For one travelling in a vehicle, the roads are an experience of a thrill ride. Ok, it is hard to describe, because one really has to have the full 5 senses in play to comprehend the joy of the ride. But here is my best shot….. It is up STEEP mountain climbs starting on pavement then to dirt to river banks, to river roads (yes, driving in the middle of a running river), to rock beds, to narrow roads that are half washed out. All the while you are hearing the slosh of going through water, hearing squish of the up to 3 feet deep mud under the tires, feeling the tires slip as you drive through, realizing you are 3 inches away from a 300 foot drop off due to the wash out. You are smelling the green of the jungle and fresh rain while having your body slammed around as the vehicle ventures up the mountain… Sum it up as a thrill ride that made one laugh and left bruises on my body. All good fun!!! It was truly an adventure to arrive at a most important destination. And remember what goes up must come down. It was just as thrilling too!!!

Funny thing, I realized that in Thailand some of my elephant jokes don’t work. You know, why did the elephant have stripes painted on his back… so that he could hide on the highway. Ha-ha, have you ever seen an elephant on a highway? Well, here in the US, ah, no… But in Thailand, they need blinkers. That was pretty cool to see elephants being “driven” (ridden by a driver) down the road. Sorry, no photos… as we clipped by at approx 70-80mph on a two lane road… There are only speed suggestions, no limits… that is another thrill to be had.

I have a real appreciation for those who have gone before me with the message. I rode in awe as I imagined the travel by foot, horse, or elephant to some of these remote villages. Jenny shared that she took a motorbike (moped) to the village. When asked how she got the bike through the mud and river, she said “We carried it!”…. SELAH!

See photos below….