Thailand 2005-2006 Home Base and Eldertreks Tour

Waking to fresh air prepared us for our much anticipated hike in Khao Yai National Park. On a rain forest trail of about 8.3 km we trotted to Haew Suwat Falls spotting elephant dung and hearing birdsong but saw nary a critter. Our ranger guide, Uncle Chert, dressed in army fatigues, armed with a large gun and a belt of huge ammunition, was about 5 feet tall, aged 65 and quietly obliging. His claim to fame was the shooting of a large tiger that had been marauding livestock of nearby farms.

Khao Yai Monkeys

After lunch in the park snack bar where we saw a number of tame monkeys we were driven back for a refreshing swim in the resort pool. Others had signed up for Thai massage. We decided to wait until Chiang Mai. Dinner tonight at an open air restaurant down the road was different because Pontus treated us to wine and Bea prepared a very good stuffed cucumber soup for us. A pop quiz with trick answer was won by Shirley who walked with us for the long hike while her roommate, Annette, suffering with a bum knee took the 3 km walk with 6 others and enjoyed the slow pace to learn a lot about the flora and fauna of the park.

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