Day 12- first day mountain people

It started at around 2am. The panic. Ever since landing in Thailand, I was a bit over zealous with the curries and my stomach hadn't yet figured out how to manage. So to speak. The prospect of going three days in the northern Thai jungle without a toilet with a group if people I had just met had me nervous.  Also, no wifi.

The day started with a breakfast at the hotel. Nick spent the time reassuring me that if I was to be the girl who had to duck into bushes, he'd try to distract the group for me. Before we knew it, we were covering ourselves with mosquito spray and loading into our trucks. 

By the drop-off point deep in the forests, my fears melted away. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but surviving the windy road up the mountain in the back of a flatbed without feeling woozy fueled me with an new burst of confidence. On the way, we had stopped at a stunning waterfall for a quick dip and some photos, and we popped into a local market to stock up on food and drink for the next few days. Once our bags were full of supplies and our cameras were full of photos of pigs heads and salted crickets, we were on our way to the first village. 

We were warned that the first day was going to be the hardest- a 4 hr hike to a village with the Karen tribe (yes mom I thought of you). Some parts were difficult, mainly the section that was about an hour of uphill, but the views made it all worthwhile. The first half of the trail seemed more like a forest, much like some nature walks in Nevada county. Slowly, however, the scenery transitioned into a lush jungle, complete with bamboo shoots and hanging vines. Luckily, we weren't too bothered by mosquitos and the temperature was mild. 

We arrived to the village in the early evening and got a chance to use the "basic toilets" and change into comfy clothes. We were all staying in one stilted house, each person was supplied with a mattress, pillow, blankets and a mosquito net. Soon, our guide, mr anan and two Karen people, Sam and Super Moon (dubbed by our group) had whipped up an dincredible dinner of spring rolls, rice, curry and KFC (Karen fried chicken). All cooked without electricity, gas or running water, it ended up being the best food we'd had on the trip so far. 

We ended the night drinking beers and talking around the campfire. We all tried cricket snacks (surprisingly meaty), played 2 truths 1 lie, and slowly one by one we turned into bed to rest up for the next day of the trek.