(not sure why this was never published... continuation of my visit to Thailand in April 2009. click on the "Thailand" category to the left for the earlier entries.)
An April gathering at Khun Tan is a tradition my mom was a part of more than 40 years ago. Schools are on break during April and the whole family would go up to the mountains to escape the heat. (I somehow missed the part about April being THE hottest month of the year when I was making my travel plans...) Back then they would take the train and walk up to the cabins from the train station.
An April gathering at Khun Tan is a tradition my mom was a part of more than 40 years ago. Schools are on break during April and the whole family would go up to the mountains to escape the heat. (I somehow missed the part about April being THE hottest month of the year when I was making my travel plans...) Back then they would take the train and walk up to the cabins from the train station.
We took a song taew instead, which dropped us off at Yaw 1, a kilometer up the mountain from the train station (Yaw is short for strategic military point, from their use during World War II). At Yaw 1 we had our bags loaded on the back of motorbikes to be taken up to the cabins. The motorbikes are able to traverse the hiking trail that winds up the mountain, although I'm sure the steep grade takes a toll on the engine and brakes. It's a 1-2 hour hike from Yaw 1 to Yaw 3 where the cabins are located. Another 30 min hike takes you up to Tip Top (Yaw 4) at the top of the mountain where there's a small stone lookout. You have to work for the view and cooler air!
41 people were there at one point during the 6 nights we spent on Doi Khun Tan (doi means mountain). Half of those were under 16, so Annie was in good company. 2 tire swings, badminton, soccer, lots of games and card, squirt guns, and water balloons made for a fun time.
Oddly enough there are no graham crackers to be had in Chiang Mai. The two boxes I brought at my mom's suggestion were very popular when it came time for a bonfire and s'mores.
The mosquitos were relentless! As the number of bites continued to rise I tried being more intentional about wearing long sleeves and pants. Woke up the next morning with a bite on the distal knuckle of my ring finger and another on the side of my little toe. I just couldn't win. =P
It's cooler up in the mountains, but it's still too hot for even a sheet until 2 or 3 in the morning. This leaves you with the dilemma of choosing between the cool breeze and protection from mosquitos. Another family brought a mosquito net, but I hear that blocks the breeze, so it's not a perfect solution.
There is constant noise! I remember getting out of the song taew and asking to make sure I wasn't the only one with a ringing in my ears. The cicada's lead the chorus of bugs and birds in a continual cacophany.
It was quite nice to return to the cool airconditioned luxury of the house in Chiang Mai. While the heat has been rather oppressive at times, I'm not sure I'm ready to come back and face weather that includes snow(?!!) in April. That'll be quite a change.
41 people were there at one point during the 6 nights we spent on Doi Khun Tan (doi means mountain). Half of those were under 16, so Annie was in good company. 2 tire swings, badminton, soccer, lots of games and card, squirt guns, and water balloons made for a fun time.
Oddly enough there are no graham crackers to be had in Chiang Mai. The two boxes I brought at my mom's suggestion were very popular when it came time for a bonfire and s'mores.
The mosquitos were relentless! As the number of bites continued to rise I tried being more intentional about wearing long sleeves and pants. Woke up the next morning with a bite on the distal knuckle of my ring finger and another on the side of my little toe. I just couldn't win. =P
It's cooler up in the mountains, but it's still too hot for even a sheet until 2 or 3 in the morning. This leaves you with the dilemma of choosing between the cool breeze and protection from mosquitos. Another family brought a mosquito net, but I hear that blocks the breeze, so it's not a perfect solution.
There is constant noise! I remember getting out of the song taew and asking to make sure I wasn't the only one with a ringing in my ears. The cicada's lead the chorus of bugs and birds in a continual cacophany.
It was quite nice to return to the cool airconditioned luxury of the house in Chiang Mai. While the heat has been rather oppressive at times, I'm not sure I'm ready to come back and face weather that includes snow(?!!) in April. That'll be quite a change.
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