Smiles
October 2nd, 2009, 19:28
Waterfalls are often disappointing for those who make the journey in Thailand's tourist high season, for it's not only high, it's dry. December through March can often be journeyed through without experiencing hardly a drop of rain . . . never great for waterfall trekking. (The one proviso on this general statement would probably be the area around Phang Na, Phuket and further south, which is always more wet than the rest of Thailand.)
But visit these cool wooded gullies in September and you'll find many a full on water rush ... and it gets better and better if you take the time to climb further and higher.
Pala-U Waterfall is about 60 clicks west of Hua Hin and is one of the best. In mid September it's full as a goog with a misty green ambience and great surges of water roiling around deep pools and sliding over great slippery boulders worn smooth by erosion.
If you manage to find yourself in a Hua Hin host bar (all 2 of 'em) in September then grab a young man and invite him to take a trip with you to Pala-U for a day out. There's a charming little restaurant about 2 miles before you get to the falls (excellent food) so you can feed the poor man and then take him way up on to #6 falls and either take a swim or have your way with him. Up to you :blackeye:
PALA-U
A rather typical (and beautiful) shot of the bottom of the falls where the river finally calms down and takes a rest. Pala-U is a teriffic park, beautifully kept up by the staff ... food is not allowed past #2 falls (of 6), and ~ rather surprisingly ~ not a discarded plastic bag to be seen.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF0999_resize.jpg
On #3 falls (I think) something was going on.
Watching secretively through the vines and trees we stumbled upon a photo shoot of some kind. The guy in the white pants had a beautuful girl (a nymphette?) in his arms and was at the same time continually adjusting his pants in the attempt to get a shot of ass which would be 'just' legal. My first thoughts were porno(?). But I think it was more likely a session of advert stills for a movie or a Thai soap opera. Or a magazine? Or Thai Elle?
We never found out, but the guy was built like a brick hong nam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1003_resize.jpg
Here was my first view of a water nymph. This greeny background might well be Ireland, so why not a sprite or a fairy to round out the picture? This young man was resting contentedly (and definitely non-Irishly) on a rock in the middle of a pool and I just happened to be crossing a small bridge. Snap!
He never noticed, and hardly moved the whole time ... so I surely believe he was thinking of love and happiness and contentment. And why not, there, at that moment.
I envy the way Thais sit up, back straight, comfortably in such positions. It comes naturally to them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1009_resize.jpg
Up the river the water kept coming, sometimes in great rushes, sometimes gently as in this picture. We sat here for quite a long time, until the fish had tired of nibbling at the skin on our toes.
I tried sitting up comfortably like the nymph above, but could not.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1010_resize.jpg
Water nymph #2 (I'll call him 'Suphot') was going down for the 3rd count when I dove in to rescue him. Nymphs usually have little trouble going down, but this poor puppy was crying out for help. I reached him (with some effort) and managed to grab him by the crotch (all the better to save the wee boy) and haul safely him to shore ... by his ... where we ... in gratitude ... on a dry rock ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1026_resize.jpg
After some serious mouth to mouth resuscitation our nymph came around, and after some rest, grabbed the nearest hanging vine and mischievously proceeded to scare the shit out of me. I was called to join him many times, but decided that I would prefer to stay on dry land and attempt to perfect my 'sitting' technique.
The swinging nonsense lasted some time until Mr Suphot fell into the pool ... not being able to catch a handhold on shore. It was the last I saw of him, the (I-found-out-later) man eating fish at #5 falls being much larger (and hungrier) than the previous four.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1034_resize.jpg
ROUGH TRADE NYMPHS AT PRANBURI RIVER
You may recall a topic I put up earlier this year about the mangrove swamp trip we took and how it came out half way through the voyage into the Pranburi River and the quite large fishing village which lives there.
At the time I had taken some shots of the boys on the boats, but had to apologise because I could not find any of the half naked Thai fishermen I had seen on previous trips.
Well, I've found some ... thanks to my friend Bob who also took this trip and had recently provided me with all the photos he took last year.
By accident, I was looking through them and found some of the photos I know you all' might enjoy . . . in fact the very type of shots I'd always 'just missed', usually because of forgetting to bring the camera (which Bob never does!).
There's no commentary here, coz they're not my photos and not my story. Just consider them the Missing Evidence from the story before :headbang:
These are actually really good photos ... really good expression capturing ... really good smarts with a camera. All shots below I believe were taken 'around' April 2009.
Thanks Bob.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove48.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove49.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove53.jpg
Here are the Underwear Shots. All the guys in these photos are not the most classically handsome by any means, but they have a certain, er, sexy 'texture' ... a certain swaggery macho look ... a rough-but-gentle bunch ... an I-go-out-on-the-rough-seas-(and live to tell)-every-day ("and what do you do?") elan.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove54.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove55.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove56.jpg
But visit these cool wooded gullies in September and you'll find many a full on water rush ... and it gets better and better if you take the time to climb further and higher.
Pala-U Waterfall is about 60 clicks west of Hua Hin and is one of the best. In mid September it's full as a goog with a misty green ambience and great surges of water roiling around deep pools and sliding over great slippery boulders worn smooth by erosion.
If you manage to find yourself in a Hua Hin host bar (all 2 of 'em) in September then grab a young man and invite him to take a trip with you to Pala-U for a day out. There's a charming little restaurant about 2 miles before you get to the falls (excellent food) so you can feed the poor man and then take him way up on to #6 falls and either take a swim or have your way with him. Up to you :blackeye:
PALA-U
A rather typical (and beautiful) shot of the bottom of the falls where the river finally calms down and takes a rest. Pala-U is a teriffic park, beautifully kept up by the staff ... food is not allowed past #2 falls (of 6), and ~ rather surprisingly ~ not a discarded plastic bag to be seen.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF0999_resize.jpg
On #3 falls (I think) something was going on.
Watching secretively through the vines and trees we stumbled upon a photo shoot of some kind. The guy in the white pants had a beautuful girl (a nymphette?) in his arms and was at the same time continually adjusting his pants in the attempt to get a shot of ass which would be 'just' legal. My first thoughts were porno(?). But I think it was more likely a session of advert stills for a movie or a Thai soap opera. Or a magazine? Or Thai Elle?
We never found out, but the guy was built like a brick hong nam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1003_resize.jpg
Here was my first view of a water nymph. This greeny background might well be Ireland, so why not a sprite or a fairy to round out the picture? This young man was resting contentedly (and definitely non-Irishly) on a rock in the middle of a pool and I just happened to be crossing a small bridge. Snap!
He never noticed, and hardly moved the whole time ... so I surely believe he was thinking of love and happiness and contentment. And why not, there, at that moment.
I envy the way Thais sit up, back straight, comfortably in such positions. It comes naturally to them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1009_resize.jpg
Up the river the water kept coming, sometimes in great rushes, sometimes gently as in this picture. We sat here for quite a long time, until the fish had tired of nibbling at the skin on our toes.
I tried sitting up comfortably like the nymph above, but could not.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1010_resize.jpg
Water nymph #2 (I'll call him 'Suphot') was going down for the 3rd count when I dove in to rescue him. Nymphs usually have little trouble going down, but this poor puppy was crying out for help. I reached him (with some effort) and managed to grab him by the crotch (all the better to save the wee boy) and haul safely him to shore ... by his ... where we ... in gratitude ... on a dry rock ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1026_resize.jpg
After some serious mouth to mouth resuscitation our nymph came around, and after some rest, grabbed the nearest hanging vine and mischievously proceeded to scare the shit out of me. I was called to join him many times, but decided that I would prefer to stay on dry land and attempt to perfect my 'sitting' technique.
The swinging nonsense lasted some time until Mr Suphot fell into the pool ... not being able to catch a handhold on shore. It was the last I saw of him, the (I-found-out-later) man eating fish at #5 falls being much larger (and hungrier) than the previous four.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/DSCF1034_resize.jpg
ROUGH TRADE NYMPHS AT PRANBURI RIVER
You may recall a topic I put up earlier this year about the mangrove swamp trip we took and how it came out half way through the voyage into the Pranburi River and the quite large fishing village which lives there.
At the time I had taken some shots of the boys on the boats, but had to apologise because I could not find any of the half naked Thai fishermen I had seen on previous trips.
Well, I've found some ... thanks to my friend Bob who also took this trip and had recently provided me with all the photos he took last year.
By accident, I was looking through them and found some of the photos I know you all' might enjoy . . . in fact the very type of shots I'd always 'just missed', usually because of forgetting to bring the camera (which Bob never does!).
There's no commentary here, coz they're not my photos and not my story. Just consider them the Missing Evidence from the story before :headbang:
These are actually really good photos ... really good expression capturing ... really good smarts with a camera. All shots below I believe were taken 'around' April 2009.
Thanks Bob.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove48.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove49.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove53.jpg
Here are the Underwear Shots. All the guys in these photos are not the most classically handsome by any means, but they have a certain, er, sexy 'texture' ... a certain swaggery macho look ... a rough-but-gentle bunch ... an I-go-out-on-the-rough-seas-(and live to tell)-every-day ("and what do you do?") elan.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove54.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove55.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos/Mangrove56.jpg