ODD COUPLE The rugged terrain dominated by imposing rocky outcrops and colourful wild flowers attract visitors to Phu Hin Dang in Ubon Ratchathani at this time of the year. Phu Hin Dang is part of Phu Jong Na Yoi National Park that straddles Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Its pristine forest cover is home to exotic wildlife and a happy hunting ground for poachers. It was in the wee hours of the morning that I caught the faint hum of motorcycle engines. It became louder after a while and I checked my watch; it was 3am. The sound couldn't have carried all the way from downtown, which was not entirely impossible, even though we were a good distance away - deep in a jungle in whose eerie silence you could literally hear a pin drop. "It's the hum of motorcycles," confirmed Boonmee Chantasit, a park ranger, as he and his colleagues grabbed their rifles and hit the dirt trail in pitch darkness. I didn't follow them but kept my distance just to make sure I didn't get caught in the crossfire because by now it was apparent they suspected poachers, and from what I knew the latter too would be bearing arms. Fortunately, things didn't go that far. "They fled into the night leaving their motorcycles behind," said one ranger later as he emerged from the bush after having given the poachers a good chase. Phu Hin Dang and its weird rock formations have attracted nature lovers for a long time. In the morning I followed the park rangers to a sandstone plateau and the view was pleasantly imposing - a free-flowing stream crisscrossed flower beds pocked with rocks beaten into bulbous shapes by elements of nature. Fog hanging over the valley added an aura of mystique to the landscape. At certain points the stream had created small pools in which frolicked tourists as if it were their personal jacuzzi, while white and green lichens grew fat on the rocks. Colourful orchids and wild flowers grew everywhere. Purple flowers of the species Osbeckia stellata or En-Ar were in full bloom, as were the tiny bright yellow flowers that stretched far into the distance. A famous orchid found here is the Dang Ubon or Doritis pulcherrima, a terrestrial variety whose flower is biggest among species in the Doritis family. At the plateau's edge was a cliff from which tourists could enjoy a scenic view of Laos, and a boundary marker separating the country and Thailand. "Standing at this point on the cliff you can be in both countries at the same time," said Boonmee pointing to the marker, beyond which lay Champasak Province of Laos. |