Read Chapter 6: “The Waterfall,” here!
When they reached their car in the parking lot of Erawan National Park, they rested for a while.
“Where are we going next?” Alice asked Dad.
“We will go canoeing, but first I have to check the map because I’m not sure where the canoeing pier is,” said Dad. “Brandon, please take out the map from the trunk.”
Brandon looked for the map in the trunk of the car. After he found it, he spread it on the hood of the car. The family gathered around the map.
“We are here,” said Dad, pointing his finger at a place on the map of Kanchanaburi Province.
“Where do we have to go?” asked Mom.
“Let me see… oh, here!” exclaimed Dad.
“Do you know the way to that place?” asked Alice.
“We have to go along this red line on the map… Okay, now I know,” said Dad with a big smile on his face after carefully examining the map. “Everybody, put your backpacks in the car. We have to hurry up! We have to be there before five p.m.”
As soon as they arrived at the pier they parked the car and took all their bags. The tour guide was waiting for them.
“You’re right on time. Take the life jackets, put your bags in the canoe and get on next to the others,” said the guide.
The Lesters got in the canoe. The children were very excited.
“Look Dad, they have paddles,” said Brandon, taking one paddle into his hands.
The guide overheard him and said, “Yes, we all have to paddle along.”
Apart from the guide and the Lesters, in the canoe there were three other tourists. Addressing everybody, the guide said, “We will all paddle to the jungle huts, where you will spend the night.”
“How far is it?” asked one of the other passengers.
“It about four kilometers down the river,” the guide replied. “To be efficient and fast we all have to paddle at the same time. I will sit in the back and steer the canoe in the right direction.”
Everybody grabbed a paddle.
“Are you ready?” asked the guide.
“YES!” replied the passengers in unison.
“Okay then. Let’s go!” said the guide.
After about two hours of paddling, the boat approached a beautiful lagoon.
“Look, we’ve arrived!” exclaimed Brandon.
They stopped the canoe near a floating pier. Everybody got off and went into their huts.
Illustration by Eric Barrientos
