My last week has been spent trekking through the rainforest of Phu Toey National Park in the Kanchanaburi province, approximately 130km north of Bangkok. It was back to basics again, camping in traditional villages in tents (I am now somewhat expert in pitching tents). A lack of drinking water and toilet faciltiies did nothing to dampen our spirits as we showered in waterfalls and experienced life in the Karen hill tribe villages. We spent an afternoon exploring the local caves and I didn't realise it was possible to squeeze through such small areas (caving is definitely not for the claustrophobic). We had bats for company (plus a whole of other creatures I'm sure) and I was rather relieved when I saw daylight filtering through the rocks above. My final day was spent at Lampthern Dam (the largest in Thailand) where we swam and tried unsuccessfully to remove the dirt engrained in our bodies. Our tents were pitched in the most picturesque spot overlooking the water and dinner was taken with a very hospitable local family in their beautiful house. I managed an early start one morning to watch a fabulous sunrise and most of the evenings were spent around the campfire. This was real Thailand and I have no doubt I will be visiting this amazing country again.
So after a night in a hotel with a hot shower (heaven) and a very painful Thai massage (hell), I am now chilling out in Ko Samet National Park, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. My leg muscles are looking forward to a recovery period after the battering they took during the trek and the coming week on the beach is most welcome.
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