Khao Sok National Park: December 9-12

After a great weekend in the north, Erin and I thought the best way to spend our second consecutive long weekend playing with George (of the Jungle). We met up with Katrina and two of her friends and took an overnight train to the Surat Thani in southern Thailand (somewhere above Phucket). The overnight train experience without the sleeper was...well, an experience to say the least. We sat, semi reclined for almost twelve hours in seats that were too small for Erin to stretch out (that really didn't affect me all that much). The lights were kept on throughout the night, wind from the opened window kept us uncomfortably cold, and I kept eying a roach that seemed to take pleasure in me watching its every move. It was great.

 

In Surat Thani, we had to take a two hour bus ride to Khao Sok and the Jungle Tree House. I don't know exactly why they do this but Thai people insist on overcrowding the bus so that it's standing room only--single file line straight down the middle aisle. Luckily there were a few passengers, who were kind enough to share their seats.

The Jungle Tree house was sweet. We had to walk through a muddy path to get to our tree house while swatting the air around us to avoid any mosquito bites. We split one room between the five of us--three on the bed and Erin and I lucked out with the bunk beds. The balcony had the most amazing view of the mountain. We dropped our bags off, ate some lunch, and spent the next couple hours tubing down the Sok River. B-E-A-UTIFUL. The air was clean, the scenery was green, and the atmosphere was calm. This was the best way we could have possibly spent our day after a billion hours of traveling.

Our Tree House

The balcony

The view from the balcony

I think we went to bed early that night...9pm early. With it being the jungle and all, the room cam equipped with mosquito nets. I hate when things don't do what they're supposed to; my net had holes that were poorly patched up with band aids. I was sleeping in my sleeping bag liner (thank jebuddah I brought it) and I felt something land on my head. There's something unsettling knowing that you're not alone in your mosquito net. I figured I could try and get the bug out of my net but risk letting mosquitoes orrrr I could completely wrap myself in the bag liner. I chose the bag liner. This bug was big but there's nothing worse than a mosquito bite in the wrong place. I didn't want to take any chances.

The following day Erin and I went on a half day hike in the Khao Sok National Park. Only it wasn't so much of a hike. It was more like a Sunday stroll through the jungle...that was heavily populated with leeches. Yes, leeches. Leeches weren't an issue on our way into the park, it was only after swimming in the river in the pouring rain that it really became a problem. I was the first to be leeched. on my lip. To this day, I don't know how a freaking leech ended up getting his grub on my bottom lip. F'in disgusting. They're creepy SOBs--the way they crawl and just the fact they feed on blood. acccckkkk! I wish I got a snap shot of the little guy but I freaked out and picked it off my lip with the quickness. We were both leeched at least three times each....dirrrrty.

We closed our jungle adventure with two changs (each), two loaves of sliced bread, and strawberry and pineapple jelly. We booked the sleeper for the ride back...muchhh better.

Okay, so...in this recent trip to the jungle, three things became clear like crystal:

1. Thailand is made for small people. Not only did Erin not have enough leg room but even aisles in convenient stores are not foreigner friendly.
   
   
2. I'm not a jungle person. I thoroughly enjoy my two day, one night stay in Khao Sok but that was plenty of time in the jungle for me. It's the bugs and the leeches. I like them, I just don't like them on me.
   
   
3. Beware of Trains...they bite. weird.