Walkabout through South East Asia, continued

Khao Sok Park

Getting There    

The next focus of our itinerary was Khao Sok National Park in the south of Thailand. We headed out very early Monday for our flight to Phuket, and as a result were treated to three breakfasts: a box from the hotel, a spread at the airport lounge, and again on the plane. As I was still using a cane for walking, I was bundled up in a wheelchair again. We gimps were loaded onto the plane in one of those containers they use to stock its pantry: wheeled into the box at ground level, our chairs secured with straps to the floor and walls, driven to the plane, then lifted in the box to deck level where we were wheeled or allowed to walk in. A unique experience.

Phuket is a well-known tourist destination in itself, mostly because of its excellent beaches. It featured in international news because it was devastated by the huge tsunami of 2004. The signs of that devastation are now long gone, and the city is a focus of intense development. Our goal, though, was the picturesque Ciaiolan or Cheow Lan Lake, in the heart of Khao Sok Park. This would involve roughly a two-hour drive, and there places to visit along the way.

As we left the beaches of Phuket the topography changed dramatically. Karsts began to appear, and it began to remind us of Guilin and the Li River in China.

Amphoe Ban Ta Khun

Our first stop was for a lunch which our tour company had arranged with a farming family. This was in a hamlet called Amphoe Ban Ta Khun, which is basically a scattering of buildings in the forest, with a central temple. What the location has going for it is that 1) despite its size, the bridge that crosses the river that bisects the town is quite nice; and 2) Heart Mountain, a valentine-shaped karst which is publicized as a romantic setting.

 

Our lunch with the local family was surprisingly good: the local greens, while unfamiliar, were quite tasty; hot fish curry, and rice, followed by their home-grown bananas. Their little girl, home from school because of a sniffle, was charming.

It became evident during our travels that Thailand has been encouraging localities throughout the country to boost tourism. The results vary widely: Heart Mountain is cute; our next adventure was quite fine; other experiences have fallen short of the mark.

A Canoe Ride

Our next stop that afternoon was nearby for a canoe ride down the river, through the jungle that overhangs the water which meanders between dramatic rock formations. Our guide spotted a poisonous mangrove snake in the branches overhead at one point. It was like a miniature Li River, but up close and intimate. Lovely.

At one point we stopped at a cave entrance that was built-out for visitors. The water around the entrance was filled with fish. Not surprising: the guides brought bags of fish food for us to encourage them.

Anurak Community Lodge

The Anurak Community Lodge is quite rustic, embedded in the tropical forest, within sight of the karsts of Khao Sok Park. On arrival that night we were treated to a “jungle cooking demonstration.” The cook had four large sections of bamboo leaning on a stand with one end in a very hot fire. There was a different dish in each one: tom yum soup, pumpkin soup, green curry chicken, and rice wrapped in banana leaves. As it was pitch dark, the cook’s skill was impressive. The drawback, of course, was the smoke from the fire seemed to follow you no matter which side of the fire you’re on!

Going to breakfast the next morning we saw that, indeed, this lodge is nestled right in the jungle! I was wondering why they had built the restaurant up so high. It was so you could look out over the treetops at the view:

 

This view will definitely find its way as an oil painting on the walls of our home, along with some other views from within the park itself.

I really applaud the eco lodge concept. I know people back home our age who would absolutely go wild over this place, with its cabins scattered through the jungle. They’re the ones still backpacking and going on long canoe trips. Let me just say I remember my multi-night canoe trips fondly and leave it at that.

Khao Sok Park

On Tuesday the 21st we arrived at Khao Sok Park’s main attraction, Lake Chaiolan (or Cheow Larn, or Cheow Lan, as Google Maps has it), an absolutely enormous man-made lake. The entrance is a wharf situated next to its dam. Scores of 12-meter longtail boats with big, powerful motors crowd the pier. While most are loaded with up to 20 passengers, ours is private, with just us, our guide Chuen, and a young boat man, Eso. A real treat, as we don’t have to wait for anyone else and we can explore wherever we want.

We were staying at Panvaree the Greenery, a resort about 20 minutes away, and only accessible by boat. Like most of the accommodations on the lake, it is comprised of a string of raft cottages along the shore. The Greenery was very comfortable, actually deluxe compared to other resorts on the lake, with electricity at night for lights and air conditioning, and available Wifi. But the location! In front of our raft cottage was an acre of delicious water for swimming, and the view was spectacular!

The park has a very strict rule: everyone must wear a life vest whenever they are in a boat or in the water, even when swimming near the shore, which did put just a bit of a damper on swimming in front of the cottage.

The Trek

The next day, Chuen took us on a trek up one of the highest karsts, through the jungle to the “Tarzan Lookout.” Our travel agent called this “somewhat strenuous” and the guide book warned “the rock at the top of the path is quite sharp.” I think “arduous” would be more accurate, as we both needed help from Chuen and Eso at certain points up the trail. Near the top, where the vegetation gave way to a tumble of sharp-pointed limestone boulders was for this 70-year old “scary as shit.”

My knee was feeling much better by this point, so I was able to carefully pick my way along, holding on, moving only one limb at a time. At about 10 meters from the peak, though I wasn’t confident I could find enough secure hand and footholds, so I stopped, stood as best I could, snapped a photo, and crept back down.

I was able to do a number of plein air drawings and paintings at the park, but this one had to wait until I could get back to the cottage and my leatherbound journal. The colors were amazing: deep blue sky, turquoise water.

Speaking of plein air, here are some of those sketches:

The prime landmark of the park is a group of three karsts, called something like “Three Friends With Trees Growing on Them.” (The Thai version is much better sounding.)

For this, I did a watercolor sketch from a photograph, back on shore. It’s hard enough trying to do a pencil sketch from a drifting, rocking longtail boat.

Next: Northern Thailand