Jane Complex

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darkness

Jane Complex

So last month I thought I was Indiana Jones. This month I'm Jane, of Tarzan and Jane. I like the idea of being Jane. She doesn't have to shower much and really has no responsibility other than survival. This sounds quite relaxing- I image she has a lot of free time. I happen to have a three day weekend (which I stretch into four days) so I thought I would try my hand at life in the jungle and rivers- complete with a bearded man.

For Labor Day weekend my friend, Doug, and I decide to take a motorbike adventure to Khao Sok- a national park about four hours north of Phuket- in search of swimming tigers. By definition an adventure implies adversity. Our was the motorbike. At first we thought we would have really good luck, as we ran out of gas pulling into the gas house. That was close. But alas the luck ran out after dinner when the motorbike wouldn't start. Damn. Oh well, Jane didn't have a motorbike. We'll be fine. Jane probably didn't have an air conditioned taxi as a back up either, but hell, this is still my holiday right?

So we get to the park about a day later than planned and decide to hire a longtail boat to take us to a floating raft house. This is a rustic little hotel that is basically a series of bamboo huts that float in the middle of this huge lake.

We load up on beer, chips, and toilet paper and start our hour boat journey with Nam Phon, our guide who evidently spends the whole weekend with you. It's beautiful and sunny and the fresh water is a nice change from the sea. Huge karts (like my new word?) rise out of the water and look imposing.

The raft houses are great- you can open your door and dive into the lake. They come equipped with beer, whiskey, good Thai food, kayaks, and tubes. Everyone has their own little hut and there is a huge outdoor dining hall where food is served family style and you can meet other travelers.

One day we went to the Nam Ta-lu cave. I imagined a cave like Carlsbad where you walk on a nice little spot-lit path and follow a group of other visitors. Not so with out little adventure since our guide is the only one with the flashlight and we are the only three in this immense and never ending cave. For a second terror shot through me and I thought we were being led into a trap where we would scalped and our belongings shared amongst the tribes people.

But we were fine and Nam Phon was a fearless leader guiding us deeper in the the cave. It was pitch black. Black as a cave, one might say. It was really creepy being in solid blackness and hearing bats flap, water drip, and feeling a cool breeze that I can't figure out where it came from.

The most memorable part of the cave experience was when the walls narrowed so much it looked like a dead end, except for the river flowing between the walls. Then I see a rope and Nam Phon's little eyes that seemed to say “It's okay- just go ahead. I'll be right behind you.” So I did. I went first into the abyss. The water is so cold and dark and the walls are so narrow that as you swim-paddle-swim-paddle side wides, your nose and back of your head scrape against the walls. You would never get to do that at Carlsbad. It was a very authentic cave experience.

We also go for a boat ride in the mornings in search of swimming tigers that used to inhabit this park. We didn't see any tigers but get get a few monkey shots and many birds. It was very scenic.

As was the waterfall we hiked to. Lots of bamboo forests and spiders and lizards and the waterfall was very pretty.

Link to the park site

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Photos

Raft house
Ours is the one with the door open with the tubes outside

Meet Nam Phon
Our guide taking us to the swimming holes

This is a karst
in case you didn't know...

It's me!
Sitting and enjoying the sun outside the rafthouse

Weird lizzard
I thought his legs looked odd. Saw this on the waterfall hike

ricketty bridge
kinda scary but it brought me back to my days as Indiana Jones

Bamboo forrest
my favorite picture so far

Waterfall
They say it's 11 tiers... I'm not sure what we consider a tier, but it is pretty

Longtail
on the way to the raft house

Tree house
This is the room at night. It was wierd to be on land after two days sleeping, eating, and living on the lake. I swayed for a long time...

waiting for the bus
Since our motorbike broke we had to get the bus home. The bus just stops along the road and you hop on.

The narrow part of the cave
just follow the rope...

slipping and sliding
I realize I don't have balance- all those years of yoga for nothing

Just follow the light...
the exit

Comments

[Sheashea]

Wow!
Hey Lina! That looks like one of the coolest places you have visited so far! What an amazing way to spend the weekend. While I was working 8-5 you were climbing waterfalls and having a Jane complex. Not a bad existence! Hope all is well!

[Nick and Nanner]

Damn Girl
I agree. Best yet. Who is this Doug? Woo hoo.

[LinaLand]

Hope it's not too late...
sorry- I've been out of pocket and hope you haven't left yet. I've been to both places and loved both. Khao Sok is like nowhere I have ever been before and absolutly loved all of it. From Phuket you can get the bus to Khao Sok for cheap. A taxi to the pier to get a long tail can be expensive (about 800 BHT). Then the long tail for two days was 2500 BHT. The raft house was 500 a night with food included with cheap cheap beer. Bring your own toilet tissue... If you rent a car the transportation is cheaper. There is also a bus from the park headqtrs to the peir, but we didn't wait for it. It's only 50 BHT. I loved the weekend and would go back if I had the chance! Have fun where ever you go!