The Trek, etc.

We're back in Chiang Mai after an unexpectedly strenuous three-day trek in the hills to the north. Rather than chronicle the entire trip, here are a few highlights worth mentioning:

Beautiful waterfalls deep in the jungle.
Sleeping on the not so soft floor of a village hut.
Whitewater bamboo rafting. And falling.
Herbal self-medication with the native villagers.
Riding an elephant (actually a pretty sad affair).
Eating local food. Apparently no one really worries about leaving meat out in the sun for many hours.
More Waterfalls.
Bleeding from two wounds within the first five minutes of a pick-up soccer game.
Being very blatantly and very uncomfortably wealthy.

And much more. It was a welcomed change from the steamy, sweaty, smoggy cities, and we hope to do a fair amount more hiking. For now,we eat Pad Thai from the monk who makes his tamarind sauce from an old family recipe; get extraordinarily painful massages involving a Thai woman standing on my back; drink cheap beer; meet interesting (and not so interesting) people; get much appreciated emails from friends and family back home; and always say yes.