Post Phi Phi, our one objective in Krabi was not to swim or see fish. We wanted to see this pretty karst cave and Miracle Beach. Very simple. Fortunately, our little hotel helped us to achieve these goals quite easily. After being dropped off quite randomly (yet again!) in the middle of Krabi town, we wandered in search of...something. Eventually Travis got a map of town, and while this didn't actually help us much we did get our bearings. So we set a goal of finding a hotel, walked less than a block, and found a hotel. It wasn't the one we thought we were looking for, but it was more than satisfactory.
Our explorations of the hotel showed us that we could get a day trip package to four islands, including lunch and snorkel gear for a reasonable price. Best of all, the water they gave us was cold and the lunch had chicken! You see, the sad thing about fried rice is that it lacks protein (if you're lucky there might be a very little egg), so you're hungry not long after you eat. Chicken, rice, vegetables - this was a real meal.
In the morning we were picked up from our hotel and piled into the back of a pickup. After gathering more customers (including three Muslim girls with headscarves. Upon seeing them I wondered, "how are they going to swim?" The answer was: with their clothes on or not at all.) we drove all the way to Ao Nang. From here we met up with dozens of other tourists and everybody got stickered. The stickers told the tour operaters where you belonged. Ours were green with a big, black barracuda. Eventually we piled into yet another longtail boat and cruised...to the next beach.
Railay is swanky. That is why we didn't stay there. But our boat did invade, so Travis ran around the beach and climbed rocks to take pictures while I waded in the water and tried to take the cave picture Travis so admired in the postcard. Despite all my best efforts I failed. But the water was nice and warm. After Travis disappeared (to climb his rock and sit in a little cave) I stood for probably ten minutes feeling the water of the surf wash sand from under my feet. It got very uncomfortable, but was an interesting experiment. The karst peakies were lovely, as they always manage to be.
Next stop...a beach. I actually have no idea where we were, an island starting with a B, and owned by a private resort. Yet even here the tourist boats invaded and we sat down for a picnic lunch. Most people went swimming or sat in the shade, but Travis had to be all intrepid (and I HAD to go with him), so we walked to the other side of the island and invaded the resort peoples' beach bum time. It was no Phi Phi, but it was a nice little island, and you wouldn't even know that there are a hundred tourists on the one side while you're on the other, even though it's less than half a kilometer.
Leaving the island we boated around a rock outcropping where climbers attempt to shimmy their way up a vertical wall. We saw one guy fall in the water, but it was only a couple meters, so no worries. I think part of the climbing frenzy that Trav and I saw was due to a climbing competition scheduled to take place just after we left Thailand. Of course, this is a climbing destination that makes climbers all excited about life and stuff, so it could just be that.
Finally we saw the chicken. I'd espied it before lunch, but it disappeared, and I hoped that wouldn't be that. It wasn't. I didn't expect much. I mean, what can possibly top camel rock which honestly looks like a Bactrian camel? Well, Chicken Island actually did look like a chicken or maybe a turkey, so it's a tough call. Then we got to snorkel.
I think that learning to dive ensures that you snorkel properly. Some of you may say that of course I would say that because I'm a prig. That's fair. But I did ask who's nutter idea it was to make an international distress signal out of the way people are naturally inclined to have their masks when out of the water. So, just so you don't irritate a snobby diver or freak out some boat and make it come rescue you for no reason, please don't put your mask on your forehead. Also, watch where your flippers are. I've been bonked a lot.
Back to snorkelling. I found a yellow spotted butterflyfish, which was mostly interesting because I can handsignal the name to Travis, but he was far away, so that was less exciting. He found the first pufferfish. Then I found two more. They were cute - black with white spots. Then Travis entered the mouth of a cavern and called me over. Inside the cavern was a massive school of fish. Swimming around and watching them all move synchronously is really trippy. We might have stayed longer to watch, but the cavern was very dark and scary, so we swam away. And then it started to rain.
Unscheduled stop. We go back to the island of the lunch, but hide in a secluded small beach. There seem to be two guys living in a cavern there, which was different. But we capered around the beach and they watched and everybody was satisfied with life. Except that it was a little cold. Eventually the rain stopped and we continued onward. On to Miracle Beach!
Miracle Beach is so named because it consists solely of a strip of sand connecting two islands. When the tide is out. When the tide is high, it's a sandbar. We got there when the tide was high. Very sad. In our photos you may see the strip of sand, but we had to wade from one island to the other. I suppose it'll eventually wash away, but for now it's pretty neat, even if it is underwater. You can look up a photo and see what it's supposed to be like, I suppose. We forgot to get a postcard before we went to Malaysia.
I may have been the only one not concerned about the ride back to Ao Nang. So either I'm crazy or stoic. The weather was attrocious, the water choppy, and we definitely went though our antagonistic squall. But I was in the back seat, and I watched the driver, and he gave me a thumbs up and then I knew he had it together. Anyway, regardless of concerns, we made it back safe and sound and everyone was trucked home without mishap. What a grand adventure!
Erin
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