Off the train, into the Jungle

The lovely train staff woke us up around 5:30 AM -- by far our earliest morning of the trip! -- and the tired passengers slowly drifted back to consciousness.  When the train arrived, we were in Surat Thani, a town known for little more than a stop-off point for the beaches of the south.  After a quick stop for breakfast, we boarded 2 songthews headed for the 2-hour trip to the jungle!

When the songthews finally stopped, we were in the Jungle... an actual jungle.  The common room of the hotel-thing was on the river, right across from a big cave that was filled with monkeys!  There were HUGE bugs everywhere, amazing greenery and amazing sounds of birds and insects and everything alive.  After making plans for a tube ride, we walked to our hut, which was even deeper into the jungle.  Our hut was made on stilts in traditional thai fashion and the floor boards were all wood and there were cracks in the slats to allow air flow.  Our beds were covered in mosquito nets (a first on the trip so far!) and the bathroom was apparently an extension to the hut, because it looked a little random.

Along the way, we saw a huge python, monkeys, and a fish even bit one of the guys! I told you it was the jungle!

For the tubing trip, we assembled back at common area and the hotel staff drove us all in this big songthew up the road to the "start" of the stream.  When we got into the water, I was shocked to discover that it was actually cold!  Imagine, cold water in Thailand!  It seems that this stream originates in the mountains and flows down through the rainforest, which is why it is cold... because it is always moving.  We got in the tubes and the current instantly dragged us down river.  It was so nice and relaxing to be sitting in this great big tube, staring at rainforests and mountains, slowly floating downriver.  Along the way, we saw a huge python and another smaller snake, monkeys, and a fish even bit one of the guys on our tour!  I told you it was the jungle!

About halfway down the river, we floated by our hotel and stopped at the tarzan rope across from our common area.  I was the first to try out the rope and didn't quite do it right -- fell on my face!  haha!  I was so determined to master this rope, though and made all these plans to conquer the rope the next day.

Back at the ranch, it started to POUR... monsoon rains, as usual.  So we sat in the common area slathered in deet and ate lunch as the rain proceeded to build a new river next to our hotel.  The group had booked a short trek to a temple somewhere deep in the woods, but with the rain and the very prominent threat of leeches, Liz and I decided to decline and headed back to our hut from some much-needed R&R, while the rest of the group set out into the jungle.

Back at the common room for dinner, we ate and laughed and drank some jungle cocktails, before finally heading to bed.