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Published: February 18th 2008
The Trek In
The fun was just beginning!Hello again,
On the 16th we set off on what was going to be the most amazing experience of our trip so far, and we both were nervous but excited... we were off on the 'Gibbon Experience'. Now alot of you already know what it is about but for those that don't, here is a brief rundown....
What is the Gibbon Experience?
The Gibbon Experience is set in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in Laos, about a 3 hour drive from Huay Xui. The first half of the trip is on normal but very windy roads, the second half is pretty much a 4WD track which is alot of fun! Poaching, logging and slash/burn farming is the main source of income for the tribes people that inhabit the Bokeo Province. This is obviously destroying primary forest and its inhabitants so a company has tried to come up with a solution to the problem. A concept emerged; with the local people this company now builds tree houses and a network of zip lines through the canopy of Bokeo Nature Reserve. They provide accomodation in the treetops and local guides ‘fly’ you over the forest to meet the wildlife.
The funds received are reinvested to protect the forest. A great project!
So basically you get to live in treehouses, do lots of trekking and wildlife spotting, and zipline through the jungle on massive wires... some 150 meters above the forest, and some 1 km long! I was pretty nervous due to my fear of heights and anything remotely daring! Rinna was excited, and although she had chickened out of the jumps in Vang Vieng while tubing she was sure this would be totally different! We had booked for a 3 day & 2 night experience called the 'Waterfall Experience' which involved alot of trekking (3 hours or more per day) plus tackling some of the bigger ziplines!
The Adventure Begins
On Day 1 we met at the Gibbon Experience office in Huay Xui and watched a safety video along with 6 others that would be our companions on this adventure... by the end of the video I was pretty freaked out and Rinna was excited... little did we know how the tables would soon turn.....
We squashed into the back of a troopie and off we went... 3 hours later we arrived at
All kitted up and ready to go...
Really freaking myself out here! the little Village where we would begin our journey... we trekked through fairly easy countryside (including corn fields) for about half an hour before resting and having some lunch... piece of cake we are thinking! LOL!!! We set off again and about half an hour later we started to realise that this may not be so easy after all... half of the group (including ourselves) were almost dying... the trek was uphill through thick jungle and there were lots of things to trip over! Made for an interesting hike!
2 hours later we arrived at a little station where we were all given our harnesses and told to kit up.... The adrenaline started to flow and we stepped into the harnesses and started to freak about whether these things were really going to hold our weight 150 meters in the air! LOL... We then walked about 5 minutes before we were confronted with our first zipline....... You have to be kidding.... I have never seen anything like it.... it faded into the distance and must of been at least 500 meters long! And 150 meters in the air! Most of us were pretty white by this stage, and Rinna
was starting to freak out saying she didnt think she was going to be able to do it... All I could say is "you have to... there is no other way around this..."
I got up onto the platform about 4th but Rinna was still looking petrified so I got off and let the rest go..... watching them fall into the distance on this massive wire was pretty scary! Finally it was the two of us left... If I went before Rinna there was no turning back.. they are one way and I couldnt come back for her.... She said she should be right so off I went.....
OH MY GOD! This is the scariest but more awesome thing I have ever done in my life.... it took me about a minute to jump and all I could keep saying to the guide was "Are you sure I am strapped in right? Are you sure this thing is on the wire correctly?" In all seriousness as I sit here two days later typing this I am shaking just talking about it! LOL! The moment of truth came and it was now or never.... I lifted my legs and
let my body weight push me down the wire............... OH MY GOD!!!!! As I flew down the line I picked up speed and I dont know how fast I was going but all I could hear was the rush of wind in my ears as I dangled 150 meters above the jungle canopy screaming down towards more trees hoping that my little thing holding me on the line didnt derail! I made it almost to the other end and then had to pull myself up the wire to the platform... When I made it to the platform I could hardly stand up I was shaking so much but it was awesome... I wasnt sure how I was going to do the rest but I had done it! I had confronted one of my biggest fears and survived!
Disaster Strikes!!!
We waited about another 15 minutes for Rinna to come screaming down the line... all yelling words of encouragement, and pretty soon we heard the zipline start up... excited that she had done it soon turned to disappointment when the guide turned up.... She had not been able to do it, and so had set off in
the direction he told her the base camp was.... I was worried sick she was going to get lost on the way but there was nothing more I could do....
The next 3 hours was the most amazing time of my life.. we ziplined through the jungle.. each line as scary as the last.... each take off full of nerves, each landing full of adreneline and excitement! I have never felt anything like it and the most disappointing thing for me is that the pictures and description really do not do justice to the sheer height and scariness of these things... if only I could relay it to my friends and family they would be as blown away as I am that I actually had the guts to do it... I am definitely coming back with Trent... he would just love it! By about the 4th zipline, the guides had left us and it was up to us to hook ourselves up correctly.... that in itself was scary and only added to the excitement!
Late afternoon we arrived to the base camp to find Rinna pretty upset with herself... we went to a nearby waterfall to cool off...
I didnt make it far in the water.. it was ice cold! The plan here was for the other 6 to spend the night in Treehouse 6 and Rinna and I were to be alone in Treehouse 4 which is close to the base camp and only had one small zipline to access the treehouse.. The guide was hoping that if Rinna could conquer the small zipline that tomorrow she could do the others that were needed to access the next treehouse (a 3 hour trek away)
The other 6 set off for their treehouse and Rinna and I walked the 5 minutes to our treehouse with one of the guides. I ziplined in first and then Rinna was hooked up.... she tried several times but couldnt let go of the fear of the sheer height.... and ended up in tears of frustration... half an hour later I was still sitting in the treehouse upset that Rinna couldnt do it... I admit I had a moment of anger at her... that she just wouldnt do it for the team.. and wondering what the hell would happen from here... we were hours from anywhere.... if she couldn't zipline to the
treehouse there wasnt alot of options for a good nights sleep...
We went back to the base camp... and at this stage I wasnt really speaking to her... angry that our adventure had hit a brick wall and angry at myself for being so angry... I just knew that if she could let go of the fear she would have had the time of her life... the guides were saying I could sleep in the treehouse by myself (No thanks!!), or go back to the others in Treehouse 6... Rinna was to sleep with the guides in an open air hut with no mosquito nets....
Needing to cool off about the whole situation I made the decision to head back to the treehouse, and continue my experience... something I felt bad about later in the night but something I also needed to do... one of the guys from the treehouse happened to turn up and it was almost dark (no ziplining allowed in the dark) so we took off as fast as we could to get back before dark... we were basically running up the hill trying to get to the ziplines before dark (we had 3 ziplines
to conquer) and I was exhausted... I have forgotten his name (he was from Germany) but he was so sweet... he carried my backpack and kept stopping to give me a break and telling me to destress! LOL!
When we got back to the treehouse he (along with his American girlfriend Rebecca) made the decision to leave and go to the treehouse I was in, so that they could have some privacy and so that we wouldnt have to squash 3 people in one mosquito net (thanks guys) and so off they ziplined in almost darkness... I cant thank them enough for their kindness....
I sat down with the others (Sarah from UK, Holly from NZ, Johnny and Jamie also from the UK) and we had dinner and beer lao by candlelight listening to the tunes of the jungle! I chatted to them about the Rinna situation feeling bad at leaving her but they were all adament that I should continue the journey myself and let Rinna meet me back in Huay Xui... that didn't feel right to me and I knew I would need to make a decision by morning on what to do.... We all sat
around chatting about our lives until about 10pm.. and then decided to try get some sleep... I had a mosquito net all to myself so settled in under in my comfy bed and did some serious thinking .. The others all wound up in the boys net playing backgammon.. I would join the conversation every now and then!
By morning I knew what I had to do... friends don't leave each other.... so I decided that I would leave with Rinna that day... I had made my peace with the situation and to be honest had experienced everything I set out to do.. I had my night in the treehouse and I ziplined about 20 lines... I was happy to leave.. we ziplined 3 times to make it back to Base Camp for breakfast, where I met Rinna (still looking pretty unhappy!).
So what did Rinna get up to overnight?? She spent the night teaching all the locals english and trying to learn some Laos. She actually ended up having a good experience (although not quite what she had set out to do). Afterwards she curled up under her blanket next to the two guides and tried to
sleep hoping not to be attacked by mosquitos in the meantime... she survived with no mosquitos and although her bed was pretty much bamboo she emerged ok!
Back to Civilisation
After breakfast we set off to trek the 3 hours back to the village... leaving the rest of the group about halfway... back to the village we thanked our guide who had bought us our (he had to trek back in to the rest of the group) and got a lift back to Huay Xui....
Impressions of Laos
So now we have left Laos here is a rundown of what we thought (more what I though as Rinna is outside having a cigarette!)
Laos was lovely, cheap and very third world. Western society has yet to fully impact upon it! There was no 7/11's, subway, McDonalds.... but it was damn cold... I think we lucked out with the weather and I am sure that our time in Laos would have been 110%!b(MISSING)etter had the weather been nice... People rave about Laos and told me its the best in SE Asia... I have to disagree... yes the people were beautiful and
the scenery stunning, but give me Thailand anyday! Maybe I am more tourist than traveler... who knows, but it is not somewhere I would rush back to (apart from Vang Vieng and the Gibbon Experience)... I am glad I went there but I am even more glad to be back in Thailand!
For anyone that is interested you can access more information at the official website at www.gibbonx.org.
Where to now???
Alls well that ends well... since we had a spare night now we decided to get the hell out of Laos and made a small change of plans.... which you will just have to read the next blog to find out what! Lets just say that we are safely back in Thailand in one of the greatest little towns I have found on my travels yet!
Missing alot of people at the moment.... 2 weeks down 4 to go!
Love to you all
Reet & Rinna xoxo
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Chris
non-member comment
Well Done!!
Hi Reet, I bet you are so glad you tried and mastered the ziplines - would have been absolutely amazing. Bad luck you didn't get to finish your expedition but next time, Hey!!?? Keep on with the blogs, just wished I was there. Chris xx