Bamboo gets everywhere
Trip Start
Sep 18, 2004
1
10
23
Trip End
Dec 20, 2004
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2km from Thai Burma border, Thailand
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Phil first up - awoken by cockerels and kids. Spent a very enjoyable hour watching the children fooling around in the dirt, chasing spiders and hairy caterpillars. Another eggy breakfast and an easy hours flat hike through 9 streams and a Karen (another hilltribe) village back towards civilisation and our pick up point. Our truck meets us and takes us for lunch and Bamboo rafting on the Ping River. 3 people and 1 boatman on each raft (literally large bamboo canes tied together), and two punting canes. Philski couldn't wait to have a go at punting raft - not as easy as it looks! as Suzy found out when she gets a go - so she gives up and jumps in the river - floating along in the current is much easier than punting and feels lovely after all that sun ! - was a little worrying when the rafts pulled in and Suzy and Jan were in danger of keeping going in the river all the way to Bangkok ! but they manage to get themselves out and after a quick dry off and a drink it's on for a visit to a Wat (Temple - see photos - very impressive and beautiful) before heading 'home' (another little culture shock - has the guesthouse become home now ?).
BEST hot shower in months and a BIG mexican meal round the corner followed by a few bevvies in a nice reggae bar and home by 8pm to put our tired bodies in a SOFT bed....
