I have just returned from a visa run to Laos where an encounter was just that...
At the moment Khao Yai and Beyond are working with OutdoorFitness Ltd. of Cardiff to plan a 2 week boot camp in the jungles of Thailand. It will be fitness and activity based, but will also include activities unique to Thailand such as a 4 day trek into remote jungle, snake training and survival skills for this environment...as well as some very nice food on occasions. I was planning to include a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) training session but had so far failed to find any suitable location/trainer etc.
And so back to the Celestine Prophecy.
On Thursday morning, I was outside of the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, waiting for it to open. The sun was already beating down on us beet-faced sweating Westerners, desperate to get the whole process overwith. I caught the eye of an equally wilted man, smiled and we got talking. The usual stuff to start, where are you from...blah blah..all part of that well worn script for travellers. During the conversation, he introduced me to his Thai friend who had drive him up. He was wearing a polo short with an Olympic logo on, so it made for easy conversation, myself being a gold medal olympic armchair observer this summer.
The upshot of it all was, that through this chance encounter, where I chose to chat to a stranger instead of reading my book, I met a Muay Thai and boxing coach. Not only that, he lives and works near the Khao Yai. The cherry on the cake is that he's not just any boxing coach, but Thailand's top national one, who had recently coached Thailand's silver medal winner in the London Olympics.(hence the polo shirt)
Oh yes....and he would be happy to organise some training for our bootcamp.
Oh...and would I like a lift back home to Thailand instead of an 8 hour ordeal of a bus ride?
Oh yes :)
If anyone would like to know more about the Thailand Boot Camp, please contact Jeff or Stuart on [email protected]