Krabi Day 2

I have to say I started this day with guarded expectations and ended up very pleasantly surprised.  

After almost an hour long taxi ride, we arrived at the Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve. We started by winding our way 1.4 km on raised concrete walkways along a stream through what I'd call jungle. There were huge trees with root structures like winged buttresses. In places insect(s) high in the trees gave you the sensation of 100 decibel tinnitus. It was an unnerving ringing, not a buzzing like cicadas or crickets (there are large beetles here that have that genre covered too). Enough of bugs. After what was actually a very nice walk, we arrived at the Emerald Pool (aka Crystal Pond or Sa Morakot in Thai). It was a beautiful, clear, greenish, cool, sandy-bottomed pool maybe 100 feet (30m) in diameter with streams flowing in and out. We were the first people there and swam for more than an hour. 

We then walked upstream 0.5 km to the "Blue Pool," a smaller, astonishly-hued,  natural pool with bubbling spring water. Understandably, but to all of our disappointment there was no swimming in the Blue Pool. After photos, we returned to the Emerald Pool for more swimming before heading back to the taxi for a 7 km ride to a hot spring. Good timing, there were hundreds of people on their way to the pools as we left.

Located in the jungle, the hot spring was a series of natural hot-tub/jacuzzi-like pools (nam tok rawn in Thai). The pools were formed as minerals in the water precipitated as the water cascades over the rims of the pools creating naturally hollowed-out bathtubs, some up to 5 feet deep.  The rock was a bluish-green (I'd guess copper-based) limestone. I'd guess the pools were around 105 F making for a nice soak while looking up at the sun filtering through the tree canopy. The hot spring cascaded into a cool stream where we spent most of our time swimming. There were places in the stream bed where I am sure you could hard boil eggs if you buried them in the sand. Thanks to Zoe for finding my glasses after some rough housing!

After we got back to the hotel, Zoe and Ellie got purple pedicures and I got a brutal message. Another fantastic day in paradise.