Jungle Trekking: Day 1

Welcome to the Jungle

Currently we are in Vang Vien Laos (took a bus, a van, and another bus 28 hours to get here. Ask me what sleeping sitting up on a bus with bad shocks over mud roads feels like....hint: bang your head against a window for a few hours, you'll get the picture). We just returned from a three day trek through the jungle near the border of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Since these past few days were much more exciting than the days leading to it, I'll begin our story here...

We left for our jungle adventure Saturday morning. We rode to the first village in a tuk tuk...its like an f-150 pickup with bench seats along the bed. I'm pretty sure we broke some Thai record for fitting people in a tuk tuk. We had 4 Italians, 6 Brits, a Sri Lankin, and us. On top of that (literally, he rode on the roof of the truck...wtf?) our guide (who I will mention in detail later) a driver and another guide in the passenger seat. Sixteen. Sixteen people in a truck that couldn't tow a skier.

Our guide: As advertised, our guide was apparently "english speaking," in reality he knew English as well as I can play Halo (I don't play Halo). He communicated by making a range of shrill shreiks and growls while pointing at various objects along the way. It was by far the longest game of charades I've ever played.

We named him Mowgli. He was our leader.

We arrived a few hours later in a small village on top of a mountain. As soon as we arrived a couple little children walked up to us, trying to sell hand woven bracelets. As soon as the first person bought a bracelet a stampede of little thais swarmed around us. Wrist bands were being wrapped around our arms like sleeves and they were demanding "10 Baht!" each. Eventually every one purchased at least two wrist bands at said price (trust me, these little guys are tough negotiators). I got a cool purple wrist band and a big green and pink wrist band (we couldn't choose the color) now we can rock. We we're also given bamboo spears (or at least that's what I thought mine was) for hiking (and spearing killer pandas) and rubber hiking shoes.

We left the village and walked through rice farms and forest area. Our first day was pretty short. We arrived at another village only an hour and a half from the beginning of the trek. All the village people were very friendly. They challenged us to a game of 'football.' Though the only part that actually resembled soccer was the ball.

We played in a big mud pit. Our goals were two sticks jammed into the ground at either end of the field. Needless to say, it wasn't ideal playing condition. Consequently, we got stomped.

Erik was pwning the village people like punk rock did in the 80s. I think now our English friends have a different view of American soccer players...or at least one player. By mid-game he was being called Landon Donovan.

I spent most of the time knocking people over. I don't know if it was all 'legal,' but these guys were scrappy. They bounced off us and just kept going. It was pretty friggin cool.

We spent that night in one of many bamboo huts we would eventually become familiar with. Everything was bamboo. The floor and walls were woven bamboo, the ceiling was bamboo poles, even our cups were bamboo. The village people cooked for us and we spent the rest of the night hanging out in the huts. Someone had a guitar and we eventually took over and brought Chasing Steve back in Thailand.

Interesting aside: Thai villagers love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I probably heard Californication played 8 times on the guitar that night. Hilarious.