home away from home

Friday, April 24th 2009:
The next day in the afternoon we took a taxi to the train station. The train left at 6pm so we had some time to kill. I had a chat with an older Thai lady who had lived in Germany for a couple of years. I usually take  every chance to practice my Thai language skills.
I am not a traveller, I am a thaitraveller. I don't collect visa stamps in my passport and the reason for this is fairly simple: I fell in love with Thailand very early on one of my first travels being just 21. Well I say it like this: Once you are in love there is no desire to fuck around anymore. So I keep coming back. Altogether I spent about 18 months in this amazing country and I just love it. I love the delicious food, the beautiful nature, it's laid back religion , rich culture, funny language but most of all it's extremely friendly people there. I heard in Cambodia they are even more friendly and less business-like than the Thais but speaking the language fair enough is a big door opener.
We went on our train and about an hour after we left Hualomphong railway station our beds were being made by the staff when I had a beer watching the sunset . My girlfriend was getting excited. She loves to travel but she never went by overnight train, Thai people usually take ta bus. This is slightly cheaper, faster but less comfortable. On sleeper train I can sleep several hours at night and so we did.
We arrived at PhunPin, the railway station of Surat Thani at about 6 am in the morning. I felt quite refreshed since I could get some sleep. When we got off the train there was already a bunch of young Thai girls awaiting those tourists who booked a joint ticket to the islands Ko Samui and Ko Phangan. I think we were the only tourists who booked a ticket to Surat Thani only. Some other Thai guys asked us where we were about to go, offering us a taxi. But I left the touts behind and we walked to the local bus stop. We bought the tickets, had some breakfast there but we had lots of time: Our bus was late. They told us the reason for this was an accident.
Do you know Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? This is it I thought: every time I sit here waiting for a bus it's late and had an accident...
After what seemed like ages we got on the bus. Coming closer to our destination I was getting excited. I went up and down this road many times. I was looking forward to meeting my good old friends and spending a great time with my girlfriend together there. About 2 and a half hours the bus dropped us at the bus stop at km 109, near the park's headquater.
Khao Sok National Park is Thailand's second largest national park. To me it's a magical place. It has primary rainforest which is hard to find on this planet. The park's headquater is near to the bus stop they dropped us off. That's where most of the bungalows are too.But the park is huge. The lake, it's main attraction is about halfway to Surat Thani.
Getting off the bus I looked into many familiar faces. I spent many months there and most local people know me. Among them was Praiwan, my friend. We know each other since my first trip to Thailand back in 1999. That time she was building  her huts and I helped her a little bit building up her business. You could call it work but it never felt that way. I didn't get paid- I didn't want to but I had free shelter and food and a whole Thai family of friends.
Knowing my handicapped she had reserved the one bungalow that I stayed at before. Somehow she didn't seem as happy as she usually is .The rewasin for this was she had to go to a business meeting on Ko Chang. She asked me if I could help her staff a little bit while she was away.My job was just to be there for the tourists and help them if I could .I couldn't deny her request.