DOI PHA HOM POK, CHIANG MAI 2006 Part 1

Hi, and welcome to my NEW series.

(The index of this series is here)

It was right just after I travelled back from Portugal that I and my university friends decided to travel somewhere North, where we could do some camping activities and have some experiences sleeping in the tent. After some searching and recommendations, we selected to visit 'Doi Pha Hom Pok' or Pha-Hom-Pok Mountain, the second most highest mountain in Thailand. Where the nature was still preserved at its best and tent was the only way to stay there.

++DOI PHA HOM POK NATIONAL PARK++

Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, located in Amphur Mae Eye, Amphur Fang, Amphur Chai Prakarn of Chiang Mai Province, consists of complicated geography which is a part of a watershed called Dan Lao Mountain Range. It is the productive forest which not only has a great number of plants and animals but also beautiful natures, for examples, Huai Bond Cave, Hot-mineral Water Pond, Hot Spring and Mae Jai Stream. It is an importantly traveling place of Chiangmai Province. Traveler can take convenient ways to get there. It is 524 square kilometers, and has been declared a national park since September 4, 2000.

The temperature in this area is approximately 25 degrees Celsius all the year round; it is about 14 - 19 degrees Celsius on November to February, the highest temperature is 39 degree Celsius on April and heavy rain on May to September approximately 1,184 mm. of rain all the year round.

The forest is productive and consists of semi-evergreen forest, montane forest, pine forest (coniferous forest), mixed forest and deciduous forest which have many kinds of economically valuable plants such as Malabar ironwood, wild Euphorbiaceae, Yang, Burmese ebony, Lagerstroemia, Teak wood, wild champak and emblic myrabolan etc. And more importantly, there are rare floras such as Impatiens jurpioides T. Shimizu and Rhododendronwhich which can be normally found in Doi Pha hom Pok.

The forest of Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park is on complicated mountain and in contact with the forest of Myanmar so that makes many kinds of wild animal migrating into this area regularly. And because it is the productive forest so that makes it have a number of animals, for examples, mammals such as barking deer, deer, bear, wild bore, loris and mountain goat—a reserve animal of Thailand, birds such as turtledove and purple cochoa--found only in Northern Thailand, and nearly extinct butterfly such as Imperial Butterfly, Kaiser Butterfly and Phutan Butterfly.

Source: National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Thailand

**THE COMPANY GOES NORTH**

'We haf'ta go around New year, when the north is cold and the weather is usually clear...' I gave my comment to others. '...It's no use if you climb to the top of the mount 'n it's hot as hell!!'

'But it must be crowded,' Far, one of my companions said 'I wanna go there where nature are everywhere, not with too many people, it will be bad chasing for this and those with them.'

'I think so,' Ple, another of my companions, added 'but we should make decision early, I might have things to rearrange.'

We ended up with a choice to go there a week after 'Newyear's week' as everyone are free. My companions in this trip are; Miss Farsai 'FAR' Chanjaruporn, Miss Chuleewan 'PLE' Wattanawannax, Miss Ranida 'JEAB' Jiwarungruang, Miss Jeerawan 'KIEAD' Tunsiri, and Mr. Jane (sorry, I dunno your real name, Jane). So, it's quite a big company.

'See ya all at 6 on the 5th of Jan, at Mo chit, don't forget to bring your mobile, okay?' Far concluded

It was Thursday afternoon, a fair afternoon with bright sun and cool wind. I was waiting for Far, Ple and Jeab, who was working in the same office as me, and we decided to go to Mochit station together. Far was the first to come.

'Hi, Jeab will follow me very soon but Ple is at home now. She will see us at Mochit. Let's find Taxi first'

'Well, I hope she will be there in-time...'

Due to troublesome traffic jam, we arrived at Mochit around 6 o'clock. Mochit was jammed with people travelled back from Newyear holiday. There were not many departure passengers there and buying ticket was not a problem. The rest of the company was arrived in-time; 'the wet hair' Ple, right from her bathroom, 'the new face' Jane, Jeab's BF whom I was introduced for the first time, and last of all.... 'the almost unrecognisable' Kiead, she gained some weight.

'K-I-E-A-DDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!' Girls called her out loud with a lot of amazement.

'Hullo, everyone, long time no see.'

'Yeah! Seems like it's a very long time, indeed!' I said. Kiead in my memory was a slender girl from Northestern region of Thailand. But she was slender no more...

'What happen, Kiead, why...why d' you be like this?' Ple asked, she was smiling at all her might.

'I dunno. I just eat things a bit more...' She replied, waving her hand.

The company started asking others of their life and living but the time came short. The coach was about to leave, we'd to be in a hurry...

'CHIANG MAI, I'M COMING BACK TO YOU AGAIN!!' I thought.

THIS SERIES CONTINUES IN THE NEXT PART