The ramblings of the Davies family
I managed to get these videos, one of diving a set of swim throughs in the Perhentians and another of the Samosir village group, a traditional folk band on Samosir Island.
T3 HQ a dive with Dirk and Marleen and the Quiver Dive Team from phildavies on Vimeo.
Samosir Village Group from phildavies on Vimeo.
This was a post of photos we took that I have been trying to upload unsuccessfully until now. We saw the Orang Utan feeding session on our first day at Bukit Lawang to ensure we saw something. We need not have worried as on the trek we saw lots of stuff but not all of it photogenic!
We boarded the overnight train in Butterworth and enjoyed saying goodbye to Malaysia which we have enjoyed so much.
The border crossing was as border crossings do and Susie threw a tantrum at the immigration official refusing to have her picture taken. That was awkward! We got back on the train after and the dinner lady was at our table waiting to take our order. We went for a selection and whilst it did not look like a great picture what arrived certainly welcomed us to Thailand. I pigged out on Red Curry. Hat Yai was where the food was presented and we shunted around picking up more carriages. It is a very large town and instead of the usual shanty town view there is a Mall in the distance.
I was really glad we have gone with down stairs beds on the train this time and apart from the people camping out on my bed the overnight trip through central Thailand should be quite relaxing
If anyone tells you it is cooler to be on the top bunk on overnight trains ignore them! The bottom bunk is bigger, better appointed and has better views of the countryside. Not least is you dont have to do gym in order to get to the loo. A huge bonus if you have need for the loo frequently like me today. Still recovering from Sumatra. It is odd that yesterday we were still there.
We are just arranging a possibly awesome finale to the trip. There is still space left at a place called elephant stay which looks to be on the other end of the “interacting with elephants” spectrum from the experience we had near KL.
It says we will spend 3 days with a specific elephant and look after it. The cost is very high ostensibly for the high cost of maintaing elephants properly and contributing to their protection. www.elephantstay.com
It is now 06:26 and whilst everyone on the other side of the window are tending flocks of cows and buffalo in the Thai forest, I have just been served a paper cup of coffee. It might be because I have only seen a sunrise and a sunset in Thailand so far on this trip but the prospect of the next three weeks here is looking very rosy indeed. I have missed Thailand so much.
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