Vampires of the Jungle

We had planned to spend a day at Kao Sok National Park and we didn't want to be rushed, so we changed our flights back from Friday evening to Sunday morning and left Koh Phi Phi for Kao Sok on the 1:00 p.m. boat. The water was boiling up in preparation for an afternoon storm and the ride to Phuket was anything but peaceful. From our seats in the bottom compartment of the boat, the window view changed from sky to sea in a matter of seconds as the boat rocked from side to side on eight foot swells. Luckily I wasn't feeling ill anymore and I could simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

From the boat, we jumped on the first bus we saw heading to Takua Pa, the town nearest to the park - literally jumped, as we caught it as it was heading out of the station, standing room only. I wasn't too keen on standing up for two hours, but Steven rationalized that we might be waiting an hour or more at the bus stop for the next bus, so we could either be waiting or on our way. I acquiesced and we settled in, Steven sitting on his pack by the window and me standing in the rear.

The local buses in Thailand, as anywhere else I've been are money making machines. Passenger comfort aside, the driver wants to make all the money he can and more people means more money. About half an hour into the journey, I was pushed up against the wall and Steven was eye level with the rear of a young Thai, his neck at an uncomfortable looking angle. Halfway through the ride, we switched positions, giving Steven a chance to stretch and get some air and giving my feet a rest. I found a comfortable position with my head on the window and manage to get a quick nap.

Four hours later in the dark and rain, we made it to Takua Pa. Steven thought that we should probably try to make it to the park, but I was exhausted and grumpy and not having any of it. I convinced him to stay in Takua Pa, promising that we would get up early and go straight to the park. He agreed and we made our way out of the bus in the rain and in the back of a santheaw to our hotel. The hotel was nice enough, dry and clean (at some level) and that was enough for me. I just wanted to eat and go to bed. We put our things in the room and asked the man at the counter if there was a restaurant near-by. He nodded and gestured around the corner of the hall with his arm. We followed where he was pointing and found ourselves in a dimly lit "Coffee Shop" with Thai girls in lingerie standing around in the corners. Too tired to go anywhere else, we sat down and were politely waited on by what I presumed to be a Thai ladyboy, but one of the more manly I'd seen, in a skimpy top and a skirt so short that it kept riding up exposing more than was appropriate for a coffee shop or anywhere else that served food. As we ate our dinners, we were treated to live entertainment that consisted of more Thai girls in lingerie singing sad Traditional Thai songs and pouting at us. They may have been disappointed that all we were interested in was the food, but I was just happy to have something to eat.

The next morning we got up early and got the first but to Surat, which would drop us off in front of the park. When we arrived at the park we were too late to do the all day trip around the lake, which Steven had wanted to do and I immediately regretted my insistence that we stay in Takua Pa the previous evening. Ever upbeat, Steven was undeterred and chose our only other option of a brief hike up from the Visitor's Center. I was a bit disappointed, but it is hard to remain so when you are in such positive company and soon we were on our way up the trail.

One of the reasons I had wanted to visit Kao Sok was because of the wildlife that the guide books said you could see - tigers, monkeys and elephants. The guide at the Visitor's Center didn't tell us about these, but he did warn us about the parks main wildlife attraction - leeches. I would have preferred an elephant or two, but if leeches were all I could get, I would settle for leeches. About an hour into the trail, with the rain beating down and no waterfalls or leeches in sight, I began to get a little disappointed. "If I don't see a leech after all this hype, I'm going to be really disappointed!" I ranted. Five minutes later, I felt a sting on my leg and looked down to see my very first leech. I called Steven over to see it and after he'd walked up, I began to try to pull it off, only to discover that leeches have quite an impressive grip. Not only that, but once you get them off, the immediately swing around and latch on to the next exposed piece of flesh. The novelty soon wore off and I was screaming at it to get off my hand and banging it against the nearest tree.

As soon as I'd gotten the first one off, I looked down to see another one 'walking' towards my foot. Leeches don't really walk, but they move along somewhat like crazed inch worms. With suckers on each end of their body, they 'stand' on one sucker, while the other flails about disturbingly for some where to land. If it finds nothing, it plants on the ground, and repeats the process. Standing still where leeches are around is not a good idea. After removing a few more leeches from my legs and feet, we started moving again. Steven wasn't as easy a meal as I, since he had followed the guide book advice and worn sneakers, but in my sandals, I was easy prey. Soon, I was stopping every ten feet just to check my feet and legs and once I stopped, I would envitabley attract the blood thirsty little beasts and would spend the next few minutes trying desperately to peel them off before the next wave of attack. After about 15 minutes of this, I was ready to get off this path, anywhere else, but this path.

We headed down the next path to the river, where I fashioned some socks out of plastic bags and Steven removed a happily satiated leech from his shoe. With my new plastic socks and my jogging pants, I was able to enjoy the rest of hike, which became increasingly more difficult as we went on, without worry about being sucked dry. Climbing up make shift ladders and around narrow ledges, we finally made it to the last waterfall on the map, where Steven bravely jumped in the leech infested water for a quick swim.

After his swim, we trekked through the rain to catch our transport back to our hotel in preparation for an early departure the next morning. As I sidestepped hungry leeches on the path, I vowed to don thick socks, hiking boots, pants and long sleeves the next time I went anywhere that even remotely mentioned the word 'leech!'