Kanchanaburi to South Thailand.
Trip Start
Apr 16, 2008
1
7
33
Trip End
Aug 11, 2008
Krabi,
Krabi,
Thailand
Monday, May 5, 2008
While Sam went to the Rail Museum, relating to Death Rilway we visited the previous day, Christina treated herself to the best facial and a pedicure. We then had dinner @ Ali Bongo's Indian and induklged in desert and chocolate overload (choc ice cream , choc sauce, choc cookie, plended into a smoothie with a fair tiddle of Bayley's - mmm).
We rebooked the cooking course for Sat morning before our bus at 12.20 to take us to Bangkok to catch the train to South Thailand... and am really glad we did. The market was an eyeopening experience... and far from inside Tesco! There were the whole variety of meat such as chicken, beef, pork ect with the addition of skinned lizzards, rabbits; umpteen fish stalls - where the fish are still alive in bowels of water before being bought ( very fresh!); and an array of vegetables and noodles we'd not seen before. Back at the class we learned and made spring rolls, sweet and sour prawns and Thai green+ red curry.
Christina: We then took a 2 hr bus ride and 12 hr train ride... in 3rd class as 2nd class was sold out! to Surat Thani, followed by another 3 hr bus ride to Krabi where we stayed for just one night, as the monsoon had come early, much was closed, we booked onto a two night trip to Ko Lanta for 2 nights in a resort on the middle of the island ...
Ahhh, this is the life!
with a swimming pool! wow, what a treat. The 1st day we spent around the pool, and as Ko Lanyta is a really small island with nice beaches in the north, I entrusted Sam's moped bike riding to head to the beach. After breaking down as we'd run out of petrol 'gas' before we could get to the 'gas station' I toddled off to get a bottle of gas, which a local informed was 1k down the road while Sam waited with the bike. After 25mins of walking and asking for directions to the nearest gas station, and being directed further and further away from where we broke down, Sam was really worried, had been given some gas by a local, and pulled up alongside me on the road, just as I was making my way back to Sam with 2 bottles of gas after walking at least 3k to find out that gas is tapped out of barrels found outside a locals shop/ house - whoever decides to buy a barrel and sell gas really- and I'd walked passed 3 before realising and purchasing gas at the 4th 'gas station'! Finally, we got to the beach for a well deserved relax :-)
The following day, we had a early morning bus to take us over to Ko Phi Phi.
Lots of love to everyone @ home.
XxX
After one night stay in Krabi we went to Ko Lanta for 2 nights in a resort, which was a lovely setting and the resort was ok. Wednesday we cought a boat to Ko Phi Phi (island)... and are now off on a boat ride around the cluster of 4 islands. On this tour we are hoping to see 'the Beach' film.
sorry its a short update, internet is really expensive on the islands and nothing much to say.
Be in touch soon,
Lots of Love XxXxX
Comments
I'm bored now!
All we heard so far is how good things are! You'll both be getting us jealous. What's been the down times so far? Got to have been some mosi's and reptiles in your sleeping bags by now - Come on, give us the gore, it's not much fun if there hasn't been any so far!!
Grant starts his GCSE's next week. RE is the first on 14 followed by PE on 16th. Then it's down to Swansea for a gala on 17th.
lead it's all going well so far. Look after yourselves.
Love, Mum & Dad
Cooking
Now you're both experts you can come and do a Thai evening for us when you get back! Went to lunch with Kerry today. She's recovering well from her operation and hopes to be back at school after the May break. Am going up to Scarborough for the May bank holiday for Julie's 25th wedding anniversary. Sophs coming up with Lynne and Steve so should be a good bash! Not quite the same as Thailand but close!!!Tee hee. Lots of love mum xxx
Re: Cooking
Hi mum,
yer will have to cook you a thai green curry when we get back. The lady boy chef was impressed with our effort :) hope Kerrys recovering ok. Julies bash sounds like good fun. We're in Phuket at the mo but internet is expensive so not on it much. Send my love to everyone. Love Sam xxx
Re: I'm bored now!
Lol, we've no bad times really, a few things have not gone to plan but have turned out fine and are quite laughable with hindsight, such as...
hireing a moped with barely enough petrol to get us to the station, we broke down half kilometre up the road and station was another 1.5 k away... to later find out that they don't have 'gas stations', just the odd person has a barrol with a small pump on top at the top of their driveways, or better still sells it in bottles... we wondered what the red liquid was people were selling outside their houses, lol! we then realised i'd passed 2 'gas stations' in my half hr walk to find gas while sam waited with the bike, hehe. No harm done.
2) Kanchanaburi was situated on a river... and while i've never been bitten before left with 20+ mosquito bites and am still collecting them. Have bought an expensive repelent from pharmacy now, so fingers crossed for less from now on.
3) we booked ourselves onto a bus to take us from Lanta Island, across on the ferry to Phi Phi island... our bus left early from the resort without us! But they got another van to speed us down to the pier, onto a different boat with took us to the boat we were supposed to be on, which had been holded for us just off shore... we had to swop bats in the middle of the sea, hehe. Was quite funny when we realised what they'd arranged for us.
But all is still really good. We're meeting Jo this evening for dinner and prob spend tomorrow with her.
Best of luck to Grant for 14th! I imagine how stressed eveyone is at home at the mo, but they'll be over in a few weeks. It's a horrible time for him and you all to be going through, i am thinking of him and relly hope he gets good questions.
Any more news from home? Jonhn hasn't changed his mind? Has nan/ bamp got their post cards?
Love you all lots XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX