Nam Mae Khong

I get woken up by a buffalo passing my bungalow that I slept on the floor of last night at 6am in the morning and to be honest I slept pretty well considering. I wake and find that people are still sleeping so nod off again for another hour. We go to the Market because there are still a few things that we need to get so he offers to take us to the market. He suggests we buy we shoes bu mine are waterproof so I guess I'll be OK with them. About 10 am after a breakfast of last night's dinner with rice and a couple of omelette we are on our way. We are carrying everything we need including rice water and clothing and I must admit its very heavy. Within 15 minutes of walking we get to a point where there is a river and here's me thinking there's an easy way round but no we are literally going acmross the river, I don't really want to get my waterproof trainers that wet so I say I'll go in flip-flops but Mr Chart says this isn't possible and swaps shoes with me. I am so grateful when I put my foot in the water because its thick mud and how he's managed to keep my flip-flops on is a bloody miracle. We continue trekking with the wet shoes on as there are quite a few rivers to cross and even though they're giving me blisters I persist because he knows the better option. We trek through the jungle and at on point trek upto a cave which is mind blowing its not small but once inside you can stand up and the walk through to the inside. The trek to here has nearly broken me and when I reach the cave I need to take a break. I'm sweating like hell and the boys offer to take little bits of my rucksack each to make my load lighter but I insist on still carrying some of it . We eat a small lunch of snacks we've brought with us and continue on to reach camp. The whether has threatened Thunderstorms so at one point there is talk about a cave but it stays clear so onwards we go. We have walked over 10 miles when we arrive and just as we think we're going to get a rest we couldn't be more mistaken. We need to cook food build a shelter out of bamboo and banana leaves. It really is intense but I'm loving it. I'm amazed at how the bamboo is so versatile even cups and dishes are made from it as we are here. I trek back into the jungle to help carry more bamboo back and fall into the spikiest Bush there is here. I literally have to pull myself out of it but out of nowhere Mr Chart comes to my rescue. We build the shelter and eat a late lunch of chicken barbecued over the fire on a bamboo stick that I'm in charge of and a pan of water with lemongrass garlic salt and herbs that more chicken is added to like a broth its bloody delicious even if I say so myself. We drink the whisky with the herbs that have been put in it along the trek and Mr Chart appears saying he's made a shower its actually a funnel of bamboo in a natural stream but I take my clothes wash my t shirt the wash myself with the t shirt it actually works. I feel a million dollars and then set about setting our hammocks up. Once all the hammocks are set up the boys go off frog hunting and I'm quite shocked then they come back with one each. Dinner tonight is frog and god knows what but I'm hungry so anything goes. Our hammocks are set up by Mr Chart and after numerous whisky s and chats around the fire we settle I'm for the night.Read more