We reach the Sunflower Cafe the starting point for our trek at 8.30 am a bit flustered as we woke up rather late; jet lag who needs it! The cafe is a hive of activity with small pick-up trucks being loaded with food, water and all other essentials for the trek. We have a breakfast of banana pancake and sing Jingle Bells with a delightful Thai girl of about 3 who has all sorts of tunes on her smart phone - fab way to start the day.

There are two separate treks leaving today visiting the same villages but taking slightly different routes. We are greeted by Preeecha, one of the guides with a warm welcome and a big smile. Our names, passport numbers and contact details are taken by the trekking company in case of an emergency. I'm starting to feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Heading off in one of the pick-ups with Pordee our guide we stop 15 minutes later at a local house on the outskirts of town. Yunn, a Koran chap who is joining our trek welcomes us with a warm smile and a handshake. Backpacks on and bamboo hiking sticks in hand we head off up the steep dirt track for the start of our 3 day adventure......
Pordee explains this morning's trek which will be following the upper reaches of the Hong Son river through the forest to a small waterfall. We are amazed at how good and clear his English is compared to most Thai's. Pordee explains that he is from one of the hill tribes, The White Karen and they have their own language which is softer than Thai which makes it easier for him to speak English (this proves to be a godsend throughout the trek). An experienced guide Pordee has been trekking for more than 20 years, speaks the villagers' language, and has a friendly relationship with them - we are truly in good hands.

Scrambling up rocks, climbing over fallen trees and wading through the shallow river we reach the waterfall by midday. Sitting on rocks in this peaceful clearing we have lunch - chicken and rice all finished off with green tea heated over a campfire in bamboo canes - 'very local'.
The afternoon trek takes us up fairly steep rocks on to barely there dirt paths always following the river as we climb higher and higher into the mountains. The forest is full of vegetation, teak and rose wood trees and bamboo giving us much needed shade. Pordee kept repeating 'one more hill, one more hill', and the view we were finally rewarded with was Ban Hua Nam Village with a fantastic mountain back drop - our home for the night. On our approach tired and dirty I can't help but think of Dr Livingstone and Mr Stanley.

The stilted wooden ramshackle homes each with it's own farmyard underneath consisting of pigs, buffalo and chickens with dogs and cats lazying around in the sun. There is a cacophony of cheap, cheap, oinks and cock-a-doodle-doo's. 22 families live dotted about the village.
Our hosts for the night are husband and wife Meeko and Anoy who welcome us with big smiles. Dressed in traditional Karen attire Anoy does not disappoint wearing a colourful cotton home weaved skirt and jacket and a scarf; just how we imagined. Pordee explains that she is nearly 80 years old and with her husband has 7 children and 35 grandchildren. They are both fit as fiddles with Anoy tending their paddy fields, cooking and cleaning while Meeko looks after the animals. How they manage the steep terrain is beyond us.
The home is divided in to two; the living/kitchen and sleeping area with very few belongings to say the least.
Anoy welcomes us into the kitchen with a gesturing hand where we sit with her by the fire as she cooks our rice for the evening meal as we drink green tea. The hot tea is welcomed as the temperature drops considerably at night. It's so atmospheric sitting on the bare floor around the open fire with beams of light streaming through the gaps in the walls.
As I said earlier there are 2 main areas to the home. There is however a 3rd room, I say room, some would say a shack - the bathroom suite. You reach it via the farmyard and only the greatest of estate agents could describe it as ' a doer upper'. Bravely entering the shack we use the bucket and pail to bathe but are unable to squat on the very clean ground toilet due to it being on a very noticeable incline; we pray for constipation.

As we walk about the village before dinner we are greeted by families sitting outside their homes. There is a school for all of 16 children, a village shop/shack selling weird Thai snacks all costing Baht 6?????? and that's about it.
Changed into long trousers and fleeces (it gets very cold at night) we sit around the fire trying to communicate with Anoy who teaches us how to say thank you in Karen language, 'tab bleau'.
Pordee enters the kitchen around 6 o'clock carrying a huge tray with vegetables, chicken and cooking utensils ready to prepare our evening meal. Half an hour later David, Yunn and myself are seated on the floor around a low table looking at the feast before us - stir-fired chicken and vegetables with rice are piled high almost overflowing on to the table. We look on in amazement wondering how we are going to eat all this food as we don't want to offend him by leaving some. Completely stuffed, but unable to finish it all we throw in the towel and admit defeat - luckily Pordee was not offended.

Throughout the day's trek Yunn had kept asking Pordee if there was any alcohol in the village as he would like a drink that night, to which Pordee replied 'we may be able to get some Thai whiskey'. Yunn continued to check on the whiskey situation at least every hour. Alcohol seemed his main topic of conversation. When Pordee brought in the bottle of whiskey Yunn's eyes lit up. He promptly poured himself a large glass, downed it in one then offered a glass to David and I. On trying the mentholated tasting whiskey we declined. When Yunn didn't return that night (he went to another village home to continue drinking with the locals); AA came to mind.