In the Jungle the Mighty Jungle

In the jungle the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…. Well I didn’t actually see any lions, tigers, or bears, enormous snakes named (insert name of snake from The Jungle Book) and come to think of it, the closest thing to “wildlife” I actually saw was a lizard. I searched long and hard for the tree rat they said was in the trees but my eyes didn’t manage to find anything. It’s a good thing I’m not longing for a new home in the jungle. The elephants were as close to jungle animal life as I managed during the 3 day trek, and I’m not sure I could consider them jungle animals since they were tamed. Apart from glorious views, the thrilling feeling of being in a Jurassic Park setting and getting to experience the real rainforest way of life, the trek wasn’t just a walk through the woods. It’s rainy season, the paths were wet, slick with mud, and the inclines were steep.
The first day was fairly easy starting off. We were driven 3 hours outside of Chiang Mai to where we would begin our trek. It was nice having all meals provided and having a place to sleep each night without worrying about lugging our huge bags stuffed with food, tents and sleeping bags. It’s strange the relationships you build with people over short periods of time, because during the lunch provided before we set off for our first day, there were 4 groups. Sarah and myself, Dave and Henry (whom we had met on the bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai), -Linda, Rich and John,- and -Nick, Matt and Spence- (the English boys). We all were separate, embarking on this 3 day jungle hike together, and I automatically knew those I would enjoy being around. It was the last day when we got back from the trek that the entire group, apart from the English boys went out for dinner and drinks to enjoy the last night we had in Chiang Mai and I knew I would keep in touch with this group.
Day one was short, we hiked about and 1 and ½ hours before reaching the first village we were to spend the night. By this point it was already close to dusk, we settled in our bungalow with makeshift “beds” (raised planks of bamboo floor with mattress pads possibly made of some wool type substance placed on top of them). All of the guys went with Tom Cruise (our Thai guide who was obsessed with the word “chicken”) to play soccer, while Linda, Sarah and I chilled out in the bungalow until dinner time rolled around. It’s a good thing I ate a lot of rice for lunch because the ginger chicken curry was disappointing, even though all the ingredients were fresh from the garden (and cage). After dinner we celebrated the evening with the local village people performing their traditional music and dance. I was the first picked to stand up and learn the dance with them as they performed. They passed around a guitar for some musical fun, but my skills weren't up for a crowd.
The night ended with a old Thai man and opium. We had joked the whole night through that one of the rooms in the little bungalow was the “opium room” but when he stepped out to lay down right beside where I was sitting, I realized that it really was the opium room and he was offering it to all of us. I politely declined the offer, but watched as the old Thai man enjoyed his pastime to my right. We learned the history of transit, trekking 3 days to Burma to buy their goods and hoping to make it back without problems. It was probably one of the most insightful days of the trek.
Day two was long and hard. They don’t call it the Rainforest for nothing. We trekked for a good 7 hours up and down the mountains while the cool rain poured down. It felt nice compared to the hot humid temperature that engrossed us. During lunch we made our way over a river and through the woods to a waterfall that exceeded my expectations. I was still shy to think that the waterfalls in Thailand could be anything more than the “streams” we experienced in Koh Phangan until I buried my head under the pounding water to relieve the heat and rid the sweat. The rest of the day was filled with more hiking, too much sliding and falling in the mud and a lot of laughing.
Our final day was Elephant and Bamboo rafting day! I felt so small compared to these giant, delicate creatures who carried me effortlessly on their backs. There was even a baby elephant that seemed so tiny compared to the others, only to find out it was already 4 years old. The bamboo rafting was considerably more entertaining because I was stuck on a raft with Dave and Henry. Dave who somehow claimed the roll of captain not only was the worst captain of all bamboo rafts, EVER, but he drug us under 4 trees and crashed us into a bridge (the only obstacle of the entire river!). I fell jumping onto another raft, Dave managed to cling onto the bridge, and Henry who was at the very back, started sinking slowly to death.
Tom Cruise savaged the ship but turned out to be more of a hindrance on the rest of the way down the river. Turns out the Thai meaning for help means sitting on your ass at the back of the boat while the rest of us paddle down the river on a still sinking raft. Thanks Tom Cruise.
It was nice to shower after 3 days of hiking in the rain, riding elephants and falling into muddy water, but I was sad to leave our new friends. The following day, we set off for Laos.