Day 10:
Our next stop was a cave (Dao cave). It was Juergens turn to stay with Jessica. I hiked up the wet and uneven steps to this very stinky cave (it smelled like mold and bat droppings). They had a few Buddha’s in the cave. If I was Buddha, I wouldn’t want to live in that dark and moldy place. I got a few pictures of the cave. It was pretty cool to look at! The boys liked to flash the light on the bats.
Finally we were taken to a resturant in the middle of knowhere for some pretty good Thai food. The chicken soup was extra tasty. Nicole and I would love to return to this place for a cooking class (they offer a class). We only have a few days here, so I’m not sure if it will work out. We will see! Today was our first rainy day. We had booked a trip to the jungle, South West of Hua Hin, only 10 miles from the border of Burma/Miramar. The van ride was very interesting. We past the Dole pineapple fields, and sugarcane fields, and bananas. We stopped at a new Buddhist temple, opened only two years ago. It had a giant statue of a famous monk from Thailand (don’t ask me his name). This statue was the size of a mountain. Then we went to Huay Yang waterfall in the Khao Sam Roi Yot national park. This is the largest national park in Thailand. It has wild elephants and monkeys (the animals hide during the day so we didn’t see any wild elephants). It was still raining when we arrived. Jessica had no interest in going for a wet jungle hike. I had the wrong shoes, so I waited with her while the others went for the hike. They got pretty wet, but came back with great pictures, and great stories of the jungle adventure! While I waited with Jessica in a hut next to the rushing river, I saw dozens of different trees, and flowers. There were strange looking birds, and large blue black butterflies. The crickets were louder then the river. Nicole told me later that the crickets in the jungle were as loud as an approaching train. I wondered what beautiful flowers where hidden in this thick jungle never see by people. It made me think of the millions of orphans hidden away in children’s homes all over the world. They will never know the love of a family. Their gifts and talents will go undeveloped .Their beauty will remain hidden.