we are back from the trek... and still alive!
my thighs still quiver anytime i start to walk, but i tell myself it's because i'm hardcore. not out of shape, no...
on monday we set out for a 3 day excursion through the jungles of thailand. we first stopped at a wildly entertaining orchid farm (...) and then went to see a snake show, where all three of us got to touch a cobra! so cool.
after that we headed for the hills. it was good at first, as we all started hiking with vigour and energy. the enthusiasm waned, though, after about 2 hours when i began to have to hoist my legs upward with my arms and my lungs started to make wheezing noises indicative of their near combustion. having spent most of my life in southern manitoba, hills are something that i'm relatively unfamiliar with, and it showed. i kept up with the group, though, and obviously when we reached our destination i agreed with everyone about how "it really wasn't so bad". neither is childbirth, i hear.
we stayed the first night in a bamboo hut in a hill tribe village. the tribe was called the Lahu, and the children came and performed a few songs for us- they were so cute! derek even made friends with one of the kids and they were best of buddies until she got snot all over him and derek decided that she should find another friend.
our group consisted of a few girls from new zealand, one from australia, a guy from denmark, and a couple, him from switzerland, and her from thailand. very fun! we had such a good time together!
the next day we hiked some more, but took a break to go swim in a waterfall. being in the fresh, cold water, surrounded by bamboo forest seemed pretty close to paradise.
we hiked until we reached a camp, where we spent another night in a (draftier) bamboo hut. the next day we awoke to go ride elephants, do some "white water" rafting (don't get too excited, it was pretty tame, but still fun), and then cruise down to our lunch spot on a bamboo raft.
elephant riding was pretty cool, they are pretty nimble for being so huge, and even karlene was feeling a loving disposition toward our elephant. then he put up his trunk and spewed elephant snot on her and the love light was significantly dimmed.
now we are back in chiang mai for a few more hours before heading out on the night train to bangkok. hooray... i love night trains... ....
love to everyone and write write write! i'd love to hear from you ;)
love becki