Northern Thai Trek Day 1

On Monday, I set off for my much sought out trek.  I left Chiang Rai via Song Tau (seating in the back of a pickup) for a five minute drive to the river. From there I boarded a boat and set out for the Karen tribe village.  Upon arriving to the village I climbed up an elephant and rode through water and around the local village area.  I saw several villagers, scenic views to the jungle and mountains.. and a pet anaconda resting under a shaded roof. One large reptile, I liked my distance from it.

 

 Fishing the river and checking traps

Man fishing from the bridge

 Just a giant creepy anaconda sleeping under a hut.

   Woman of the Karen Tribe

  

The chief and I

 

Elephant giving me a lift -sticking his whole face in the water!

 Lunch at a local restaurant near the Lisu village. I ordered mixed vegetables and this was the dish.  It had scome flat square noodles, carrots, leafy greens, egg chicken, and some sauces. Not bad, but I am not a huge fan of noodles. Great with some spice. Cost, included with trek.

Traditional Thai salad, or Som Tam, Green Papaya Salad. Contains papaya, chilies, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, palm sugar, roasted peanuts, lime juice, fish sauce, white cabbage. The flavor is tangy with a hint of spice and sweetness. Cost, included in trek. Dessert was fresh watermelon and pineapple - yum!

 My snapshot just before heading for the jungle.

 Just making way up into the jungle.

 Jungle, just getting started.

 Pop, our tour guide, shaving down bamboo with his knife, making a gun to shoot birds.The gun was a combination of two shaved pieces of bamboo, one piece slightly large in circumference than the other.  The smaller piece was placed in the larger one, telescope effect.  Then he placed wet toilet paper in the inside of the smallest bamboo stick.  He pulled the center piece of bamboo out and thrust it back into the larger bamboo stick.  The paper wad was then sent to the end of the gun.  He the loaded with the second piece.  Now the gun was ready.  He fired the gun by again thrusting the small bamboo into the larger bamboo stick.  The 1st paper wad was ejected out, maybe 25-30 feet after a loud cracking noise.  The second paper was then sent to the end of the bamboo, awaiting the next shot.  I was amazed at this, as it was simply two pieces of shaved bamboo and wet toilet paper. He said that he uses it to fire at birds. I successfully gave it a try. The paper went so far, I didn't know where it landed.

Now, about 1.5 hour hike from Akha Tribe

 Rubber Trees

 Getting close to the Lahu village

 "spirit houses" - the Lisu are Chinese decedents.  During holidays, food offerings are placed on the houses. 

Pomelo tree, the fruit gets to the size of a coconut. Looks similar to a grapefruit, with a light yellow flesh.  You can see the young fruit in the center of the picture. Not the best picture with the lighting.

  Lisu man

Banana leaves rolled & folded, and to be delivered to the city. The purple buds are banana flower blossoms.  Total priced around 1200 baht, according to the guide, used to make sticky rice, garnish dishes, and likely many other purposes.

  Lisu village

 Solar power and Laundry in the Lisu. Most wear Western clothing. Traditional clothing is visible during special holidays or celebrations.

 Made it up the giant steep hill. Posing with my bamboo walking stick.

 Lisu women and children and dogs. Lots of chickens, roosters, dogs, pigs, some cats.

 Lisu home - commonly built on stilts for the wet season May-September.

 Lisu dog napping

 Local mud bath

 Lisu Home

 Lisu Village

 Supper time for the roosters

 The 'real' Angry Birds of Thailand

 Three little pigs

 Just a young boy chopping bugs with his knife.

 Onward to the Akha village

 Scenic view and vegetation

 The start of a pineapple crop

 Jack fruit Tree

 Pineapples growing

 Chilies (left) and jungle tea (right) drying on the rooftop, just approaching the Akha village

 Mallot (not sure on the spelling), a new favorite fruit. This fruit is tart, sour, tangy and sweet. It has a small pit and a soft, juicy flesh.

 

 Checking out a waterfall before winding down in the village - trademark Asian pose. Seriously cold water. I had goosebumps standing there. I was looking forward to the water all day long, one hot and challenging trek. But in the end, only my feet it in.

 Lychee plantation, top right

After 3 bottles of water and sweating half my body weight.. my Home Sweet Hut

 My bed straight to the back, complete with a sleeping mat, sand-bag-firm pillows, and mosquito net.  The door is just to the left.

 Window view of my hut, complete with mosquito nets.

 Restroom - 10 feet from my hut, separate shack.  The bucket to the right has a platic pan that is used to scoop water from the larger bucket to flush toilet content. No toilet paper.

 My bed - aka a mat with semi-rock solid pillows. The air was cool in the evening, I listened to banana leaves rustling and humming bugs. Rather peaceful!

On the way back to the village, from the waterfall, I saw an Akha man carrying a tub of meat.  I asked the guide what kind of meat it was. He said that the Akha man shot some kind of 'jungle cat.'  He described that it was about a 3foot cat, black in color with white accents. He did not know that translation for the cat name.  After I checked out my hut and changed out of my hiking attire, I decided to walk around the village.  I saw a hut with fire coming from it. I got curious. I figured it was my guide cooking.  I took a chance went to the door.  I asked if I could watch him cook the meal, he agreed to it and welcomed me in.

 The cat meat is being cooked in the pot above, with lemongrass - gas stove

White whiskey with ginseng - distilled in the village.  The men poured me some, not a fan.  

 Cooking the green curry and the omelet (he would flip it in the air).  Usually women do the cooking but Pop said her really enjoys cooking.

 Thai omelet

 Every time someone sips, all are to follow with a cheers, "chokedee." I may have used my acting skills.  The men also offered me some of their jungle cat meat. Only one man spoke English.  I tried it, it was similar to chewing a fried eraser-meat chunk with a hint of lemongrass. I chewed, chewed, chewed..chewed some more...no success.  I told them I would have a friend try.  I had the Aussie man with me try some. He had the same experience but swallowed, the meat whole because he couldn't chew it either.  I tossed the remainder of the meat over a balcony.  When I went back to the cooking shack, they asked.."you like?" I said, it was ok. "You want more?" I said no. Interestingly, Pop could not understand the tribal men, but they could understand him.  Akha have their own native language.

 Pop, cooking the supper meal.

 Carrot and green eggplant, and the cutting board (stump).

 

 Preparing vegetables in the tubs: carrots, peppers, onion, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant

 An Akha man helping the guide cutting the meal. All the meat goes in the pot, gristle and all.

 Prepped food before it gets stirfried.

2 different Pork and vegetable dishes and green curry

Green curry procedure: oil in the pan with curry paste, then add cococut milk, stir, add water, add vegetables, cook to a steady boil for about 15 minutes.

 Typical sauces used in the vegetable dishes: fish and shellfish sauce. Common in Thai dishes.

We ate outside in an open hut, gathering place.  This table is about 6" off the ground, sitting on a handwoven mat.  2 vegetable pork dishes, Thai omelet (fish, shellfish sauce, onion), green curry. Meal was served with steamed Jasmine rice (grown in Thai). The spoons pictured are typical for serving the dishes.  Dessert was fresh pineapple and peeled apples. This was a meal for 3 people, me and an Aussie couple. The guide bought me a beer to share while I cooked with him. The beer was, Leo, Thai brewed beer. All in all, a great first day of the trek. Let's see what tomorrow brings, bright and early.