and was determined to show Chai-nee that all this blood was of little concern. He talked to his friend about the drop in Mango prices and the two gobsheens up at the clearing that had 20 dogs now and nothing to feed them. He had killed one the other day for trying to steal from one of his traps (so I guess that makes 19). Soap opera of the jungle.

That afternoon we stayed on the outskirts of a Karin village and bathed in the local river and then ate with the family...one Mr. Yalo Kano. They were Catholics and blessed themselves before dinner and has a picture of the Virgin Mary handing in the corner. My guide prepared a farang stew with potato and pork so I wouldn't have to eat the spicy stuff but I did anyway...bamboo soup, and some chicken rice dish that nearly blow the socks of me (it had gotten quiet chilly at this stage so I had Primark's finest on me). We had some local tea, and banana leaf ciggie to round off the evening and lights out at 8pm. Each village has solar power due to a year 2000 project, so they turn on one light for about 2 hours in the evening.
The following morning the first cock crew at 4am and then they all joined in about 5:30am. I got up around 6am when it was light. The following day was pretty much the same except we ended up in an elephant camp at the end of the trek. I explained to Chai-nee my conversation with Sunny but all he kept saying was 'it is all included', 'elephant happy for you'. So I got on the elephant, who was called Dumbo. That makes two of us mate.

The next day was rafting back towards Chiang Mai. There was Chai-nee, myself and another Karen tribesman manning the bamboo raft. It had rained heavily the night before so the river was quiet high and some of the rapids were well, rapid! I nearly fell in twice. Once my pole got wedged in between two rocks and I struggle to release it before I was out of reach. I failed and got a few scratches for my troubles. The same thing happened to Chai-nee a while later and got half dragged in, so I didn't feel to bad at all by the time we got to back to the jeep and the last leg of the journey back to the hotel. I was wrecked so had a bite and 2 beers and dreamed of the jungle for about 10 hours.

The following day was the Elephant Nature Conservation Park, but I'll let you read about that if you wish at http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/ or see the video at http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0510/feature5/video.html
Suffice to say that I felt real guilty about riding the elephant, but had a great day hanging out with them and the other animals at the park. Eco-tourism at its best!

Today I hired a Motor Bike and went for a drive up to Doi Suthep mountain to a famous Wat and to the Kings winter residence. (I also stopped at the Zoo but just to see the Panda bears). It was mostly Thai up there and I mingled and acted respectfully to Buddha and the King. I had an ice-cream on the way down and stopped at an Italian bakery for some 'ocaccia col formaggio' and arabica coffee. It was simply divine darlinks!

Tomorrow I have no plan. Just going to wander around the old town and maybe visit the local children's orphanage if they answer my messages. The guest house told me about it when I mentioned I had volunteered as a teacher.

Onto Chiang Khong and Huay Xai in Laos on the 21st/22nd then doing The Gibbon Experience from there. http://www.gibbonx.org/.

Have arranged with my mate to meet up Jon, a Brommie, in Vietnam on the 5th Sept, so the last 2 week I'll have company. Things usually happen around Jon so it should be interesting.

Here are some more pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mikedugganjnr/SuanMokkh
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mikedugganjnr/ChiangMaiTrekking
Hope all is good with everyone,
M.

“It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.“ Rabindranath Tagore