Somewhere in Prachuab Khiri Khan, Thailand, there is a beautiful one kilometer trail that leads into a coastal
forest lined with Tengars or Prong Dang (in Thai)
and Rhizophora apiculata. The park is called the Wana Utayan Pranburi.
 Our tour consisted of my dad, my mom and my sister. I, of course, took a long nap all the way from Bangkok to the park. (Actually, I woke up once to have lunch at Haad Chao Sam Ran). My family couldn't convince me to come out of the car. I was determined to continue my Rapid-Eye-Movement session. "Just keep the doors open", I told the rest of my family, "I'll be fine".
Then a wasp entered the car and drove me out side. I guess I am awake now. Let's hike.
It was in the middle of May but the late afternoon sun did not bother us. The forest was cool and comfortable. The tide was low during that afternoon and the wind relatively calm. I brought a bottle of water but never need it.
 In the coastal
forest, the trees' trunks and roots tell a story of survival. It's
evolution at its best. The signs along the nature trails explain -- Prop
roots support trees on soft soil and air roots harvest more oxygen. There
are a lot of reading opportunities on this trail. Mom said that the signs
have been written by a professional writer. Some of them were pretty
humorous.
One of the signs tells you to listen to the popping sound of the
Kung Pae. Pae is the should that the shrimp makes in the water. It's a shrimp that makes very loud popping noise. I heard such
sound but I am sure if it was the shrimp or my sister.
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Another sign said for us to look for Mae Hop.
The description says that Mae Hop is a member of the shrimp family and can grow up to a foot long -- just like your average alien.
We saw the mounds that belong to these Mae Hop. They were about a foot tall and each had an opening about 3 inches wide.
My sister said she didn't want to see it, neither did I. We, however, saw a bunch of bright colored one arm crabs. These crabs have
one leg (arm) that is much larger than the other legs. It has a nick name "politician crab" because of its permanently raised arm.
Civilization always catches up with you, when
your trying to escape.
Along the trails, I see advertisment for Pepsi in the form of trash.
Since no one in their right mind would have the audacity to pollute such a beautiful park, I concluded that it must have
floated in with the tide.
I also realized how beautiful the side of the road is (now that I am awake). There were long lines
of young teaks in the middle of road. It's refreshing to see such beautiful trees along the side of the Royal Road No. 3.
No more than five years old, the teaks stand tall, oblivious to the Thai politician scandals
involving the importation of their kind from Burma.
Occasionally I see truckers driving by showing off their
creative work. The unique colors on the side of the trucks are a reminder that
life hauling the same old stuff back and forth doesn't have to be boring.
It sure beats the vapid "How am I driving?" sign in the back of the trucks in the U.S.
Check it out. Aren't the Thai ten wheelers (Sib Lor) the prettiest trucks in the world?
