Ban Mae Ma Nai

Today was day one of a three day Jungle Trek about an hour outside of Chiang Mai by Song Tao (spelling?) the trucks with benches in the back that we've been using instead of tuk tuks though I'm pretty sure I've been calling them tuk tuks anyway in my previous posts!

Anyway, we started the day by stopping by the tourist police office and giving them a copy of our passport, just in case something should happen us in the wild. We also stopped by a 711 to grab Snacks and drinks for the next couple days. Thankfully beer will be available to buy at the villages so we don't have to carry all that with us ;) I also tried some Mangosteens, a sour fruit that is just delicious that we can't find in Canada of course. They have a hard shell that you break open and the fruit inside is white and soft and delicious. Kind of tastes like a mango crossed with a lime? Amazing.

Afterwards we stopped by the Mok Fa Waterfall for a quick swim and viewpoint. It was nice because we were the only people there unlike the last waterfall we visited that had a ton of other people around. The water was nice and refreshing on a hot and Humid day! And it sparkled, the sand must had flecks of metal in it or something. There were also a ton of tadpoles swimming around! We saw one of the frogs too when it was chasing a snake... A snake that bit one of the girls on the trip. Good thing it wasn't poisonous!

We hopped back into our tuk tuks and then went to our lunch stop before heading to the Mineral Pools that were at the base of the trailhead in some national park. I don't have an internet connection at the moment to look it up and probably won't remember to do so when I do get wifi back ;) But, The mineral pools were amazing! You wouldn't think that a boiling hot bath with 19 other people would be something you'd wanna do when it's almost 40 degrees outside but it was actually really nice! When you got out of the pools the air actually felt cool. And your skin and hair were just so soft afterwards.

Once we all had enough of the hot water we changed into our hiking clothes and began the "trek" for the day which turned out to be a short 1.5km, 30 min hike. I will say though because of the heat and steep incline it was a bit of a challenge but nothing like what I was expecting when I heard the term 'trek'. I should also probably have known better than to compare it to Nepal lol. The first segment was equivalent to maybe 1/4 of what the hike from Bhotewodar to Sirubari was, one that I did regularly and with my massive pack instead of a small day pack. But I will say that it was nice to be active again! Tomorrow will be more difficult I hear.

Everyone who did the trek - 4 girls stayed behind in Chiang Mai because they were incredibly sick with the stomach bug that's been going around - stayed in a big communal room. We were given thin mattresses on the floor and a bug net to share between two people. For some it was their first time sleeping without a nice mattress. I don't recall exactly what time we arrived at the village, for the next few days time doesn't matter, but we had time to explore a bit which I did. It reminded me of Nepal and I loved comparing the two villages, here it's much flatter, the buildings are made of wood instead of clay, the living and cooking areas are a storey up supported by piles, and not much happens below the houses except for chickens, dogs, and pigs running around and playing. It was peaceful. I read my book for a while and eventually, after a few beers and dinner, felt social enough to join the group playing cards and games of truth and dare. It was a great way to get to know each other better!Read more