SAWADEE FROM THAILAND

  Krabi, Thailand
Saturday, May 9, 2009

MONDAY 30th MARCH 2009 - BANGKOK - A day of "farewells". We said farewell to Nicole, our GAP tour leader, to Marilyn and Cam and Jin and Dipna. It was our last night in Bangkok.
 
TUESDAY 31st MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION KOH SAMUI - BUSES, TUK-TUKS and FERRY - After checking out of the Royal Hotel we went to a hairdressers on Kao San Road. Whilst we were being groomed the heavens opened outside. The huge downpour caused the cockroaches to make an appearance. It was like a plague as hundreds of them scurried around outside trying to get into the shops! The rain was relentless - roads flooded and the tuk-tuks came to a standstill. We managed to hail a taxi, which took us back to the Royal Hotel. At 5pm we made our way across the street to catch the overnight bus to Koh Samui. It was a strange journey and an experience. We were escorted to a shabby market place and each given a yellow sticker to put on our shirts. It was chaotic - loads of travellers going to different places, but all seemed to get on the same bus! We got seats on the top deck. It was a little cramped, but we watched two DVDs, although the ending was missing from one of them! At 11.40pm we pulled up outside a roadside restaurant. Other buses were also there. Hoardes of travellers came, ate and went. Our bus, however, came, went and didn't come back for 90 minutes - we then had to wait until the driver had eaten! 
 
APRIL FOOL'S DAY - No joke and still on the overnight bus. Surprisingly, we got some sleep. At 7am we got off the bus at a cafe and waited. A tuk-tuk came and took 10 of us (bags and all) down the road to another cafe. After 10 minutes we boarded a bus, which took us to the ferry port. We boarded the ferry - Koh Samui was in touching distance. It was a good crossing and at the other end we took a songthaew (a kind of pick-up truck) to Fisherman's Village, and then a taxi to the Sundays Sanctuary Resort and Spa - our home for the next 15 nights. It is a very nice place hidden in a tropical garden. We had a 'mountain (building site) view' room - a little rustic, but clean and spacious - a design based on earth and water elements. The resort had a spa and a superb black infinity swimming pool. It was boiling hot as we strolled into Fisherman's Village, although sections of the roads were flooded due an earlier downpour. A chap on a moped screeched to a halt in front of us and introduced himself as Kurt. Alarm bells started ringing and it soon became apparent that he was selling timeshare apartments. He gave us each a scratchcard - Dan didn't win, but Judith did. Kurt was astonished because nobody ever wins. He was a very good actor, but we didn't fall for his charms. We resisted the temptation to take a taxi to claim our prize, and an angry Kurt sped off into the distance. We had a tasty lunch at 'The Pier' overlooking Bophut Beach and the sea. Our first and lasting impressions of Fisherman's Village is of a quaint and small place adorned with restaurants, pubs, shops and boutiques.



REUNITED WITH JULIE AND PAUL AFTER EIGHT MONTHS - An overcast day was brightened up with the arrival of Julie (Dan's Mum) and Paul. We waited for them at the Peace Resort in Fisherman's Village. We asked the receptionist if we could hide behind the reception desk and surprise them, but she said "no". She did, however, let us hide behind a wall made from bamboo! They arrived at 11pm - a little jetlagged - but were pleased to see us. After eight months we had lots of catching up to do, but after a quick brew in their villa (affectionately known as the shed) we decided to let them get some sleep. We trekked back to Sundays - a good 30 minute walk with a sting in the tail, i.e. a steep hill at the end! However, it wasn't only the steepness we had to conquer - there were yapping dogs jumping out from the darkness, giant spdiers dangling from the telegraph wires, and once inside our resort we had to dodge the frogs sat on the decking singing and croaking at the top of their voices!
 
We spent the next couple of days with Julie and Paul at the Peace Resort. It is a great place located on the beach. We took a songthaew to Tropical Murphy's Bar in nearby Chaweng and met up with Amy and Rory (friends from the Indochina trip). It was teeming with rain and Judith got drenched because she had to stand and ride on the back of the songthaew. The only consolation was that the rain was warm! After lunch the sun came out, so we headed for the beach via the plush Library Resort. The reception is known as "contents" and the rooms are called 'Page I, Page II' etc. The red-tiled swimming pool overlooking the beach looked inviting, but it is only for residents, so we parked ourselves on the lovely beach. That evening we returned to Tropical Murphy's and settled down to watch Blackburn Rovers v Spurs. In the first half Spurs were awarded a penalty - Robbie Keane placed the ball on the spot and started his run-up, but just as he was about to strike the ball there was a power cut! When the power eventually came back on it was no surprise that Rovers were losing 0-1! We had faith and by the end of the game were jubilant - Rovers 2 Spurs 1. After the game we said farewell to Amy and Rory who were off to Koh Phangan (a neighbouring island) before heading for Australia via Singapore.
 
SUNDAY 05 APRIL  2009 - REUNITED WITH CAROLINE AND PHIL AFTER EIGHT MONTHS - A bright day, which we enjoyed at the Peace Resort. We ate corn on the cob and freshly cut pineapple prepared by a man on the beach. We became regular customers of his over the next two weeks, so much so that he referred affectionately to Paul as "Papa". Caroline and Phil arrived in the afternoon and had brought the good weather with them. It was good to see them again after eight months and they were in fine spirits after having spent a few days in Bangkok.
 
We spent the next few days relaxing and enjoying Koh Samui. One afternoon we had a game of football golf - it's the same as golf, but you kick a football! It was a 18 hole par 66 course with a free soft drink thrown in. It was good fun - the variety of holes were challenging, but hard on your feet. Judith somehow managed to get a hole in one at the 18th, so bought the customary round of drinks in the bar afterwards.
 



WEDNESDAY 08 APRIL 2009 - Caroline's birthday, so Julie kindly treated the ladies to a thai massage. It was very good - our bodies were kneaded, stretched, pushed and pummelled. Our legs reached heights that we didn't know were possible! In the evening we had a slap-up meal at the Cliff Restaurant. We sat outside, high up on a mountainside looking across a picturesque bay to a tropical headland. The sky was a myriad of colours - the sun was setting and storm clouds were raging in. When the rain came we moved inside. The food was delicious and the chocolate brownie birthday cake was heaven. We enjoyed after dinner drinks outside on the terrace in the moonlight. 




FULL MOON (09 APRIL 2009) - when hedonists flock to Ko Phangan island for a Full Moon Beach Party. There is also a HALF MOON PARTY and a BLACK MOON PARTY - it never ends! We decided to forego the Full Moon Party and stay put on Koh Samui. We took an island tour and visited various sights including, THE BIG BUDDHA, BIG BUDDHA BEACH (named after phallic and suggestive rock formations), NAMUANG WATERFALLS ("muang" means purple in Thai) and refers to the huge purple rocks that create the waterfalls. People rode on elephants to the falls, but we trekked there. A dip was out of the question - the water was gushing and it was a strange dirty brown colour. 



SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2009 - DAY TRIP TO MALAYSIA! We rose and shone at 4am, staggered to the bottom of the hill and were ferried to the port. There were 23 of us going to Malaysia to extend our Thai visas. It is crazy - you can only get 15 day visas if you enter Thailand overland, which we did via Cambodia. After the ferry crossing to the mainland we were herded into minibuses and driven to Satun. En route we had chicken and rice for breakfast. Most of our fellow travellers had done this journey before - we were in the minority, but it had to be done. At the border we got STAMPED OUT of Thailand, walked across NO MAN'S LAND, got STAMPED IN to Malaysia, walked round a brick building and got STAMPED OUT of Malaysia, walked back across NO MAN'S LAND, got STAMPED IN to Thailand. After a quick lunch we were back in the minibus to the ferry port. We arrived in Koh Samui at 8.30pm.
 
The next day we took a fabulous boat trip to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. The weather was perfect (hot and sunny and clear skies). We boarded a speedboat, which was a little cramped, but the service was very good - unlimited soft drinks and sea-sick tablets! We snorkelled in the warm waters at Koh Tao, one of the world's most famous areas for underwater sightseeing. We saw some giant coral and colourful fish. Koh Nang Yuan is 3 islands connected by a white powdery sand beach - a miracle of nature. It is idyllic. 
 
"SAWADEE PEE MAI" - Happy New Year - April 13 is the start of the traditional Thai New Year also known as "Songkran", which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. It is celebrated over a few days by the Thai people from the old to the young and from the royalty to the ordinary people. Before the celebrations people clean their houses to cast away any bad luck of the old year, so that good fortune will slip into their new lives instead. In some northern rural areas explosive sounds and loud noises are made to chase away the ghosts. Candles are lit and piles of wood are burned in front of houses on New Year's Eve to shine the way for the spirits, which old people believe will come out of their places on that night. We had no choice but to join the Thai people and experience Songkran, especially in the well-known "water-throwing feast" - used as a means of greeting, blessing and showing respect! The Thais in the olden times held that water was a pure thing, which was able to wash away all kinds of evil and misfortune and bring good luck and happiness with it. We had great fun walking from the Sundays Resort to the Peace Resort. The man in the laundry at the bottom of the hill turned the hosepipe on us. In Fisherman's Village we were drenched with water from giant water pistols and buckets from pick-up trucks loaded with water. Our faces were also smeared with white paste made from talcum powder. The Thai people were very sweet and apologetic as they carried out their actions! Judith tried to retaliate with a rather small and pathetic water pistol. We arrived at the Peace Resort looking like two drowned rats and got some very strange looks! Later in the day, the staff at the Peace Resort paraded round the grounds and inevitably ended up in the pool fully clothed! Two guests who had just arrived got caught up in the middle of all this. They didn't look too pleased because they and their luggage got wet as they made their way to their "shed". In the evening things had calmed down and we celebrated Julie's 70th birthday, albeit prematurely, at the Sea Wrap restaurant (Peace Resort). The sea was literally wrapped around us as we tucked into a slap-up buffet style meal on the beach sat on giant bean bags. We were entertained by a singing duo, fire-eaters and cocktail waiters juggling Tom Cruise style. Julie was presented with a huge birthday cake and other diners joined in with a Thai rendition of "Happy Birthday". It was a good night. Judith later lit a lucky lantern in memory of her Mum and watched it soar high into the night sky above the sea and sand.

TUESDAY 14 APRIL 2009 - JULIE's 70th BIRTHDAY - We gave her some birthday gifts - a scarf, a bag and a purple beach dress. We spent the rest of the day sunbathing and swimming and then had another birthday meal in the White Elephant restaurant overlooking the sea.




THURSDAY 16 APRIL 2009 - DESTINATION PHUKET - After the departure of Dan's family it was time to move on, so we made our way to Koh Samui airport for our flight to Phuket. Samui airport is lovely - it resembles a holiday resort - lots of quaint shops and restaurants surrounded by beautiful scenery. We took advantage of the courtesy corner whilst we waited for the gate to open (had free soft drinks and Thai nibbles). The flight was on schedule and we arrived in Phuket at 6pm. We took a 'shared' minibus and toured Phuket before reaching CC Blooms, which is perched on top of a very steep hill and which would make a good ski slope - a black run at that!

In the next couple of days we explored Phuket including the lovely Kata Beach and the livelier resort of Patong. We also went to the PHI PHI Islands. A minibus took us to the Phuket Marina where we climbed aboard a speedboat. It was a hot day and the sky bright blue and cloudless -just perfect. After a while Phi Phi Ley, an uninhabited island, came into sight and we were greeted with spectacular limestone cliffs - magnificent. We anchored at Maya Bay made famous when it was used as the backdrop for the film "The Beach" starring Leonardo Dicaprio. It is a beautiful spot - gorgeous white sand, turquoise water and huge cliffs rising out of the sea. We walked along the beach - it was like walking in flour - and swam in the sea. The only thing that spoilt the moment was the morning rush hour! Every boat and tourist under the sun seemed to be there (slight exaggeration, but nonetheless too many boats and people). Although a conch shell would have been more appropriate, our captain blew on his whistle, our signal to get back on board the boat. We made our way to Loh Samah Bay where we swam and snorkelled. It is so pretty and we saw many species of tropical fish. Our next stop was Monkey Beach, but our search for monkeys was in vain. They didn't want to come out and play with us. We sailed past Viking Cave, a natural limestone cave, which has been a place of activity since prehistoric times. More recently the cave has been used primarily for the harvesting of swallows nests (a chinese delicacy). We had lunch at Phi Phi Don Island and then made our way to Khai Island ("khai" meaning "egg" in Thai). We did some more snorkelling there before heading back to Phuket. The return journey was fast and furious. The boat cut through the waves at an alarming rate. We were thrown backwards and forwards as the boat rose high and dipped low. Eventually we reached dry land with our stomachs intact!





DESTINATION PATONG - We spent three days in Patong said to be the centre of all the action. It has unlimited shopping opportunities, restaurants as well as hawker food stalls and bars. We embraced the myriad of sights, sounds and smells, including Bangla Road in the heart of Patong. It is pedestrianised after 5pm every evening and is a hive of activity bustling with bars, restaurants, ladyboys, pole-dancers, go-go and ping-pong shows. Very entertaining! 
 



THURSDAY 23 APRIL 2009 TO FRIDAY 08 MAY 2009 - DESTINATION AO NANG (KRABI) - After a hurried breakfast we took a minibus to Rassada Harbour. We got some strange looks because we were the only people with rucksacks. When more people boarded the bus the driver had to fasten our bags on to the roofrack. At the harbour we were each given a purple sticker that bore the name, "Ao Nang". We were ushered to a large ferry where other people had purple stickers. It was a pleasant trip across the Andaman Sea. The sun was beating down on us and the scenery was stunning. The huge limestone rocks in the sea shone brilliantly - some look like jigsaw pieces turned on their side and others like oversized biscotti dipping into a sea of dessert wine (how does Judith think of this stuff?)! We arrived at the passenger port in Krabi located near to Noppharat Thara Beach and jumped aboard an open-air bus to Ao Nang, the main tourist hub in the Krabi area and situated 20km from Krabi Town.
 
Krabi has it all - towering limestone rocks (aka karsts), world class beaches, idyllic islands, temples, sumptuous food, night life and shopping. And the people are so genuine - they smile at you for no reason and greet you with the traditional "sawadee". Thailand is built on the attitude of "Mai Pen Rai", which means, "It doesn't matter", and this is the underlying principle of everyday life in Krabi. So, for the next 16 days we ate, drank, relaxed, smiled and enjoyed paradise. Here are some of our highlights.

Hut Number 11 "Yu Hoo Massage" located on Ao Nang Beach. On our first day here we were befriended by "Na" who took us to her massage hut. It is a good set-up - the beach and sea on one side and many numbered 'huts' (offering massages, manicures and pedicures) on the other side. Na gave us beachside seats (plastic chairs) and a beach mat weighted down by sand in plastic water bottles. We spent many hours here soaking up the sun and Judith had quite a few Thai massages - exceptionally good, but "ouch"! Ni, one of the masseurs, 'mended' Judith's left foot, injured when she went over on it walking down the street in broad daylight! We also swam in the warm, shallow sea and were amazed at the view from the sea. A stunning palm-fringed beach watched over by huge limestone cliffs, some covered in trees and others bare and rugged. We also played with Na's 5 month old niece - Phi Phi Na who is gorgeous - lovely brown eyes and brown skin. A family from Norway (regular visitors to Hut 11) kindly bought a pram for Phi Phi Na. Her parents were elated, although not sure about Phi Phi Na - she cried as soon as she was put in it!

"Khao Hom" restaurant, where we had breakfast every day. The owner and her two young staff are so sweet. As soon as we went in they switched on the BBC News for us. One afternoon Sopreni, the owner, showed us how to make Thai Green Curry and then dished it up to us for free. Talking of food, we were spoiled for choice in a country that worships the very fact of eating. As well as Green Curry, we devoured Red Curry, Yellow Curry, Tom Yam, Phad Thai, Fried Rice, Sticky Rice and Pancakes. We manage to resist the lure of McDonalds and Pizza Company, but must own up to having a latte or two from Starbucks! 

Longtail boats to pretty much anywhere you like to go leave from Ao Nang, so we took a longtail boat to Railay Beach. It is not, however, like getting onto a bus - the boats don't leave until they have at least 8 passengers, so we had to wait a while. West Railay Beach is a beautiful, but rather small and narrow, so we took the path to East Railay Beach, and from there made our way to Phranang Bay. We pitched our towels on the beach in the shadow of the Phranang Cave, which looms high above. The cave has a shrine notable for its phallic statues and dedicated to a deity known as Sri Kunlathewi who, according to a legend, was an Indian princess wrecked on this coast in the 3rd century BC and has been called upon by fishermen ever since to provide them with a good catch. The locals were selling their wares (food, drink and clothes). One of the ladies selling drinks was wearing an old Blackburn Rovers shirt (a yellow coloured one). Judith had her photograph taken with her, but the poor woman didn't know why her shirt was the centre of attraction! After enjoying the sights and sounds of Phranang Beach, we took a longtail boat back to Ao Nang Beach. 



Cycling round Krabi province. The owner of "Champion Bike" was over the moon when we hired two bikes because business was very slow. We pedalled hard in the hot sun taking in the scenery of the "real" Thailand - lush green forests, limestone mountains, traditional villages and houses. We even passed a few elephants. We stumbled upon Klong Moung Beach where 5-star resorts line the main road interspersed with restaurants and bars, including another Irish Bar - "Paddy's"; spent an afternoon at Tup Kaek Beach - a sandy and deserted beach overlooking the Andaman Sea and the Hong Islands. It is a paradise - there were only a handful of people on the beach, but we did see hundreds of tiny crabs scuttling in packs across the sand. We also cycled 'Beach to Beach' i.e. Ao Nang to an unknown deserted beach further North where we idled the day in hammocks. 




Huai To Waterfall located in Khao Phanom Bencha National Park - 34kms from Ao Nang. We cycled there and sweated profusely as we negotiated our way through Krabi Town and to the one road that leads to the waterfall. A friendly Thai policeman chatted to us briefly saying that there was a 20% chance of rain. Undeterred, we pedalled on dodging ferocious dogs that seemed to be laying in wait on either side of the road. Then the rain came forcing us to seek shelter under a wooden hut built on stilts and with a tin roof. Eventually the sun came out and dried up all the rain. We arrived at Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, the only National Park in the Krabi province that is located on the mainland. The Park's gorgeous waterfalls, caves, cliffs, brooks and natural scenery are one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Krabi province. We locked up our bikes and scrambled over the slippery rocks to Huai To Waterfall. It is a magnificient 11-tier waterfall known for its large pools with crystal clear water. We stopped at the second tier, but other people were climbing further. The cycle back was a little easier because there were more downhill sections, although in Krabi Town we found ourselves running across the tarmac and over the grassy central reservation to get on to the right side of the road!  

Sccoting round "unseen" Thailand on a moped. It was a little scary at first on the unfamiliar roads, but Dan drove carefully. Judith balanced on the back saying the "Rosary"! We visited Wat Tham Seua, or Tiger Cave Monastery, billed as one of South Thailand's most famous and interesting forest temples. There monks live, meditate and worship within a maze of natural caves in an overgrown jungle valley. Many Thai women live out their old-age there as nuns. One of these nuns tied a piece of string round Judith's left wrist for good luck. We laughed at the cheeky monkeys running around - some were in their playground complete with tyres hanging from trees, others were sat on mopeds (stationary ones). In the midday sun we climbed 1,237 steps up a limestone tower. At the top a giant golden Buddha statue looks out over the magnificent view, which includes pockets of lowland forest and rugged cliffs hugged by trees turning them into huge upturned jelly moulds. It was late when we arrived at the Emerald Lake and the eight pounds entrance fee was too steep, so this sight remains "unseen"!




Frequenting the Irish Rover the only blot on the landscape was the resident singer and a couple of sidekicks who just happened to be in the bar. They insisted on singing. Perusing the shelves in the "Used Bookshop" - Judith liked to peruse the large collection of used books, but one day realised that you can't always have what you want. She picked up a book by Joanne Harris (one of her favourite writers), but had forgotten her purse, so put it back on the shelf. As quick as a flash, the female member of a couple who had followed Judith into the shop picked up the very same book and didn't put it down. Worse than that she bought it! Of all the books in the shop, why did she have to buy that one?  
Being blessed by glorious weather, although there was the odd shower to cool us down. On our last day we watched a dark blanket of cloud sweep across the islands out at sea. Luckily it didn't sweep in our direction. 

That's it for our adventures in the Land of Smiles. We will see you in Hong Kong.