We arrived early at our 'jungle' resort, a small complex of wooden huts in the middle of the Thai rain forest. It was a really cool place and we stayed for 2 nights building up a nice bar tab. I was really psyched about this stop for 2 reasons; firstly I could finally stay in one place long enough to get some laundry done (my t-shirts were beginning to get a heart-beat) and we got a chance to do something I'd been tortured over since Chiang Mai approx a month ago and had sorely missed out on - tubing! Sitting on a rubber ring and going down a river (inc rapids) with a beer and let me tell you it is damned hard to steer and paddle away from the rocks and river banks asit is without being encumbered by a drink in your hand! We did it twice and I never spilled a drop.

We also went for a jungle trek through Khao Sok national park for about 6hrs and you cannot imagine how much you sweat, its obscene, we were very grateful for the two strategic swimming breals in the icy water of the stream running through the park. There was however one thing I was NOT impressed by - Leeches! Evil, nasty, ugly, blood-sucking leeches! I was the worst affected because I wore my merrels (which are open like sandals) and everyone else wore trainers or full walking boots. I was viciously attacked by no less than 7 of the little bastards and no-one had any matches or a lighter with them and you can't pull them off because they leave their teeth in you! It's like something out of a horror movie! I had no choice but to leave the greedy little bastards where they were until they'd had their fill of me, then they would just drop off naturally. But, being a more developed being than the leech and significantly higher in the food chain I did of course have a cunning plan to maintain the upper hand - I stood on the bastards!

To see the night through (and celebrate my victory over the leeches) we all went out for a pizza and a few beers at the local reggae bar where at one point we all got up and did the macarena. Very odd.

By the end of the night (and beleive me when I say this story is now legendary amongst this group of travellers) Guy had finished off half a bottle od sangsom rum and being the skinniest guy in liverpool he had a bit of trouble handling it, so he had to be carried home by me and Dom, once we'd arrived he promptly threw up all over his beds mosquito net then rolled in it for a while. Then (and this is where it gets interesting) Terry the group leader turns up (he was the one supplying the rum) and tells me and Dom to wait outside and says he'll take care of it. After about 5mins we hear Guy faintly uttering 'Terry, its cold, and its all over my back), Dom and I decide its time we check things out so we walk in and find they are in the bathroom, Guy stripped naked and bent over the toilet while Terry has a hose and is washing him down. It all looked VERY suss. Guy, remembering nothing of the night but what we told him (and believe me we were very colourful when retelling the story) wiull never live down the fact that he got hosed down, naked, by a Thai man. Johnny Cash's 'ring of fire' became our theme tune for the trip.

Early departure next day for our final Thai destination and 3 days of bronze-worthy sun, thats Krabi baby!

Khao Sok - www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120816&l=2a0cf&id=699720654