First steps in Thailand

Welcome to Thailand!

From now on, you are illiterate!

Quite strange impression...especially that it's the 1st time where I'm entering a country without any notion of the langage (always took some lessons or Teach yourself before).

I thought all Thai would speak english given the number of tourists...well, in the south, they don't!

So we had to get ourselfes up to date thanks to our guide book langage section and a little bit of help from some english speaking Thai (there is always at least 1 who can speak in a village, and they all go get him when we arrive!).

We had a warm welcome...similar to the one we had in Indonesia...which is probably due to the fact that the people here are a mix with some Malay in them!

After an easy border crossing, and even easier hop-on and off different buses (althought the buses, made for 11 small thais are a bit tough on our long legs-big butts!)...we reached a haven;

THALE BAN NATIONAL PARK

A chalet overlooking the lake, nested in a valley between kart outcrops (like the ones you see in Halong bay, Vietnam, only on land...).

We went to sleep listening to the noises of the jungle and woke up to the sound of monkeys playing in the trees around the hut...

We were the lonly one staying in the camp, but we soon discovered why; nothing much to do...no jungle trails, no guide to take us on tough treking...the best the hostess could offer was a walk within the camp boundaries (10mn at baby pace) or a visit to the near by waterfall (15mn including the swim)...

Nevermind, we did our tailored treck following some workers track...

The forest on the south side of the park is of the "dry jungle" type...50m high trees and a lot of occasion for Heidi to muck around...

Jane of the jungle...

DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA

(this is a remake of the movie about "Che" motorbike voyage thru latin america)

We hired the "Honda Wave" from the park hostess and went for a ride around the park; little village with wooden houses on piloti, hevea (for rubber) plantations, and karts outcrop rising above the padi field (dry unfortunatly), full of caves and bats!...

I told you we should have turned left!

Fill up please!

Fresh pineapple and mango from a road side stall

WHAT'S NEXT?

Tomorrow we're heading to another national park; Tarutoa, some islands in the Andaman sea (west coast)

More when we come back...

Hitch kiking at the back of a ute!

05:56 - 4/03/2007 - Ajouter un commentaire