Khao Sok National Park - Heading North

Hello again - still on holiday only just though - as the song goes 'One night in Bangkok and the world's your oxster'. We fly out tonight so Elvis is shopping while I'm cooling off in the super-slick shopping mall internet cafe.



After weeks of beach life we headed for some adventure and took off to Khao Sok National park - this was our first sight of it from the car window.


You know what I'm going to ask don't you - so go on then - can name that critter. Well can ya punk?













Me Tarzan she Jane - the keys to our new abode, right in the middle of a 150 million year old rainforest (that's older than the amazon I'll have you know).







Ok - it's not something Tarzan would knock up with his missus Jane and the labourer Cheetah, but we're westerners and we expect certain standards you know!! Actually, it was quite basic, what you actually pay for is the location. The noise of Gibbons, birds, insects and the occasional pack of dogs is amazing. The shower was pretty good too - it's a full scale waterfall in your bathroom man!








Having been trained well by Sister Ginny and brother-in-law Bob, we were out doing the hikes before long. This was a killer!! The map had it at 7Km each way, but we later found that the park map was wrong and it was actually an 18km round trip. This was one of many stops for a cool swim.

Elvis getting a 'cool down' and a back massage at the same time.

I won't ask you to name this 'Charlie Drake' because I don't know myself. Elvis was froze stiff while it came towards her and I gallantly asked her to keep still while I got a picture!

Along the way a couple of monkeys came right the way down from the tree tops to check out the action.

A short ride from the park gets you to a lake made by a dam. It's a beautiful area. We decided to join a group for two days and one night in a floating bamboo hut on the lake. We met some great people again, and it was a great way to end the trip. This is the lake with the tops of the karsts sticking out of the water.

When the dam was built and the lake formed, an entire forest was covered. Some of the big trees (which have long since died) still stick out of the water in some of the shallow spots. Imagine a whole dead forest under the water.

This is the bamboo hut and that's Elvis on the veranda - another step forward and she's in the drink! Notice no en suite or even a 'Gordon the Bucket' what's the English to do without their chamber pot? I'll let you imagine - you don't want all the gory details do you?

This was an expedition to a 'bat cave' - it was actually very tricky! The cave has a river running through it and is totally black dark, the water is so deep in some spots that you have to swim and the headroom isn't that great so it can feel quite hairy at times. Elvis is amazing me with how she's getting stuck in with just about anything - she said to me at the end of this "a few years ago I wouldn't have even attempted that but actually, I quite enjoyed it" Don't worry Ma & Pa Elvis, we're not going to become 'pot holers'.

Some 'cave dwellers'. Fruit bats, so unlike every other winged creature in the forest, these ones aren't after your blood!

Elvis and I at the end of the cave. Photo a la 'long arm' technique.

Another sunset, this time in the forest. We were on the lake waiting for the Great Hornbills to return to their nests -quite a rare bird and an amazing site. The guides know exactly where to take you to spot them.

Returning to our floating bamboo houses.

Action girl Elvis taking the canoe - I was waiting to be picked up 'Taxi for Hodgie please' - we went down one of the rivers and watched a Kingfisher doing its stuff.

My taxi approaches!

The last day we headed up one of the karsts to a look out point over the lakes - one of the toughest climbs we've done.

A tough climb but look at the next two pictures - what a view.

This is me getting a bit stick of Mick the Italian - far left and Peter the Dutchman. We went for a swim and as we didn't have our swim suits, the lads went in with only their thrappers on - mine, according to these two - were a little tight! Luckily Elvis was able not to catch that on the picture

Cups of tea - Will you Sandersfields cut it out? Poor Sophie must be having a right life (Ha)! Anyway, you were both wrong so put your tea bags away and get the custard Nana's back in the tin - the Outsourcer pooped on your parade weighing in with the correct answer - it is of course the Durian fruit, which has the unpleasant reputation of smelling like rotting flesh!! So Mr & Mrs Sandersfield, what's Latin for 'shit - we got that one wrong didn't we'.

Ok folks we have literally only a few hours left and we're heading for Bangkok airport, then to Abu Dhabi (did I ever mention how they like the Flintstones in Abu Dhabi?) and then to Newcastle, getting in sometime around midday on Friday. See some of you soon, the rest of you later. This is blogger control, over and out. Love and kisses to you all and we wish you enough.

Hodgie and Elvis xxx