Modes of Transportation

(Written February 22)
The various modes of transportation in Thailand and Laos are an experience unto themselves. In less than 48 hours, I've gone from the very south of Laos (Don Det island in Si Pahn Don) to Pak Chong (a couple of hours from Bangkok). This involved one boat, 4 so-called VIP busses, one local bus (recall mention of glorified pickup truck), a tuk-tuk, and an 8 hour train. Oy vay!
I've come to Pak Chong because it's the gateway to Khao Yai National Park, which is supposed to be one of the best in Asia, if not the world. I'm a bit skeptical of the claim though. I'm sure there are some amazing animals here (gibbons, gaurs, elephants, various monkeys, and a dazzling array of birds if you're into that kind of thing), but I haven't seen anything in either Thailand or Laos to suggest that managing wildlife is something that is invested in very heavily (if at all). Still, we'll see.