We were picked up from our hostel just after 9am on Thursday to meet out trekking group. There was 6 of us all together - everyone seemed really nice.
We had an hours drive in a rather cramped and very warm minibus to where we were going to be doing our elephant ride. It was amazing and I know it sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but elephants are MASSIVE!! Lauren and I were perched on a small seat on the elephants back and our guide was sitting on the front. It was slightly scary at times trekking for nearly an hour through the jungle, up and down hills and through water on the top of this massive animal, but still fun. I did have pangs of guilt though. Elephants obviously weren't made to have humans riding around on the back of them and trekking about all day long, but apparently we weren't hurting them (how they knew that, i don't know) and we fed our one some bananas, so it wasn't all bad!
We then had a short drive to where we had lunch and begun our trek. Lauren and I really weren't worried about the walk. Seeing some scenary (chang Mai is absolutely beautiful), some jungle and some waterfalls. But how wrong we were. 3 hours, blistering heat, treacherous paths and uphill. Not exactly the relaxing stroll we were planning. My feet - used to wearing only flip flops for 5 weeks, protested the whole way and by the time we came to where we were spending the night, both of us had big blisters.
Where we were staying was in the middle of nowhere, in a wooden hut. We slept on the floor - if we weren;t so tired than there would have been no sleeping what so ever. There was no electricity, the toilet was a hole in the ground and the shower a broken tap. If that isn't roughing it, then i don't know what is!
The next day we had another 2 hour trek. This time the majority of it was downhill, but having to put the same shoes on, for them to rub you in the same places and to walk when you are already achey and trying not to slip down steep paths is no walk in the park.
By the time we reached the waterfall, where the walking ended we looked like we'd been up for a week and had been dragged through a hedge backwards. (I'm speaking for myself here - sorry Loz!)
The fun hadn't ended tho, we got in the back of a truck to be taken to lunch and it started to rain. Not just a little bit, but actual proper full on downpour. We got soaked through and then had to sit eating lunch in our wet clothes.
Next we were taken rafting. The rest of the group wanted to do the white water rafting but that required effort and paddling, neither of which me and Lauren felt we could do. So we opted for the Bamboo rafting. 6 big bits of Bamboo joined together which we sat on and got pleasantly punted down the river by a little Thai guy. There were gaps inbetween the bamboo and we went down some little rapids, where the water washed over us so our bums got wet again - but this time we didn't mind because it was so relaxing.
We got dropped back at our hostel where we were grateful for the airconditioning, a regular shower and some clean clothes.
We visited the Night Market on Wenesday night and loved it so decided to go back on Friday night for some dinner and to look at the things that we missed on Wednesday.
Saturday was a travelling day. Up at 6am to get to the airport to fly to Bangkok, then a 5 hour wait for our flight to phuket. Once at Phuket we managed to find the Airport bus that took us into Phuket town. We hadn't booked anywhere to stay but decided to head to a hostel that was in my Guide book. This turned out to be full so we booked into one a couple of doors down. It was, in a word, horrible. Concrete floors throughout, dingy, dirty, noisy, gross. But we were so tired we just couldn't find the energy to keep looking and told ourselves that it would only be for one night.
Phuket town was strange. According to the guide book, it was the most traditional and authentic Thai Town on Phuket Island. The buildings and streets looked old and dirty. Thai men sitting on the street talking, and staring as you walked past. Minimal tourists, which it may sound silly but makes me feel less safe. One good thing though was the restaurant we went to - another thing we got from the guide book! It was a big wooden building, with loads of different levels and plants absolutely everywhere. Hanging baskets, trees and fish tanks made out of old TV's. The food there was absolutely derricious (the Thai way of saying delicious!) which made us feel a lot better.
We got up the next morning and made our way to the port to get a boat to Phi Phi Island. This in itself was a bit traumatic because of all the people trying to sell you tickets and taxi rides - you never know if you're being ripped off or not. At the port we were constantly hassled by guys trying to sell us boat tickets - all for the same price and all for the same boat. The guide book had mislead us and we thought there was going to be a boat at 11:30, but it was actually at 1:30, so we had another long wait here.
We finally made it over to Phi Phi and got a Long Boat, to Long Beach. We booked into a hostel which was in the Guide book. Again - Horrible (sometimes the guidebook is a bible, at others a hinderance) a dirty wooden hut, with a hard bed. We grinned and bared it though, but found that Long Beach was not the place to be. There was nothing there, apart from lots of couples and everything was shut by 10pm.
Monday we decided to check out and get the long boat back to the main port, which is where the main town on Phi Phi is. We booked oursleves into a hostel , which for 50 extra baht (just under a pound) we got a nicer cleaner room, ensuite bathroom and comfier beds.
So here we are, much more happy and relaxed. We have spent the last couple of days on the beach and exploring Phi Phi town. We had a night out on Monday, where we spent the majority of the night people watching a giggling at touristy chavs. Phi Phi is extremely touristy in the main town and turns into almost a Zante type resort at night. Beautiful Scenary though!
We think we're going to stay for a few more days here and are making plans for my birthday on Saturday....Cheers! x x x
