Thai jungle trek

Feb. 17, 2009

Two and a half weeks ago, Julie, my American friend, and I signed up for a three day, two night jungle trek. We were grouped together with two young German guys and spent the nights in local Karen villages high in the hills of Northern Thailand.

On the first day we visited Doi Inthenan, a stupa located at the highest point in Thailand at 2,142 meters. That's like a sand dune compared to the hills Julie and I climbed out of in Nepal. Nevertheless, the temple was gorgeous surrounded by blossoming gardens.

Later that afternoon, the four of us were led through the forest to a small village where the locals were finishing up their celebration of the Karen New Year. We all received simple string bracelets not to be removed for at least three days for good luck in the new year. So long as it doesn't get too dirty, mine will be stuck on me well passed the time that I come home to Connecticut. I still have a string bracelet I received during a Hindu blessing in Pushkar from back on Election Day. (I think the blessings of good luck and good health went to Barack Obama and not me that day as I was later laid out with a bad bout of food poisoning.)

The next morning, we headed out through the bamboo jungle passed waterfalls and through arid, terraced rice fields to go elephant riding. I felt bad for the creature, which lumbered slowly in the heat of the day. Julie and I agreed that riding in the back of a pickup truck to the launch point of our trek was far more exciting.

On our last day, which happened to be my 25h birthday, we were taken bamboo rafting. Local children sitting along the riversides washing elephants cheered and splashed us as we floated by.

It was a very cool and different way to celebrate a quarter century.