Thailand Trip 2009

Of course the day didn't start well. Got really late to the airport. Counter was closed and I almost walk out of the airport. Lucikly I gave a try at another counter and she allowed me in.

So I took the shuttle bus from the airport which took very long to take off and just as I was walking around trying to find my bearing and find swallow guest house, I landed at K guest house! Another cheapo recommended guesthouse.

As I walked to and fro, trying to find a boat to visit khao kanab. Gave up threw all caution to the wind and went to rent a bike. When I reached the petrol station, I did not even know how to refill the tank or worse still to restart the bike!

That was it, trying too hard to play with my life. So no, I didn't just go for short rounds around town but drove all the way to Water Tham Seua. Yeah, the view up there was good, the stairs rubbish, but if u think about it, it was rather sad. As far as the eyes could see, there was human impact. All the greens that one can see in the distance were all in regular plots - cultivated. Even the hills, only those every steep limestone karst outcrops were spared.

Next I ended at third big mall called C center, nothing spectacular there except that I didn't order any drinks but I had a bottle of glass water with me and the staff actually served me a glass of ice. Impressed service.

The biggest significant of today was that I am alone. Completely alone in foreign country. Not like once in KL where i tour around alone in the day but still had companion in the evenings.

I once told Miranti that the book "what should I do with my life" once that everyone should try to travel alone once. My big mouth! She left me and I am alone on the trip.

The idea is that u will be forced to talk to yourself and strangers. Yes, I know one day is too short but I sure had lots of time with me, myself and marcus!

Krabi Day 2:

Woke up too early at about 5 plus thanks to the birds.

Lesson learnt, don't return the motorbike key. I was ready to move off by 6 but the shops were all not open. I had to wait till nearly 8 before I was able to get my bike. Then it as a long long and often lost journey to Huat Toh falls.

When I finally reached there I had to trek alone all the way through the forest. This is really a place that is not spectacular, I would recommend go see the gastropod fossils from the point of view of an evolution fan. The trail is not really well marked with frequent markers like those in Penang national park. So I think it is a very bad idea to be trekking alone. At times, I really thought what will happen if I fall or lost, especially when the trail is long and unmarked. 

Met a kind Thai though who gave me a free ride from near my hotel to the placewhere I can take a songthaew to ao nang. Yet the songthaew driver was bad because he already knew he exceeded my stop and still said I have arrived

Day 4:

Today was a Phi Phi island tour, snorkeling wasn't a pleasant experience initially. Cause I wasn't used to sea water in my mouth all the time. It was rather amazing to see the fishes swimming all around you. The saddest thing was coral bleaching thing. Most of the corals are white in colour which effectively means they are dead. However, most people are not aware that they are dead unless the guide explains. I ask the guide who is a young man who is probably in his twenties, when was the last time we see the coloure corals. He said. Many many years back and just shrugged it off. Maybe he has not see coloured corals too.  Another generation who has not seen real life corrals before and they will not know what they have missed as well. Sigh. 

It was more beautiful when we went snorkeling at the open sea. It was scary though when u see larger than football size jellyfish around and I ended with a bad laceration across the neck.

Phang NGA

Coming from Ao Nang to Phang Nga, I took the bus meant for locals. I know all the ang mohs will laugh their heads off but it was rather scary for me, cause I couldn't communicate with the bus conductor at all and I don't even know if I have reached my station. In china it is different, at least u can still speak the same language even though I went to the most remote of places.

Phang Nga is a very small and quiet town. It was helpful when I arrived, heading out of the bus terminal, didn't see a freaking sign that I could understand. All was written in thai. However, being in a small town, people were friendly and nice, when June and I walked past a restaurant they offered us their dinner though they were closed for Sunday . And they were having nice stuff - barbequed clams and crabs.

And so we went on a full day tour, there was nothing much to it: James Bond Island which I think is completely ridiculous to have so many souvenir shops on such a frigging small island,especially when you don't see that on the other many snall islands. There was also canoeing which initially was sad that we couldn't canoe ourselves but it was still enjoyable because they can bring us right under the walls at certain low tides.

To end it all, we landed at Ko Panyi, which is this frigging small muslim village on stilts. In about half an hour, we almost finished walking the entire place and didn't know what to do. Especially when we were on the island since about 2pm. How to survive an overnight with nothing to do.

So waste money and off to Phuket!