I’m writing to you now on the other side of Khao Sok National park, and what a 24 hours it’s been. Choosing to take the road less travelled, I strayed off the main drag to attend this area on the advice of a Maverick Cycle Touring veteran I’d met a few days prior.

It takes so long to get through an area such as this, not only due to the elevation change, but every few minutes I was pulling over to take another picture and smell the roses. It’s been like that in Thailand, this country is just amazing. I’ve been living out of fried chicken stands that hand out four big pieces with a big serving of rice for 100 baht, and that translates to just under 5$ Canadian funds. The great food, combined with the natural scenery and a polite and friendly culture make Thailand one of the greatest places you can travel to on Earth.

My sleeping arrangements can use some work though, tenting at bus stops that look like they’re miniature versions of a palace or better yet, an old school Pizza Hut are great shelter but often times busy enough to keep the current occupant awake all night.

I managed to find a cliffside that looked promising enough to at the very least to go and have a look at, even if I couldn’t camp there over night. When I reached the top however, there was a real life campground and the price was 30 baht. All this for 1$.

I filled up a couple of bottles from the PVC pipe coming out of the ground and had a solid back woods rinse off, and sat down in my shelter for the night to watch the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time, while the moon supervised in sharp, crescent form.

That was, until the  guard on duty changed over to the old man running night shift. Instead of 30 baht, the price was now going to be 300, and even having him read the sign with a clearly posted price wouldn’t pull this donkey out of the ditch. We went back and forth on Google translate for a half hour before I gathered up my things and set off into the night, refusing to be ripped off by this guy. If I ever have to ride out part of the darkness, I put my penlight in my mouth for a headlight and take it slow.

I found a run down fruit stand with a table long and wide enough to accomodate my tent for the night, and set up camp. Not much, but it’ll do. Good enough considering the circumstances. A couple hours sleep, and the general public was waking up, and I thought better of trying to ride out a bit more rest. I dressed back up in my wet clothes that hadn’t had a chance to fully dry and packed up again to hit the road.

A Buddhist Monk, robed in a ripe pumpkin orange caught my eye from inside a roadside food outlet, and we said Sawadee-Kah as I noticed the familiar burnt orange of fried chicken in the open air and pulled the e-brake. Quick U-turn and kickstand down. You get to pick your chicken and I had my regular beat of the four biggest and a double order of rice, which they top off with fried crumbs of chicken skin and the batter they’re fried in. It really is the best.

I asked if he’d mind me sitting down with him by not quite setting my food in place but suggesting if it’s alright to sit here. “It’s Ok?” He nodded and motioned no problem. I sat and offered to top up his half full glass of water from a Kool-Aid jug before filling my own, not only good manners in any country, but a custom in Asian ones. The chicken was as good as I’ve ever had it, and with a dinner guest I’d never be able to imagine. We spoke a little, and went back and forth offering napkins to wipe off my drenched face, and leafy greens to go with my rice. He had already finished off his single leg and I was nearly halfway through my family size meal when he started to practice his English a little, which was good enough to hold a conversation and far better than my Thai. He showed me he had lost his teeth and explained so with an exaggerated extraction gesture with air pliers. I showed him my missing chicklet and pretended to punch myself in the face to let him know what happened on my end.

When we were all wrapped up he was speaking in Thai, and looking me over, so I answered in English not really knowing what he said but explaining where I was going on my trip. The lady operating the chicken stand started laughing and said that he was talking to her about how much the meal was going to cost. Nice work Kellster.

I cleared our plates, and brought them over to a very smiley and well dressed lady, who thanked me and asked where I was from. We talked a little and she told me, as many Thai people have that I’m very strong for riding all this way. Thanking the Monk through google translate for his company, we shook hands and thanked one another before I rode off.

After my regular ice cream break I was just riding down the highway when something a bit out of the ordinary caught my eye.

I stopped quickly as I couldn’t believe my own eyes. Right on the side of the road, with no fencing, protection, chains or barriers, were some eight or nine elephants being fed by their handlers. Kick stand down.

I felt quite the tourist having stared that long and with that look on my face.

I went distant, far a way from simply where I stood, I heard the handlers saying hello and I’m pretty sure I answered them, but after some time, I know I heard ;  You wann Tuss? Ohh Kay, said Forrest. They feel like they look, like a heavily wrinkled sandpaper blanket but with thick, sporadic hairs that  like wooden matchsticks of the same length. “Stampy” was a bit nervous as I originally petted her shoulder area, and pulled back a little. I gestured smelling my hand and asked if I should let her smell me first? “Yes” I forgot that I just ate a greasy meal and pretty much wiped my hands off in this poor elephants trunk, and got a reaction as I did so. But after that she was cooled down enough to eat in peace and ignore me for the most part, after shaking trunk and hand one last time, they really can grip with the end of their trunk.

It was an experience, both full of calm and electricity, unforgettable to say the least. Not a bad 24 hours.