Khao Sok

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164_6445-4.JPGWe arrived in Khao Sok National Park yesterday, where we’ll spend a few days before heading north again. It’s a beautiful place with massive limestone karsts rising up out of the jungle. Well, I shouldn’t say out of, as many of the cliffs are covered in jungle. Khao Sok is a bit of a tourist trap, but a really nice place nonetheless. We’re staying at guesthouse in the small village of Khao Sok, just outside the NP headquarters. There’s a nice river nearby, everything’s green, which is probably because it rains in the afternoons. The jungle is filled with interesting trees and plants that are growing everywhere and all vying for sunlight. Today we saw bamboo growing horizontally out of the side of hills, we saw blue ferns, tiny plants that pull their leaves in when touched, and trees trunks that have giant airplane fins coming out of their base (to borrow Alex Garland’s description). Besides the flora, there’s a lot of wildlife around here too. From the giant ants outside our room to the fat toads that hang out near the dining room, Khao Sok is like a zoo. Although Joylani’s post probably told you enough about the leeches, we also saw several large snakes, lizards and chameleons, and interesting insects on our hike. (sidenote: I will say that you should carry salt rather than a lighter to get the leeches off- it will save you some shrieks in the ear if the flame gets too hot for your wife and it will also save you dozens of singed foot and ankle hairs). The most annoying insect in the world could be the cicada, at least a certain species found here that emits a constant, high-pitch screech. At first, I thought it was the power lines, as many transformers around Asia make dysfunctional high pitched noises. Last night, a cicada decided to hang out near our room for a couple hours- what a nightmare. Other than that and the leeches, Khao Sok is a beautiful and relaxing place.

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