Railay and Ko Samui

From Ko Chang, I hopped on a minibus to the pier followed by a ferry to the mainland, where I caught a flight to Krabi, which is located off the Andaman Sea on Thailand's east coast.  I ended up in Railay, a gorgeous beach community that can only be reached by longtail boat since there are no roads or vehicles in the town.  Railay is known for its top-notch rock climbing and some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and I was not at all disappointed.

Railay Longtails

While I didn't scale the limestone cliffs, I had a lot of fun floating on my back in the saltwater and looking up at them!  Most of my days - par for the course, as of late - were spent on the beach working on my tan, finishing Love in the Time of Cholera, and eating amazing food along the coastline.  For the first time in two months, I splurged on a nice hotel ($100 USD), and I have to say that it was nice to sit in the lap of semi-luxury, albeit for only a few nights.

Railay West Beach

On Sunday, I met another kindred traveler on the beach.  Dikla has been living on the Upper West Side in New York for the past few years but is moving back home to Tel Aviv to be closer to her boyfriend and family after a one-month holiday detour in Thailand.  We hit it off right away and decided to travel together for the next week to cut our expenses.  Dikla introduced me to some other Israelis she had met, and we spent a fun Sunday night at a local reggae club in the jungle, where we listened to some good music and watched a five-round Thai boxing match.

On Monday, we checked the weather forecast and saw that a tropical hurricane was heading up from the south.  So, in the spirit of spontaneity, I ditched the idea of going to Ko Phi-Phi and instead flew to Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, hoping to avoid the rains.  We got here on Tuesday after a long day of travel and some difficulties with the local sangthaew drivers, who insisted on always dropping us off in the wrong spots.  But, all's well that ends well.  We found a very nice and reasonably-priced guest house on Chaweng Beach - the main tourist drag here on Ko Samui - and spent the past twenty-four hours eating curry, hanging out on the beach, and doing some shopping.  Chaweng Beach is like an ocean version of Bangkok- lots of massage parlors, girlie bars, stores selling cheap knock-offs, and a handful of gay cabaret shows.  But the beach is gorgeous and, more than a deserted island, Ko Samui will be a good transition for me as I prepare for life back in the States.

Ko Samui Fruit Shake

Tomorrow, Dikla is off to Ko Pha-Ngan, a less-developed island just a half-hour ferry ride to the north.  I'll be spending the day on a sea kayaking trip around the Ang Thong Marine Park, an archipelago of about forty small islands, where I'll also get to do some snorkeling and caving.  I'll sleep in Ko Samui tomorrow night and likely head out to Ko Pha-Ngan to meet Dikla on Friday.

Despite our strategic jaunt to Ko Samui, we couldn't avoid the rains.  It's the principle of anatta in action - the recognition that life, both within and outside of ourselves, is uncontrollable.  The clouds rolled in this evening and the weather forecast is calling for storms through the weekend.  Considering I've had near picture-perfect weather over the course of my entire trip, I'm definitely not complaining.  Rain or shine, nothing's going to spoil the next few days.  It's going to be a great home stretch for me.

Railay Sunset

Arriving in Railay by Longtail

Railay Cliffs

Railay Beach

Railay Beach Shot

My Hotel in Railay

Longtails Waiting

Railay Sailing

Sand Sculpture

Longtails

Low Tide

Sad to Leave Railay

But Happy to Be in Ko Samui!

On Chaweng Beach

Dikla on the Beach

Ice Cream??

Fresh Corn??

Same Same...

The Rains Begin