I had successfully gathered my essential supplies (thongs, a bag & mozzie repellent) and I was jungle bound baby! I caught the next available mini-van, slid my back under my seat and gazed out the window as the charming chaos of Bangkok slowly receded and the natural beauty of Thailand’s countryside came in to focus. My relaxing trip was filled with conversations in broken English and truly terrible Thai, plenty of smiles and mouth watering food each time we stopped. The intense greenery was soothing my soul and as I dozed off, only interrupted by the semi frequent pothole wake up calls.
8 hours later I found myself approaching the Sangkhlaburi “bus station” if you can call it that. I caught my first glimpse of the dusty town, set next to the beautiful Vajiralongkorn lake. I was sold, this place would be magic. Someone on the bus was kind enough to let me borrow their phone, so I could tell Jeremi I was arriving. This kind of giving and generous behaviour seems to be endemic in Thailand. The more you attempt to connect with Thai people, the more you will get to understand the culture. The more I experienced this generosity of spirit, the more I fell in love. The people we met over the next few months are the reason why 5 friends from Melbourne have decided to give back to the country that has treated us so well.