Coast to Coast

A stall set up for the night markets, Krabi
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Day 7 - Krabi

After the last journal entry @ PC, we were given a welcome surprise - festivities in Krabi, due to the "Lanta festival" that celebrates the high tourism season. The food markets were extended to include arts and crafts, food, dance and religious ceremonies, as well as paying tribute to those lost in the tsunami. That night we stayed in the Thai Hotel, only to return to Green Tea the next day.

The sea caves are a phenomenon, thousands upon thousands of years in the making

Cave Kayaking in Krabi
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Day 8 - Krabi (Kayaking)

Having spent so long in Krabi, we thought we knew the town a little better than we did. But in one transfer, we realised how very wrong we were. Krabi is a real hive of activity, particularly given its small population.

The morning didn't start off so well. Our laundry wasn't done on time, so our swimming gear was still in the wash, who knows where, and a late start meant breakfast was rushed. Thens the Breaks.

The transfer dropped us off at a minibus, where we began our tour of the natural side of the province with 3 other travellers - two jetsetters from Finland (names too hard to pronounce) and Zoe, a marketer from Wales. Our tourguide, Michelle, was a friendly ladyboy who taught us about the way of life of the people in the south. Rubber, palm oil and pineapple plantations are the name of the game, and after a quick tour, we headed out onto the river to explore Krabi's reknowned Sea Caves.

The View from the Ship - A Sea Storm
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The water @ the pier left much to be desired, particularly after the crystal clear beaches of Phi Phi, but it didn't take long for the true beauty of the area to reveal itself. The sea caves are a phenomenon, thousands upon thousands of years in the making. Shells are encrusted in the limestone from where this area used to be part of the sea, and cave paintings line one of the caves drawn by ancient tribes people.

Kayaking was a challenge, with both Judy and myself struggling at the conclusion. But after a few hours against the current, we made it back to the restaurant. Lunch time? Not yet. First, we had to face the ordeal known as Thai construction (or lack thereof), in the form of a rickety wooden boardwalk around 200m long, over swarms of crabs and 1m long lizards (well just one). Indiana Jones ain't got shit on us.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!
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But it was well worth it. Lunch was a feast - tempura prawns, cashew chicken, barracuda and veggies on rice, well worth the wait, the labour and the money. Our day ended at the Emerald lake, which was another highlight. A natural spring, the water is fresh, however mixes when the inlet meets the sea. Hence the vegetation, and the wildlife are mixed. A refreshing swim later, and a few more Indiana Jones moments, and the tour was done. We did a quick spot of shopping, ate at the night markets again, and then bunked down at Green Tea.

Judy, Mem, Mai and Tom @ Green Tea
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Day 9 and 10 - Krabi/ Ko Samui

Mainly a travel day. After saying our goodbyes to Mem and Mai @ Green Tea (Very helpful in our travels) we were transfered once again to Krabi pier, to catch the PP Family Co bus to Donkla, a trip which went surprisingly quickly. From there came the ferry to Ko Samui, a massive car ferry with 4 levels, a cafe, and a view to kill for. But your two intrepid travellers (mainly one) were particularly sleepy, and the journey presented a good opportunity to rest.

Ko Samui was probably not the hideway we were looking for, and was a bit of a disappointment. While it wasn't as in your face as Phuket, it was far too sprawled, and didn't have any of the charm of some of the other islands. Sometimes it was hard to find a friendly smile, and once again, it felt like everyone wanted you to buy something, and was disappointed when you didn't, even @ bars and the beach.  Lamai was alright, and Chaweng was probably not worth the hype. On a positive note, our accomodation was extremely good value, and was probably the best we've had so far (Sea Breeze)

The nights entertainment was definitely a highlight - Muay Thai. But not just any Muay Thai - Saturday night was ladies night. And boy, do those ladies fight. Muay Thai looks vicious on a 34cm screen in black and white, but in the atmosphere of a crowd, it's electric. Although some of the girl fights were a bit lacklustre (After you got over the fact that it was two girls brawling), the male fights were intense - and we witnessed two knockouts: One won't be having kids anymore, and the other - I hope he can navigate today because he couldn't find his way out of the ring. The sportsmanship is admirable though - even the first girl that got smashed had a smile on her (bruised) face around 20 minutes later, and was dancing in the crowd. A memorable night, and we'll definitely be catching some more later in Bangkok (or maybe earlier). Sunday night was a more relaxed affair, a Sunday roast at Churchill's (yes there's one here too) followed by Borat -a good movie, a shitty pirated copy.

Day 11 - Ko Phang An

We booked the transfer to Ko Phang An for 11:30, and then at 9:45 got told it was 10:30. The transfer arrived 15 minutes later.

Bad weather made the trip a real adventure. Rain in the morning looked threatening and then calmed. And then, as we reached Big Buddha beach, hell broke loose. Winds lashed the small canvas shelter, and the rain really started to come down in cats and dogs. But apparently, it was still alright to sail! To board the catamaran you had to step through an older, delapidated boat.  This was an experience unto itself.

Adventure #2 - Thong Sala to Haad Rin - Mum you'll be pleased to know that we went 4wd on the island - in the back of a ute. Yes you can fit 11 people on the back of a ute with two benches known as a Sawaethaeng (sic), with 3 standing. The roads here are sometimes paved, so the journey was a real adventure. But we made it, and with packs fully loaded, journied around in circles for a while looking for accomodation. A frustrating experience, but a good result - we found a cute little bungalow by the main beach (Haad Rin Sunrise)

The night life here is world reknowned, the Full Moon Party is the worlds biggest beach rave, with 30,000 punters - yes, 30,000 coming here in peak for said event. However atm, it's relatively subdued, and neither of us have a problem with that. It's far more relaxed then Samui, and it's great to see some smiles again! The restaurants here all have movie nights, and we're about to go and watch Anchorman over a beer next door. Good times!

We plan to stay here and in Ko Tao for a few more days, and then begin our journey up north. Until next time.