Cave Lodge and Karen Hill Tribe Village

We checked into the Cave Lodge, an Australian/Thai retreat 4.5 hours east of Chiang Mai or a few kilometres from the Burmese border. It has two kittens, hammocks, a nice open fireplace and a ping pong table. Lara and I arranged for a herbal sauna which was a bit disappointing having spent the summer enjoying Uncle Adam’s traditional Finnish sauna. We headed out the next morning for a two day trek to a Karen hill tribe village. Our guides Kai and Tha were super fun. They taught us about northern flora and fauna and how it is integrated into hill tribe culture and daily life. They also showed us how to use a slingshot which kept Malcolm occupied for the rest of the trek. At the end of the first day we did a cave walk with a local tribesman. It was a little scary but not too bad. We spent the night at a homestay with a family from the village. On the way back to the Cave Lodge we followed a river, crossing it with our bags several times. Kai showed us how the local people use bamboo to build houses. Local people grow up learning to use a machete from the age of 7 and it is all they need to survive in the jungle. Rambo, First Blood was a huge hit here when it became available on VHS! Kai explained to us about military service - when Thai men turn 21, they have to register for 2 years of service. He was exempted from service because he won a lottery.
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