Our First Night And Morning On The River,

as we arrived the sun was going down,

after parking the mini bus a short walk through the trees,

we come across the first of a few waterfalls,

which were joined by two or three more,

till they filled the frame,

we were looking forward to peace and quiet, but unfortunately for us work had started on a new foot bridge,

just as we arrived one of the 'tow' boats pulled along side the bank,

and this is what it was towing, many tourists on a floating hotel, basically you are towed up or down river, the barge tied up and you stay there for the morning or afternoon, just relaxing, doing some cooking, fishing or swimming,

our first look at the floating hotel,

the bedrooms on the river, walk ways connect the rooms to the restaurant,

inside our room, we then settled in for a after dark drink, we were going to be up early in the morning as the river life of the locals starts at sun up, sometimes before,

so up with the lark, unfortunately Steve took a bit of a tumble as he made his way to the restaurant for breakfast,

but he was all smiles when he got up, but his ankle was swollen for a few days, Diana was up bright and early, one of the hotel's cats was taking things easy under one of the bed rooms, back to lock the room,

this was going to be our floating day and evening time home,

the tow boats without a barge can be very fast, this one taking visitors to another resort, so light up the barby for breakfast,

Diana decided to change clothes when I told her we would be showering under one of the waterfalls- she did not really believe me, also she is still a little tired as you can see,

every one shared in with cooking,

work had already started on the bridge, but the construction workers generator was so quiet we really could not hear it, in fact if we did not see workers on the bridge we would not have known they were there,

another party of tourists makes it's way up river,

the boats are powered by a car engine mounted in gimbals on the back of the boat, steering is done by pushing the propeller left or right,

speed is controlled by a hand throttle, there are only two other controls, forward and reverse,

a wave as one of the tow boats goes past,

this barge even has a mini garden!

Diana helping out,

the start of a fried egg sandwich,

then eyes down for grub!

the height of the new bridge is a few metes taller than the old one, in the rainy season the barges could not get under the old one,

the engine for the boat, water is taken from the river and returned for cooling it,

work on the new bridge as visitors use the old one below,

our tow boat arrives,

and we are off, just as another boat passes along side,

we arrive at this waterfall,

it is not the rainy season so there is not a lot of water,

the barge is maneuvered below the fall,

there was a really nice bamboo growing down the side of one of the falls,

I could not get much closer with out getting the camera wet,

so first it was wash the dishes,

then take a shower, it was so cold!

then Steves turn,

then me,

then time to play,

standing under the flow was like getting a massage,

by now a cold Diana,

these are some of the rooms opisite the falls,

although you can not see it in the picture there was a almost a permant rainbow cayused by the water droplets,

another play under the falls,

'Ah!'

one more massage for me,

and for Diana,

all of us here,

we then leave the falls behind and continue downstream,

we are heading towards a cliff face in the valley,

a private house boat under the lee of the cliff,

it was as if a huge force just pushed the rock up out of the ground,

on the other side of the river it was flat ground, here a nice bamabo was growing,

group shot,

for some reson the girls wanted to have a picture taken of all of them jumping in the air at the same time, so here it is,

some more of the bamboos that line the river bank,

a few visitors in a fast boat fly past,

some of the cliff face is worn smooth, so I guess in years past the water level must have been higher,

ancinet and moderen, the cliffe with a new bridge in the distance,

Diana in relax mode,

and me still wet from the shower taking in the rays,

negotiating the river bend,

a barge going to where we had just been,

new dry shorts and shirt,

starting to get ready for lunch,

coming up to the ranger post, blowing bugles not allowed!

past the falls again,

and the bamboo growing there,

there also was a smaller fall nearby,

Diana strikes the pose with the falls in the background,

one last goodbye and we are off,

I mentioned the car engines powereing the boats, well like cars some of the owners have spent a lot of money on making the engine look nice, like this one,

one thing we have only seen here is lots of European tour groups putting on life jackets and floating with the current downstream,

another happy camper,

and another fast boat,

we motored upstream to park up for the afternoon opposite another fall,

a lot smaller than the others,

we then settled down for a spot of lunch and a beer or two!