uhm Tu, Where are you taking us?

Sorry for the delay readers but it has been a busy week. When last we met your intrepid epicurians had been languishing on the idyllic Andaman coast at GBB. After a pleasant boat ride we found ourselves once again in Kura Buri and ready to take on the world. Provided of course that it took it easy on us. We had a nice dinner propared for us by our summer camp kitchen mate Tu and her boyf Beaudy and were told to pack lightly for an overnight trip to a lake in the Khao Sak National Park. So off we went early the next morning and over the next couple of hours were treated to the very picturesque southern Thai countryside. When we arrived we were treated to a reservoir that is enormous surrounded by towering cliffs and dense jungle filled with lord knows what wildlife; tigers, elephants, sun bears, and primates o' plenty. Tu kept smiling reassuringly and Beaudy had told us this was one of his favorite places on earth. We boarded another longboat and set sail for the far side of the lake. Winding through narrow passages and across great expanses of lake at times I felt like we were in the Fjords of Thailand. After an hour or so we reached the opposite shore and then proceded to hike over a hill for 45 minutes until we reached another secret hidden lake. Now your authors can be as adventurous as the next guy, but I was getting a little concerned that we were getting as far from civilization as we knew it as we had ever been. Then we got on another boat, a bamboo pole boat, and fifteen minutes later arrived at the rafthouses. Yes, rafthouses. Ten by ten floating bamboo cabins tethered together and to a central communal galley and dining area. No electricity, no plumbing, and certainly aging American yoga hippies. Oh wait there was one of those, a man named Dickey who has lived in Thailand for the last 25 years after striking it rich on a treasure boat in Florida. I am not making this up. He was a very nice guy and obviously extremely interesting to talk to. He was up there recording jungle noises and preparing for some yoga retreats that he was planning and leading at the rafthouses over the next couple of months. There were also a couple of Frenchmen there just relaxing and fishing. WE spent the first afternoon swimming in the lake and plaing cards with Tu by latern light, very cool. Then Ms. Cook and I were besieged by Giant Spiders. GIANT SPIDERS. Luckily my cool head and quick reflexes saved us from almost certain death. Thank god I am not afraid of spiders and could handle this situation.

After a night of wary alertness, incase of further attack, we woke up to a beautiful jungle morning. Then we went kayaking for an hour and saw and heard monkeys and hornbills and lots of unidentified creatures. And all before breakfast. Then we went spelunking. Still not making this up. After that we napped and then trekked back and boated back and carred back to Kura Buri and slept wondering what Tu had in store for the next couple of days.