Ok, another update. We are sitting on Khao San road, Bangkok with its latent heat without wind and the hum of hawkers, tourists and tourist touts. Today is wet and overcast and people subdued.
Mr brother Rama and his girlfriend Leah left for Australia today, via Brunei. After meeting them in Surat Thani we spent several days in Reilay and Krabi town before we split—they went to Ko Phanang for the full moon party while we went ahead to Bangkok to get Vietnamese visas.
Reilay
Our plan was to meet Rama and Leah in Surat Thani and make a cheap and easy trip to Reilay. But our reality was a little different.
Buoyed by several recent successes with public transport, we were feeling confident in our ability to avoid the cramped and usually ridiculously over-priced tourist minivans. But this time public transport turned out more expensive and more of a hassle than expected.
We took several buses backwards and forwards before reaching Krabi town. At one point we were left in a small highway town—the name of which now escapes me—before flagging down another bus that had standing room only. Along the way, Rama lost his wallet full of cards but no cash. All in all not our finest hour (or three)!
We stopped in Krabi town for lunch. Rama cancelled his debit card. Then we took a songthew to Ao Nang and a long boat to Reilay. Although a little choppy, the boat ride offered clear views of the limestone cliffs that guard the shoreline.
Relieved of travel, we checked into Yaya Resort, then ate and drank the night—and early morning—away. Because of our drinking, the next day was quiet: swimming, sun bathing and sleeping. Crab eating macaques played in the trees by the water and scavenged for food. This was Rama and Leah’s first encounter with ‘wild’ monkeys.
The day after was more adventurous. We woke early to find a hidden lagoon before breakfast—demanding free climbing up and down rock using tree roots and frayed ropes for support. The muddy lagoon prompted earlier explorers to sculpt faces, rabbits, and other artistic impressions. The water was warm and boxed in by towering cliffs crowned by palm and other trees.
Next, Rama and I went rock climbing while Claire and Leah enjoyed Reilay’s beaches. The limestone had many bolted climbs of varying grades. We made the most of our half day gear hire despite rain and other climbers.
Later, we took a long boat back to Krabi town to explore more of what the surrounding area has to offer.
Krabi town
As usual, Krabi town was great. We stayed at Smile Guesthouse as our previous sanctuary in Krabi—No. 7 Guesthouse—was full. We ate at the night market and brought fruits and deep fried goodies for desert.
We woke early the next day for a pleasant day trip to Hong Island and several others. The long boat used for the trip was larger than usual—a monster truck amongst minis. It was crowded too with over forty of us enjoying the hard wooden seats and sea spray as we bumped our way between islands.
As is common in Thailand, many tour operators offer the exact same experience—going to the same islands at the same time, eating the same rice-based food and snorkelling at the same spots. We counted at least four other tour groups. So it was no surprise that the small idyllic islands with fine sand and aqua waters we crowded—which made it that much harder to take pictures without capturing other tourists.
After a day of swimming, snorkelling, and soaking up the sun, we slept well.
Relaxed after a leisurely morning, we set off to explore Wat Tham Seua—the Tiger Cave Temple. Just north of Krabi town, the temple is built into a long, shallow limestone cave and houses several monastic cells containing small golden Buddha statues. The woman monks gave us each a blessing in the form of a bracelet. But despite its name there were no tigers at the cave temple.
The cave is interesting, but the best part is the central sanctuary that sits on top of the limestone, some 600 meters above. There are 1237 steps to the top. At times we questioned the wisdom of our ascent, especially after passing others who failed—sweat dripping from their tops and lungs puffing. But we soldered on and were rewarded with magnificent panoramic views of Krabi province, a gigantic gold Buddha, many small shires and Buddhas, a gilded stupa, and a water cooler.
Returning to Krabi town, we stopped so that Rama and Leah could feed bananas to elephants—which had just returned from a tour carrying around several Americans.
The next day we split: Rama and Leah headed to Ko Phanang for the full moon party and we headed for Bangkok. But getting an overnight bus to Bangkok was harder than expected. Not only did one travel agent fail to book us on the first bus, the second bus was late and ultimately replaced by another for some unknown reason. All in all we left for Bangkok five hours late.
Bangkok
Having already organised our tickets to Bangkok we realised a major flaw in our plan: we would arrive on the weekend when the Vietnamese Embassy was closed. Nevertheless we continued on with our journey and spent Saturday and Sunday leisurely enjoying some of what Bangkok had to offer.
We visited the weekend market—which has over 8000 stalls selling everything you could possible want to buy and many things you might not. We also wandered through Chinatown, recognising many familiar sights from other Chinatowns and soaking up the bustling atmosphere.
Taking the commuter ferry down the river offered another perspective of Bangkok—although the river was only slightly less bustling than the streets with barges and other ferries competing for space.
* * * * *
We are off to Chang Mai tomorrow on an overnight sleeper train. We are excited as these trains are comfortable and full of character—the views from the train are also great.
Our next post will update you on our time in Bangkok and train ride north.
Peace,
xxx
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