Trekking thru the mountains of Chiang Mai

Day 1:
I thought the trek was supposed to start in the morning, but we didn't start walking until a bit before lunch! Fine by me, since I don't like trekking that much. We stopped by a market to buy last minute necessities and food beforehand. I bought barbecue chips.

Group consisted of 12 people, including myself. Aside from the 2 Canadian guys and a French couple, the rest were Brits. (It's been a week now, but I have NOT met a single American traveler yet...) Everyone's on a long-term trip, so it was great to be able to hear about their experiences.

So, the hiking part itself wasn't too bad. Only 3-4 hours. The last part was all steep uphill. I hated it. But the good thing is, the weather was nice, cool, and drizzly. Better than hot sun! Most of us got stung by tiny bees in one area, after the first walkers probably disturbed their nest. It was quite funny - all of us yelling "Ouch!" one by one as we walked through the bush.

The village we stayed in for the night consisted of less than 10 huts, one of which was for the tourists. I think there were more animals there than people. Certainly BUGS. You should've seen them at dusk. I was so stressed out. I don't exactly know what they are, but they have wings, fly, and are attracted to the light. The village people collect them in water buckets. Apparently, they're good chicken feed. And yummy snacks. Our guide caught one in his hand, and cooked the thing with candle lights. Some people ate it. Gross. They looked so raw.... BUT, I think you will all be proud to hear that I TRIED STIR-FRIED BUGS. They're OK....flavored with salt, and slightly crispy. They have a bit of a bitter aftertaste, which I did not like too much.

What do you think of them?????

Thank goodness most of these bugs were gone by the time we went to bed. The huts had absolutely no real walls, ceilings, or floors to keep them out. Plus, our mosquito net was FULL of holes. I did not have a good sleep given that the sleeping bags were damp and the floors were so hard : (

Day 2:
I was basically the only one doing a 2 day/1 night trek, so I had to get up early and leave on my own (with personal guide, of course). 2 hours of walking led us to the waterfalls, where we met up with the group who went ahead a day earlier. I ended up being the only girl among 9 white guys. What a nightmare....... They just kept complaining to me how they had no girls on their 2 day trek so far, and how they needed them last night for the waterfalls. What pigs.

Anyways, I'm glad I did only the 2 day trek...I'd be so bored at a waterfall for the whole entire day. I mean it was sort of pretty, but there's absolutely nothing else. Not even electricity to read.

Another 2 hours through hot, burning sun led us to a larger village, where we had lunch, and were picked up to go to the elephant rides. I love elephants, but these rides are just not as exciting as I'd like them to be.... You just go up and down hills and through woods. I want to do a river one somewhere.

The bamboo rafting we did after that was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! I wasn't planning on getting wet, but it ended up being a water fight. Got soaked.

Now:
Killing some time at the internet cafe, before having to head off to the airport for my flight to Luang Prabang. The hostel I wanted was totally booked, so once again, I have no bed for the night. I hope there's a tourist information center at the airport since I get in a bit late...