December 13th - Hiking

The door to our cabin. It locks with a padlock. 

Watching the sun come up over the mountains this morning 

What a blessing to see blue in the sky over the harvested rice fields. Maybe we’ll get to see the top of Thailand today!

Our cabins

Beautiful sunrise 

Fried chicken for breakfast. 

The napkins are a roll of toilet tissue in a box. Just pull off what you need. It disintegrates the first time you wipe your mouth. So toilet tissue on the dining table but no toilet tissue in the toilets. 🤨

Rain drops on the spider web. 

After breakfast we jumped into a classic Thai mode of transport - a ‘Songtaew’, or ‘Ute’. A taxi adapted from a pick-up truck. It has bench seats down both sides in the back. 

Starting with a quick transfer by taxi, we walked up into the forest led by a charming local guide, from the Karen Hill Tribe (who knows everything about every tree and plant – and can spot a snake from miles away!) and then hiked past stunning waterfalls, rivers and towering forest (around 5-6km)

We’re trying to guess what he’s holding. It’s a cucumber. No one guessed it. 

Doi Inthanon is one of the most popular national parks in Thailand. It is famous for its waterfalls, few trails, remote villages, viewpoints, sunrise/sunset watching, birdwatching and the all year round cold weather on higher elevations.

Also known as "The Roof of Thailand", Doi Inthanon National Park covers an area of 482 square km in Chiang Mai province north of Thailand. The park is part of the Himalayan mountain range with elevations ranging between 800 and 2,565 meters asl. The highest peak in the park is Doi Inthanon Mountain which is the highest mountain in Thailand. The park has high humidity and cold weather all year round.

Bamboo walking sticks 

Our guide’s name is Ari and she speaks very little English

Karen Hill Tribe guides. Everyone going on the hike is required to have a guide.

The Karen are the largest hill tribe in Thailand, originating from Tibet/Myanmar, known for deep elephant bonds, farming, vibrant weaving, and unique spiritual beliefs (Animism/Buddhism/Christianity). Famous for the "Long Neck" sub-group (Kayan), who wear brass neck coils, their life in Thailand involves complex issues with tourism and refugee status, creating economic dependence but also cultural challenges. There are only 7 old long neck women still living and once they are gone there will be no more. The younger generations are moving g to the cities. The Karen live in northern provinces like Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, and Chiang Rai, relying on rice cultivation and crafts

• Intricate patterns woven on traditional looms, using natural dyes, are central to their identity. 
• Their beliefs are a mix of Animism (belief in nature spirits), Buddhism, and Christianity, with importance placed on ancestor worship and the soul. 
• Renowned for their skill as mahouts (elephant handlers). 
• They eat primarily rice-based, with fresh, foraged ingredients cooked in bamboo or over fires. 

Headed up the trail

And down. It was a short, steep uphill climb and then mostly downhill. Many many stairs down. One of the men in our group had a knee collapse and he went down. They got him back to the strawberry field where the owner of our hotel picked him up in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. They said the ride back to the hotel was harrowing over winding, rutted, farm toads. 

Yuth (yoot) is explaining how the monks cut the bark off the tree and burn it until the pine sap starts to run. They use it to start fires. 

Showing us two vines; one is good for rope (very strong), the other is good for drinking. You cut a section out, hold it up and let gravity pull the water down into your mouth. 

Coffee plant growing wild 

White-handed gibbons are often heard or seen up in the treetops at certain points along this trail. These impressive primates are found only in fertile forests with connected canopies and abundant fruit trees. Their role in seed dispersal is crucial, as they assist in the propagation of fruit trees through their droppings. However, the white-handed gibbon population faces significant threats - their numbers are in decline due to poaching and the impact of climate change. As droughts become more frequent, there is less ripe fruit on the trees, meaning that their main food source is gradually diminishing.

The indigenous Pagar K'Nyau hilltribes believe that gibbons are humans who existed in the forest long before people arrived. Thus, harming gibbons is akin to harming fellow humans and will surely bring misfortune. These kinds of beliefs reflect the community's commitment to maintaining harmony with the forest environment.

It’s very rare to see them now but one of the people in our group spotted one high in the trees. 

Sturdy bamboo railings along the steps

Strawberry fields 

Shed for harvesting

The roof of the shed

Leading us onward

The knot in this tree was fascinating

First waterfall

Joro spider

Cethosia 

The powerful wind and spray from the waterfall is doing a number on our hair. Juniper said we look like fraggles 

Tamarind 

Slippery slope downhill. One of the ladies said she wore the wrong trousers if she was going down on her bum.  

Banana tree

The whole group on the slippery bamboo walkway

Baby calf

I asked what kind of cows these were and he said loco (local) 😁

It’s domesticated banteng. 

Rickety bridge 

Triple decker thatched roof

Coffee trees

Bamboo

More bamboo

Buffalo

A unique, expensive coffee where beans are collected after being digested by buffalo, offering a strong, chocolatey flavor. Would you like for me to bring you some???

The Buffalo coffee shop, sit down and have a cuppa right by the buffalo that excreted the beans

Washing the beans 

We walked to a hill tribe village and watched them work

The bananas here are very firm, but ripe and still creamy in the mouth. They’re good for deep frying, drying, and just plain eating. 

Drying coffee beans

Cat on a hot tin roof

We stopped in this shop where much was purchased by our group 

Madagascar almond tree or catappa 

Spiny spiderflower 

They let the buffalo graze on the harvested rice fields (biodynamic agriculture)

The hike ended with a walk back down into the village where we stayed last night and we enjoyed Thai basil chicken for lunch. 

I was trying to find the proper words to describe this morning’s hike. It was simply stunning! Juniper said it was a stinkin’ cool hike!

This little guy is helping momma prepare our lunch. 

After lunch, we quickly change to warmer clothes and load up in the Utes which will take us to the summit of Doi Inthanon (over 2,500 metres). 

These two tikes belong to the owners of the hotel too. 

A type of magnolia with a tiny little bloom that is very fragrant. 

We reached the top of Doi Inthanon and this is our view, nothing but clouds rolling in. 

The Air Force controls everything at Doi Inthanon. 

In a matter of seconds, the observation tower was completely obscured and this was no longer visible. 

They also operate all the vending booths, raising money for the Air Force. They each have to make/sell different products. 

Hot ginger juice. It was very strong and burned the throat. 

The cup says, “may the coffee be with you and make every things”. Juniper said she is going to start talking like that, leave off words at the end of a sentence and let you draw your own conclusions. 🤣

We tried these buns, which reminded me of my aunt Adeline’s kolaches. The purple ones are taro, the golden ones are Thai tea and there was a milk (vanilla) one. I can’t remember what the green ones were. 

He was frying quail eggs

The path up to the summit. 

At the summit (clouds and trees) 8,421’

Wow! We’re in the Himalayas!

Our group is missing the man whose knee collapsed (Kevin) and Stan, who opted out of this afternoon’s activities. 

From left: Juniper, me, Lisa. Carol C, Venai, Sue, Bronwyn, and Martin. 

King Inthawichayanon memorial shrine 

King Inthawichayanon, the 7th and one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, was concerned about the forests in the north of Thailand and wanted to preserve it. After his death his remains were placed in the park as he ordered and the forest was renamed to Doi Inthanon.

The official military high point marker. 

An interesting tree

Roman chamomile 

Twin pagodas - Two chedis built for King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, surrounded by beautiful gardens. This is the queens pagoda. 

Pink camellia 

The king

Stairs up to the kings pagoda, to the right is an escalator (up only) 😁

New statue of the king 

A moment of clearing to see the mountains. 

But only a moment before that dark cloud moves in and the rain begins. 

The gardens are beautiful!

A field of hydrangeas in the background 

We’re wet and cold 

That beautiful pink tree in the photo is not real. Had to get up close to tell. 

We stopped at a huge market on the way back. 

Every type of produce you can imagine

These avocados were the size of grapefruit

Egg fruit

The market went on and on and on. 

Have never seen the stems on avocados 

Or red eggs 

After returning to our cabins, we had a short time to rest before dinner. 

Rice with red curry, tempura vegetables and shrimp (cold) 🙁, chicken stir fry and eggs with zucchini. 

After dinner the last two nights, we were given instructions for the next day and hot water bottles for our beds 😁. 

Too many clouds for a sunset photo tonight 

Born a child and yet a king

Although we know the child was born a king, He didn't have, by human definition, a kingly birth—spending His first night on earth in a feed trough, in an obscure little village. The story of Jesus Christ is incomplete if all we see is the manger scene. We only grasp the full story when we understand that He is a king. And not just any king, but the King of all kings.

And here is the sign: a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son (Isa 7:14). That Son, God says to Isaiah, will be called “Emmanuel” which means “God with us.” He will be born as a human, from a human mother, but He will be God with us. He will be both God and man.

But then the prophet Isaiah goes on to say something very important. This son who will be given to us will have the government upon His shoulders (Isa 9:6). He will be crowned the ruler of everything. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings.

Isaiah goes on to say this: “Of the increase of His kingdom there will be no end” (Isa 9:7). His kingdom will be inaugurated, and it will grow and expand until it fills the entire universe.

Right now, He rules over an invisible kingdom. He rules over the hearts of those who are His subjects—those who have confessed Him as Lord and Savior and sovereign King. He is our King, those of us who are true Christians, but in the future, His kingdom will become visible when He returns to reign on the earth.

At the end of that earthly kingdom, He will create a new heaven and a new earth. It will be a new universe, free from the stain of sin, in which He will reign forever. His kingdom will be established, says Isaiah, and sustained with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. Hallelujah!