3d2n trekking out of Chiang Mai

i'm nervous. really nervous. not so sure what to expect.
i prayed that i have enough supplies of the neccesities packed.

Meeting new friends.. hmm..
Somehow being @ this age makes it more difficult.
U really have to be a lil bit of thick face and diplomatic in topics of conversation.
I wonder if i ever get tired of introducing myself...

There are 8 of us which i am the only Asian.
The rest are all westerners.. German, American & British.

Its amusing to them coz i introduced myself as Michelle.
Why not my chinese name?
Its amusing that i have diff race and religion back in my home country.
Its like explaining the nitty gritty details that we felt all normal but not to the others...
At times i find it so hard to explain why we do such and such..
The tricky one that is got.. why do Asians like taking pictures with a 'V'...
I wonder why and when have we started that as well.. hahahaha

And so to speak not much Asian joined such a trekking tour for the Karen people asked so much about me as much as we would like to know more about them!
Its all so amazing that despite the fact that I don't speak Thai / Karen, i know at times they were talking about me.
Of course when they talk to me.. i can only exchange with an eye contact, smile, nod on the head and perhaps at times to say *chaan bu thai* (i not thai)...
Many cultural indifferences exchanged for the past 3 days...

I actually din noticed that we have ventured into the National Park till the day that we departed back to Chiang Mai.
I must be dreaming in the midst of dried soil tornados in the 4WD.

Bumpy ride and scary walks by the cliff.
Every difficult step that i came upon... i breathe in and remind myself i must return home safely & in 1 piece...
That promised seemed so hard for me to keep for the past 3 days.
But the local which is our tour guide and his assistant could just walk away these trails either in flip flops/barefoot!
Mebbe i could do that too.. someday after more exposure to such walks..

Weather is so hot and dry.
Everywhere we trek is nothing but dried bamboo leaves (mostly) on the ground... the soil are dried as well..
This makes it more easier for i could just skid and fell off the cliff knowing i am such a klutz at times like this.
Its gonna be so amazing to trek during the good weather....All greens, cooler and more leech and snakes! Lols.

Passing by the many plateaus of hill tribe plantation we chanced upon countless of cow and buffallo dungs...
Well... its all organic and natural! What else could you ask for?
It makes me wonder what happen to us? Everything are so advance but yet we live a shorter life.. is it worth it?

The first night... when its dark by the valley, its really pitch dark except for the stars shining so bright in the skies.. its uncountable!
The last i have seen sky full of stars? That was about 10yrs ago by the seaside of Besut, Terengganu - school trip.
I know that under the same blue sky, it is not the same in KL nor in Singapore for anyone to share the joy and 'the moment' with me.
All thanks to the sky scrapers and bright lights everywhere...

The elephant riding was cool but it just gave me this unease feeling on why are they doing this under the hot sun??
Our elephant is what the mahout call lady boy (male but no tusk...). But he's such an adventurous one going through a different paths from its peers! Whenever he wants banana from us, he will raise his trunk back to use awaiting but if we refused he will blow his nose directly into us..
not a good experience but i think he's a smart one he is..

Bamboo rafting was a bit hard coz the river water was so low and we constantly got stuck in betweeen rocks.
However, looking at the people assembling the bamboo raft was so amazing! I enjoy gawking at the process when they are doing that more than doing the rafting.. =)

i know... this post is not in any nice order.. its just flowing out of my mind like a flash flood!

Sista & Ah Pek...
I am back in ONE piece *with some cuts and bruises & my RM2.99 slipper up-lorry lioa*!