#ecodrifter

[ecodrifterblog]

| Live your Day Dream | Go and seek places more beautiful than your mind can imagine. Model: @unearth.life Photographer: Kate Cozens #seek #wander #explore #ecodrifter #italy #Europe

[ecodrifterblog]

| Live your Day Dream | Go and seek places more beautiful than your mind can imagine. Model: @unearth.life Photographer: Kate Cozens #seek #wander #explore #ecodrifter #italy #Europe

[ecodrifterblog]

| Cenes del la Vega | Another day a new launch site. Beginner take off, but a tricky spot for XC (on a low end glider that is). Still tempted to head off early and make it over the mountains to the sea! #paragliding #advance #spain #Europe #adventure #ecodrifter

[ecodrifterblog]

| Moonlight Lighting | Becca capturing the raw colours of the sky over Africa as the full moon rises behind. #photography #singlemomentintime #memory #snap #wildlife #shoot #Africa #bush #travel #ecodrifter

[ecodrifterblog]

| Morning Trade | This sleepy island is full of magical moments. Decided to take a sunrise run along the Mekong and just sit and watch island life stroll by. #sunrise #islandlife #simplelife #morningrun #travel #Asia #ecodrifter #weekend (at Don Det, 4000 Islands, Laos)

[ecodrifterblog]

| On the Home Stretch | MaeHongSon to Pai Day 5

Mixed emotions had set in on our final morning. Excitement, that we would be doing our final stretch to Pai today. Sadness, that our adventures with Podee would come to an end.

Podee rounded us up early. Today’s plan was to scale the highest mountain in Mae Hong Son and then trace the ridge line until we met Pai. Podee estimated a three hour journey to the summit.

In contrast to a few days earlier our legs felt strong and raring to go. Five days on the road was just enough to reawaken our muscles and improve our physical endurance.

A low mist had settled in the valley over night, masking our final destination. Slowly, as we climbed to a higher altitude the outline of distant peaks appeared on the horizon.

We gazed back at the path we had taken from Mae Hong Son. Podee pointed out our previous way points; Doi Pui Mountain, Elephant Head, as well as the valley rivers that had guided us through the past four days.

Rom took advantage of the scenic view, to start mapping out possible paragliding routes, quizzing Podee on local and seasonal weather conditions.

“Podee, you will have a prime spot in my on-ground support crew when I come back to do the express route from Pai to MaeHongSon under a paraglider”, promised Rom.

As quickly as we had gained visibility, we had lost it again. A head-high maze of thorny grasses now guarded our pass up to the peak. Trusty Podee wouldn’t let this slow down our ascent. He just pulled out his home-made machete and begun to carve us a new path.

By midday we reached our final peak. We looked out over the vast scenery of mountains, valleys and rivers now shrouded in clouds and retraced our five day journey one last time. What a personal feat. With hopes to climb in Nepal in the coming months we saw this as a small, but achievable starting point. 120 km, 5 days. Achieved!

We felt somewhat empty upon seeing the first signs of civilisation as we descended into Pai. We weren’t ready to go back to the “beaten track”, where people wearing elephant pants glued to their modern devices on buses was a familiar sight.

A local, shabby-looking shuttle tuk-tuk with Mae Hong Son on the front pulled up. We hopped on hesitantly. The two hour ride via motorised vehicle just felt like cheating.

We both stuck our heads out the window day dreaming. We already missed the sound of the jungle, Podee’s cooking and the smell of village flowers carrying in the wind.

Sure we didn’t miss the rooster alarm clock or sleeping on bamboo slats, but we appreciated them as part of the authentic experience, contrary to our previous misbeliefs about guided treks.

When we arrived in town we celebrated at Podee’s with a round of cold Changs - where the journey all began.

[ecodrifterblog]

| Choose how you wish to see the world | You learn quickly while travelling to open your mind and be willing to see things from a new perspective. I always try to remember to give humans the benefit of the doubt and look for the bright side of any situation. Life is too short to be miserable. #happiness #optimism #perspective #life #ecodrifter

[ecodrifterblog]

| Can we keep him? | December 2015 Slowly collecting enough pictures of puppies to publish a picture essay on the puppies of Asia. Rom could not convince this cutie to take the speed boat to Luang Prabang with us. Supposedly too insane. #puppiesofasia #puppy #ecodrifter #travel #asia (at Huay Xai Neai)