September 7, 2013, Saturday, Ban Huai Krai-Doi Chang 10k, Total 9770
It was a short, but tough climb. 800 m of climbing. Plus the guilt lingered all the way up..
The main intersecction had a few banners directing traffic to its respective business: a macdamia nut farm, Doi Chang Resort, and coffee plantations. A Cafe sign led me out of town a bit, where I found a big, open air café facing the mountain valley. A nice place to rest and have iced coffee. Don’t ask me about the tones, aromas and background flavors; but what I can say is that I don’t drink coffee, but even I enjoyed my glass.
The server, Jamby, asked how the heck I knew to come to Doi Chang. “I saw it on a map” She asked me my plans; I admitted I had none and proposed to pitch camp in the café. She agreed without qualms and thus I secured that evening’s accommodation.
I set up in the café-corner, showered off, saw the background mountain peak, and resolved to explore for a few hours. Traversing the coffee farmer tracks, getting lost, wandering, and clambering through bush and coffee trees. My curiosity kept me venturing down every path, but fading light and oncoming rain drove me back down the mountain.
Showered off, again, and hung out in the café. Everyone had left, but I was stuck waiting for the rain to stop so I could go to a nearby food shop. Though, I didn’t need to venture out ‘cause Jamby brought over some dinner. I don’t want to be a broken record, but I also don’t want to disregard the kindness I receive on this trip. It’s so deep and genuine; and when you pause to think how amazing it is, more of it comes. One sister of the Doi Chang Coffee Farm family, Audoyo(who cooked the food) didn’t want me to sleep outside; I was able to use a room in Jamby’s house.
Jamby’s adopted her home from one the Doi Chang Family daughter’s; it was a chicken coop after she(the daughter) moved out, but Jamby successfully redid the entire space to make it into a cozy hang out spot/living space.
Jamby, originally from South Korea, has been working at Doi Chang Coffee for about a year now, but she had been close to the Doi Chang family for years, already, as she met Miyo one of the family daughters while traveling in Thailand, connected and became great friends.