Activities around Chiang Mai

Still in Chiang Mai... and since we're staying at a Holiday Inn, I've got great wifi for the first time in ages...

After spending a day in Chiang Mai, we then started to plan some excursions outside of the city. The first day we spent doing mountain biking - mostly downhill to be precise - from the top of a 1600m mountain, down to about 300m. Pretty hard work actually... I would much rather be going flat or even uphill rather than downhill. Part of the problem is that as a kid I didn't have a bike with gears or hand brakes so it's pretty scary going downhill when you don't trust your braking... I only had a couple of minor crashes, but we were in a group where one guy separated his shoulder within 5 minutes of starting!!! Raquel was pretty good at biking, so she was always ahead and able to get some photos of me in action!



The next day we signed up for a 2-day trek, staying in a local hilltribe village. Before starting the trek, we had a 30-minute elephant ride through the jungle. Pretty scary, as you're pretty high off the ground in a basket that doesn't really seem all that secure, with the elephant "hitting the breaks" every few minutes to send his trunk in the direction of the basket to get another banana!!

After the elephant riding and lunch, we started hiking our way up to the village. Unfortunately those hill tribes live on the top of hills!!!! So it was pretty difficult going, but a decent way to get some exercise. (and a very sweaty t-shirt)

Our "luxury" accomodation, which consisted of a mat on the floor and a rather unpleasant "US Army" sleeping bag. And an outhouse outside, with an Asian "drop toilet". I was tempted to take an Immodium just to make sure I wouldn't have to use it!!!

We also shared with a nice couple from Canada, who happen to work in the mobile phone business, so we knew some of the same people.

The next day, we hiked back down to the main road, where we then went "bamboo rafting". No photos, but it was rather interesting to float down the river, in some parts with rapids, on a raft consisting of about 6 or 7 bamboo poles tied together. Maintaining your balance whilst standing was a bit of a challenge, but in the end we made it safely and it was another interesting thing to try.

Anyhow, we've got a couple of more days in Chiang Mai, before heading off to Vietnam for the next leg of the journey through Southeast Asia.