Hippies bad, Rapids good

---

The bus in was simple. Local bus filled with smelly hippies and Ryo lying over my lap throwing up out of the window the whole way. Somebody had a big night before a travel day...which is never fun.
When we arrived into town we immediately got the vibe of this place. A very small quite town full of people that have been time warped back to the 60's and 70's. Afros, Dreadlocks and tie die clothes. Despite some of the people here it is a cool place. A really relaxing atmosphere, good food, and live music playing on every street. The first night we spent chilling out in a small lounge with a live band in the background sipping on blended fruit shakes that are amazing. We caught the vibe of this place pretty quick and hit the hay pretty early.
The next day was a sleep in day and then a long bike ride around the outskirts of town. We made our way to what was going to be hot springs but the entrance fee was ridiculous to see some hot water. On the way we rode past a few elephant farms and a few walking in the streets. It was a funny feeling as i rode past almost not paying any attention to them as if they were another car on the rode. I have seen them everywhere now so it begins to become natural. strange. After the bike ride it was back to fruit shakes and relaxing. We had booked a 2 day whitewater rafting trip that was going to be pretty strenuous so we needed to rest up.

The rafting trip started early. Breakfast at 7 and on the rode to the river by 730. We heard heard stories about how crazy our guide was going to be and how lucky we were to have the best guide because he is confident but crazy. We met him at the shop and he seemed like a charismatic Thai kid that loved adventure. He asked us if we want to go crazy and we all said yes. From that point on all he would say "no danger, no fun."
The first day of rafting was a few hours long with a stop for lunch along the way. You don't pull into nice resorts or campsites, you just stop on the side of the river and eat what you can store in a big bin on the raft. The raft was not too big and with a water jug and food for 2 day of 6 people eating you can imagine the space was limited. That is actually a good thing because if you can get a limb wedged in somewhere you can make it through the heavy rapids without falling out. Or so we though. We were given minimal instructions...forward, backward, left right, "You can cry, you can scream, hold on to your paddle and keep your feet down stream". Then after our 3 minute lesson. we were on our way into the first of succeedingly bigger rapids. The first were a breeze and were just enough to let you know that when you get in them you have to work as a team and try your best to stay in rhythm with your strokes and more importantly stay on the boat. Ryo was the first to get bucked but definitely not the last.
After a full day of rafting we stopped at a campsite where the only running water is from a near by stream. The had a fire set up and beds of bamboo sticks with a thin pad over the top. Not the best sleep but at least we had a mosquito net. One of the most important things to have out in the sticks...it keeps out the bugs and bats that tend to fly overhead while you try to get some shut eye. Laying in bed listen to the rain and watching bats fly around in candle light is not a bad way to spend a night.
The next morning we were up early for a prepared breakfast of eggs, toast, watermelon, and pineapple...delicious! Then we loaded up the boat with all that remained for lunch and jumped in. Sore and banged up we had to get back in and start the day with a slow part of the river, which means you paddle your asses off until you hit the spots that do most of the work for you. We reached a few big rapids and were able to all take turns in different spots on the raft. The front is the hardest but also the most fun. It is the lead for the paddling and everybody follows. The middle and back are fun because you get to watch everybody launch around in front of you...a little easier because you only have to paddle off the person in front of you. pretty mindless and simple. We hit a few pockets called hydro's where the water that rushes over the rocks will hold the boat in place while you get covered by it. It is called surfing. We did well on the first one but not so well on any after that.
Our guide started laughing and said "you want crazy, you can have crazy!" and then started laughing with a devilish smile on his face. Screaming instructions, "forward, forward, hard, hard, hard!" he led us right into our next obstacle. A rock. The water was rushing over the sides and made a huge drop over the back side. Normally you would try to steer clear of this type of thing but not us and not our guide. We went straight at it! we got over the top and fell into the hydro flipping the boat almost vertical for a few seconds while one by one people fell out. holding on for dear life i watch from the back as everybody including the guide fell out thinking i could hold on the boat flipped and i found my self underneath it. A good place to catch a breath before the hydro sucks you under and spits you out like a rag doll. Just stay calm and hold on to you paddle...i have a helmet and a vest on...that makes me safe right?!
Feeling limbs and paddles of all the other unfortunate people underwater with me, i tried to figure out which way was up. HA! good luck. i realized that this feeling was nothing new. It is just like a bad fall surfing at home..except bigger rocks...stay calm and i will float to the top...eventually...after a full underwater flip to an ass slide on a few rocks leaving a few bruises.
Once i came up i looked around and saw the guide on top of what was now an upside down raft trying to gather all the people near him and get them back in the boat. I didn't see much after that because i was faced with the most challenging part yet...the rest of the rapids. A huge water fall then another big rock into a hydro...no raft...just swimming. This is not advised by anybody. Not even our crazy ass guide. I was left with nothing but my paddle and the saying that our guide had locked in our heads..."you can cry, you can scream, just hold on to your paddle and keep you feet down stream." So that is what i did...minus the crying. i was too busy laughing to squeeze out a tear. All i could think about is how rapids were one of the things that scared me the most and here i was about to face them on my own. Ironic. And for some reason all i could do was laugh and yell profanities at the walls of water as if they could understand me.
After i made it through, i swam to the side of the river and waited for the rest of the crew and raft to do the same. They landed up stream a bit but close enough to shout to each other. Also, close enough to notice that we were still missing one person, Ryo. Poor guy was holding on to the first rock for dear life. I guess as i was separated Ryo and the two girls, Angela and Krista all got push up from the hydro onto the first rock. While the two girls decided that is was best to push off and go through the hydro one more time hoping to get pushed to the other side Ryo was too exhausted and could do nothing but hold on. After our guide went back for him we were all back together but missing a paddle, which amazing enough we found down the river.
Now back at full strenght with everybody on board and everyone with a paddle we were going into the next set of rapids. We had move spots in the boat and Jeff and i were now up front together. The hardest spot to be. You have to set the pace for the paddling and you hit everything first and the hardest. we came over the top of a small waterfall into a stacked wall of water...Jeff and i lowered our shoulders like linebackers and hit it as hard as we could...but the wave was stronger....it started to flip the boat and from my seat, front right, which was elevated because i as on the wave side, i could see everybody falling out one by one. Jeff was the last to go and it was in slow motion. i couldn't get enough balance to grab him so he tipped out with the rest of the crew...i got lucky and caught myself with my foot on Jeff's side of the boat. I was then slammed to my butt holding my paddle and once again alone...but this time i was still on the raft. As soon as i got out of the rapids i turned back to start pulling people back to the boat. Our guide came back grimacing...not good. He had dislocated his shoulder and had to pop it back into place before he could climb in the raft. When your guide gets hurt you know something was a little crazy. After that we were all exausted and didn't have to far to go. we had completed the hard stuff and made it out alive. All in all it was a good day.

After the day of rafting we made it back to town to get some food and a massage. the next day was an easy one and we were on our way to a village to meet up this some of Krista's family friends that live in Thailand, Bernie and Lak. The two had decided to take us in for a few days and show up a local view at life in Thailand. Bernie an American man was happily married to Lak a Thai woman who was to be our tour guide for the next few days. She took us around the town to a dinosaur museum and to a cobra show. Dinosaurs are still be excavated in Thailand close to the village the live and the have uncovered one of the most intact T-Rex's ever. Pretty interesting. The cobra show was pretty crazy too. Kids and men dancing with poisonous snakes on stage for pennies. not a profession i am seeking but interesting none the less.

Bernie and Lak were amazing host...the treated us like royalty. Comfortable sleeping arrangements...more food than one could ever possibly consume and the list goes on. We were pretty beaten up and exhausted so one of the days i slept most of the day and night. Only to be woken up for prepared meals that included real Philadelphia cream cheese! Also, after a trip to the local market Lak showed us how to eat fried crickets and grasshoppers like popcorn. It was actually pretty good once you got past the fact that they were bugs. A few days of relaxing at the Pink Palace of Bernie and Lak and back on the road. Till next time!

---

Photos

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
The Trio with Bernie and Lak