Oh My Buddha - it's Same Same but Different you see

Woke up this morning frozen and feeling nothing but severe pain in each and every muscle and bone in my entire body, only having had two hours of sleep (if that) I stuggled to get up. I had on every single piece of clothing that was in my pack and was wrapped like a butterfly in a cocoon in blankets. My pillow was a rock with a thin piece of material on it. The bed was a thin matt on the floor of a barn. The barn was on stilts 10 feet above ground and had no electricity (just candles). The floorboards had slits at least an inch wide between them (air conditioning?). The bathroom was a hole in the ground and the shower was the river. We were in a remote Thai village a few hours from Chiang Mai. It was awesome :)

We got up and staggered outside where Mr. Thirty Bhat (aka Mr. Khan) had lit a bonfire. Watched the pigs, cows, dogs, chickens and villagers get the day started while we drank instant coffee with dried carnation milk and tried to defrost our toes. The cows ate banana peels out of our hands and sniffed around for leftovers.

After breakfast (eggs and toast - yummy) we packed up all of our stuff and put our valuables (ipod and digital camera) inside a plastic bag, tied it with a knot and buried it deep inside our packs. Fingers crossed, put the bags on the bamboo raft they made for us last night and climbed on. Our feet were submerged to our ankles and every effort was in keeping our balance (standing) for the three hour river trip back to the truck that would take us back to Chiang Mai. Every once and awhile Mr. Kahn would yell "GET DOWN NOW" and we would drop to our knees and hold on for dear life while we tried to balance through rapids and dodge the rocks (and not crash like that guys boat did.. hhaha!!). Water was to my elbows while I was in the crouched position rushing through rapids and I was drenched from top to bottom. Did I mention my digital camera and my ipod was in my pack hanging on a tripod at the front of the boat? :/ Mr. Kahn would point out "ship wrecked" rafts as we'd pass them and jokingly tell me stories about how the tourists were lost in the rapids and all of there stuff was gone washed away down river. I think he was kidding :)

Three days ago we left with 12 strangers and two guides to trek in the national park north of the city of Chiang Mai. It was two days of hiking straight up the mountain and straight down again. No donkeys like in the Atlast Mountains but still similar. Carrying a day pack with everything I thought needed for the next few days wasn't to bad! It was sweaty, hot, freezing cold, we had amazing views, good people for company and incredible thai food everynight while we say around a bonfire drinking beers and getting to know everyone. Sleeping was not as fun.. but it's part of the experience.

Highlights included an elephant trek through the jungle at the end of day two... We (Denise and I)had to have the biggest elephant so I held on for dear life (fear of slipping off of the plastic seat with a rope *I* had tied across for our safety and crashing to the ground only to summersault further down the side of the mountain and lie dead and mangled at the bottom of the river seemed normal to me) but Denise played with the elephant (no hands even when we were going straight down at a 90 degree angle!!!) and gave him massages where the rope had made indent lines. We discussed how we would never do that again. Seems to mean for the poor elephants. They did appear to be treated okay.. and they even had a baby elephant with them which is apparently a good sign meaning they are happy (won't have babies if they are sad!!??). That's what we were told by some of the people on our tour anyway.

The river rafting was atually quite peaceful most of the time. We just strolled along while we passed elephants and water buffalo and villages with people doing laundry. Denise and I challenged our balance by doing dance moves. Yup.. we were doing the macarena at about 10pm your time, down a river in the jungle in the middle of no where while you all were cleaning up from dinner and getting ready to back to work :)

I have a million more stories to tell.. but no time!! Enjoy the pics.. If I can ever get them uploaded. Slow connection and still trying to finish Bangkok shots..:)