After a beautiful drive we ride an elephant - thankfully not bareback - that looks very uncomfortable for an hour. They are truly amazing animals, at one stage our female heaves her huge bodyweight and us up a very steep slope, though I think going downhill was scarier! The fuel of choice is banana and sugar cane, she knows what the rustle of a plastic bag means.
After a plentiful and delicious lunch we are led on a trek to a waterfall, with lots of steps, where a swim is very invigorating.
There's also a visit to a very poor looking Karen hill tribe village. They are originally Burmese refugees, and hopefully make a reasonable living from their beautiful woven handcrafts.
The next thrill is being punted down the river on bamboo rafts - 8 bits of bamboo lashed together with old bike tires. More relaxing than thrilling, though there's a few small rapids and plenty of splashing going on, as our bums get wet and we are shoved off rocks and banks. The high river mark is evident way up in the trees.
Our guide takes us to a local market on the way home where we buy huge amounts of fruit and takeaway dinner in plastic bags, for a very little amount of money.
Another great day....
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