Chieow Laan Lake and Khao Sok NP...10 bites

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12/14
Woke up on the train and I got bit on my hands and elbow...dammit, I forgot to reapply my repellant. I guess the vitamin B1 pills really don't work either. I think it might have been a spider. After we got off the train we took a bus and then a boat ride to Chieow Laan Lake in Khao Sok. We're staying in bamboo raft houses right on the water. You have to be careful where you step or you'll fall through! It's pretty basic accommodations...bring a ton of hand sanitizer and toilet paper! The walkways are pretty dodgy and rickety. Bring a flashlight too!
We are pretty much marooned here, cannot go walking around to explore since we are pretty much on a pier. All you can do is swim, kayak, or read. Swimming is a little scary since you can't touch the bottom, but the water is nice and cold. It's 2:30, not much to do...I'm getting a beer! Tastes delicious because it's so hot. There's already some sunburned people here and it's just the 1st day. I'm just kicking it in the shade reading and drinking. 120 baht for a large Singha can get pricey. Went kayaking for a bit and didn't hit anything.
Now there is a group of Italian guys with their thai prostitutes and that isn't a generalization either! They are so loud and it totally ruined the serene atmosphere. There is a really fat guy and of course he has the tiniest girl...poor thing. They are super loud and it's getting worse the more they drink. Every time you walk by they all stare at you like you're something to eat. I heard some "noises" when we tried to sleep...just took a xanax and turned on my ipod to drown it out. Really, just want to know why you would come here for your kicks. It's hot, there's no AC, and the walls are non existent. Not the type a place that I would want to have "sexy time". The night wasn't totally ruined though. We had the best meal ever here...sooooo much food and it was all delicious. At 11pm the generator turns off and it's completely dark. We laid out on the pier and stared at the stars. The sky was so clear and I had never seen so many stars before....really beautiful.

12/15
Woke up early for a boat ride to see the monkeys. They were all too high up in the trees to take pictures. We saw a toucan. The Italians have left!! Yay, everything is back to normal now.
OMG the best thing ever was the Pra Kay Petch Cave (diamond cave). It was national geographic style in there with stalagmites/tites, monster spiders, bats, dripping water, and sparkly things. Bring a head torch for this one. I wore flip flops (although they say not to) because I didn't want my shoes to be wet when we went hiking. I was fine- it doesn't matter what you wear as it's all mud and everyone slipped. After that we went swimming right off the boat and then watched the sunset. Had another amazing meal at dinner. Everything at this place is good and served family style so you get a little bit of everything.

Check this site out for more info about this area
http://www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve/forprint.asp?npid=200&lg=2

12/16
Much better sleep since the Italians left. Got up early and we went hiking in the rainforest. Super sweaty and steep. It was hard to keep up with the guide! I thought I was in good shape but I was gasping for air while the guide didn't even break a sweat. Saw some crazy twisty roots, big ass ants, cicadas, rattan trees, and really pretty views. We left Chieow Laan Lake and made our way to Art's Riverview Lodge. Very cool and rustic. Thank god for western toilets that flush! BUT no hot water 😞 Walked down the road to "town" for internet. It took too long (2 hours) to upload my pics online. It was starting to get dark and I envisioned myself running down the dirt road by myself in the dark dodging monkeys with my pepperspray. Luckily, it was still light enough to see...whew!

12/17
Had a hard time sleeping last night because it was too dark! I need a night light, but it's not a good idea to leave lights on as it attracts the bugs! Got a couple more bites today and I swear it's when I get up to use the bathroom. So frustrated! Both bottles of repellent are almost gone and it's only been a week! DEET is in my blood now 😊 Today we went on an elephant ride (I call them elie-pahnts). Not bad and they weren't treated like circus freaks. It was 1.5 hours long and it was through the rainforest and you walk through the water also. Afterwards we went back into "town" for lunch, internet, and yummy mango shakes. At 5 walked down to the restaurant saw monkeys at the Monkey Hole. Pretty crazy how people will try to get close to them...idiots.

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Photos

bamboo raft houses
check out the walkways...