Around Chiang Mai

The air in Chiang Mai has been horrible lately. We have been ranked as the most air-polluted city in the world for the past week. It is definitely a health concern, especially when not wearing the proper mask outdoors. I have been trying to plan weekend trips to surrounding countries to be able to leave the smoke for a while but it is very hard to do on a tight budget, despite this region being a very cheap place to travel.  I am debating on what to do for this weekend coming up. Earlier in the week, I walked all around CMU and visited the lake that is in the back. It is a very beautiful area with a lot of benches and people visiting. I also walked to the Old City and went to a few markets, including a fruit and vegetable market on my way back home. One thing I have noticed is how much better I am getting at communicating in Thai. It is amazing how it is so much easier to comprehend and become comfortable with a language when you are in the native country, speaking with locals every day. Lately, I have been trying all kinds of food that I never tasted, and it has been interesting. There have only been a handful of food that I disliked and beside them, I have enjoyed all of the food here. Time is moving so fast now, I can't believe it is soon going to be April! There is still so much that I want to do and I can't wait to experience more.

Trekking To The Karen Hill Tribe Villages

This past weekend was a great experience! On Friday morning at 7 A.M, my group and I left to start the trekking tour. This was a tour that USAC offers and I signed up for it at the beginning of the semester. They told us that it was not going to be an easy trek and to make sure we were able to have the physical abilities. We took a truck to a local market where our guide bought food supplies that we would use to cook during the weekend. From the market, we went to an elephant sanctuary where we could feed, clean, and touch the elephants. It was a fun and cool thing to do even though the elephant retirement in Chiang Mai has better standards. It was amazing to be up close to these enormous animals. I look forward to interacting with them more in Chiang Mai. After leaving the elephants, we started the trek to the first Karen Village we would be staying. The Karen is a tribe in Northern Thailand that lives in the mountains and originally come from Burma. They have their own language and are known for their unique hand made clothing. The hike was fairly tough and the scorching sun, along with the poor air quality from forest burning did not help. After a few hours, we ate lunch and continued the incline to finally reach the village. The village was very remote and peaceful. The men in the group had their own hut that was on the edge of the mountain overlooking beautiful surroundings. There were only four other men in the group so it was a great group size. We explored the village before eating a local dinner. There was no electricity so it became pitch black by the time the sun went down. There were no beds and we were basically sleeping on wood planks, but it was one of the best experiences I have had. The next morning we ate breakfast and started our trek to the next village. There are about 500 Karen tribe villages in the mountains. The trek was long but enjoyable. We stopped in the middle of the jungle and our guides prepared food and tea by making a fire and using bamboo as tools. The next village was just as beautiful as the first. It was in the center of a mountain range, overlooking farmland and local life. We saw a lot of livestock in the village such as pigs, chickens, cows, and water buffalo. We explored the area and visited a nearby waterfall where we could swim in which was awesome. The people were incredibly nice and welcoming. We were able to help a local villager weave a basket and witness a woman weaving a traditional shirt. The whole experience was incredible and peaceful. On the last day, we started our trek back home. When we reached the main road, the trucks picked us up and we headed to a local river to do bamboo rafting. At the river three of us and our guide hopped on a bamboo raft where we sailed down the entire distance. Along the way, there were many locals, including kids playing in the water who would come and splash us. At the end of the river, we went into a local restaurant where we ate Pad Thai and fruit, before the hour-long drive home. This trip was definitely one that I will always remember. These are once in a lifetime opportunities that not many people can say they ever did. It is extremely humbling and eye-opening to see the different ways of life people live all around the world. Not having my phone and being able to just immerse myself in the villages and nature was an awesome time. Now that I am home, I am planning what my next trip will be. I am eyeing a weekend trip to East India if the prices are cheap as well as Myanmar (which was recently opened up to tourists). I intend on seeing Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, which are recommended places in Southeast Asia. As it is fast approaching mid-March, I am loving and enjoying this whole experience and continuing to take advantage of all the opportunities in this part of the world.