Well, where did we end- oh yes, Garden view hotel. Jungle trekking... Absolutley amazing, one of the coolest experiences ever.
The guide came and picked us up at 8:30 in the morning, and we drove the hour and a half to a market to pick up final supplies for the trekking.
I didnt have any long trousers so i picked up a pair that were bright purple, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air styley, btw flex, if you're reading this, i hope to buy two more pairs, one for you and one for sharoozle, as they are the best kotch pants in the world. Plus being super cool...
Sorry for the sideline!
We arrived an hour later up in the mountains, having had a breakneck driving experience (40kph the hour time.... yawn) but the scary bit is that we're not sure if they understand the line down the middle of the road, and instead of slowing for corners, they just honk the horn a few times to tell people to get the hell out of the way.
Obvious problem is that if someone else comes the other way dfoing the same thing, you have to quickly swerve. Adn we were sitting in an open top van. It was another bum clenching moment, but we lived to tell teh tale!
The first port of call was elephant trekking. And it was, Un. Be. Lievable.
Kels now realises that elephants are her favourite animal in the world, and to be honest, i have to say they're up there for me too.
They are huge but so gentle, they have an intelligence in their eyes that you wouldnt expect to find from such a big animal, and compared to a few we'd previously seen chained in previous cities, to see them have a free reign of where to go, was a nice touch.
We climbed onto the back in a sort of 2 man seat with a bar across it and a guide sat on it's head directing where to go. We were the third elephant of 6 and as we lumbered through the jungle, you really got a feel for how awesome and majestic the animals are.
You buy food along the way, because if you dont, your elephant doesnt move! Petrol - car. Banana - elephant!
The guide got off at one point, and being a bit cheeky (shock horror i know) i asked if i could sit on it's head and do the guiding. He said yes, and so me and kelsey sat on our own riding the elephant like a horse.
After 45 minutes we had returned to the starting point, and i had a bruised right arm.
Not from the Elephants, but the worried little bear next to me kept on squeezing as she was worried about the elephant falling (it was bucketing down by this point). In my opinion she should have been more worried about me falling off of it's head, but i think as long as i didnt hurt it in the process, she wouldnt have minded...
After the elephant stop we began our trek into the jungle. And this again was spectacular.
Walking for 3 hours amongst 50ft bamboo trees, sleeping plants (you touch them and they curl up!) and misty jungle tops was our idea of perfect.
The walk wasnt easy and you really felt a sense of achivement when we got to the top, to stay with our hosts, the Karen Tribe.
However the trek was via a Waterfall which was incredible to swim in and see, and after a humid hike, much needed.
The locals came round and sold some of their wares but didnt really appear apart from that. Except for one local called Tip who drank all mine and kelsey's whiskey. I got a Tip for you, bugger off! We think it would've been nice to see more of them, but by 10 pm everyone was in bed. Except for me and one of the German guys i'd been drinking with, Lars.
The local guide, Nat, beckoned me closer (we'd been playing guitar earlier in the night, and made a little gesturing relationship. He knew 'snake' 'monkey' and 'slippy, slippy' but not much else...)
He then led me and Lars into the jungle, and taught us how to catch crickets. I mean big, f*ck off crickets!
We caught about 12 (of which i think Nat caught 10...). After he took us both back to his hut and proceeded to cook them!
We moved then to the river and ate them under the moonlight (i'm now beginning to realise that we might've been on a 3 man date, but i dont care, he was gentle...) and we drank the remainder of our Vodka.
Now, im not sure if Nat's used to the strength of our spirits being from a little tribe, but i think not, seeing as he fell over 6 times on the walk back, and hadnt so much as stumbled all day long! But it was bloody funny.
Second Day in the Jungle
Waking up with yet another hangover, wasnt fun. But being in the jungle you kinda forget about it, and teh 3 hour trek to the next waterfall made it easier to sweat out than ever before. It was a kind masocism, but as the old saying goes, 'it's self inflicted you'll get no sympathy from me....' and Kelsey just loved that i was feeling rough and she was as bright-eyed and bushy tailed as ever.
Once again we seem to be out of time, as we have our second 12 hour train journey today, to catch. We'll finish the jungle trek story in Phi-Phi, as we're in Bangkok at the moment. Update you all as soon as we can!
Peace and Love. (a very tired) T & K
xxx
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