Karen Village – Day 4
The day kicked off around 8.00 AM when Dan and me went down to the buffet breakfast in the hotel and Amanda joined us soon after. The breakfast was a fusion of east and west – rice, noodles, curried dishes alongside toast, pancakes, fried eggs, french toast, fruits etc. I had some rice along with my french toast and fruits. After that we wandered out in search of the fabled internet cafe that Dan had used that had high speed connection. It took us a good 15 minute walk instead of the 5 minutes walk it was supposed to be because Dan was trying to retrace his steps and took one wrong turn. When we finally got to the internet cafe it was a pleasant surprise that the net was really fast [unlike the one I checked out previous night]. After checking our mails and all we headed back to the hotel for our 9.30AM departure for the trek.Our first stop was the Tourist Police office – every tour that leaves into the northern regions is supposed to register with them so that they can find us in case we get lost or anything happens to us. We didn't have to get out of our cab as the police officer came to us and checked that we were all there. As he was leaving he joked that the emergency call number for the tourist police was 1155 and the number to dial a pizza was 1165 and that we shouldn't forget the right number. The only slight hiccup to the whole deal is that there is no phone coverage in the hills – so don't know how they would have found us even if something did happen to us. With that reassuring thought we drove onwards and upwards.
We had a stop over at a small township for a toilet break and to grab some drinks. Chaiya showed us around the local market and we stopped at a place where they were selling various kinds of bugs as delicacies. He told us that instead of peanuts or chips or cashews to go with beer, the locals considered the bugs as a delicate snack. We were offered to try some and Alan was the only one brave enough to eat one of them. I was very tempted to give it a go but the tentacles sticking out definitely put me out. After that we wandered around a bit more and then stopped to have some refreshments.
Cooked meat on sale at the local market
Kelly very impressed by the frog delicacy (she is vegetarian)
The spiced and preped bugs to use as snacksAfter that we proceeded further with a stop over at Mok Fa waterfall. The waterfall was kind of small but really beautiful. Most of the local tourists and asian tourists wouldn't go in for a swim but we decided to have a swim and some fun. The restrictions for the women were very specific – no western swim wear, they had to have their cleavage covered and also wearing a sarong or shorts was encouraged. The waterfall was heaps of fun and I got some beautiful shots because of the water and the light creating a magical frame. When we were in the water – Yee, one of the tour guides for the trek insisted for Alan and me to go under the waterfall to the small clearing behind it. It was the first time I had done it and going against the strong water was such a different experience. It felt like your body was being pummeled by a thousand people at the same time. Once we got behind the waterfall it was a great feeling – it was kind of calm. Then the challenge was getting back out. Yee jumped out and Alan somehow managed to get out as well but I was afraid of the protruding rocks and I decided to slither my way to the side of the waterfall where the water current was not so strong. I was almost through when I slipped and started falling but somehow I managed to convert that into a smooth slide and escaped with a couple of minor scrapes. Everyone was kind of amused that I didn't receive any injuries and also made it look like fun.
Yee explaining something to Amanda while Alan soaks up the moment with Kelly looking on
Me with the waterfall to myself 
The group shares a quite moment
John mesmerized
Joy and Kelly share a momentAfter the waterfall we drove further up north and stopped over at a roadside eating joint and after the lunch we proceeded to our trek's starting point. The last couple of K.M's to the starting point was excruciating for me as there was heavy traffic in front of us and the pollution made me feel very nauseated. When we got off the cab, I was definitely not feeling normal but I decided to grin and bear it and we started off on our trek. 10 minutes into the trek, Sylvia decided that she couldn't do it anymore – which wasn't surprising since she smoked too many cigarettes and she had a chesty cough even when we started the journey in Bangkok. Chaiya then decided to send for a moped and got Sylvia onto the moped and sent her off to the village but because of the whole thing we had to take the easiest trekking route and it never felt like we were trekking in a remote area.
The scenery from a few vantage points was stunning and I can only imagine what it would have been like if we had taken a longer trekking route. The first glimpse of the village was tantalizing and it was so beautiful, nestled between the hills. The name of the village was Ban-Mae-Jog – short name for it was Karen village. It was great entering into a village after such a long time – the biggest difference being that I didn't know anyone in the village otherwise whenever I visit the villages in India it is because some family members are living there. The village has a population of about 140 spread across 28 households and it is primarily catholic. The village has no school of it's own but it has solar power generation panels, which accounts for the lights at night. The primary source of income in the village is from beef farming while they grow rice only for their own needs.
All of us waiting for the moped for Sylvia
Onwards and upwards minus Sylvia
Amanda walking the lone path
Local hats for sun shade - not very practical
Talking to Amanda as we walk 
Walking in the hill tribe area
Path well troden
Beautiful hills of Thailand
The walk continues: Alan, Joy, Dan, Kelly and Chaiya 
First glimpse of Karen village
Rural settings
Newly born piglets with their mother welcome us
The group is taking it all in : Amanda, John, Kelly, Joy & Alan
The villagers are as curious as we are
The baby is still keen on the foreigners
Walking towards our accomodation
View from our accomodation
Amanda, Kelly, Joy and Alan are glad to be there
The dorm style bedroom: Alan, Joy, Kelly, Dan & Amanda
The cooking session is communalWe are staying in a basic hut with dorm style accommodation and it reminded me of my dorm when I was in Loyola Public School when I was little. By the time we had settled in it was evening and the tour guides promptly went about cooking us some dinner. Even though it was a village, you could still get canned beer as well as cold fizzy drinks for a small mark up price. The dinner was yummy and after that the tour guides started a fire, so we could sit around and talk and they also decided to cook us some bamboo rice. Bamboo rice takes a long time to cook and basically they stuff sticky rice inside the bamboo and cook it over the fringes of the fire. Once it is done they chop off the bamboo shell to reveal the cooked rice. It was yummy but it seemed like an awfully long and tedious process – especially compared to cooking normal rice. Chaiya gave us a quick rundown of tomorrow's activities and plan and then we sat around and talked for a bit and sang the elephant song. A camp fire is a great way to know people and everyone seemed to be enjoying the moment. Kelly, Dan, Joy and Alan's enjoyment was enhanced by Chang beer – which is a local Thai beer. Amanda was not a beer person though.
Chaiya, Joy and Alan enjoying the campfire
Enjoying the camp fire
Sylvia and John enjoying the night I kind of retired early since I had been awake since 6.30 in the morning. I tucked myself into the mosquito net and was asleep by 8.30 PM. Here is hoping that the second day of trekking will be a little harder than today.
Amit
posted by Amit @ 4:30 PM
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