The Journey....

During the evening while still in Ayuthaya, I went to the Hostel desk, to find out how long it takes to get to the train station. So he asks where are you going, I say Khao Yao national park..

"on your own??" he asks, a surprised look on his face... erm yes

The next morning as I check out, as Im about to leave he shakes my hand and says "good luck" Oh shit what does he know that I dont...

I manage to get the right ticket and the right train, and as we pull into our first stop I think I have an idea what he was mentioning.  No stop signs where written in English, but I asked the women next to me wake me please when we get to Pak Chong my stop.

So without to much  difficulty I had done the train.  However now I was in Pak Chong not exactly a major route on the tourist trail.  So no one really spoke English, if they did they had no idea how to get to Khao Yai.  I luckly spot a tour group, and approach them, and they ask again the same question... you going on your own?? but point me in the direction of a local bus, which is more like a flat bed van with seats then a bus... and off I go with no idea where I should get off...

Luckily a girl on the bus speaks good english and lets me know that my stop is the next one.  Phew I have made it this far.

So I should explain now that Khao Yai is described as a vast wilderness, with one of the largest intact monsoon forests in Asia.  I has no where to stay, didnt really know where I was going and didnt have a camping equipment on me... For not the first time I considered heading back to Bangkok.

But no I headed to the front gate of the park, where you pay your fee.   She informs me there is no lodging but I can camp, I need to go to the information  center  16km away!!

Oh crap... But luckly at that exact moment a car pulls up fully laden with boxes and barrels, and tells me to jump on the back he will give me a lift.  Im still on my way... to somewhere???

I get to the information centre where I get a rather unhelpful map and Im told the place I need to camp is a  further 5km away. Again I think about turning back, as I have no camping equipment and only my large backpack and no food.  I stop and refill my bag with crisps and coke (hmm that should keep me going:-/.   But again I set of up the road.  With a short while I manage to hitchhike again to the camp site...

To my relief there is camping equipment to rent and also and a food station.

I pitch my tent and head of for a wander with no idea where to go except my rather useless map.  The countryside is magnificent, and as I head back in the evening and the forest lights up with the sounds of the evening, and suddenly the sky is flooded with a millions stars.  Wow it was worth the effort.