Warning: Photo Intensive! 

It was my first time to Chiang Mai, and I decided to join a 3 day 2 night trek in the mountains. I arrived in Chiang Mai late in the night, and stayed alone in the guesthouse before setting off next morning.

My guesthouse 

Day 1: 

The next morning, I got up into the tour agency’s pickup and took almost 2 hours of transport to where we would start our trek. My group were quite large, with ten other people all from the western part of the world. This includes France, Germany, England, Holland, Canada and Spain. Cool yeah? I was the only Asian!

The first activity was bamboo rafting in a shallow river, where I was grouped with the English couple on the same raft. It was a great deal of fun balancing on the raft as our mischievous "raft guide" tried to shake us off the raft by jumping on it. A pity I didn’t manage to capture any moments because I didn’t want to drench my camera.

 

Next up was to have lunch at the village. Our guides went to cook and left us to wonder around. Here are some pictures that I’ve taken.

 

Their houses were built on stilts, while their smaller livestock are reared underneath.

 

Cows 

 

The village children 

The kitchen where our food is being cooked

 

Fried Rice (Khao Phad) 

30 minutes after our lunch, we finally set off, all prepared to trek the mountains and cross the rivers.  

 

Walking across the rice fields. Beautiful sceneries ahead.

Here, you can see everyone from my group 

 

Tiptoe-ing across the river

 

Ascending the mountains together 

 

Taking a break by the river 

After a few hours of walking, we arrived to our stop-point next to a waterfall. We were to stay overnight here before continuing our journey to the White Karen village. Upon reaching, everyone took little time to change into their swimming trunks and bikinis to take a dip in the waterfall. Brrrr, was really cold, but it was great fun treading water and "bathing" there.

 

The waterfall that we swam in. Looks small here, but it is in fact quite big.

Rice took long to be cooked because the guides and helpers used the stone age method of boiling and cooking by fire, and by the time dinner was served, everyone was already famished. Nevertheless, it was a good dinner. After dinner, a fire was set up and we sat around for a chit chat session before everyone retired to "bed" early.

 

Our hut. The "bed" was a little hard, but I guess everyone was too tired to be bothered by it. 

Day 2: 

Next morning, when we woke up, the guides were already busy preparing our breakfast. Again using the primitive method, but it’s pretty effective and tastes just as good I must say.

Toasting the bread 

 

Making tea and coffee 

 

Bread, butter and jam for everyone!

 

Oh, and we found a snake under the roof of our hut! Fortunate that we didn’t know it earlier, if not no one’s gonna be able to sleep soundly!

Moving on 

After a hearty breakfast, it’s time to continue our journey. we would walk for a few more hours before hitting the next check point for lunch. We stopped by a few places to take short breaks and had one or two games to freshen ourselves up.

Playing a game of catapult 

Spotted some catepillars (guide kept saying "Don’t touch, will get itchy. Itchy yah!")

It was unfortunate that it started raining rather heavily before we got to our next hut. Everyone got wet, and I had to keep my camera, disallowing me to take any more pictures throughout the remaining journey to the village. We had instant noodles for lunch, which was a good thing since it’s cooked faster than rice. After lunch, it was a mere half an hour before we reached our final destination, the White Karen village!

 

A villager just back from hunting. Other than keeping livestock and growing crops, the people here do hunt for wild animals too.

We settled our stuff into our huts, and walked around to look at the village life.

 

Our sleeping place 

This is the bathroom cum toilet..!! 

 

A typical house 

 

Buffaloes! 

 

Feeding time for the little piggies! The lady had to restrain the stronger piglet from eating too much, lest the younger one couldn’t have enough food.  

 

The children helping out to prepare their dinner. These 3 kids later challenged me into a game of catching, and I just played along with them. 

 

The kitchen 

Soon, it was late and time for dinner. We gathered at the table and lit the candles. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that during these 3 days, we didn’t have any source of electricity at all.

 

Candles. Parts of cylindrical water bottles were placed over the candles to diffuse the light source.

 

With a little help from the camera flash, managed to capture everyone’s expressions.

 

Fire was set up as we were having dinner 

 

Ready for another round of chatting session by the fireplace

After dinner, we gathered around the fireplace, and the guides got all the little village children to sit with us and sang songs for us. The fire did really keep us warm from the cold weather as well.

 

Enjoying the warmth together 

This night, being the last night before the trekking trip is over the next day, we hanged around longer and chatted a great deal. As everyone comes from different parts of the world, we shared interesting stories and cultures, and it was a real fun experience. It’s simply amazing how we could get along so well just after 2 days. Everyone agreed that we were fortunate to be together as a group.

Day 3:

Bread for breakfast 

The final day of the trek before all of us would part our own ways, and me flying back to Bangkok! We had our breakfast before saying goodbye to the villagers and head our way down the mountains. We took a shorter route down, and descended fairly quickly. Mid-way, we stopped at another waterfall, and it was again shower time by the falls. I was lazy though, and so just rested while the rest enjoyed themselves in the waters.

You can see the more adventurous ones climbing up the rocks at the far end 

Finally we got to where we’d started 2 days ago! But we were still yet to participate in our last activity, that’s the elephant riding.

 

The long and seemingly flimsy suspension bridge that all had to cross before riding the elephants

 

Wooh! 

You must be thinking, what’s so great about riding elepants? They’re just so slow..that one can fall asleep riding on them. I thought so too, but I was dead wrong! Instead of riding them on a flat road, the experienced mahouts guided the elephants through the forest, and some parts of the journey were actually slopes as steep as 45 degrees! It is like riding a roller coaster in slow motion.

I’m on the elephant! and that "or die" guy is the mahout 

 

The Thais sold pictures for 100 baht. I helped take pictures for free

 

One more! Isn’t the scenery breath-taking?

Walking up a very steep hill 

And the last part of it all, crossing the river! I was really worried that the mahout would command the elephant to suck water and spray at us using its trunk! Luckily it didn’t. 

Elephants meet bamboo rafts 

 

After we got off from the elephants, the mahouts saw money-making opportunity again. Bananas were sold to interested tourists who were keen to feed the elephants. Well, the thriftier ones just plucked some leaves to entice the elephants. Haha.

And so, that marked the end of our 3 day 2 night trek. We finally had a proper lunch at a nearby food stall, before our vehicle sent us back to our respective hotels and guesthouses. It was indeed a great experience and fun throughout this trip, being able to do something that I wouldn’t be able to in Singapore, and get up-close and personal to see how an authentic village life is like.  

More and larger pictures here! 

One of the most beautiful and popular festivals in Thailand is Loy Krathong, and I happened to be there to witness this festival on 24th this month.

 

Krathongs for sale at 20-60 baht each

This festival takes place on full moon in November. During the evening, the locals will go down to the canals or rivers to float their krathongs (banana leaf cups). Each krathong contains a flower, a candle and 3 incense sticks which are lighted before being placed on the water. People usually make a wish before floating their krathongs. It is said that floating the krathongs will also float away their troubles and sins, bringing good luck at the same time. It is also believed that if the candle remains burning until the krathong is out of sight, one’s wish will come true.

Many stalls selling krathongs were set up near Chao Praya river 

 

A giant krathong for display 

Barricades were set up for people to queue for their turns to loy their krathongs 

I went to Chao Praya river, which is a hotspot in the capital for this festival. Many locals and foreigners were there to join in the fun. Some brought their self-made krathongs, while most bought them at the roadside stalls. Everyone queued up orderly to wait for their turns to float the krathongs.   

Lowering a make-shift apparatus to float the krathong by the river

Other than floating the krathongs at the riverside, giant lanterns called Khom Loy are lit and floated up into the night sky.

More pictures of the lanterns

The belief is the same as floating the flower lanterns into the river. By sending off these lanterns, an individual can send one’s sins and bad luck into the air. Usually before the lantern soars into the sky, one will pray that his/her sins and bad luck will be transported on the lantern and float away high up into the sky.

Since the lanterns are huge, in order to send them up into the sky, it requires a method (similar to that of the hot-air balloon’s) to heat the air inside. This is done by tying a small bowl underneath the open section of the lantern. Oil is then placed into the bowl along with a cotton cloth. As the oil catches fire and commences burning, the hot air quickly travels into the lantern and it soon rises into the air. Below are more pictures of the giant lanterns. Enjoy viewing!

 

A couple lighting up the giant lantern before releasing it

Another couple about to release their lantern 

Finally floating up into the sky! 

Night sky lit with bright lanterns! (I heard that it’s even more beautiful in Chiang Mai, as thousands of locals release the lanterns at the same time)

Bigger pictures in this gallery. 

Met up with my friends (a couple) and they brought me to their selling area at Ratchada flea market in the evening.

 

And I really did help setting the stuff up and helping to pack the shoes! *fun*

It literally means "speaking without thinking through the brain". And when this action is combined with insensitivity and refusal to admit one’s mistake, it causes irritation and distress to others.

Oh well, pardon the ranting, but isn’t it true?

 

 

29th Oct to 2nd Nov, 2007. This trip to the Mission Home of Wiang Kaen will be one that I’ll always remember fondly.

Having Breakfast 

Months ago, I requested to join in this trip, as I’ve always wanted to travel to the more rural parts of the world and be able to interact with its people. But everything that happened in this trip was beyond my expectation. The colleagues and students were simply wonderful to be with, and the children from the home are simply so lovable and good-natured.

 

Taking a group photo before our girls meet their buddies

The children preparing to be received by our girls 

Exchanging greetings after buddy’s name was announced

This overseas trip has the intentions to get our students to experience how it is like to live a rural life. With the CIP component in mind, the students had to do some work too, like gardening, washing the dishes and other simple house chores. Of course, they had lots of fun interacting and playing with the children there as well. Most of the children at the Home were very small, though there is also quite a number who are older than our girls.

 

Everyone enjoying the Handkerchief Game 

 

Jump jump, with buddy! 

 

After the games, it’s time to work

 

Working together

 

Taking a picture at the dragon fruit farm planted by previous batches of Sngs girls 

It seemed as though our girls and the children didn’t need much effort to break the ice. Perhaps the school holidays for the younger kids played a big part. It was fortunate that 30th and 31st of Oct were holidays for the primary school.

 

Queuing up for lunch

 

And the washing up by the girls themselves

Time for more interaction 

And sport games 

Most of the time were spent interacting together, as well as playing games that were a part of everyone’s childhood. Their children don’t know English, and our girls don’t understand Thai. But that didn’t stop them having fun together through universal games like Scissors, Paper, Stone, Dog and Bone, Handkerchief Game, etc.

 

And more games

 

Dog and Bone

On the third day, a picnic by the Mae Kong river was organised. A good place to relax and play games (yet again?!), with the kids chasing one another around constantly. It was indeed heartwarming to see that our girls were not just able to relate to their pre-assigned buddies, but also to the other children as well.

Loaded onto the pick-up 

Ready to make our way to Mae Kong river! 

 

A game of arm-wrestling with Don while waiting for the pick-up to fetch us 

That’s Mae Kong River 

 

When you see them seated in a circle like that, what game could they be playing? 

Our girls all tired out upon returning to the Home 

Perhaps what my colleague said was right, that we get to observe the good and kind side of our girls from trips like this. On the surface, it looked like our girls were just having fun playing with the tireless children every moment, but I believe they knew that they were holding a more important responsibility of taking care and showing love to their charges, entertaining and accomodating to the little ones even when they themselves were drained of energy. In short, I’m really proud of how well the girls had carried themselves throughout this trip.

On our way to visit a cave after the plan to view sunrise foiled because of the rain. Nerve wrecking to cross this bridge!

 

Up and into the cave 

 

A Buddha statue placed inside the cave 

The rain didn’t stop our girls having fun! 

During the last night, we had a mass in the church (which was above the void deck that we always had our activities at) before we had dinner. This dinner was to be the last meal with the children before we would part with them the next morning.

Having dinner during our final night of stay T.T

The girls enjoying themselves in front of the camera before the concert 

The children too (: 

Mrs Nath with the children 

More poses 

I’m there. 

The more exciting event was up next. We were treated to a concert put up by the children at the Home. From the pictures, you could see how much effort each of them put in to perform for us. They must have been practising really hard, rehearsing whenever they had the time to. Needless to say, our girls enjoyed their performance thoroughly, applauding and cheering every second.

The show started with the girls performing a dance

 

A Traditional Thai dance performed by the older children 

 

Young star rising! 

 

And it was time for the guys to strut their stuff 

 

A fashion show! 

The different ethnic costumes that were displayed 

The seniors sang on as the younger kids cheered 

Fabulous solo performance! Just look at the garlands she had received from her supporters! 

Time for our girls to show what they’ve got 

 

An original Indian dance that gathered huge applause from the audience! 

Break dancing by the little boys

Pooying suay rong plaeng thai 

 

They did a Britney! 

Another group sing-together 

Mass dance! 

 

An unplugged performance 

It was then time for our girls to put up their item. They had earlier on prepared an Indian dance item, and put up a good show that excited the children,  many of whom ran up to put on garlands over our girls’ necks to show appreciation.

Singing Love, Me together 

 

Just look at how the girls enjoyed themselves 

Jingwen performing the number "Guan Huai Fang Shi" 

Our girls must have been so touched by the children who displayed such a splendid performance, that they decided to do an impromptu song performance, getting me involved as well. Not that I minded of course, as long as everyone enjoyed themselves. The number that we sang was Colin Raye’s Love, Me, a favourite among our girls. After that, Jingwen did another song, Guan Huai Fang Shi.

 

 

Everyone trying to fight back the tears as they exchanged hugs

Indeed an emotional moment for all 

There were a few more items before the night turned emotional. At the end of the show, one of the older children made a speech in English to thank us for visiting them, and for putting in so much fun and happiness into their lives during our stay. Then, the children formed into a chain, and moved towards us one by one on their knees to express their gratitude. Everyone hugged one another, some already with tears streaking down their eyes, some forcing a sad smile onto their faces. Everyone had a heavy heart that night.

A group photo before the night ended 

Since it was the final night, the children were allowed more time to mingle around. Gifts were given to the children, email addresses and letters exchanged between buddies. Finally, it was bed time. A prayer was said before everyone parted to their respective rooms.

This trip on a whole, has been quite a successful one. I’m sure the girls have learnt a lot of things that they couldn’t have acquired in their daily lives. The trip definitely left a deep impression in everyone’s heart. A memorable one.  

Lots more photos to view here. 

Ah, just reached home after 5 days in Chiang Rai. It was really an enjoyable and eye-opening trip for me as well as the students. I’ll edit the photos and blog about it soon, but now I’ll need to figure out how to complete my triathlon 7 hours later… )X