Khao Yai All Day Trek

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The jet lag is actually coming in really handy as so many things start in the early morning. Departure time at 8am? No problem! I've been up since 5:30!
Today we spent the entire day in the park. Our guide, Puma, is an excellent birder and found us so many great hornbills and a few others. The hornbills are beautiful and when they take off in flight it sounds like a helicopter the wingspan is so large.
We were also fortunate enough to spot a family of white gibbons far up in the trees. They never come down to the ground and spotting them is stroke of luck. I am certain that if I had gone trekking by myself I would see NOTHING. I don't know how these guys spot them.
We had lunch at a watering hole where they day before the group had seen elephants, but no such luck for us.
It's not the best season for wildlife viewing, but we did see some barking deer and antelope type creature as well.

After a trip to a waterfall and a nice swim, the guides got a call and became very excited. We all hurried in the truck and drove at breakneck speed.
Apparently there had been an elephant family spotted and we were out to see them! We RAN down a mile long dirt path at the clearing...but by the time we got there....no elephants. It seems everyone got the call and loads of other trucks had pulled in with tourists running down the path. Kind of funny really. Our guide Puma, ever the determined one, took off through the forest by himself and we waited....long after the other guides and groups had left...but no. No elephants for us.
It's so cute because he really wants his customers to have the best experience possible.
I had the best time there--the room was only 200 Baht (about $5) and the tour 1500. It's an excellent value.

But I think what really made it were the people I was with for 1 1/2 days. You never know when you join one of these tours if you will be around people who drive you crazy--that's why I usually strike out on my own. But I really lucked out. It's so interesting to hear peoples lives, where they are traveling and why. For me, it's half the joy of the destination, getting to talk to other people who are there with you.
Did I mention it's going to be really hard to be silent for 10.5 days? Yeah.

The Dutch couple are simply wonderful. I want to go home and live with them, seriously. We really bonded so much. They were telling me a story how she was 7 months pregnant and had a 9 month old with her in Nepal, India back in tehe 70's. Some political problems escalated and she was worried she would be giving birth in Nepal as there was no way out of the country. Thankfully, they made it out a month later and back to the Netherlands.
Now, they are both retired and 5 years ago at age 63 decided they would open a modern art gallery.
I love it. They give me such hope for getting old, traveling and staying hip to the world.

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