Beginning of Three Day Trek

I started planning my trip to Thailand about 6 to 8 weeks in advance...again advice from my darling sister. I was simply planning on arriving and going with the flow to challenge the dominant ``being in control of everything`` part of my being. With that said I realised that was a stupid approach and I needed to be somewhat informed about what, where, when, how much and so on. So in planning my trip to Chaing Mai I found an adventure company (allchaingmaitours) offering a 3 day trek at a super reasonable rate...which was my next venture. I had no idea what to expect on the trekking side; it is not exactly my forte or maintaining a healthy fitness level for that matter. This venture would be totally out of my comfort zone and physically challenging but I was ready.

We drove out of Chaing Mai towards the mountains for around 40 minutes and stopped at the elephant ride area. I was definitely not excited for this part of the trek and simply do not agree with it but be that as it may I rode on an elephant with another trekker. It was thankfully a short ride that lasted a whole 30 or so minutes and soon we were off to start the actual trek. We started off at an easy pace and the terrain was not too intense. We soon arrived at a beautiful waterfall in what felt like the middle of nowhere and had lunch there. The people were fantastic and the guide went out of his way to make us feel comfortable and teach us a few things about the area, make conversation and tell a few jokes that he found rather hilarious...maybe it was the accent but I didnt always follow them. After taking ample photos and dangling our feet in the water, some even managed to find a place to undress and went for a refreshing swim, we headed to our first village.

The trek became more intense as the day progressed. The mountain inclines were steep and with missy here not being experienced at all with trekking I had a pack of around 10kg. There was a part where I really struggled but just kept forth and finally made it to a more even area. Needless to say I kept stopping for a minute or two every now and again to simply absorb the terrain, the beauty and the surroundings. It was magnificent and I was in awe the entire way...sweating and all...with a smile from ear to toe. I felt true peace and happiness within, which is something I am in pursuit of on this new found journey abroad...and it was only the beginning!

When we arrived at the village at around 17h00 we all settled down and rested a bit. By this time I figured out a shower was not an option and then I wondered (and cursed myself) why on earth I packed a collection of clean clothes and not just basics! The hut we were staying in overlooked rice fields and a large forest. It was absolutely beautiful and I could not have asked more for the first day even with the challenges. The lighting was perfect which was the ideal opportunity for me to explore the area and take a few snap shots before relaxing with an ice cold beer...yes, can you believe it, we managed to have ice cold beers on a trek and did I mention the tasty food that our guide prepared for us. Everything was perfect...the environment, ambiance, energy and surroundings.

What made this day even more special was after dinner a swarm of little kiddies came to our camp fire and sang songs with such enthusiasm and excitement. They ranged from tiny tots to around 10 years and with their singing came a bit of dancing and clapping hands...the whole package with huge smiles. It truly was a magical moment I will hold onto and cherish.