Fundraising trek is a trip to remember

In February 2007, an intrepid group of Plan supporters took on the challenge of an 11-day trek through the Golden Triangle region of Northern Thailand. The participants raised over £22,000 for Plan through sponsorship, and gained an unforgettable insight into the beauty and culture of the area.

Lin Houston, a Plan sponsor from Darlington, took part in the trek and here she tells her story:

“The day before we started trekking, arrangements had been made for us to visit a school which is supported by Plan. We were made to feel so welcome; we were each given a flower and refreshments. It was so humbling to be given so much by people who have so little.

Some of the girls who attended the school wore traditional costumes and performed a traditional dance for us. It was absolutely delightful and I think we all had a tear in our eyes.

The Director then delivered a presentation, explaining the school’s vision, its activities and the part that the school plays within the community. Following this, we were shown the classrooms, computer room and the library. All of the facilities were very basic by our standards, but they were clearly proud of what they had and to me it felt a happy place.

The following day we were taken to the river where we boarded long stern boats for a trip along the Mae Kok River. It was so refreshing and cooling and the scenery was stunning. We arrived at an elephant camp and went on a short elephant ride.

This was for most of us a new experience and a slightly scary one at that. Riding an elephant is not the most comfortable method of travel and I felt that ours, who was only 4 years old, was a little unpredictable, but I did enjoy it and you certainly get a good view from up there.

Then it was time to start what we came here for. We had some steep climbing to do in the ferociously hot sun. It was very hard. Not surprisingly, walking on the North Yorkshire Moors in winter hadn’t really prepared me for this!

We frequently stopped to rest and, more importantly, to drink lots of water. Although it was hard and we were just beginning to get to know each other, everyone was very supportive.

Eventually we arrived at Ban Ya Fu for our first nights’ stay. We were shown to a bamboo house which was to be our accommodation for the night. The family who lived there had moved out for the night and had left it ready with blankets neatly laid out on the floor for us to sleep on.

Sitting down that night after a tasty meal, I had to pinch myself. I could hardly believe that I, a civil servant who sits at a PC all day, was really doing this. It was all so surreal. Looking at the beautifully clear sky, I have never seen so many stars. It really was a different world.

The next day, we once again trekked through the most beautiful scenery and eventually arrived at a waterfall. It was so lovely to see and some of us couldn’t resist having a paddle. The water was freezing, something I hadn’t expected, but it didn’t stop one of our fellow trekkers having a swim.

After lunch we were given the choice of trekking all afternoon or riding part of it on an elephant. As an experienced elephant rider now, I was more than happy to give my feet a rest even if it meant that my bottom would suffer. Unfortunately, there were only two elephants available for six of us, so I ended up sitting on his neck.

Well, this was a different experience again, and one that I would never have dreamed of doing. But once I got used to the fact that I didn’t have anything to hold on to, I found it much more comfortable than sitting on the back.

On arrival at Ban Ah Yea, we found the villagers to be even friendlier than before, and much more curious about us. Two little girls came over to us and sang a little song. It was so sweet.

I decided to do what some of the group did the previous day and have a massage. It was surprisingly relaxing considering the bamboo house was full of weary trekkers being massaged, watched by inquisitive children.

After sunset, it became quite cold. I hadn’t expected or prepared for the long cold night, but with sunrise came some very welcome warmth.

There were banana pancakes for breakfast and they looked delicious but I couldn’t face eating. I’d started to feel very queasy, probably due to the anti-malaria tablets I was taking. This slowed me down even more, especially with the steep climbing in the blazing sun.

The expedition leader was very supportive and advised me on how to walk to conserve energy. Suddenly, someone said it would take only another 45 minutes to get to our destination, Ban Low Sa. What great news – it spurred me on.

After dinner, one of our guides began to play the guitar and we had a bit of a singsong. He then played some classical guitar music, which was beautiful. Sitting beneath the starry sky, in a remote hill tribe village, it was just too unbelievable for words.

Disaster struck for me during the night when I tripped and fell on my way out of the bamboo house where we were staying. In the morning, my foot was badly bruised and very swollen. I was devastated to be told that there was no question of me trekking that day.

Arrangements were made for me to travel to the next village on the back of a motorbike. The journey took only about half an hour and, once I had overcome my initial apprehension, I was able to admire the scenery.

At Ban Pa Leai, no-one spoke English, so I was resigned to a long day until the rest of the group arrived. I enjoyed people watching and observing the daily activities of the villagers and animals.

The time passed amazingly quickly but I was delighted when everyone arrived, especially when they gave me presents – bamboo spoons and cups, made by the guides.

The following day was the last day of the trek and I was determined to walk. With the aid of bandages, painkillers and bamboo walking poles, I was able to set off with the rest of the group. After lunch, there was some steep climbing ahead of us. We knew we didn’t have far to go, but to me it seemed to be never-ending.

Suddenly there was a cheer and we had arrived at the end of the trek. It was very emotional and we all hugged. I had very mixed feelings: relief, sadness that it was over but also pride that I had succeeded in completing the challenge.”

If you're interested in taking part in an overseas challenge for Plan please contact kevin.machin@plan-international.org for more information on upcoming challenges.