Same, Same but Different
Trip Start
Sep 10, 2007
1
10
40
Trip End
Jan 03, 2008
Ao Nang,
Thailand
Sunday, September 23, 2007
So I find myself still in Ao Nang today, almost a week after I arrived. And some bad fortune has struck my small travelling troupe, which makes me think I may be here for some time yet. It happened last night.
However, let me tell you a little about what has been happening before that. Thursday night and Friday has been the first time that I've found myself truly alone this whole trip. In some ways this was a little scary and intimidating to me, but at the same time grounding, as it gave me time to think about what I really wanted. My main travelling partner Lee and I do not seem to be the best companions for journey I wnat. And I believe we both realize that we want different things and are comfortable with parting ways. Although, none of this has been really verbalized or firmly agreed upon yet. Lee has spent the past five days or so in Railay and we didn't make firm plans on meeting up again. Until last night, my thought was to flee Ao Nang with Ryan and head to Ko Phi Phi Don.
I spent most of Friday reading, writing and sleeping on the beach, and chatting it up with a couple of local Thai guys, who had seem to take a liking to me. Ryan had rented a motorbike, and with a new friend Ramin, explored the surrounding area for the day. By the time the sun had set, I made my way to Ryan's bungalow at the opposite end of the strip, met up with him and cahtted about our past couple if days. Ryan, Ramin and I made plans to do some more exploring by motorbike today. Especially an area a bit to the north of here where there are some really neat caves and a national park. After plans were set, Ryan drove me back to my lovely room at J Mansion and we parted ways until the morning.
This morning arrived and Ryan was late picking me up. I went to his bungalow to investigate and found out that after dropping me off the night before, he had gotten into an accident on his motobike. All morning I was worried, as I didn't have any details of his condition and how badly hurt he was. However, I did now that Ramin was with him at the hospital and his crashed up bike has made it's way somehow back to the bungalow parking lot. He finally came back "home" so that I (and others) could see the damage. Road rash and bruises everywhere, banged up head with stiched and most of his left heel missing. (I mean MISSING...he was wearing flipflops. Yikes!) After some much needed attention from the group of friends he had made, and some pain killer drugs, he was out for the afternoon.
On one hand, he does look terrible, is not able to walk well and will take a while to heal. But on the other hand, as everyone mentioned, the crash could have been a lot worse! I was expecting broken bones and some sort of major head trama, but I guess in thst way he was lucky.
So, to say the least, things did not go according to plan for the day. At about 1 pm, Ramin suggested we head out on his motorbike anyways and get at least some exploring in. Without anything else to really do, I agreed. (Yes, yes, at frist a was a little leary and hesitant, but Ramin is a very responsible, cautious driver.)
Background on Ramin: born in Iran, grew up in Sweden and now lives in Thailand teaching english at the Krabi airport. Speaks many languages, including Thai, and owns his own motorbike. Knows the area well, is very science-oriented and enjoys challenging you with word games.
Our outing today was quite an adventure and a fantastic experience! I loved getting away from the tourist area and seeing the true, rural life of Thailand. First of all the countryside is simply gorgeous. Limestone cliffs and lush tropical jungle all around you. For once, it was nice to smell humid, fresh mossy air, instead of sewage and exhaust. It's amazing to see the dense jungle, allowed to grow right up to the roadway and create a sort of green mountain itself. Palm trees, vines on buzzing electrical wires and trees with every colour of flower. A breath-taking sight to behold, to be sure.
We drove about 50 kilometers north to an area called Ao Luk and visited a cave there named Pet Cave. On the way we stopped several times to rest our back and behinds and explore some parts on foot. The best stop was at this local Thai Muslim market where locals must shop and foreingers never go. I was getting all sorts of interested looks. This market was not too large but had so much from fruit and vegetables, to whole fish, clothing and housewares. There were brightly coloured roosters strutting around and kids running about without shoes. There, I tasted my first Mangostein then bought a whole plastic bag full (~25) for only 10 baht! I also purchased a bamboo rod for 25 baht, which I hope is full of sweet, sweet sticky rice! We also bought other various fruit, like mangoes and dragonfruit to snack on later.
At the enterance of Pet Cave is a Buddhist shrine where about a dozen or so monks live in these cute little bungalows on stilts. Ramin was allowed to enter and talk to the monks, but I was not. I think because I was not properly dressed or maybe because I am a female. (?) I'll look into that and find out. Ramin gave the monks an offering of a watermelon and they gave us a large flashlight to use in the cave. Caving was a thrill! Pet cave translates to Diamond Cave in Thai and is named so because of the sparkling walls. Great thing was that we were the only ones there. No tourists, no path, no markers. Just "here's a torch, knock yourselves out!" The cave was wet, very dark and had many, amny chambers that one could easily get lost in. Luckily we were on the ball and brought along a trusty branch which we could pull leaves off and leave a trail, a la Hanzel-and-Gretle-style. What fun! Climbing over rocks, crawling through very small openings, wading though knee high pools and of course...bats! Lots of them. It was a great experience.
By that time, we had to cut out adventure short and head on home before it got dark. The sun sets around 6:30 pm here and it goes down very quickly. Back at Blue Bayou, we checked on Ryan and all ate dinner together at the reaturant there. Ramin and I are thinking about heading out again tomorrow. He says there's a Buddhist temple around here where you must climb over 1000 steps up to get to. Sounds great! I alwys enjoy a challenge and look forward to my next adventure!
Comments
=)
Sounds amazing ;) I love hearing these stories. You be careful, don't get in any accidents yourself. I'm glad he's okay. And of course the boys took a liking to you! I've always told you you're a beautiful woman. When will you believe me? =)
Love Darren
XOXOX!