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Mathos

Some of the buildings were nestled discreetly into the jungle, I actually wondered if there was such a thing as careful and considerate planning in the location or was the hit and miss factor simply working at 100% plus.






Beautiful to see isn't it though.

__________________
All the women take their blouses off
And the men all dance on the polka dots
It's closing time !

Thetyim

^^
Yes a pub/karaoke would ruin the place but I expected to see a few locals sitting down drinking
Lao Khao but they wasn't any.

We stayed in the house opposite that restaurant .
I reckon the eggs up there were the best I have ever tasted.
Fresh from the hen and not weeks old like the normal ones in LOS

Mathos

Eggs. Superb,totally agree with you on that one. We noticed and have noticed before, the more remote and area is from civilisation the better the eggs and most food tastes. The eggs are unique in a manner that actually smells of freshness before they are even placed in front of you.

Mathos

Every home had gone to the trouble of planting so many flowers around it's boundaries, but it wasn't a garden appearance it was well presented in a more natural manner than any normal flower bed or manicured lawn was ever going to display.

Superb.



We were both fascinated and intrigued by the village and homes in general. Must say, all of the people we met there came across as being rather special in their own mannerisms too.





The views in genral were over and above nice.


Looking into the jungle itself was even better.

Mathos

So it finally came around to tree topping time, or flying through the canopies. An exhilarating chance in our lives to soar above a 1500 year old rain forest. Walk along bridges suspended hundreds of feet above the jungle floor and experience a few hours in a system once reserved for a select group of highly privileged scientists.



Flobo was trussed up first.




So you have the harness which is rather akin to a paragliding assembly. Additional kit is the two wheeled clamp on for allowing you to ride down the wire cables above you. Then a safety clamp which is used each time you are detached from the overhead and find yourself either walking on one of the fifteen different stages we encountered or walking the bridges in space so to speak.

You will appreciate what I mean as the additional photographs come up.

Oh yes... I almost forgot the brake.

See the piece of bamboo in her left hand, that is the brake,

Find yourself heading too fast towards one of the landing stages and you have to hook on the cable above you and pull down rather smartish.

It works too.


Y'all ready for this girl.






There she looks ready.


It's high she remarked.

Mathos

Well I soon found myself getting trussed up too. The safety helmet seemed a bit small. But then I thought, Mathos old lad, if you fall from up there a safety helmet will be as much use as a cushion.

Shut up and get flying.






When you look off the platform and see it like this you kind of get that feeling of 'What the bloody hell am I doing?'

Mathos

He flies through the air with the greatest of ease.


You have to remember to lift your legs up as you approach the landing stages, you are certainly moving at a fair old speed up there and apparently people have broken their legs by not judging the landing stage correctly and crashing into the same.






Flobo had no problem at all getting air borne and enjoyed every minute of it. She wants to do it again too.

Mathos

It's absolutely fantastic once you are up there.


It's something we have done in life which has been an unforgettable experience.







Sometimes you think the trees have a direct route to the heavens.





Flobo made me laugh on one of the high stages.

It reminds me of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid when they were about to jump off that mountain into the river. Remember Sundance, he said "I can't swim"
and Butch said. "So what the fall will probably kill you anyhow!"




Life can be a lot of fun at times, and the adrenalin buzz with this little lot was absolutely fantastic.

Marmite the Dog

Encore!

Mathos

The guides were outstanding very professional and extremely safety conscious.






The views from these points were mind blowing at times.

Mathos

MtD, thank you.

Mathos

These bridges were something else too. If you can imagine they sway with each step you take, sway and buckle but you carry on walking, what a feeling.

I've just got to do this again before I get too old to enjoy this type of fun.




I remember saying to Flobo, You go first love and I'll hold it steady"

Mathos

We absailed down a couple of high ones like this as well. That was brilliant, Flobo had never absailed before this and she thought it was brilliant.

You can see the ropes we descended on to the right of the tree.






This one too the ropes are still up here which we came down, side by side.
She said... " Do you come here often?"

Mathos

Wow, some of the photographs are quite spectacular.






We both feel pretty good about the achievement and the way the photographs have turned out. More good luck than good management.

We both simply point and click and neither of our cameras are special at all. The third camera is part and parcel of a video unit.

So all in all the pics are quite good we think.







This was I think about the longest stretch we did, it went at a hell of a speed too.

Mathos

There were a few of those sky bridges to walk across. It's amazing how you adapt to the swaying etc.







This was a nice photograph it is almost at the end of the jaunt as well. Pity that.





It gives you an idea of how high up we were, and we had abseiled down at least two extremely high levels by the time we reached this one showing the dirt road below us.

Mathos

I was talking to the guys about how they erected this little lot. It sounded like it had been a tremendous undertaking. Great care had been taken too not to damage any of the trees with the fixtures and fittings





One, two, three and pull had apparently been the order of the day, for many days I bet too.

The guides took the time to show me some walkways around the various canyons they had traversed in order to get the materials into situation. Great care and safety measures had been taken all round.

Apparently the whole concept had been designed and engineered by New Zealand and Austrian specialists.

Well done to all concerned,





Some of the views are spectacular. sorry if I harp on about them, but natural beauty like this is marvellous.

jizzybloke

Another good story and great pics too, keep going Mathos!

Mathos

I pick one for a screen saver and then another, then another. Driving myself bloody daft with them all.







Sometimes I had sincere doubts as to the strength of the rope and doubted it would hold me.






It did.





Flobo is only about 118 lbs against my 200 lbs or so. I thought I should have a thicker rope, you know, like they use on ships. Liners. About ten inches thick.

Mathos

Talk about building 'Castles In The Sky'






Another special one here, superb.






We were almost at the end of the trip at this stage.

Mathos

Go on Flobo, I'll hold it steady.








The things we do for our women.


At the end of the day, Lord hear me pray!