DOI PHA HOM POK, CHIANG MAI 2006 Part2

(This story continues from Part 1 - The index of this series are here)

**MAE FANG - THE TOWN OF MIST**

The company travelled north by first class coach. The coach was driven smoothly by professional driver and we found no surprise nor unexpected event that night. Our destination was 'Mae Fang' district, located 2-hour north of the city of Chiang Mai. It was half past six when I awoke and saw nothing but darkness.

'Why it's still dark....what time is it?' I asked Far who sat on the seat next to me. She looked a little bit pale as a result of uneasy-sleep-on-the-coach she suffered last night.

'It's already half past six...' she answered 'but the mist was too thick that the Sun can't do her job. It must be very cold outside.'

I starred out of the coach, looked at the pale white Sun. The closed windows of the coach was very cold. The mist condensed into water on the outside glass. This means the inner side was colder. That's why Far was shaking under her blanket and might be her reason of uneasy-sleep. I was okay with my blanket at that time. Travelling through wind and rain in Portugal has helped harden me up. The outside light was grwowing little by little as the time passed by.

'Are we reached Chiang Mai city?' I asked her after some minutes. 'I thought we had to reach Chiang Mai at 6:30....but I think the mist might slowed us down...and if we reached Mae Fang late, is there any problem?' She was the one who did the arrangment of this trip.

'Well...actually,' She seemed to be annoying at me 'the coach stopped for about 15 minutes in Chiang Mai city station around half an hour ago. You was sleeping...and if you rest enough...just let me rest a bit more, please.' and then she turned away.

'Oh, sorry...'

We arrived at Mae Fang around 8 a.m. We struggled a bit carrying our things off the coach. Mae Fang is a rural district of Chiang Mai, located on the higher land, and things here move much slower than in the lower regions. The town was still covered in mist, but lighter than I have seen in the coach.

It took about an hour before the pick-up truck which was going to bring us to the mountain arrived but it proofed very useful. Spending a night in the moving coach made us wary. Some rest on our feet were what we hungered for, as well as a warm breakfast. We walked to and fro, seeking some additional things we needed for camping but decided not to carry them along the road. Then, after an easy breakfast and a few nice cups of tea, I felt warmer and was ready.

'Is the pick-up arrive?' Kiead said, pouring more tea to her cup 'Arr, this tea's very hot but I'll, for sure, miss it shortly after we travel up high.'

'I think he's come!! Get yourselves ready' Far said after her mobile phone rang. 'Hullo, is that (Mr.) Tum?....Well, we're in the nearby caff....No, wait for us there, we've left our luggages where you're now.'

'We gotta go...' She talked to us and then turnd away to the cafe owner 'Bill, please!!'

We moved back to the station, actually, it's too small to be called "station", like a "stop", it is, where we left our luggages and saw a man who was called "Tum" and his modified pick-up truck. We put everything on the open part in the back of the vehicle, including ourselves. We then left the misty town behind, heading for the Office of Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park.

**UP THE MOUNTAIN SLOPE**

The Office of Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park was located near 'Mae Fang Hot Spring'. There was little mist there since the ground was warmer than the other places or it was day enough. The outside scenary was very beautiful; green and bright: the Sun could doing her job well here. We registered ourselves to the officials and requested to rent 3 tents and related gears. It was great that the national park can provide you with these things because it must be so tired carrying them from Bangkok.

We left the beautiful Mae Fang Hot Spring with the intention to come back in a few days. We again, sat on the back of the pick-up truck which now heading directly towards the mountain. The road was started to climb up steadily and became non-asphalted. It was rougher and tougher as we get higher up the mountain. The truck climbed skillfully through the gravelled road. Sometimes, we found travelling on the road, the local people with their cattle. We spoke less and less to each other, concentrating on the oncoming pitfalls and stems, and trying to steady ourselves as best as we can.

More than an hour passed, the pick-up truck, which was driven pass many gorges' border, suddenly stopped on the sideways.

'Ooi, Ahoy!! I'll stop here for a bit!!' The driver said. 'It's the sightseeing spot, you can com'off!!'

We headed ourselves up and slowly went off the truck, as some muscles are stiffed. It was another gorge's border but the most beautiful than others we had seen along the way. There was a sign labelled "ป่าสนปลูก สูงจากระดับน้ำทะเล 1,564 ม. - Planted Pine Forest; 1,564 metres from sea level".

'Look at that!! it's very beautiful!! - the sea of mist!!' Ple said excitedly.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN THE NEXT PART