Bangkok sits on a large river called the Chao Phraya which has numerous side canals known as Khlong's which snakes their way through the city.  Many boats actively ply the muddy brown waters of the Chao Phraya; ferries, longtails and barges.  We caught a ferry across the river and ate a late lunch of traditional Thai cuisine with Fon and Ooy at a restaurant overlooking the waterfront activity.  The longtail boats are particular to this part of the world and are a common sight on nearly every body of water.  They are of wooden construction and are long and slender with a high prow.  What makes them unique is their elevated motor mount at the back of the boat and the extended propeller shaft system that can rotate 180 degrees.  If it were not for their obnoxiously loud engines they would be a pleasurable way to travel.
    On our second day in Bangkok, Annette and I took the new sky train, which runs on an elevated track above the busy streets to the weekend market.  We needed to find something suitable to wear for the ordination ceremony that we would be attending, as our well-worn trekking attire wasn't exactly appropriate.  The covered market extends over a large area and is mobbed by locals and tourists alike.  Here you can find just about everything you would need; tropical fish, fresh fruit, antiques, Thai silks, the latest western fashions and even tattoos and body piercing.  There was even a section where prized fighting roosters were sold for the bloody sport and right next door was an office dedicated to the ethical treatment of animals!  All the perimeter stalls serve food and the smells of so many exotic dishes filled the air.
    The Thai people in general, and in particular the young people of Bangkok and the larger metropolitan areas are very image conscious and cosmopolitan.   The city is fast growing and appears much like the very best of American cities, if not finer in some ways.  It has cleaned its image greatly over the past few years, at least in my experience.  The air pollution problems that plagued the city have been greatly reduced and although it's not perfect, it is certainly far more people-friendly nowadays.  During the Asian economy crisis over 70,000 luxury cars were repossessed in Bangkok alone, which had the effect of freeing up the clogged arteries and reducing some of the emissions.  The roads are still very busy at peak times and it takes time to cross the city, but new developments like the sky train are a real asset to mass transit and make metropolitan travel easy.
    The influence of current fashion is very apparent in the Thai's dress.   When we showed Jib our new Thai fisherman's pants acquired at the market, she remarked that how all the 'farang's'(foreigners of western descent) come here and buy into the Thai peasant look, while all the Thai's in the city aspire to the more current and chic fashion scene.  Space age platform shoes are prevalent along with tight pants, funky shaped and colored glasses, dyed hair with a 'Hello Kitty' flair.  It is a cross between the urban rave scene and Tokyo hip-hop, in Annette's opinion (who herself now looks like a cross between a Buddhist monk and a hippie Hindu trekker, now reduced to Palmolive products and squat toilets!).
    Another grueling overnight train journey took us away from Bangkok to the more tranquil and rural setting of Songkla Province, in the southeastern part of Thailand.  The train ended its journey short of the proposed destination due to severe flooding in the area.  We were ferried by awaiting buses through the lush green countryside to Hat Yai.  It rained hard and continuously for the 3 hour journey and it was the first real rains we had experienced since Scotland.  Rivers were swollen beyond their banks, flooding fields and muddying the landscape.  It had been raining now continuously for 5 days in this region, which is unusual for this time of year.  Though it resembled Monsoon conditions, the season was still several months away.  As a result of such heavy annual rainfall, the landscape was wonderfully verdant, predominantly tropical with abundant palm and banana trees and thick jungle on the mountainous slopes.
    From the town of Hat Yai, the four of us caught a local air-con bus for the 30-minute journey north to the small town of Sathing Phra, where Fon and Ooy's family lived.  By the time we entered their Aunt's back yard where festivities were already underway, we had been traveling for 22 hours straight and were obviously pretty exhausted.   Due to the heavy rains, a couple of tents had been erected and friends and family sat eating and talking while the rain continued to pound down.  We were immediately made to feel welcome and fed copious amounts of delicious local food.  Another American Peace Corps friend of Bill and Jib, named David was also present for Benz' ordination.  He aided us greatly in our communications with everyone who were curious about the two farang's.  David was fluent in Thai, having lived here for the past 8 years and we were most thankful for his company and assistance in translating.  He kindly reserved us a bungalow on the beach for the duration of our stay, which suited our needs perfectly.  It wasn't long before we took our leave from the party and headed there for a siesta.
    On returning to the house, we enquired about the upcoming ordination ceremony.  Every male in Thailand must spend some time in a monastery during the course of his life.  The choice as to when one enters the monastery is entirely individual and there are no time constraints placed on him as to the duration of his stay.  Some people stay only for a day while others choose to dedicate their whole lives to being a monk.  The shaven heads and eyebrows and distinct orange or ochre robes are the characteristic trademarks of the Thai Buddhist.
    Benz is 31 now and he felt that the time was now right to enter the order and extend his life's journey of learning and education.  For him this was not just obligatory service but something he had been preparing himself for a long time.  He was particularly interested in studying a special type of walking and sitting meditation with a renowned Master.  So the process of undergoing ordination and moving from being a 'common' man to the respected and revered title of 'Monk' was an especially significant moment in this young man's life.  So we spent the evening eating and wrapping 1 baht pennies in marigold plastic wrap which would be incorporated into the following day's ceremony.
    We rose early on the morning of January 22nd and headed to the family's home where Benz would undergo the first of his official ceremonies - the shaving of his head.  The entire family was involved in this process, each cutting a lock of his hair before the old Patriarch of the family set about shaving poor Benz' head with a dull razor.  This was particularly tough to watch as the older man seemed to have a bit of a shake in his hand and his sight was obviously not what it used to be.  Trickles of red were coming from Benz' newly exposed scalp and tissues were constantly being applied to mop up the blood.  After the head shaving had been completed the eyebrows and face were given a similar treatment, this time with a fresh blade and by Benz himself.
A marigold colored powder was then applied to his entire head and shoulders to soothe and protect his scalp before the final rinse with cold water.  He went to dress for the ceremony and emerged wearing a beautiful, shimmering purple sarong and a white translucent robe with gold brocade edging over a white cotton dress shirt.  On his head he was adorned with a braided white and gold crown made of fabric.  He looked regal in his attire and seemed quite relaxed and confident about the upcoming event.
    In the family's living room was a neatly stacked display of gifts that would serve as offerings to the temple on Benz' behalf.
There were numerous marigold plastic buckets filled with such items as soap, towels (marigold), teas, food, incense, toiletries, etc - all things that would serve a useful purpose for the monks.  In addition there was a small shrine-like temple of flowers that housed Benz' ordination robes which his mother would carry and present to him at the appropriate time.  All these gifts were flanked by beautiful flower arrangements befitting the occasion.
    A small convoy of cars shuttled the guests to the temple only half a mile away.  The entire entourage escorted Benz and his parents through the ritual of circling the temple complex and paying their respects to the family burial Stupa and strategic points of ritual, leaving prayers and offerings at each.  This complete, we all entered a sanctuary building which housed a large sleeping Buddha and here Benz was received by two head monks who proceeded to instruct him about living life as a monk.  Afterwards he changed out of his ceremonial robes and was helped by another of the monks in putting on his new monk's robes.  The procession then headed to the main temple where the remainder of the ceremony was conducted in the presence of all the head monks.  One of the final acts of the proceedings was for each of the guests (us included) to take a spoonful of cooked rice and place it in Benz' alms bowl (begging bowl), which is the traditional means by which monks receive much of their food source -   through kind donation.  It was a colorful and joyful ceremony and although we did not understand all the subtleties of the day and any of the language, it was a memorable experience.
    As everyone exited the temple, Benz stood on the upper steps and took handfuls of the marigold plastic wrapped 1 baht coins which we had wrapped the previous night and tossed them out into the crowd below (like we throw confetti or rice at a wedding).
I think this symbolized his giving up of worldly possessions.   After this we all made our way back to the family's home again along with all the monks involved in the ceremony and shared another big meal.  Now that Benz was officially a monk, women were no longer allowed to touch him.  He was much quieter and more introspective than he had been formally.  His new home and life would be spent in the monastery.

    Later that afternoon, Annette and I changed back into our street clothes and went for an excursion to the Khukhut Water Bird Sanctuary only 2 miles away.   It is a large lake area that bridges two provinces and is dotted with small islands.  It is the home to a healthy resident population as well as many migratory birds including kingfishers, herons, kites, fish eagles, ducks, egrets and many more that comprise the 200 recognized species.  We rented a longtail and sped about the lake tearing through aquatic surface flora with the boats loud motor scaring away any potential for up-close viewing.  A canoe would have been a more appropriate mode of travel if it had been an option.  It was nice to get a feel for the place even after 45 minutes the skipper returned us to the dock citing the fact that in his opinion there were no birds to be seen.  The walk back was also pleasant through on a relatively quiet back road that took us through some beautiful marsh land that was dotted with palms.

    In the evening we shared dinner again with Fon and Ooy at their Aunt's house and discussed our plans for onward travel.
We had decided to push on the following morning to the southwestern side of Thailand to the islands of Tarutao National Park, in the Andaman Sea.  Pak Bara is a small port town, which is the primary jumping off point to the islands.  We stayed the night here and caught the first boat out to the islands the next morning, purchasing round trip tickets to the outer island of Ko (island) Lipe which included a stop over in Tarutao.   It was a 5-hour journey to Lipe and even though we sat for the entire time under the shade of our umbrellas,  the glare off the ocean was sufficient to fry us.   The ferry moored in the straight between the two islands of Lipe and Adang and from here we were transferred by longboat to the eastern side of Ko Lipe and the resort of Choe Lae.
    On first sight you would have thought that you had been whisked away to paradise.  White sands that fringed the Island gave the water its brilliantly clear blue/green tint and coral reefs were only another 100 yards off shore.  Palms swayed in the breeze on the beachhead and thatched bungalows comprised our lodging.   After all the traveling we had done recently it was nice to finally arrive at a beautiful tropical destination for some peaceful re-cooperation.

    Ko Lipe is permanently settled by about 500 Chao Naam, who originated from the Lanta Islands in Krabi province.  They used to subsist on fishing and cultivation of vegetables but the majority of these people are now directly or indirectly associated with the booming tourist trade.  From all accounts it would seem that Lipe in particular has undergone huge development in the past few years with new resorts springing up all the time.   By contrast, the much larger Island of Adang only half a mile away has National Park status and is undeveloped and very quiet.  Had we known this fact ahead of time it would have served as our home base from the beginning.
    Our bungalow at Choe Lae was situated under the shade of some ironwood trees only 20 yards from the beach.  It was elevated on stilts and constructed of palm wood with the customary thatched roof.  It had a simple mattress on the floor with a mosquito net hanging over it and an attached bathroom (with squat toilet and 55 gallon drum filled with water for a shower).  We strung a clothesline out front on the small balcony, which became our morning hang out for coffee and breakfast.  It was all very idyllic and quiet that first day with only a few other guests present.   The following day we scheduled absolutely nothing, as we badly needed a full day's rest with no obligations.  Going for occasional swims in the clear warm waters out front of the bungalows, eating and drinking lots of water were our only concerns.   Then the ferryboat arrived later that day bringing a whole new wave of tourists.
All of a sudden our quiet retreat started to get busy and much louder.  We had totally forgotten that it was the Chinese New Year and lots of newcomers had chosen this Island as their destination for celebrations.  The locals too were all getting into the spirit of the occasion and a huge sound system had been set up on the adjacent lot only a few yards away from our bungalow. The cheesy sounding Indian style pop music was pumped out all day and night long and this more than killed our love affair with the place.
    Sleeping at night in these very hot, humid conditions was tough at best but compounded with the partying made it very difficult. As the islands don't have any main electric, they have to use generators to produce power for lighting, etc. at night. The constant hum of these motors added to the noise factor.

    There were two large bungalow resorts and the main village on our side of the island while on the northern side it had a little more green space between developments.  It is rockier over here with the white sands being replaced with a reef instead, which is good for snorkeling.  A cross- island trail connects the two sides at its narrowest point and another lead from the village to Pattaya beach in the north.  These trails briefly escape the busy developments around the shoreline, ambling through some beautiful open grassland and forest.  It gives you a sense of how the place must have looked like everywhere before being settled and developed, with only the natural sounds of insects and birds audible.  A fleet of longboats moor on the beach outside Choe Lae and the loud firing sounds of their engines could be heard from first light, mixed with the more palatable sounds of songbirds.
    On our second full day, we island-hopped over to Adang.  The National Park has a visitor center here along with simple longhouse lodging, in addition to abundant camping areas on the beach.  There were a number of designated trails that visitors could follow which led to points of interest, including two waterfalls and a scenic vista overlook of the surrounding Islands.
The majority of the large island is densely covered with jungle and is largely impenetrable.  Access to points around the island is by boat only.  There are several beautiful white powder sand beaches at intervals around its perimeter and a great number of coral reefs to explore.  Relatively speaking there were very few people on Ko Adang; it was quiet and natural sounds predominated.
The walks through the jungle were lovely and the lush greenery was satisfyingly cool and shaded.  The diversity of trees, vines and bushes were just incredible.  In this very competitive eco-system it is fascinating to see how the advantageous vines would weave around and constrict host trees.  Some species utilized sharp barbs to hang onto advancing trees to get a free ride up to the light source.  Other plants had long sharp spines like needles as protection.  The sculptural shapes and forms that had been evolved over the millennia to survive in this environment were particularly fascinating to me.

    The following morning we joined several other people in an all-day boat trip to some of the neighboring islands for snorkeling. We first stopped in an open straight, mooring over a fairly non-descript reef between Adang and Rawi, before moving on to a immaculate white sandy beach on Rawi itself.  It was the picture perfect Island image; beautifully clear emerald waters with stunning coral gardens, lush green jungle fringing the beach and absolutely no one else around.  A strong current flowed over the coral reef so all that was required of us was to walk to the other end of the beach and float back down to the other end.
There was a great variety of coral and fish and the colors and forms were very inspirational.

    Some of our party opted to stay on the beach while Annette, Knute (from Norway) and I went fishing with our boat crew.  We spent 2 hours trawling around the neighboring islands finally returning with a meager catch of 3 reef fish which we roasted right on the beach and ate with fried rice.  Shortly thereafter, our secluded little bay began to get popular with other tourist boats, so we sadly vacated this spot in search of other peaceful locations.  We made a few other stops along the way including a visit to a small island with a black pebble beach that is deemed sacred to the local people.

    The following morning we ferried our return to the main National Park Island of Tarutao, 3 hours away.  Ko Tarutao is the largest Island in the entire group in this region and is only 3 miles away from the Malaysian border at its southern most tip.  The main Visitor Center and tourist area is on the northwest side of the Island at Ao (bay) Phante at the mouth of the Khlong Phante Malaka River.  It is a pleasant, well-maintained place that obviously caters to a sizeable visiting faction.   There were numerous bungalows for rent, a large restaurant and dining area, library, offices and camping spaces alongside the beach.  A concrete roadway ran from the boat ramp and extended 9 miles all the way to Ao Taloh Wow.  We rented a tent from the Park Service and pitched in the shade of some densely canopied trees at the edge of an expansive white sandy beach.  The daytime temperatures were well into the 90's and the evenings too were pretty warm.  The sunset this particular evening was just stunning.  The whole sky turned into a blaze of red and pink, while lighting flashed through dark brooding clouds that hung over one of the distant islands.
    Tarutao is historically significant in that it used to be a place of exile for political prisoners as well as hardened criminals between 1939-1947.  The remains of the prisons can be seen at Ao Taloh Wow on the west coast and Ao Taloh Udang in the south. A historic jungle trail connected these two points but the park service has unfortunately neglected this and let it become overgrown.  We were verbally discouraged from hiking this trail by Park staff after showing interest in it, saying it was dangerous. We thought it was a poor excuse for lack of trail maintenance and having no real education and safety awareness programs in place for people willing to brave the adversities of the jungle environment.  A National Park in our estimation should promote its natural treasures and make them accessible for everyone.
    The island is also rich in wildlife including dusky langur (monkey), mouse deer, wild boar, fishing cat, crab eating macaque, monitor lizard, and numerous snakes including pythons and king cobras.  The island is also frequented by 4 species of turtle that come ashore to lay their eggs.  Dolphins and whales swim in the waters offshore and crocodiles used to inhabit the inland waterways.
    We started our long trek to Ao Taloh Wow the following morning.   The concrete road was partially built by political prisoners in the 1940's and completed more recently by park personnel.  It was hot hiking and a far cry from the shaded jungle walk that we had envisioned, but we remained undisturbed for the most part.   This gave us the wonderful opportunity to view the wildlife without distractions.   Along the way we saw many dusky langur, oriental pied hornbills, a huge monitor lizard well over 4 feet long, a family of wild boars, many beautiful birds and an outstanding array of butterflies.  The towering old growth trees often played host to other species of plants, vines, orchids and ferns - some parasitic others symbiotic.   The only real intrusion we had all day long was the scheduled 2 p.m. open-sided tour bus going to Ao Taloh Wow.  We cooled off in little streams that crossed the road periodically and also had many sources of fresh water for drinking.  There was absolutely no urgency with this hike, the journey being the most important part, not the destination.
    Ao Taloh Wow was another of the Park's pet projects in the works.   There was a brand new visitors center almost completed right on the shoreline and we were thankful for it as it served as our shelter for the night.  Above there were a few buildings that presently house the skeleton park staff and some bungalows that could be rented, but no restaurant facility yet. A pier extended a 100 yards into the bay and terminated at the foot of a towering limestone stack that rose vertically out of the sea.  Numerous other sea stacks and small islands dotted the bay and thick jungle formed a magnificent backdrop to the panorama.
    A short walk away was the remains of the political prison that had informative placards along the developed circular trail.  These described each building, its uses and recounted the horrible conditions and tortures that the prisoners endured here.  Due to the heat and humidity at this jungle site next to the water, malaria was prevalent during the prisons operational time and several hundred prisoners died of this disease.  At the height of its day the prison had 3000 inmates.  As we walked the path we came across the old jungle trail and sign pointing to Ao Taloh Udang and were disappointed to see that much of it had become overgrown.  The staff at Ao Taloh Wow were very friendly and we were their only guests.  They did not officially serve food but were kind enough to share their evening meal with us.
    The next day we hiked another 12 miles, retracing our steps to a junction that then leads to the only other real destination on the island, Ao San.  There was formerly just a jungle path leading from the main road down the 6 miles to Ao San, with most people electing to visit the place via longtail boat.  The Park Service was presently in the throes of creating a new super highway to the quiet, scenic little destination.  The jungle trail was now a hard packed red clay road 35 feet wide with jungle vegetation strewn to the side and it saddened us greatly to witness the demise of such a nice stretch of forest and the impending transformation of Ao San.  We found it ridiculous that the Park can finance such a major undertaking yet it couldn't keep a simple jungle path clear.
    Ao San was a really beautiful spot that was relatively unspoiled.   It had a few simple bungalows available for rent, a camping area in the shade of some tall trees which the monkeys played in and a well run restaurant that produced great food.  It seemed that most people just visited this location as a day trip from Ao Phante and used it to access either of the two waterfall hikes available in the area.   So at most we got a couple of small boat parties passing through the place daily, grabbing a bite to eat along the way then returning to their home base.  We were the only ones using the campground and we enjoyed this fact. A river ran alongside the property where we bathed daily and filtered out into the bay.  A few picnic benches under the palms alongside the white sand beach completed the picture.  We remained at here for two days and really enjoyed the serenity of the place.
    Ao San has one of the beaches where the turtles choose to lay their eggs and hatch the young.  Midway down this beach there is the trailhead of one of the only two remaining short jungle paths left on the island.  It leads directly back into the thick forest for 2 and a half miles, following a stream bed part of the way up to the LoPo waterfall.  This was an exciting hike as it brought us into direct contact with the island's true nature.  We had to be ever aware of the likes of snakes one of which I did encounter at one point, but it was quick to make itself scarce.  Leeches are also a trademark of the tropical jungle, especially around the wetter sections of trail.  We came across a huge hanging active beehive, which we admired at a safe distance.  The shy langurs could be heard at frequent intervals along the way, chattering high up in the protective canopy of the taller trees.  The waterfall wasn't anything spectacular due to the dry season conditions, but its clear cool waters were still very refreshing and rewarded us with a respite from the humid jungle conditions.

    The next morning we packed up camp and made tracks for Ao Phante where we once again boarded the ferry and headed for the mainland.  We continued onward, through Trang where we spent the night and arrived at Krabi the following afternoon.   Krabi province is well known for its stunning Karst limestone formations that rise abruptly out of the forest landscape.  It has become a climbers mecca due to the high quality of rock and the abundance of sheer, heavily pocketed faces.  From the town of Krabi it was another 40 minute ride on a longtail out to the headland between Hat Than Phra Nang (west) and Hat Rei Lay (east).  This section of coast not only boasts clear waters and coral reefs backed by magnificent rock formations and thick jungle, but also has several excellent cave systems and a hidden lagoon.  Developers have been quick to seize upon the areas natural beauty and all the prime land has been built up now with resorts which offer accommodation for all sorts of pockets, both deep and shallow.   Needless to say, we were in the peanut gallery, a 15 minute hike from the beach!   We located a small, quiet and inexpensive resort in the jungle called 'Saithong Bungalows' which actually suited our needs very well.

    The beach area was just a zoo and we wouldn't have chosen to stay there even if we had been able to afford its inflated prices. Saithong's bungalows were very similar to those we had stayed in on Ko Lipe.  It had an open faced restaurant which took advantage of the cross breezes and it served some delicious food, especially their Pad Thai.  This place seemed to be very popular with the rock climbing community as it is relatively equidistant from the rock areas on either side of the headland.  The bungalows sit in a natural saddle area near the crest of the hill and it is a steep walk down a jungle trail to the east side of Rei Lay.  The path takes you past some exquisite overhanging limestone formations complete with sizeable hanging stalactites and small caverns to explore.  Where the jungle backs up to the rock, the vines and lianas and banyan type trees snake their way over and around the rocks contours.   Close by is the huge 'Diamond Cave', which was more recently discovered and is noted for its wonderful calcite formations, stalactites/stalagmites and rim stone flow formations.  Just a few yards from the cave's entrance are a number of difficult face climbs, all sport routes, as well as several good 'trad' climbing possibilities.   Climbers definitely seemed to out number the people pursuing aquatic sports, though there are definitely some great opportunities to be had in the arena too.

    Numerous islands dotted the bay off the headland and on the west side a huge monolithic sea stack rose out of the green waters and could easily be accessed at low tide.  The overhanging stalactites that seemed to drip off the upper rock faces and cliff sides made for some really stunning profiles.  On the west side of Rei Lay, under a towering limestone wall is the cave known as 'Tham Phra Nang Nok' which mean's 'Outer Princess Cave'.  Much smaller than its neighbor Diamond Cave, it is sacred to the indigenous people of the area.  It is thought to be inhabited by the spirit of a mythical sea princess.  Local fisher folk place carved wooden phalli next to the colorful shrine that sits at the entrance, in the hopes that the Holy Princess will provide them success in their fishing.  Inside the cliff is a hidden lagoon that is only accessible by a steep trail that becomes vertical and very slippery in sections.   Ropes with even spaced knots for handgrips have been strung over these difficult obstacles, but even so only a small percentage of people actually make it down to the lagoon.
    From the upper rim of the headland, where you are treated to some great views out over the bay, it is still a good 300 feet down to the recessed lake (Imagine a big hole sunk into a coastal headland and you have an idea of the lagoon).  The trail down is shaded by huge spreading palm trees (not the coconut variety) whose finger-like leaves overlap like an artists cross-hatching on a drawing.  Mosses and giant ferns draped the steep side walls and at one point we passed a towering tree whose tremendous root formation spread clear across the gully.  Annette remained here and left the rest of the tricky descent to me.  The lagoon was about 100 feet across and at this point in time only a few inches deep.  Only the natural sounds of birdcalls and the echoes of gibbon calls could be heard in the annexed haven.  The sheer cliffs that surrounded me were undercut at the waters edge, which created small caverns in the deeper recesses.  It felt very remote and wild down here even though we were actually so close to all this other activity.

    After two days here we felt compelled to move on to quieter and less obviously commercialized a setting.  Khao Sok National Park was our destination.   We purchased 2 bus tickets to Banta Kuhn, midway between Krabi and Surat Thani.   Unfortunately we had missed the last of the local transportation to this destination and had to settle for an expensive 'tourist' bus.  This ended up being the worst journey we had endured in Thailand to date.  It moved at a snails pace, the A/C broke down midway through without the option of opening any windows and to top it off we had 6 obnoxiously drunk Englishmen sitting behind us.  One of them kept sticking his stinky, sweaty feet between our seats and around our heads while his comastose buddy kept screaming out in his sleep.  Thankfully we were not going all the way to Surat Thani!
    Annette and I were the only two people who disembarked at the junction near Banta Kuhn, which was nothing more than a collection of a few buildings with an intersection.  A small weekend market was winding down as the day was drawing to a close. Our destination of Khao Sok is one of Thailand's premier National Parks.  We were grateful when a young lady approached who spoke fluent English and offered to drive us to the National Park which was still another 30 miles East.  Her brother operated a guest house there.  This was all quite fortuitous as the last of the local transport to the Park had finished for the day.  The road to Khao Sok bordered the Park for the duration of the drive passing some rich tropical rainforest with a seemingly endless stream of towering limestone cliff formations, endemic to this region.  The dusk sky added another layer of drama to the scene.  With occasional flashes of lightning on the horizon, dark clouds shadowed the days remaining sunlight.
    The Garden Hut bungalows were everything we would have wanted, sight unseen.  With only 6 units, it was a small operation on the outskirts of the Park, only a few hundred yards walk to Park3 Head quarters.  Friendly staff, very quiet, nice rooms, great food and cool nights.  We awoke the following morning to the diverse sounds of birdsong and distant Gibbon calls (Gibbons are a type of Ape as distinct from Monkeys which have tails).  A thin veil of mist covered the landscape, a fishpond with blue lilies lay just beyond our balcony and the surrounding landscape was lush and green.  The Limestone cliffs off to our right dominated the rugged eastern skyline, while our immediate surroundings were landscaped with rich, indigenous plantings and fruit bearing trees.  This was the kind of place that one could quite easily settle into for days on end.
    Khao Sok is an extensive Park system that covers 4400 sq. kilometers and has an incredible wealth of bio-diversity.  It is home to 48 species of wild mammals including elephants, tigers, leopards, sunbears, gibbons, monkeys, mouse deer, numerous species of snakes both poisonous and non-poisonous, reptiles, bats and 184 species of bird.  It also boasts the worlds largest flower, Rafflesia Kerri Meyer (known as 'wild lotus' to the Thai's) which grows up to 32 inches across and has the rarest species of Palm tree on earth (there are 1300 different types).  The Park straddles the central mountain range which forms the backbone of the Thai / Malay peninsula and is also the wettest place in Thailand due to the monsoon rains that sweep into these mountains from the Andaman Sea / Indian Ocean in the west and the Gulf of Thailand in the east.  Khao Sok rainforest is technically a 'tropical evergreen forest' and is a remnant of a 160 million year old forest eco-system, older and richer than the Amazon.
    Nick, a young man we met from Sweden, who had just graduated from high school and is traveling southeast Asia for one year, is our neighbor.  He speaks perfect English, has a lot of energy and enthusiasm and has now spent 7 weeks here in Khao Sok.  We arranged to hike up to 'Ton Gloy' waterfall which is 9 km into the jungle following the main river upstream.  Nick was familiar with this trail having been here twice already, so he led the way.  The first mile or so follows the Park's main trail and was obvious to follow, then a lesser foot path takes you off into the dense jungle and in places it gets vague and hard to distinguish.  It essentially parallels the river but takes you up and over some pretty tough terrain where it is necessary to scramble down steep slopes using vines and roots for stability.

    Even though this is the 'dry season', the trails are far from leech-free.  The nasty little critters like to crawl along the trails and grab onto your feet to begin the process of tapping you for blood.  They seem to prefer the shady sections of forest and trail where the dark, decomposing leafy matter allow them to blend in nicely.  They are harmless but none the less creepy.  It's no fun looking down and seeing one latched onto your skin.  You can try peeling them off; using a lit cigarette or just squeezing some plain old lime juice will remove them. The one problem with leeches is while they are drawing small quantities of blood they are also injecting anti-coagulant into the incision, so when you get them off the cut continues to bleed.  A leech will gorge on your blood, swelling in size until full when it drops off naturally.  A feeding like this can sustain them for 6 months or more!
    The tallest trees of the primary forest rise above the main canopy which dominates the light source.  It is only the shade and moisture loving plants / trees species of lesser height that can maintain an existence here.  These huge trees are the main habitat of the Lar Gibbon, an elusive and shy creature.  We would hear their distinct calls on the trail for miles around. Pinpointing their exact location is difficult due to the fact that their song carries and echoes around the forest.  The gibbons' call is to the jungle what the whales' song is to the ocean.   It is very much a signature of the Khao Sok experience and distinctly beautiful.
    This National Park hosts a number of great waterfalls and pristine rivers of which Ton Gloy was one of the largest.  Annette, Nick and I spent the next three days exploring the trails that lead to these features, swimming and cliff jumping along the way.  Ton Gloy and Tan Sawan waterfalls are relatively difficult to reach.   The latter requires hiking directly up the stream bed for the remaining one and a half miles, swimming through deep sections and negotiating all sorts of fallen obstacles.   We encountered several different species of snakes in the course of our journeys up the river and jungle trails.  As there are quite a large number of deadly snakes in the Park, including King Cobras and several Viper species, we treat all snakes as potentially deadly.  The named waterfalls which were the designated trail terminus on the map, often proved to be just the beginning of our explorations.  The rivers intrigue, deep pools and smooth rock formations seemed to get more interesting and so much more beautiful the further upstream we ventured.
    One of the highlights of our journey was to 'Tang Nam', a natural gorge where the river coursed between two sheer walls of vegetated rock.  The waters were deep and the shaded passageway led to yet another waterfall a hundred yards upstream.   Nick and I climbed up these sidewalls and enjoyed the thrill of plunging into the cool waters from up high.  Tan Sawan waterfall is approximately 200 feet high and shed rainbows in the sunlight from the mists thrown up by the spray.  It was quite a scramble up to the top of this one, through steep jungle which was prime leech territory and I even managed to disturb a nest of vicious biting ants.  The panoramic views over the surrounding terrain and back down the cascading falls was spectacular and well worth the effort.

    This trip also rewarded us with several sightings of the 'Great Hornbill', one of the Parks 4 species of Hornbill.  These birds are very big and generally nest and feed high up in the emergent tree tops.  Though the Park hosts a great variety of wonderful animal life, much of it is nocturnal and elusive.  So 3 full days of hiking produced very little in the way of notable sightings, but it was still a wonderful pleasure and great experience to fully indulge ourselves in this environment.  On the banks of the Khao Sok river near our bungalows there was an evening ritual that would take place around dusk, that involved the feeding of long tailed macaques (monkeys).  What a treat it was to see these animals up close.  One monkey in particular which we named 'Pierre', would approach and start kneading us with his little hands - what a treasure...

    On our last evening at the bungalows, Nick and I decided to go for a night jungle walk.  Everyone at the place said we were crazy, but we thought that no jungle experience would be complete without having a sense of its nocturnal workings.   At 9 pm, equipped with big knives, flashlights and water, we set out with the intention of walking all the way to Tang Nam again, going for a swim then returning to the Garden Hut in the wee hours.  It was a full moon, but overcast skies cut back on the natural light, though our eyes quickly adjusted to the main trail.  We walked silently, stopping frequently to locate the source of nearby sounds. Nick had just finished recounting a story of the possibility of a King Cobras nest situated at one of the nearby resorts.  He went on to inform me that these deadly snakes can grow to a length of almost 20 feet, rear up from their coil and look you straight in the eye. This image accompanied me into the forest and there was a definite edge to our adventure in the initial stages.  The more densely canopied sections of trail were almost pitch black and we had to resort to the flashlights, which would pick up the glint in the eye's of night creatures.

    Frogs and toads were out in large numbers and the occasional bat whirred by.  Lightning flashed up ahead periodically and the distant roll of thunder kept advancing ever closer.  Only an hour into the evening and the brooding skies overhead opened up in a deluge that reduced the trail to a small stream and made hiking slippery at best.  The loud croaking of the frogs were all but drowned out by the incessant patter of raindrops.  We were soaked through but continued on down the steep, slick path that led to the Wing Hin waterfall.  At this junction we conceded that things were not looking good for continuing.  We were only midway to Tang Nam, but trail conditions such as they were, coupled with the fact that we couldn't hear anything but rain made it difficult to justify prolonging the experience.  One of the interesting facts about doing something like a night jungle hike is that as time passed we became more in-tune with the night rhythms and sounds and less unnerved by the obvious adversity of this realm. By the time we were making tracks back towards home, we felt completely relaxed in these surroundings.  All the inherent dangers of this environment persisted but we accepted them and exercised the same caution and sensory perception necessary for crossing a busy main road.  The jungle is a wonderful place and I only wish that we had more time to explore its treasures.
    The following morning Annette and I said farewell to the Garden Hut and its wonderful, friendly staff and headed for Cheow Lan Lake, 60 km away.  Another aspect of Khao Sok National Park, it was created in 1982 when a dam was built across the Pasaeng River to produce hydro-electric power.  The huge watershed stretches 165 km at its longest point and is bordered by two other National Parks, Kaeng Krung and Phang Nga, along with the Khlang Saen and Khlang Nakha Wildlife sanctuaries, which together form the largest contiguous nature reserve on the Thai peninsula.  Cheow Lan Lake created over 100 islands with sheer limestone outcropping's that protrude from the waters, some reaching 3000 feet in height.  It is a startlingly beautiful panorama of fairy-tale mountains covered in lush greenery.  In many ways this has been some of the finest scenery we have seen to date.

    It was an hour's journey by deafening longtail boat out to the 'Tone Tuey' floating raft house, which sits in a small sheltered cove.  It was a rustic facility to say the least, considering this was one of the most expensive side trip destinations that we have taken thus far.  There were 12 separate woven bamboo floating bungalows with palm thatched roofs and just enough room for two mattresses and space for your bags.  The back door and window looked directly onto the lake and a floating walkway serviced each of the units.  The restaurant served all-u-can eat meals which was inclusive of the fixed price of accommodation.  We ate lunch and hired a canoe for the afternoon, in an attempt to get away from the crowds that were arriving and salvage a positive outlook for a beautiful place that is undoubtedly suffering at the hands of all too much eco-unfriendly tourism.  We came for the peace and quiet of a remote setting with its abundant natural treasures and found much of the same mentality that we left behind at Rei-Lay.
    The Khao Sok management program spends 20 times as much money advertising the Park as a tourist attraction as it does on preservation and protection of its fragile habitat.  All sorts of 'adventure' (geared for the unadventurous) tourist packaged programs are appearing, all too often with no real concurrent impact studies.  It is hard not to notice how easily the beauty of natural sounds on the water can be shattered by the deafening sounds of the longboats (sound like fast 'cigarette' boats) as they ferry passengers back and forth to the various raft houses and side attractions.  Most of the wildlife scatters as soon as they hear the boats approaching, a sight we witnessed repeatedly from our canoe.  One noted loss from this region was a colony of fruitbats (the largest species in the world) which roosted at the waters edge, but repeated visits by the longboats, which purposely gunned their motors to make the bats take to the air for the sake of their paying guests, forced the colony elsewhere.  This is the kind of despicable action that threatens the stability of such an environment.  The loss of even one species can have innumerable trickle down effects for so many others.  So we silently paddled on for hours, trying to find small side bays where we could sit for long periods observing the wildlife.

    We saw dusky langurs, a troupe of long tailed macaques at the water's edge, lar gibbons high up in the tall evergreens, a family of wild boars rooting for grubs and tubers, numerous birds, fish eagles and observed' up close, a huge Great Hornbill which had a wing span of about 6 feet.  You could audibly hear the 'whoosh' of wind as it flapped its wings and flew off like some prehistoric bird.  The supreme moment for us came around dusk, when we were paddling into yet another side bay only 10 feet from the thick jungle. We heard a loud rustle off to the left and turned just in time to catch the latter half of a tiger as it disappeared into the bamboo thicket.  A few moments later we could hear the deep growl of the big cat, obviously disturbed.  Considering that the Park rangers put the estimate of Tiger numbers at 10 in total, we felt extremely privileged with this brief encounter.  It was nightfall when we finally pulled up alongside the rafthouse dock.  Everyone else was finishing up their beers in preparation for the pseudo 'night safari' by longboat.  We kept our wonderful day's experiences sacred.

    The following morning we were back on the water by 5:15 am, to experience our surroundings as night gave way to day, in hopes of possibly seeing the tiger again.  It was very still and quiet at this hour, with occasional noises coming from the forest and bamboo cracking periodically.  Bamboo is the fastest growing grass in the world and grows to a height of almost 40 feet in this region with a girth of 6 inches around the base.  It is fairly dominant in the secondary forest and the species has been been around for 60 million years.  It offers habitat and a food source for many creatures.  The waters of the lake were incredibly warm and as the morning air was slightly cooler, a light veil of mist rose off its glassy surface.   We moved very quietly, listening intently to every sound emanating from the land.   The first audible cries of the new day came from the female Lar Gibbons, unmistakable and eloquent.  This species is thought to be monogamous, mating for life' and it is only the older, more mature females who utilize the full potential of their vocal repertoire.
    As the first rays of light began to appear, a cacophony of birdsong rang out and other monkeys joined in with their various screeches and calls.  The place became audibly alive and soon the forest began to take on some visual definition from its former dark silhouette.  Even at this very early hour we were not free of longboat intrusions.  We forged deeper into the hidden bays looking for solitude and new possibilities.  There were some pretty loud noises of crashing foliage in a nearby thicket which could have been wild elephants, but no actual sightings.  Just the anticipation of seeing or hearing these wild animals in their natural habitat was so much more rewarding than any zoo visit.  Our canoe trips on Cheow Lan Lake ended our visit to Khao Sok National Park and southern Thailand.  From here, we caught a series of buses back to Bangkok. Our time in Thailand has passed only too quickly, with the original plan of seeing parts of northern Thailand, having to be put aside for a future visit.