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Published: January 1st 2006
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ok bad title! We left Karbi and arrived at Khao Sok national park a few hours later. This was deep in the jungle and we stayed in huts all of which were different. Some were treehouses and they were literally a house/hut in a tree, others were riverlodges with balconys overlooking the river, some were tents in deep rainforrest. In the centre of the complex was a large bar and restraunt, but quiet as there was pretty much just us there and the staff. The manager was a German named Claus and the rest of the staff were Thai and spoke very little English but would run and get you anything you needed. As ever everything is cheap as chips - infact quite a bit cheaper - perhaps more like a pickled egg.
After a night of suicide scrabble (a quick form of scrabble), a few of us headed off in a ute (chairless geep) to the elephant reserve. Here we boarded an indian elephant- a lot bigger than the ones i had previously seen and with tusks, or perhaps that was because i was actually on it. As we trekked throught the jungle the guide asked if i felt
brave enough to ride on its head (only not in as many words). Seen as i havent backed out of anything yet i gave it a crack. This is something you have to try as you cant describe it! Its pretty surreal as you bob up and down X feet up with your legs wrapped round the elephants neck! The elephant cools you off wafting his ears if you pat him on the head, well mine did anyway! Nothing is really a problem and nothing is ever in your way, you make the way- just go through it - problem solved. The elephants head is ...... squidgy i guess is the best way to describe it with very hard skin as youd imagine. The best technique is to lean forwards to get your balance, although leaning back is the natural thing to do.
After the treck we fed the elephants and went back to the camp to get ready for river tubing.
River tubing is very like blackwater rafting was, only outside, where you sit in an inflatable ring and cruise down the river. Its much more fun however if you try and stand up as you go down
the rapids surf style although pretty impossible. Gibbons and other monkeys watched on the bank as we floated by, at one stage i lost my precious ring so had to hitch a lift of Mary to catch up.
That evening i learnt many more games- i even hosted the famous New year pictionary pub quiz! Pub names such as the drunken mosquito and the sucking leech replaced the farmers arms though. Admittedly both teams coped well with them.
In the morning the others went for a walk to tiger temple while i had a leisurely breakfast and a hammock session before the drive to the train station. The 2 hour journey was cramped and in an open back jeep but before long we had boarded the overnight train to Bangkok! This was a great experience- large single facing seats that converted into bunk beds with curtains for privacy. There was also a DISCO carriage with a disco ball, music and decorations! The staff ran up and down selling beers etc in ice buckets as they do not get a wage only a comission on what they sell. I tipped one guy 13 p and he was my freind
for the rest of the evening! i thought this was a good oppurtunity to christen my chonkja board i had purchased for a mighty 2 pounds in the malaysian markets. As me and Christa were playing the staff came round to put up the bunks, normally that meant tables down and stop playing but as our luck would have it the conductor was a chonkja fan and ended up joining in and giving us tips! Needless to say i lost on my own board, and Christa had never played before just to rub it in- tsssss Americans!
After the game we cruised down to the disco cabin to meet the others who were playing some twisted version of snap?
That evening was actually quite a comfy one, allbeit if the windows were as much use as a glassbottom boat in Blackpool. The toilets and wash rooms were pretty spacious considering, so all in all not bad. The train also gives you a back yard view of Thailand which is an eye opener!
I awoke to the sunrise over palm trees, bangkoks silhouette in the background and some guy shouting and spitting bangkok uppy uppy in my ear.
We got a taxi to our hotel and popped round the corner to have a well deserved breakfast, well thats the story so far!
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Christa
non-member comment
Seriously!
You let me win-really I think not! I'm missing warm weather already. Hope Bangkok is going well. Am looking forward to hearing of Cambodia. Christa