15.11 From mystical waterfalls to crazy means of transportation 😱

Quote of the day:

'Sorry Sir, no bottles allowed!'

What an extraordinary day :D

The morning already starts spectacularly.

After a generous breakfast, the always cheerful hotel owner calls for us a dubious sidecar vehicle that is supposed to take us to the bus station. Both us and Jeffrey (the Dutch guy) are amazed when a grinning scooter driver loads us into his vehicle. Initially skeptical, the rest of the ride turns out to be fun.

Upon arrival, we say goodbye to Jeffrey, who is heading to Ajuttaja.

Our destination today is the Erawan National Park located in the north. We take a bus, which somehow reminds me of the German team bus from the 1974 World Cup, and drive for 80 minutes through the landscape for a total of 50 Bath.

The ride is extremely bumpy, and the driver's skills are questionable. To Oma's disbelief, I am able to sleep for almost an hour straight despite the difficult circumstances. Reset button, huh? (Yes, it works outside of school as well;))

Upon arrival, we must realize that the park is indeed a major tourist attraction.

A whole fleet of tourist buses drop off dozens of tourists. Nevertheless, we set off.

The ascent starts slowly but becomes more difficult with each of the 7 steps. After the second waterfall, we have to hand over our drinks (!!!). Everyone who knows me knows that I responded quite irritated to this stupid request.

So, let them leave us alone during our second attempt to smuggle the bottles.

The waterfalls are very beautiful and also very different. Each waterfall is a real highlight and surprises with a completely different form than the previous one. We decide to walk all the way to the last step first and then go swimming, but the terrain becomes increasingly impassable.

Oma stays behind at Step 5 while I walk up to Step 6 and then climb up the waterfall to Step 7.

There is little sign of the tourist hustle and bustle down below. I enjoy this moment of solitude and listen to the sounds of nature.

Suddenly, it starts dripping. A rain shower sets in. My belongings are already waterproofed. A large group that has just arrived hurriedly takes flight. I simply sit there...

After about 2 hours, I begin the descent to Step 5 and we go back to the parking lot together.

We take the last bus back to Kanchanaburi. I'm sad to have to leave, but the transience of these moments has made them all the more valuable to me.

Upon arrival, we eat until the hotel owner/driver kindly picks us up.

A place for life, these waterfalls...