We joined forces with four other random backpackers early yesterday morning--a British couple, and a couple from Oakland.
Our awesome guide, Doh, drove us 2 1/2 hours north, and then we hiked to our first destination, Mork-Fa Waterfall.
I went down and stood on the edge of the water and got soaked in mist. 
After that, we hiked to our first hill tribe village. 
There were about 20 families living in wooden shacks. Oxen and chickens were everywhere, along with some cats and dogs. They also had hogs tied to trees.
Don't forget the bugs...
We then moved on to our second village, where they made us dinner.
We hung out there, played cards, I saw my first firefly, and we were attacked by a giant beetle thing that flew right into our candle (no electricity at night). That made us all leap up and freak out. It was pretty funny. We all went to bed after that.Next day we hiked to the elephants, which we rode to our next destination down the river.
The guy guiding our elephant let me sit directly on him! It was awesome. I rode him like that for about a half hour down the river.
We then rafted down the river the rest of the way on a bamboo raft they made for us right there. It was amazing.
At the end, we ate a nice meal and drove home. Awesome trip.
9 comments:
Ha! Jeff and I spent Saturday at the Seattle zoo and got to see some elephants from like 30 feet. And here you are using them as transportation! Crazy.
We did a similar hill-tribe hike and overnight stay -- that's where I got attacked by a leech! So it sounds like you got off easy with 28 mosquito bites. Should have used the jungle juice!
Your pics are great.
Some of the others got leeches on them, but I did not. I actually only got maybe 10-12 bites, mainly on my feet where I neglected to spray. The jungle juice scares me, but you're right, if there was ever a time to use it, that was it.
wow, dude... your pictures are awesome! keep up the excellent photojournalizing.
peas!
Wow. So great to see the pics and hear of your neat, new experiences Kev. "keep them cards and letters comin'" Dennis and Olivia are checking the blog too. TTYS OXOX TMB
P.S. Thanks for allowing the new sign-up systems; eliminates the problem I was having.tmb
That's pretty ##(@(_~! crazy. The bug and you on the elephants looks photoshopped. I almost don't believe you did it.
My mind is dripping out of my ears.
Has anyone stopped you on the street and shouted, "Hey, you da guy from Tic-Tac commercial and unaired Sirius Satellite Radio commercial!"
Did the crowd of gawkers, onlookers, autograph-seekers and Hollywood-eyed harlots become so unwieldly that biangmaiphu riot police had to be called in to stop the madness? And then, when they were unable to stop the crush of humanity bent on touching you, their Western God, did you have to jump into the back of a rickshaw, throw coins at the driver and tell him To The Dragon Macau! to which he screamed and ran away? At that point, did you grab a passing pod of monkeys, lash them together with toenails and late rainy-season marmalade, and force them to carry you to the next fast shiangpok ferry to the Mainland?
-J. Byrnsian Hortonus
THIS IS AMAZING!
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