Now fully recovered and weighing a record-low 11st 13lbs (obviously that's a record in adulthood - I was lighter than that as a child) I had renewed vigour for our weekend camping trip with Michael and Rosie, my housemates from the farm this summer. Michael and Rosie got married in September (I got drunk at their wedding), and then came out to Khun Yuam, near Mae Hong Son, to work with the local Karen hill tribes for two years.
Mae Hong Son is north west of Chiang Mai, and as such is pretty close to the Burmese border. The scenery is breathtaking, and our visit was pretty timely as it coincided with the only two weeks of the year that the hills in this area are covered in large yellow flowers.
After flying in on Friday morning, the day was spent wandering round this beautiful and laid-back town and visiting a swimming pool in a jungle resort, followed by decent food and a few drinks in the evening (which I managed to hold down this time). On Saturday Michael, Rosie and their Thai friends had arranged a camping trip for us high up in the hills.
By the time we got up to the campsite it was dark, and pretty difficult to imagine the scenery that we would face the next morning. The evening was chilly but we were warmed with beer and a Thai barbecue, sort of a cross between a garden incinerator and a fondue set. The only thing I wasn't happy about was a lack of a TV on which to watch the England/All Blacks game. Still, this is the 21st century, so a quick text to Rob in London put us out of our misery. Or into our misery as it turned out.
After a night sleeping in tents and huts made of leaves(!) the next morning we had the first chance to check out our surroundings. We were very high up and the Burma border was easily visible. That morning we visited the spectacular Mae Surin Falls and the surrounding countryside with the yellow flowers. Like nothing I've ever seen before. Sounds funny but it never occured to me that Thai people are into camping. But they are, and the campsites look extremely similar to the ones back home. Apart from the views of course.
After a lunchtime stop at the nicest primary school I've ever seen (they have a cafe there) it was time to spend the rest of the day and evening in Khun Yuam, a fairly small but pleasant town where Michael and Rosie's work is based. Actually, the primary school might have been nice but the children (who board there) have to be self-sufficient from a very early age and sleep on or under the desks.
On Monday it was time to leave Khun Yuam to fly back to Mae Hong Son, then off back to Chiang Mai by plane. On the flight home we could see Thailand's tallest mountain, Doi Inthanon, poking out of the clouds at about 11,000 feet.
A pretty decent long weekend then. Next stop, Bangkok.
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