1) MEA KONG SAI - Playing cards by candlelight. British friends Sarah, Izzy, and Michele taught me a new version of Hearts called "Moist and Hard." Use your imagination.

2) HUAY SOK - Irene hands her brother Robert his birthday present on his 50th Birthday. It was a card from all of us, plus a t-shirt. He spent his birthday rafting on bamboo rafts and riding elephants with us. "It's my best birthday ever!"

3) CHIANG DAO - My "mates" on the jungle trek: Robert, Steve, Graham and David.

4) MEA KONG SAI - Sleeping on hard bamboo floors covered by "Mozzie" nets. "Mozzie" is British slang for the malaria-carrying mosquitoes that feed at night.

5) PAI MAI DENG - Rice paddies at sunset. Pai Mai Deng is the third village we stayed at on the jungle trek. It's home for 75 people of the Karen hill tribe.

6) NEAR THE TEANG RIVER - We trekked more than 15 kilometers on the second day. Most of it was through thick jungles and leech-filled streams.

7) TEANG RIVER – Mark and Allie battle each other on bamboo rafts which were handcrafted a day before we sailed.

8) MEA KOK RIVER - Taking a refreshing bath after our third day of trekking.

9) MEA KONG SAI - A local tribe man cooks breakfast in the morning.

10) MEA TONG - Celebrating after completing 4 days and three nights in the north Thai jungles.

11) KANCHANABURI – Twelve-year-old Jao Marta laughs as he leads Mirek and me on my second elephant ride. We rode on Dao, a 100-year old elephant.

12) BANGKOK - With Steve and Jill from the US. I met them during my visit to the Bridge over the River Kwai.

13) BANGKOK - Enjoying my last night in Thailand with new Czech friends Petra V., Mirek, and Petra P. Both Petras are from Brno, and Mirek is from Benesov near Prague.