Wandering, not Lost: Trekking in Pai - Jungle worms and Bamboo Bong

Fresh off the bus from Pai, without having found accommodation yet, we bundled into the nearest tour office to book a trek for the next few days. The guy at Backtrax was really flexible and we could structure it as we wanted, two days trekking and a day whitewater rafting!

So we set off the next morning with our guide Toi, and I was awestruck by the lush greenery and picture-perfect scenery, complete with bamboo bridges over streams, paddy fields and farmers going about their day. The beginning of the trail was being turned into a concrete road ( actually by the time we returned a whole section had been complete, these people should be imported into South Africa for roadworks 101) ad a few motorcycles whizzed past us on the trail - signs of civilisation in an interesting contrast with traditional ways.

Me, trekking

Bamboo forest

Roadworks

So this is where pork comes from, we learned rather abruptly in the Lisu village we first passed as they prepared for a wedding.Here the dead swine is turned in burning grass to singe off the hair.

Lisu woman and child

Baby monkey rescued by villagers

Toi promised us a party that night, saying he had organised two bottles of rice whiskey and a "Bamboo Bong". We glanced at each other somewhat dubiously but agreed enthusiastically that a party would be great!

We stopped for a snack on some rocks at a stream (I still wasn't feeling too great and didn't eat much, figuring I would milk the loss of appetite for all it was worth)

Lunch was in a Karen village an hour or so later, where a local man cooked us some simple noodles with pumpkin leaves (which forms a sort of spinach) and we had some cucumber melon which is a melon-like cucumber, apparently.

Toi helping get the fire going - Mackerel below.

Afternoon nap

Toi got started early and poured himself some rice whiskey, a clear liquid which looks very innocent in its water bottle. Much like water actually :) He had already been drinking Red Bull ala Thailand since the morning, and offered us some after lunch. This is my Red Bull advert: Giving you wings - even in the Jungle!

Village boy trying to lasso a cow

Later that afternoon we reached a waterfall where we had a lovely swim while Toi built us a fire - very fast, big and with good flame, Survivor rating 8/10!

That waterfall might look small but when I swam under it I got pulled right down by the current and had a dreadful near-near-death experience!

After our chilly swim we finally offered a sip of some rice-whiskey to warm us up, mixed with Red Bull it was sort of a Jungle Jagerbomb! It was however disgusting, acrid moonshine take your breath away, fire up your lungs and dissolve your liver kinda disgusting. Well, some people like it - I did not!

I want to do a separate post about some of the things people talk about when traveling, the sparse conditions and close proximity to each other means you may end up discussing the inner workings of your bowels with eager strangers keen to offer their advice. Invariably the topic of the 'jungle toilet' arose. I, being an African an very au fait with things like having to go in the bush (which possibly has nothing to do with being an African but I like to throw that in there) had plenty of advice for those who had never had to "do a bush poo" and were very excited about the prospect. It later emerged that despite regular updates (have you? no, have you?) throughout the trekking trip, there was little success.

Here Maxine practices the "Jungle Squat"

So-so technique - needs practice: Survivor rating 6/10

We arrived at our bamboo hut - our lodgings for the first night - as the sun set beautifully over the valley. Pigs, chickens and the full farmyard contingent were settling in for the night. The bamboo hut serves a dual purpose with one side used as a coop fr the chickens, while the pigs can find shade underneath. We were served freshly fried bamboo worms, which I had to try to truly obtain Jungle cred.

Bamboo Hut

Hmmmm - crispy, flavourful and in a romantic setting - Suvivor rating 10/10!!!

So our hosts, the Lamu tribe, prepared us dinner, which involved another brush with Animals = Where Your Meat Comes From 101. They were sweet and friendly as we made our home in their hut, sparse but for a few blankets and stove area. Farm to eat and live, no place for luxury or 'things'. We truly have managed to complicate our lives in the developed world.

The men sipped continuously on rice whiskey, later stopping to light up the Bamboo Bong. I tried it, although its not really my thing, to little effect.

Toi (already a litte drunk): "I no expert. I no expert. But there are seven types of cannabis. This type one, good for make relax. Next type - good for listen music. But I no expert," he said shrugging his shoulders.

Yeah....right.....

But it was a great evening as we were serenaded with the harmonica. Ppl drinking rice whiskey are however dreadful party poopers as they sip, get drunk, and it all falls apart. No pleasant chilled buzz ever has the chance to settle over the evening. Sitting in candlelight watching our hosts was really fun before we fell fast asleep on our bamboo mats.