Slippery bamboo lines paths through northern Thai mountains.
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The foliage breaks for amazing views of rice paddies...
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...that will spring to life in the wet season.
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Navigating the obstacle laden path...
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...descending to the farm below!
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Carrying wood for the evening's fire...
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...as we approach the Karen hill tribe village...
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...and there's tons of wood. Joke on me I guess.
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Many roaming lovestock look on suspiciously.
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Cleaning toilets is easy in Thailand - spray and go!
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We look TOTALLY like locals...
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...and pass the stream that runs through the village.
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The VIP digs. Hard pillows, hard beds, hard to not love.
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I quickly decided I would not poo for the next 3 days...
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...but our backyard was quite picturesque.
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Dinner time! In 2 hours!
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The stream also doubled as a shower.
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The rustic house was charmingly rickety and insectably porous.
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Manual labor + solar panels = strange dichotomy.
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More local livestock add to the realness.
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Mamma with large udder and wrinkly babies!
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Baby pigs prompt giggles and desire for the most tender bacon.
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If I wasn't lactose intolerant I'd go for it...
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Martine gets groped by the rescued orphan monkey. (Again)
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He takes his orange eating quite seriously...
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...and looks like a small furry, but quite malformed human.
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The solar panels allow the kids to do their homework. They hate 'em.
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Dinner time at our jungle palace.
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Night falls over the village...
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...people retire, animals settle and only the sounds of the river are heard.
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Dinner by candle light.
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Stories by fire light.
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Bathroom by flash light.
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And I got to share a mosquito net with Anders.
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After breakfast the big hike day began...
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...the easy path out of the village gave no hint of the steep climb ahead.
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About an hour later we came to the same village's paddies.
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In the wet season the farmer tends the paddies...
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...and lives in this house...
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...and the woman hike back to the village each day for fresh food.
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Bamboo is strong, grows fast and makes a fine bridge.
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"Thai" our leader walks us through the dry paddies...
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...and gives me a sour-as-hell forest fruit.
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...which actually made our water taste sweet!
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Bin Laden made me a pretty excellent jungle hat...
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