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Published: April 15th 2007
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Hello boys and girls,
I have been having many adventures since I last wrote, starting deep in the Malaysian jungle. I went to a National park called Taman Negara, I could only get there by river boat which were very low in the water so I had to be very careful not to get wet! One of the days I went on the longest canopy walk way which is a suspended bridge right up high in the tree tops, it was very wobbly and a little bit scary but it gave me great views of the jungle trees. Another walk took me to some caves that are home to many bats, I was allowed to carefully and quietly go in to see them as they hung from the ceiling sleeping, it was very damp and dark in there and it smelt of guano, which is bat poo! At night time the jungle looks very different and there are many strange and eerie noises from insects and creatures, I was lucky enough to go on a night safari and see a baby viper snake.
From the jungle I went to a much cooler climate, The Cameron Highlands, which is
well known for its tea plantations. I spent a few days visiting the plantations learning how tea is made, and enjoyed a cream tea just like you get at home! Although my stay in Malaysia was very short, I enjoyed being outside in the jungle, though I was disappointed not to meet any fellow tigers!
From Malaysia I headed north to Thailand. The first place I visited was called Krabi, on the west coast, and it was a place full of action and adventure. The first thing I wanted to do was go kayaking through the mangroves, these are habitats of lots of trees growing from shallow water. The mangroves are particularly beautiful in Krabi as they are surrounded by limestone cliffs and caves, where Thai families originally used to leave the bones of their ancestors. Seeing these amazing cliffs encouraged me to go on my next adventure, rock climbing! I had to wear very small climbing shoes that gave extra grip, and a harness around my waist. I also had a little pouch of chalk in case my paws got sweaty! I climbed as high up as 30 metres, which is about the same height as 6 double
Canopy walk
This was 45 metres high above the tree tops. decker buses!! It was hard work but I enjoyed the views very much.
I spent a few weeks relaxing on some more islands practicing my diving and doing some more treks through the jungle before I travelled north to Bangkok.
Bangkok is the Capital city of Thailand and is home to many temples and palaces. I saw the Grand Palace, which is connected to the Thai Royal Family, it was very impressive as everything was gold, shiny and colourful. There are also lots of Buddha statues made of either stone, bronze or gold, there is even an emerald one! The rest of the city is very big and bustling with hundreds of stalls along the roadside selling anything you could ever want.
From Bangkok I went to Koh Phangan, which is a beautiful island on the east coast. I was there at the time of a full moon, which is celebrated on the island by a big party on the beach. There was lots of music and dancing and some people even juggled with fire! I visited some surrounding islands before going up to Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya is a small city surrounded by a moat, in which
ruins of very old temples, known as Wats, can be visited. Some of them are so old that the walls are crumbling down and lots of the Buddhas have lost their heads. Even so I found it a very quiet and peaceful place to sit and think and learn about Buddhist Wats.
I am now in Chiang Mai and it is the Thai New Year, they are 550 years ahead of us in England due to ancient astrology. The celebrations here are very different and water forms a big part of the ceremonies. The throwing of water was originated as a way to pay respect to people, by pouring a small amount of water on other people’s hands as a sign of respect, this has changed over the years and now many children and adults join together in a huge water fight, with guns, buckets and hosepipes! I got very wet, but luckily it is the warmest time of year here so it is a nice way to cool down!
I shall be leaving Thailand soon to go to Laos, I will write soon.
Stripey x
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