12 November Rim Mae Nam Resort (Wang Pho)
25.9 kilometers
In contrast
to yesterday, we had the shortest and easiest day with just two rest stops and
no shore excursions. Today also marks the half way point of our trip—120
kilometers completed and 120 kilometers to go. A hazy morning sun gave way to a
mostly cloudy afternoon, then a bit of rain fell in the evening long after we
had arrived at our resort. We saw more development along the way, including
curious transparent bubble raft houses kept inflated and ventilated by hidden
fans. Each bubble had an extension to the rear that led to discrete
(nontransparent) bathrooms. At two of the bubbles we observed young couples
seated at little tables eating breakfast with their feet dangling in the river.
Farther along we passed Daen Maha Mongkol Meditation Centre, a group of large
buildings above a curve in the river. Chris had tried to visit this on an
earlier trip, but residents shoed him away. An elaborate chedi stans on a ridge
high above and seems to be part of the meditation centre, so probably not open
to the public. Signs (in Thai) on the waterfront below the meditation centre
prohibited fishing and hunting. Scenery improved downstream from the meditation
centre with views of mountains rising above the jungle. At one curve in the
river, Chris suggested we stop and wait to watch a train pass high above on a
trestle in the cliffs, and after a short wait we got to see a passenger train
roll by.
Chris stands ready
to help with morning preparations.
Today’s launching went far smoother than yesterday’s arrival!
David uses
bungee cords to tie down the dry bags.
Lieneke relaxes at
the beginning of a relaxing day.
Iew is ready to get
back on the water.
David eases into
the kayak.
And they are off!
Chris launches the
kayak for Hans and Lieneke.
And soon they are
ready to paddle off.
A little over an
hour later our kayaks take a brief rest.
Part of Daen Maha
Mongkol Meditation Centre
We watch the train
rumble by.
Chow, Areeya, and Chris glide by.
All four of our
kayaks get in the picture!
Today we stayed on land in colorful bungalows of Rim Mae Nam Resort. My
little room had just a bed and mini-fridge plus a bathroom with a welcome hot
shower. Here, as in most places we’ve stayed, the resorts had few other
customers, perhaps because the main season hadn’t started yet. Perhaps this
resort didn’t have enough funds for maintenance as my bungalow’s roof leaked and
the bathroom door frame was broken. The resort didn’t have a restaurant, so we
piled into the back of a pickup truck and one of the staff drove us to Rainbow
House, a large white building perched on the riverbank. Here we got a great
dinner along with views. Mathilde and I went with a mushroom soup and a
veggie-flavored cheese pizza.