My next Steps

I'm leaving Koh Tao on Friday 3rd August and taking the boat (with Emily) to Khao Sok National Park for a two/three day trek. Can't believe after that after batgat I'm heading into a rainforest to really get close to nature. However the opportunity to see wild elephants, gibbons, tigers and leopards is too good. Apparently it's one of the oldest rain forests in the world so it should be good and fingers crossed I won't come face to face with too many creatures.

Have stocked up on the strongest deet spray you can find, tactically purchasing suitable items to ensure I avoid leeches (yuk)and the like. I've been told to put everything in a plastic bag and be prepared for creatures. Not sure why I wince when I write this. I mean I'm heading into the jungle after all so it's really no surprise. Either way it still makes me cringe. I can't believe I'm doing this!

Thankfully Emily isn't at one with nature either so we're in agreement as to what we will or won't do. For example at no point will I be camping over night in the jungle in a one man tent for instance. I have no desire to go chasing big spiders with the guide (I've heard this happens on the 'rustic' treks). Equally I don't have the slightest inclination to hack my path through the jungle using a machete. Perfectly acceptable terms in my book. We'll see!

Anyway, after roughing it with mother nature we're heading for some sun Hua Hin which is on the coast of Thailand and was where the royal family used to holiday. Well if it's good enough for them then....We're staying 2 nights there and then catching the train to Bangkok and then getting the overnight train to Chaing Mai for more trekking. It's supposed to be pretty cool - you can see how the tribes live, ride elephants.

We're also staying overnight in a monastery. Basically you have mediation lessons with a monk, stay over night and then have more mediation lessons with him in the morning. Can't wait. Very intrigued to see what that's like.

So that'll take me until the end of August. Have another month in Thailand where I'll check out the east coast, then fly to Kathmandu.