Khao Yai National Park- A Beautiful Place

I am blown away by the beauty of this country. Yesterday I hiked through the jungle, visited one of the prettiest places I've ever been to, felt the mist from the tallest waterfall in Thailand, and saw a wild elephant and monkeys in their natural habitat. I even put a scorpion on my shoulder! The day before that we visited a bat cave, watched thousands of bats leave their cave at dusk, and swam in a natural spring. Our group of 33 international students stayed at a hotel that offered tours that were reviewed highly online and also one of the cheapest tours that goes to Khao Yai National Park. I went on a day and a half tour, ate all of my meals at the hotel's restaurant, and stayed there for 2 nights for a whopping total of 1,555 baht, which is equivalent to about $51.80.

It's hard to capture the beauty that I saw this weekend in a photo because that picture shows only a small element of that moment. To really understand what it was like you have to be there to smell the fresh air, hear the birds and the movement of the branches and grass in the wind, feel the tall, rough grass brush against your legs, and see the sights of the untouched land in front of you.

My love for nature has grown. I've never been much of an outdoorsy person, but already I would like to go hiking more. I have made plans with a friend of mine here that lives a few hours away from me at home to go hiking sometime. I'd also like to go on a safari in Africa. I love seeing animals in their natural habitats much more than at the zoo.

I am hoping to be able to spend a day with rescued elephants at a humane elephant camp. Unfortunately, there are many elephant camps in Thailand that don't treat the animals well. It's sad to see these beautiful creatures doing very unnatural things. It gives me a sick feeling in my stomach to imagine how they were trained to do those circus tricks, and also to see how entertained some of the audience is. Known for grace and beauty, elephants are also dangerous when they feel threatened, something that I witnessed this weekend. While traveling through Khao Yai national park, there was an elephant right behind our truck, following us down the road for about a half hour. Behind the elephant were cars backed up because they couldn't get around the elephant. One car tried to make a break for it but the elephant was not happy about it. He swung around rather suddenly, threatening the car not to pass. For a second it seemed as if the elephant was going to drive his tusks through the car.

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from this weekend!