DOI PHA HOM POK, CHIANG MAI 2006 Part 6

This story continues from Part 5 - The index of this series is here

**DOWNWARD THE SLOPE**

'Well, we'd better climb down.' our guide said, 'Other groups have gone, don't you hungry? If not... I am.' he smiled.

'Sounds like a good idea.' I answered, 'Do we have to go back to the same way we climbed?'

'There are two ways' he answered 'Another one is on the opposite side, leading to that sakura field' he then pointed one beautiful pale pink hill in the mist.' my eyes gleamed with the light of adventure. My stamina recovered, partially.

'Well, is it difficult? Is it far? And how can we return to our camp?' Far shot questions one after another in her fashion.

'Around 4 kilometres. Not far, but the way is steep,' he answered, 'a little bit more sheer than what we've climbed. That hill is 7km far from our camp and the path is not so rough. We can go back that way, it's like a circle.'

'Can we go there?' I asked Mr. guide and turning to my friends as well.

'Choice is yours. But if you ask me, I won't recommend you to go further because you don't bring any provision with you, am I right? Climb down to your tent and have some food then let me know if you want to go there.'

'What do you all think?' I questioned my friends, 'Thinking about the distant, if we go back to the camp first, the distant will increase from 11km to more than 17. Personally, I want to go there from here but I don't know how to deal with our provision.'

'I think I can go' Ple was the first to answer, she was the leader of the company when we climbed up, saying that she climbed up half-asleep, 'But how about the rest? How about Kiead?'

Kiead looked troubled, at last she spoke, 'I may try, if everyone agreed to go further.'

'Think about food first' Far said, 'We are starving and we've nothing to eat but Kiead's snacks which we ate them all by now. Can we drive our legs until the late afternoon without eating anything? Well, I don't think it's a good idea to go forward. Let's go back.'

'But I don't think we can make more 14km to that hill and return ere nightfall.' I opposed.

'Then be it!' Far answered sharply 'I know it's a good idea to go there from here but we've to determine our strength too.'

With that, I admitted and Lo! I must regret if I didn't climb down where we climbed up since the forest was very old, green, and beautiful in the misty sunlight. The plain near the was filled with high and thick shrubs and herbs. Some flowers were blooming against the cold weather.

Where the plain ended, we entered the thick green forest. Amazingly, the air was fresh enough to freshen our limbs and needs. Mist was still lightly cover the forest. This is when we saw why this mountain was called 'Doi Pha Hom Pok' or Mountain of blanket covered; all the forest are humid enough for moss and fern to grow in trunks and branches of trees, made them looks like they're cold and those moss and fern help them warm. It was a marvelous sceneries.

The forest ended again when we reahed the summit of "Mon Wat Jai" (the Hill for "testing of willingness" - from part 4), the sheerest slope. I looked down and wondered how I climbed up when I had someone to pull. "Sometimes, the dark helps" I thought. I and the rest of the company grew weary again and the mist was still thick down here, against the sunlight. We rested for a short while along the way down. When we reached the foot of "Mon Wat Jai", we, then, took photos with the signpost. The camp was very near.

Note from Blogmaster: this post will be the last post from me when I am in Thailand. I'll travel to the UK today. See you again soon!!

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN THE NEXT PART