Rainforest enlightenment and reflection

December 10 – Takua Pa to Khao Sok National Park – 26.24 miles – av. 8.6 – max – 36.4 and ride time of 3 hours

Ummm are we glad we did not push ourselves to get to the national park as an add-on to the end of a day. We climbed over 2000ft in a 4km knee trembling 6-10% gradient that took us up to the highest road point in southern Thailand. Bit of a shame that the map maker had forgotten to put this level of detail on the map, but then as we have found they have missed many roads and communities that we have discovered by chance.

This was my first real test of both physical and mental strength but with the encouragement of G and the many truck, coach and pick up drivers who gave us a wide berth and many a subdue toot of their horns we crested the top. It was a magnificent day and the sounds of the jungle were beneath us. The ride down the other side, and my highest speed so far, were exhilarating and almost worth the climb.

I am so glad that the watermelon got it!

a rest stop in a Thai bus stop

you have to be joking!

We entered the park, a 160 million year old rainforest and set about our first campsite with much vigour from two people who both know best! We are camped by a river with the bikes secured against a tree and the sounds of the jungle around us. The nearest restaurant is also our ablution block! Laundry, dinner and emails and bed were very much the order of the day.

This is the first day where I questioned my sanity of undertaking this venture. I have left behind my 2 beautiful children who miss me as much as I miss them every day, Skype helps but cannot replace a hug. I have walked out of one client who had put a job offer on the table that I was surprised and delighted with and is a client I dearly want to work for if they ever see fit to have me back with them, I have left my family to manage my house, car and all of the things that can’t be done by world wide web including looking after my children on weekends when I would normally have had their company. I have suspended my business which was on target for beating last year’s turnover and making me have a slightly more comfortable 2011. For what I asked myself as the mileage computer on the bike heaved round at less than 3 miles an hour, my quadriceps, calf muscles, knee joints screaming for release as I struggled up the mountain determined after a good talking to from G not to stop and push.

I have done this for me. I have been in the eyes of many extremely selfish in my undertaking and the speed at which I went from decision to airport. It has cost me around £10000 to do this including the purchase of a bike to train on and my tourer. I am not asking for sympathy in this endeavour. I have done this to challenge myself in all of the norms I have existed with so far. Those that know me, also know that over the last 5 months I have changed or maybe unlocked what I had thought needed to be locked away. I am more trusting, I am more forgiving, and I am more present every day and live with what will be will be. I feel more alive each day, I feel that I am and on my return to normality will be a better person than I have been. I know I owe many a debt of gratitude that will be difficult to repay as their kindness in listening, sharing or just being there when I have need an ear is a challenging act to follow.

It has been challenging in both physical and mental ways some of which I had given passing thought to and others that I did not even know existed. I have been sharing openly how I feel about the day, my legacy to date and the present. I have given some thought to what the future might hold. All I know is that right now I have 2 beautiful children who miss their dad and know that he loves them very much and in 6 weeks or so time we will be able to hug each other for real.

I have done this for me and also to be with a woman whom I admire, respect, am proud of, am challenged by and love very much. She is doing this for far higher purpose than I and in the achievements we now complete together it reminds me of the fact that there are others out there completing random acts of kindness because they can and want to, some of these need our support. All I ask is that you have a look as others have done at the following link and think, it maybe Christmas, it may be snowing, cold and an inconvenience to plans but can I spare a little to those to whom it would mean a lot.

first time seeing a man out walking his elephant

I know exactly how these sharp shooters felt when I reached this sign

December 11-12^th Khao Sok National Park

Think Jurassic Park and you are not far off. I have never heard such noises in the night let alone the day emanating from the environment which surrounds us. I have named this the screwfix/toolstation/machine mart orchestra of rainforest life. There is one particular individual or group as they remain elusive despite my quest to find the source, the dremel insect – it is such a high pitched screech that at times it can reach a level where we have had to talk loudly from a foot away just to be heard. There is also the strimmer, chainsaw, angle grinder on steel as well as concrete, the tile cutter and the bandsaw. All of these noises come alive between 5am and 7 am and begin again at 5pm. It is spectacular to listen too except when you are woken by them and then virtually impossible to get back to sleep.

Home for the next 3 nights

Yup, we were underneath in a canoe

Campcraft

I understand also that rainforests are exactly and most appropriately named. Trees and rain like I have never previously experienced whilst lying on a thermaest under nylon. We began our day with a canoe trip down river with a guide. We had both hoped to paddle ourselves but soon got used to the need to duck and weave and heave the boat over small whitewater and round the debris of heavy rains the night before. I was magical to see a baby monkey, a seriously scary black and yellow snake asleep on a branch above us, many of the allegedly elusive kingfishers – elusive to the lens of a camera undoubtedly. Herons that looked like miniature versions of what we have in the UK took flight as they saw our craft approaching. Butterflies as big as birds and as colourful as I have ever seen. It was an awesome start to day one of rest! We came back after almost 3 hours out and decided to baptise the camping stove I have carried for the last 900 plus miles. After some minor pyrotechnics, noodles, sausage and tomato were served up with 2 coffees and then we retired to our little café down the road where the owner did say to us to make ourselves at home.

Day 2 in the park saw me on an elephant, trekking up through a watercourse which I would not necessarily have braved in stout walking shoes and appropriate attire but these elephants were like mountain goats. It was a little different for G, or Dora the Explorer as I have named her as this was not the first or the seventh time she had done this. The difference was the location, the challenging terrain and that she got to sit astride its head for the journey down. I will leave the photos to tell the story.

our trusty steed

one of us has done this before and is slightly more relaxed!

here is some mud

what should i do with it?

yup

the view

if you look closely you can see one of the leeches in motion

Jacket potatoes at the Travellers Rest on our return and then Dora and I decided to undertake a jungle trek ourselves. The paths in the park are well marked, wet and muddy and with that brought out leeches which seemed to be particularly fond of female blood. This was my first time seeing them in action and with instruction and a lighter it soon became a little bit of a challenge that was in a very bizarre way, fun. There are wild elephants here but we would not be lucky in seeing one, many of the warning signs of the dangers are in Thai whereas the way markers are in English…umm are they trying to tell us something one wonders. It is somewhere we would love to bring Em and Nathan too, we would however by staying in one of the many treehouse resorts and be accompanied by a guide…

More time at our now very accommodating café, research on the next leg of our journey and booking of accommodation for Langkawi and Christmas in Penang is now done.