During our time in Chiang Mai we had seen a lot of adverts about visiting villages around Chiang Mai on day trips where you go as a group and observe the village tribes.We however decide to go and stay with a hill tribe in the very rural area of Soppong about four and a half hours from Chiang Mai to truly experience the real thing.Not really knowing what to expect we booked in for 2 nights and planned our journey.

We were picked up at our guesthouse and we headed to the VIP minibus that would take us the 3 hours to Pai, north west of CM.On the way to the minibus some old guy started chatting to Liz and he was one of those blokes that doesn't stop chatting so as soon as we arrived at the minibus we quickly piled on getting two seats at the back with no one else next to us thinking only of a peaceful journey.Little did we know that we were about to encounter the windiest roads we have ever seen (I saw a lady's T Shirt saying that there are 782 hairpin bends on the route!).The back seats we were initially so proud to get suddenly seemed less appealing when we started to feel somewhat queasy.Liz, with eyes firmly closed, only answered me with "I'm concentrating" when I asked if she was okay.

On our arrival in Pai we had to then get another bus to Soppong where we would meet the guy from the village.We got to the bus station and realised we had an hour before the next bus so we headed to a small café and knocked back a pad thai each (possibly the best one yet) and got back to the bus station in time for 1pm.As the minutes rolled by and ten passed became 10 to we were wondering if there was a schedule at all.Then, after us both crying with laughter at other goings on at the bus station, the "local" bus arrived and we hopped on for the 42km (or 1 ½ hour) journey to Soppong.Having now done this journey we realised why where we were staying was called a hill tribe, the old tin can bus barely made it up the hills without us having to get out and push!

In Soppong we were greeted by Albert, an expat American (an old cross between Billy Bob Thornton and Jeff Goldblum). Albert was staying in Pai about 6 years ago and met a lady called Susanan who was from the Lisu Hill Tribe.She was in Pai selling her hand made bags, belts and clothes.Albert and Susanan got together and have been married for 6 years living in the Lisu village where Susanan is from.

When we first arrived at the village and home for the next couple of days we were given the tour of the various buildings all differing in age and structure - ranging from four posts in the ground with a make shift roof to mud and bamboo huts to brick and wood buildings.We introduced ourselves properly to Albert and then he took us to meet his wife Susanan.When we met her we realised she spoke very little English and Albert no Lisu so we wondered how they communicated.She told us her name was Susanan, Liz told her she was Liz and I said "I'm Sam" - unfortunately she took this to mean that my name was I'm Sam not just Sam.So in the space of about 3 days I have gone from being Sam, to Mr Sam to I'm Sam - I wonder what I will be called by the time I get home.

We decided that during our stay we should make use of our time and learn something we hadn't tried before so we both agreed with Albert that we would try some V meditation - meditation based around awareness and being able to focus your mind.Once we had made this decision we went to help with the dinner preparation but timing wasn't great and Susanan had finished but we were in time to eat!We all sat on the area outside the kitchen on the floor around a small low table and had a hearty meal.We then had our first meditation session that made us very tired to we were in bed by 9pm.Not a bad thing as we were woken about 4.30am by the 100's of roosters all calling each other in the morning.Luckily we dozed for another few hours before getting up for breakfast of mango, papaya, pineapple, banana and lemongrass tea.Very tasty indeed, Liz is a happy lady if she gets her fruit in the morning.

As soon as breakfast had gone down we were back into the room for session 2 of meditation.Another very relaxing session and we could both see the benefits of just sitting and relaxing.Something we need to do more of when back at home and working hard!

At lunch we both managed to get down to the kitchen area and help with the lunch prep.Whilst we were helping we noticed more and more how village and tribal life is reaching the modern day.In years gone by they all used to get together during meal preparation and some would sing Lisu songs and chants.We discovered and heard first hand 3 people on a conference call to Susanan's mobile all singing down the phone on loud speaker as she prepared the meal.Albert then explained that they get free minutes from 8am to 5pm everyday - maybe its some special village network but it sounded a pretty good deal to us!The traditions are still adhered to pretty strictly such as Lisu blessings before every meal and the brightly coloured clothes that all the women make and wear.You can start to see real developments in the standard of living in the village though with the recent introduction of hot showers, brick buildings and more amusing was the bamboo hut next door barely standing with light and sound from a big TV coming through the wall.

As I mentioned before, Susanan makes bags and belts so Liz decided to have a lesson in sewing and set about making herself a bag under the strict supervision of Susanan.Whilst this colourful and creative lesson was taking place, Albert told me he was going for a coffee and would I like to join him, short of me sitting and watching Liz make her bag there was little else to do so I jumped on the back of old Albert's bike and we scooted off to the coffee shop.After an in depth chat with Albert about the village and a fine cuppa we headed back to find Liz in the final stages of her masterpiece.

Another guest arrived in the afternoon, which was good, and we all sat up on the balcony area reading books before we went to help prepare dinner.Due to a rather fine effort at lunch time I was put in charge of making the chilli paste so started crushing around 15-20 chillies with my pestle and mortar, a touch of garlic, lime and KAPOW - a spicy little treat!I think had I been able to understand Lisu I would have heard Susanan telling the other members of the tribe "this handsome young western guy called I'm Sam makes possibly the best chilli sauce this side of Bangkok".When we were helping with the food preparation we were accompanied in the kitchen by lots of chicks who roam freely around the village along with the smell of the neighbours pigs the other side of the bamboo fence.The chicks roam freely around the village, until they are the chosen one for that evening's meal!!

After dinner we had a VERY relaxing meditation session where we all had to lie down and tense and then release different parts of our body to release any tension.After this we all went straight to sleep, no one even spoke to one another; I think we were all half asleep already.

More fruit in the morning and then a long walk up the very steep hill to see the other villages in the Nong Tong area.The whole way we were led by a manky looking dog who grew on us as he remained by our side for the entire walk both up and down the hill.

Before we headed for our walk the other guest had begun a weaving lesson taught by two older ladies from the village, on first glance we noticed their lined faces and completely black teeth (as well as their bright colourful clothes the same as Susanan's).The black teeth comes from chewing a kind of nut that has a rich colour but the real reason they chew it is due to it being a mild narcotic!Whilst we enjoyed watching the weaving lesson Liz was pleased she didn't choose to join in as they were still going with the same piece of thread when we return from our walk and even when we left to catch our bus!

On our return I was invited straight back into the kitchen to make, yep you guessed it, I'm Sam's special chilli paste to accompany the lunch.

We had to leave straight after lunch today to get back to Soppong for the 12.30pm bus that would take us back to Pai.Once again we waited and waited and then the biggest hunk of junk of a bus turned up and the driver said "accident, next bus 2.30pm" this worried us slightly as we had already booked on to the last minibus back to Chiang Mai at 4pm and at this rate we would miss it.The driver then came back out and said "Pai?" to which we answered "yes" and we were on board with parts of the bus clanking around in the seats behind us on our way to Pai.Despite the bus being a complete pile of you know what the views of rural Thailand were beautiful so this helped to pass the time rather well.

We have just arrived back to the Goodwill Guesthouse after walking back through the night market and visiting our favourite food stand with curries for 20 baht.An early night tonight and hopefully we won't be woken by the sound of any roosters!

I'm Sam