I’m sitting on a little two-plank bridge across the stream, dangling my feet in the cool water. The fall in front of me isn’t very tall, only a few meters, but it’s wide, like the large, semi circular brim of a bowl, the water flowing over the edge into the green pool at the bottom. The sunlight shining through a gap in the clouds hits the spray and forms a rainbow that hangs, evanescent and shimmering, in front of the the green clad rock wall.… Read the rest
I’m by the small turquoise pool at the foot of the falls. In front of me the water comes crashing down from a ledge of charcoal grey rock. The booming is so deep and so loud it sounds like someone playing the bass drum right next to me. In the background the gurgling of the water downstream and the shriek of cicadas. Around me the steeply sloping sides of the river valley, covered in verdant green.… Read the rest
The sign says “Dangerous Zone” (song playing in my mind: Danger Zone from Topgun) and I can see why, in front of me, massive amounts of muddy brown Mekong waters go cascading down the cliffs in a series of steps, smaller falls feeding into each other, building up to the big one just in front. The roar is almost deafening, it drowns out the sounds of the other tourists nearby. The sign has been put up because while there is a fence, it looks none too sturdy and the ground is uneven and strewn with rocks. Trip, and you could … Read the rest
I’m on what counts for a ferry in this part of the world, two narrow boats interconnected by a wooden platform, forming a kind of catamaran with a long tail outboard in the back. Me and my bike are the only passengers, the driver, sitting at a wheel of rebar and controlling the motor with his foot, is a middle aged man with sunburnt skin, wearing a stereotypical Asian conical rice hat. The river, wide and brown, flowing sluggishly by, is dotted by little green islets. Some are big enough for houses, others just a few feet across. Up above … Read the rest
I am on a cliff face, my hands and feet on four metal brackets made from rebar, drilled into the rock. I’m on a sort of overhang, below my feet is a straight drop of several meters down to sharp looking rocks, if I fell I would likely die or at least break several bones. Balancing in what feels like a precarious way I unhook one of the safety ropes and move it forward to the next anchor point…… Read the rest
I’m right in the canopy, the top branches of the trees just inches from my feet. I’m on a sort of bridge consisting of two horizontal metal wires for your hands with wire loops hanging down about a step width apart for your feet. With the harness and double safety lines I know I’m safe but there is still a feeling of apprehension when looking down and I keep a steady grip with both hands.… Read the rest
I’m really high up now, zooming along a wire spanning the breadth of the valley. Down below the canopy of the jungle rushing by beneath my feet. To the right the mountain rises steeply to the booming waterfall and to the left, the view opens up to the valley beyond.… Read the rest
I’ve woken up and can’t go back to sleep, so I stand at the railing looking out into the night. Despite not having any lights I can see shapes in the darkness, the silhouettes of the trees, jet black against the charcoal grey of the night sky. Beyond that, stars, more of them than I have ever seen before, twinkling all over the sky. I take in the scene for a few moments before the night chill forces me back under the covers.… Read the rest
I’m lying in my bed listening to music before going to sleep. I can feel the chill of the night air on my bare skin and hear, over the sounds of the music, the whoosh of the waterfall in the background and the occasional frup frup of a moth hitting the protective cocoon of the mosquito net surrounding my bed. It is pitch black like it only gets in really remote areas, far from any kind of civilization, the only light is the tiny amount spilling out around the edges of my phone where it lies face down on the … Read the rest
I’m on a bridge consisting of three thin metal wires in a V-shape, one for your feet and two for your hands. I am balancing precariously as the single line for my feet keeps moving side to side with every step I take. Right below me a is the river, the water cascading over dark grey cliffs that would surely kill me if I fell. I would be scared if it wasn’t for the double safety rope that goes from a fourth wire down to my harness.… Read the rest
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