After drying off from the waterfall we got back in the vans and headed towards where we would begin our three day jungle trek. As we headed deeper along the jungle roads the mist rolled over the hills and the heavens opened - we found ourselves in the middle of a jungle rain storm. To avoid the rain we made an impromptu stop at a local road side restaurant where we had lunch and drinks and waited for the rain to subside.
Some of the boys on the tour (Ken and Chema) played a card game with some of the locals, it was a confusing game where you had to make 19, and there were two rounds of gambling. 10 (and a combination that added up to 10) and the picture cards were worth 1 point and the trump card was three of a kind or a straight. Nicola and I suspected foul play as, on the last hand of the game, the local man won and in the process recovered all the money he had paid in and took whatever was left of Chema and Ken's pot.
After our brief stop we drove another 45 minutes before finally reaching the starting point of the trek; a lay by at the side of the road. We were issued with life jackets (as we would be bamboo rafting on the final day) and headed into the jungle. Due to the rain, the ground underfoot was very slippery and unfortunately, most of the trek seemed to be downhill which made things interesting (Nicola didn't fall, but I might have done once...or twice, but who's counting?!).
The first day's trek was relatively light, only two hours or so. Nicola, Rich and I kept to the rear of the group and had a more personal guided trek with Sek, who pointed out a number of plants, edible mushrooms (you can eat the yellow and red ones, but not the white ones...I think), trees and local insects including an impressive termite hill. It seems that, if you know where to look, there is a lot to eat in the jungle as Sek pointed out a 'jungle cucumber' and a variety of other edible plants and mushrooms. It was really interesting, it almost felt like a Ray Mears survival tour...although I didn't get to play with a machete, which was disappointing.
We were warned of a few jungle dangers one being leeches, and after an hour or so we stopped for a leech check. Both Nicola and I found a few attached to our shoes trying to slither their way up to our juicy calves! One of the guides, Eddy was unfortunate enough to find a leech suckling between his toes.. The trick to get them off is a little spray of insect repellent or burn them off.. Don't pull them off as you'll bleed for an hour (apparently).
As we came through a clearing in the jungle we could see rice paddy fields below, amongst the fields were a number of wooden huts, which we were told formed the Karen village at which we were staying. Sek told us that the Karen people were displaced from Burma and have been living in Thailand for around 100 years.
As we came into the village we saw all sorts of farm animals and the local Karen people. We were lead to our shelter which was at the back of the village (so as not to disturb the local people!). The accommodation was fairly basic with no running water or electricity, but it was an eye-opening experience to live as a local albeit for a night.
Some of the boys on the tour (Ken and Chema) played a card game with some of the locals, it was a confusing game where you had to make 19, and there were two rounds of gambling. 10 (and a combination that added up to 10) and the picture cards were worth 1 point and the trump card was three of a kind or a straight. Nicola and I suspected foul play as, on the last hand of the game, the local man won and in the process recovered all the money he had paid in and took whatever was left of Chema and Ken's pot.
After our brief stop we drove another 45 minutes before finally reaching the starting point of the trek; a lay by at the side of the road. We were issued with life jackets (as we would be bamboo rafting on the final day) and headed into the jungle. Due to the rain, the ground underfoot was very slippery and unfortunately, most of the trek seemed to be downhill which made things interesting (Nicola didn't fall, but I might have done once...or twice, but who's counting?!).
The first day's trek was relatively light, only two hours or so. Nicola, Rich and I kept to the rear of the group and had a more personal guided trek with Sek, who pointed out a number of plants, edible mushrooms (you can eat the yellow and red ones, but not the white ones...I think), trees and local insects including an impressive termite hill. It seems that, if you know where to look, there is a lot to eat in the jungle as Sek pointed out a 'jungle cucumber' and a variety of other edible plants and mushrooms. It was really interesting, it almost felt like a Ray Mears survival tour...although I didn't get to play with a machete, which was disappointing.
We were warned of a few jungle dangers one being leeches, and after an hour or so we stopped for a leech check. Both Nicola and I found a few attached to our shoes trying to slither their way up to our juicy calves! One of the guides, Eddy was unfortunate enough to find a leech suckling between his toes.. The trick to get them off is a little spray of insect repellent or burn them off.. Don't pull them off as you'll bleed for an hour (apparently).
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| For those who are wondering who Sek is.. |
As we came through a clearing in the jungle we could see rice paddy fields below, amongst the fields were a number of wooden huts, which we were told formed the Karen village at which we were staying. Sek told us that the Karen people were displaced from Burma and have been living in Thailand for around 100 years.
As we came into the village we saw all sorts of farm animals and the local Karen people. We were lead to our shelter which was at the back of the village (so as not to disturb the local people!). The accommodation was fairly basic with no running water or electricity, but it was an eye-opening experience to live as a local albeit for a night.
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