Jungle Hash

Over the past week and a half, I haven't slept well.  There have been several outside noises and elements keeping my mind occupied - annoying barking lion-maned-skinned-yippie-rat-dog, night bazaar music, motos and such.  I am a light sleeper.  It could be much worse, but my body was telling me to break away.  I have been continually on the look for a cheaper stay, not everything is online, cheaper accommodations require leg-work.  I am now staying at the Thai Travel Hotel.  The hotel is located between a bike rental shop and a traveling-tourism shop.  By the way, I have managed to make some great friends at each of these 3 places - I LOVE the people that own this hotel.  The lady that works here has two children who don't speak English, she is moderately conversational.  She is so sweet.  No matter how many times I am in and out of the hotel, we always greet each other with big smiles, unavoidable.

I originally was interested in the hotel with its price, 99 baht per night for a dorm.  These dorms are 4 person twin beds, she let me check them out.  I decided that I would take a bed Friday night.  When I returned around 1pm, she was fast asleep behind her desk, as her two children were watching the Pink Panther.  She awoke 10 minutes later and apologized to me and said she was up all night with a sick child. She felt bad.  She said, “I give you room on 4th floor single room for 99 baht (typically 180 baht).  She had me see the room – queen-size bed with fitted sheet, two large brown flannel blankets, 2 pillows, a fan, light, outlet, and a window to the outside.  In addition, reliable wifi from what I can tell – on my iPod.  The flooring is simply the stick-on mat wallpaper covering the floor.  The bathroom is on the second floor down some mismatched and narrow stairs.  The bathroom is public stalls, sit-down toilets, with cold showers and toilets (with spray heads instead of toilet paper, common throughout SE Asia).  Towels are not provided. Shoes are to be removed before going in the upstairs area (also common in SE Asia).  It's not the cleanest stay, but it's just fine, and for 100 baht a night, this can't be beat. I would say that it’s more of a hostel than a hotel, just don’t ask me the difference.  

 Ah, yes, I settled down into my bed, hoping for some Zzzs in a new bed, without a roommate. I laid down and within 20 minutes, I felt something run across my thigh, it was definitely bigger than a bug, but smaller than my last roommate.  I think it was a baby jinjok (small gecko), it moved so fast.  I flicked on my iPod to see what it was but there was nothing in sight.  I think it was sleeping in the blanket.  No visitors since.  Ok back to the pillow I go. 15 minutes pass, getting sleepy.. AND Bam - I hear, "test," "test," "test," PAUSE .."test;" nothing like mic checks at 12:30 am, for at least 2 hours.  I awoke around 6am with music tests, then a full on festival music.  It’s as though they were welcoming me to that part of town.  Turns out that ‘Coyote’ was in town. Coyot is a  (lady boy) singer, she on stage, as I found out on a walk.  It was comparable to what we call 'crazy days’ in SD. There were lots of sale promotions with department-size stores down one street.  They were giving a way free food along with some of Coyote's music.  I talked to a man, Kit, at the travel place next to my hotel and he said, "do you know Coyote in the USA?" I said, "no." He said, "Oh, she very sexy lady." Thai men always use the phrase, "oh, sexy lady," followed by shy laughing, often.  I think some know the meaning of sexy, while others think it means very beautiful.

Saturday afternoon I headed out for a ‘Hash’ run.  This is an international run that takes place in cities from here to you.  However, it's not the typical runners you may expect.  In Chiang Rai (CR), there are runs 1/month. First and foremost, I am a virgin Hasher, but I know people that have done them in the states and other parts of the world.  The running path is more of a 'guess and check.'  Each month new people set the trails.  The trails here in CR are marked using chalk clues and shredded paper.  You start the run and follow paper and/or chalking.  The trick is, that one path can lead to 2, 3 or 4 other paths.  This is designated by X chalk symbols (meaning 4 paths), > (meaning 2 paths - figure out the correct one), etc.  In other words the symbols represent the number of path potentials.  So, how do you know which route to take? You guess! So you get a little extra run in if you choose incorrectly.  At times the path would be either flat or straight up a steep rocky, rugged hill.  In these cases, we would split up, one person would check one way and the other person looks the other way.   If you keep seeing paper you are on the right path. If you run into a straight line of chalk or see no more paper - you are off track and must turn back.  The lead runners correct the path marking so it's easier for those running or trailing behind.

 A little more on the run. I rented a motorbike for the day, 200 baht.  I handed over my passport and money and they handed me keys and a helmet.  The woman told me 3 times that I must go get gasoline, I looked at the gauge, I was certain the needle couldn't sink anymore beyond the E.  They told me there was a station a kilometer down the road. I made it there and put 50 baht in, this gave me shy of half a tank.  Sorry dad, I keep forgetting to look at the volume I put in.  The pumps are always serviced by an attendant.  Off I went for the run, same direction as the waterfall 2 weeks ago. We (Susan, Mel, Hannah, Katie and I) met with other Hashers at a temple, parked our motos, mopeds, whatever you want to call them.  The cost of the run, 50 baht (includes cold water, juice beverages, snack).  I hopped in the back of one of 3 pick-up beds, drove a short distance to the starting area - off I went.  I chose to run, others chose to walk. How would I describe the running Hasher group? Scottish man (60s), Dutchman and woman (55-60), Thai marathon runner (woman in her 40s), 2 Thai couples, some 40-70 year olds, 5 USA girls around my age.  I even met a couple from Northern WI .  Perhaps around 20-25 Hashers in all.  The head of the Hashers was a crazy 70 year giant old man from Liverpool - clearly NOT a runner but a die-hard Hasher. I think he enjoyed the beer cheers at the finale.

The run is typically set so that you have the option of 5k or 7k.  However, the individual who set the course was unable to due to for health reasons, so he made it a 6.3k.

 How would I describe the run in short? The hottest, sweatiest, intense, beautiful, unreal, breathtaking, torturous, fragrant, challenging, mind-altering run I have ever done! Hands down.  I would do it again.  I cannot describe the run - like nothing I have done before.  The closest experience I have to it is off-road biking through African Jungle/mountains.  I saw sites that were so beautiful I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and this wasn’t first Thai jungle experience.  I went up steep, rugged, rocky, dried-washout-clay paths and I went down steep slopes covered in slippery dried tan-colored-banana leaves.  I paralleled beautiful jade green ponds, rushing and babbling creeks.  I wound through lush beautiful green banana trees, as the sun lit the way shining through the giant vibrant-green banana leaves.  The scratched paths were dotted occasionally with huge banana flowers that had fallen from the trees.  These flowers are plum-purple in color with lime green accents.

We were told, prior to starting that this was not going to be a challenging or adventurous route - hmmm.  Also, the runners were told that they had the option of taking a long strenuous steep hill with a challenging trip down a steep hill on slippery banana leaves OR taking a loop around the steep hill.  Obviously I went with the steep hill.  I made a challenging and rewarding choice.  Interesting assets to this route including a cobra in a well, a path through a jungle canopy centering a starfruit tree - trekked over the fallen starfruit (So cool!), brilliant red caterpillar, mysterious noises in the trees/grass/bushes, tons of bananas, steep down hill slopes, crazy uphill trends, etc. And, I am certain there were monkeys watching us, laughing.  I thought of the run as a game most of the time, trying to find new and hidden things. I wish I had a camera, although the WI lady did take some pics of us all and said she would send them to us.

Thoughts on the run - I went through a time when I thought I wasn't going to make it up one of the longer strenuous hills.  Hannah, Katie, and I stuck together off and on the whole way, leading the pack - thankfully I only I had to back-track paths a few times (at the time my smiling was less pronounced, as I had to hike up my speedy down hill).  The Thai lady was with us as well (making sure the paths were marked well for those behind us), she was quite the runner (wearing long-sleeved cotton shirt, cotton leggings, and a floppy cotton hat).  I would have sweat my insides off in that.  Soon we reached a steep hill.  I said to myself, oh I can do this.  Soon I realized I had been running up the steep washout-crinkled road for about 15 minutes.  I was focusing intently to keep my balance and to avoid sharp rock jutting out of the earth.  At one point I started seeing white circles, carrying water was a huge must.  I stopped about four times going up, clearly wanting to avoid blacking out.  After that mile or so up the curvy steep rugged trail, I was fine.  I drank water throughout the whole run.  I know, you think I am crazy.  Sure wish I had pictures for you!

I loved this adventure for so many reasons.  I was able to see untouched jungle, occasional huts, and beautiful jungle. Breathtaking.  I will remember this day forever! Katie, who does this every month, said this was the most challenging run she has done.  I look forward to exploring more Hash action in Asia.
 I finished in the top 3, maybe 1 hour 15 minutes, with Hannah and Katie.  We started the race around 3:15 in the afternoon.  I was handed a red fruit juice at the end of the race, normally I go with water, but some sugar was also what I needed.  As the race finished up, people started cracking beers and water bottles. Snacks included mini-bags of Seaweed-flavored Lays potato chips (tasted similar to sour cream and onion – kind of), & mini bananas (within arms reach on the run).  The end of the run, once everyone was back amounted to the top 6 runners doing small cups of chilled Chiang beer with a traditional Hash song (drink it all at once).  Then because 7 of us were virgin Hashers, we had to do this beer and song twice.  The beer was actually refreshing, and plenty for my liking.  Once you complete 3 Hashes, you are rewarded a name by the fellow Hashers.  I asked the man who set the run how he knew it was 6.3k, he said, oh you just get to know the general area.  What? You can navigate through jungle, down cliff sides, up vertical slopes and gauge the distances? - I am still skeptical of his measurement.

We set back to downtown Chiang Rai.  I returned my moto, to my friendly new Thai family, so kind.  I returned to my hotel next door and visited with the lady and her manager friend.  They wanted me to go on a trek with their company.  They actually offered it to me at 800 baht for 1 person, for the day - this is the cheapest I have heard of for a one-day, for one person.  Usually one day for one person is around 1,000-1500 baht.  They bashfully told me that I shouldn't tell anyone else about the price.  I think they kind of like me.  I may look more into it with them, if it fits my schedule and they coordinate it with more of my interests, ie tribes, cooking, ecosystems, and agriculture.

In the evening I headed out solo to Walking Street.  I found exactly what I set out for, sweet corn, cashews, and a full bag of fresh pineapple, and some extras.  I bought a cup of sweetcorn for 10 baht, 3 medium size pkg of cashews for 100 baht (really good deal, as they are 25 baht at 7Eleven for 1/5 of  1 of these single pkgs), 10 baht for the pineapple. I also purchase fresh mini coconut ice cream cone for 15 baht (yum), which as topped with dark chocolate swirl, and on a whim I bought a Thai banana pancake for 5 baht.  I keep seeing the pancakes and have been curious.  They come in several flavors, vanilla, custard, strawberry, pork, raisin, chocolate, etc.  They are about the size of a half dollar, almost like a sandwich - 2 mini pancakes staked with a banana custard-like filling.  It was really delicious pair with the coconut ice cream. The music was great, several people dancing.  There were groups of little Thai girls doing traditional dancing on the side streets.

Care for a little more of stroll down Walking Street - Chiang Rai

I promise you'll get to see some crazy food!
Video 1 - Walking Street
Video 2 - Walking Street
Video 3 - Walking Street Dancing Little Ladies
 

 I promise a good blog coming up! The last of my Chiang Rai adventures.