Thailand Travel Journal
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Night in Aka village, Nov 11th
I took Diuretic and Dramamine before getting up. Hope I am OK to-day. The rooms are also quite dusty and smoky which doesn’t help.
Set off this morning with my pack. Steep climb and very hot. It was 1000hrs before we started. The hottest time of the day. I got dizzy again. The guide took my pack for me. The guides do not even seem to sweat. I have never sweat so much in my life. I think I have lost about 15 pounds already. Probably dehydrated. Hard to get enough fluid.
After lunch we went for an elephant ride to a waterfall. The driver of our elephant was cutting branches for the animals to eat wiith a huge knife. He would swing it back in our direction each time. If he had ever let go it would have been bye bye for one of us. Our elephant also seemed to want to race ahead of the others. Water at the waterfall was murky with sand but went in anyway. Felt good and cool.
Another steep climb to the Aka village where we spent the night on floor mats again. They are really very comfortable. Small kerosene lamps and flashlights. Can see the lights of Chaing Rai in the distance. A good supper of rice, pork and vegetables.
Everyone paid 20b for local women to do a ceremonial dance. Not bad, it is the dance they do when a man picks his bride. This happens at a very young age here. There is one woman who has black stained teeth from the Bettle nut. Some young school girls talked to us asking if Bernard, the Swiss guy was my son. The young people in this village are getting an education and Noyes, our main guide, says they will not follow the old traditions. They will become Thai citizens. The hill tribe people are traditionally nomads and not citizens of Thailand. Noyes is from a hill tribe, but he left and went to the city to better himself. He is married with a child but has been away more or less for four years.