They picked me up from my guesthouse and we drove north of Chiang Mai almost 2 hours into the mountain of the Hill Tribe people. The drive was somewhat rough but the view was spectacular.
We arrived at the base camp where a Thai lunch was served and we were shown to our hut. Actually I expected something a bit more primitive but it really was not that bad. I shared the hut with my new friend from Sweden.
After lunch we were given safety instructions as we prepared getting on
our gear and getting into the raft for our first trip along the river. How incredible!!!I did go River Rafting about 20 years ago with someone who claimed to be knowledgeable about this activity. The people we got the raft from asked if we have river raft before and if we felt safe. She said yes so I assumed she knew what she was talking about. I soon found out she was full of stuff! We preceded down the river and got stuck in some rocks. All and all I had a good time and did want to try it again but the opportunity never presented itself until now.
There is definitely more to it than I even imagine but with the great instructions and the wonderful Thai team it really made it a wonderful experience.
We headed down the river and the Natural scenery just mesmerized me! The first part of the river was pretty calm and we hit a few mild rapids but a little over half way we started to get into some serious rapids. As a team we were able to maneuver pretty well. There was one point where our raft got stuck in some rocks and it took us about 10 - 15 minutes to free ourselves and when we did I found myself underneath a rock where I hit my hard head (luckily I had a safety helmet on) and water gushed into my face and nose. I was told I was under water but it all happen so fast I didn't realize it.
After several hours we came to a resting place where fresh pineapple and watermelon was served before making the drive back to the camp base.
When I got out of my wet clothes I decided to take a short siesta lying down on the thin mat. A little later dinner was served. About an hour or so later we prepared for the Moonlight part of the trip. The moon was magnificent as we made our way down the river. In the calmness, I was moved by the shimmering of the moon upon the river....no words to really describe the intensity of this experience. We rode the raft for about 40 minutes or so before stopping along the shoreline where a bamboo fire was waiting for us. We then made the ride back to the site.
I would highly recommend this amazing trip to anyone who visits Thailand. They hold this special Full Moon trip most of the year but not so much during the rainy season. I would have liked to get more river rafting in but it is time to move on. Besides there is so much more I would
like to do and hope with upcoming massage course I can make the time to get to most of the things I would like to accomplish on this amazing Thailand trip.
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