Downhill all the way...

Wednesday 1 March

After the rigours of yesterday's trek to the Karen Village, we were pleased to learn that today would be all downhill. We were joined for this final leg by another couple - Shirin and Mike from New York - who thankfully were the same age as us and had roughly the same level of fitness! They also had a great sense of humour which made the going fun.

The walk down from the village was a comfortably paced two-and-a-half hours, with the heat dictating some much needed stops, one at (yet another) picturesque waterfall-cum-rockpool place.

Eventually we were pleased to reach a small hut selling cold drinks and snacks with a handpainted sign reading "Jungle 7-11". We knew that the actual 'trekking' part of our trek was over.

Next stop was at an elephant camp, reached by a somewhat rickety wooden suspension bridge over the river we had rafted down on the first day of the trek. This was our first close-up experience of elephants since South Africa, and this time we got to take a ride!

Again, we were slightly dubious about the treatment of the animals but in the end it seemed that they were happy enough; particularly when ours was allowed a bath in the river and didn't want to come out again...

The ride itself was pretty uncomfortable; the seat was rudimentary and as the elephant climbed up and down some fairly steep and rocky hillside paths it was all we could do to hang on! Luckily, Mike and Shirin volunteered to take some photos of us from their elephant and, all things considered, they did a pretty good job.

Feeling even more in need of a clean up than our elephant, we took a slow ride back to our hostel and after long, blissful hot showers, a trip to the laundry, a good meal and a few beers we sank once more into a soft bed in an air-conditioned room... oh yes, hardened travellers we are. Not.