Ao Nang - A bit More To Tell

Despite what was quite possibly the worst snorkeling trip ever, I had a great day!  The "Four Island" trip is, it turns out, a big seller where they cram you on a crowded longtail, feed you mediocre food and take you to one place to snorkel where there are many other people in the water from other trips and 

they have fed the fish so they swarm around as soon as you are in the water.  What's the fun in that? The rest of the islands are very beautiful but also crowded.  The reason for the day being good is my new friend Alexandra (pictured).  She is from Germany and a doctor and we just hit it off.  Good thing her English is better than my German.  After the boat trip, I showered and went to get a massage.  It was at sunset in the open air next to the beach with a gentle breeze - heaven!  Then met Alex for dinner at Jeanette, which caters to Europeans and it was there that I learned about Toast Skagen (pictured) which I think is Swedish.  It is described on the menu as Prawn, mayonnaise and dill salad on fried buttered bread.  Boy, is it good!  It was a lovely evening finished with watching lanterns and fireworks over the ocean.  Alex is off to Koh Lanta in the morning and I'm on my way to Vietnam via Bangkok, but I now have another invitation to Germany!  Yay!

Ao Nang and Krabi

Ao Nang Port

Sitting in the shade at the last fisherman restaurant on incredibly beautiful Ao Nang beach listening to the constant hum of longtail boats shuttling people back and forth to Railey island, a place with cliffs, caves and a favorite among rock climbers.  There is a photo attached and, if you photo shop the guy with the tats and the green plastic glove on his head, you have paradise!  You can pretty much buy anything from delicious barbecued corn on the cob to beach toys, flutes, sarongs, cold drinks and I even saw someone selling Japanese kimonos!  No one pressures - they just seem to be there if you require a Japanese kimono.  I believe Lonely Planet says, "You're not breaking any ground here."  All these tourists are here for a reason.  It's gotta be one of the most beautiful beaches around.  As Robert and Annette McPherson, some new friends from Quebec said, "It's great people watching."  It is also great ocean, scenery and monkey watching!

So, backtracking a bit to Koh Yao Noi departure.  Three of us left on the speedboat to Ao Nang at the same time.  The other two were Nina and Dagmar from the black forest in Germany - don't recall the name of the town.  Through conversation we discovered that we are leaving for our respective homes on the same day and staying at the same hotel the night before our departures.  We're planning to meet for breakfast and share a taxi to the airport.
                                                                    KRABI WALKING STREET 

Yesterday was my first experience with a sorng-taa-ou in this area.  I was going to Krabi to the weekend walking street which is a market that happens on weekends.  A sorng-taa-ou is a small pickup truck with a semi covered bed and a bench seat on each side facing each other.  Since they charge very little, they really pack you in, with people hanging off the back sometimes (usually locals).  The market was fun with lots of music and Thai dancing girls and good food and people, people, people. So today - Some of you already know about my toe, but for those who don't, I was bitten or pricked (no jokes) by something on Koh Surin while walking barefoot.  After ten days I went to Dr. Somboon Polyclinic and while I could go on and on about how fascinating it was, suffice to say he gave me antibiotics, needles for when whatever is in there decides to work its way out and then we talked about getting old and marriage and charged me about $20 for everything.  He was a very interesting man who said I had no limitations and could do what I wanted so I took another sorng-taa-ou to Krabi, paid a little extra and they dropped me at the tiger cave temple (Wat Tham Seua) which I'm so glad I did.  It's a truly magical and sacred place that takes 1,237 stairs to get to.  These aren't regular even stairs either.  Some aren't bad but many are a foot or more high and very narrow.  Nevertheless, I did it and it was so worth it.  I was more than a little scared/nervous having read about these bands of marauding monkeys that attack people and steal things - in some cases hurting them in the process.  While I did see monkeys, I kept my pace and did NOT stop to take any pictures.  Scary!  When I got to the top, I lit incense in front of the giant Buddha and, since I had matches and none of the lighters supplied were working, I ended up helping 3 young guys from Japan to light their incense.  It was very beautiful up there, but I had told Likai, the motorcycle driver, that I'd return by six.  I have never sweated going DOWN stairs before, but this is the exception.  However, when I got to the bottom, there was Likai with a bottle of cold water calling my name.  So, I hopped on the back of his motorcycle, put on a rather poorly fitting helmet and held on for dear life!  The sun was setting and the sky turned orange while Likai and I, along with hundreds of other motorcycles wove in and out of traffic until he safely dropped me off to catch the song-taa-ou back to Ao Nang.  Tomorrow is a four island snorkeling trip with lunch, fruit and water for under $15.  Then heading North to Vietnam and excited but sorry to leave Thailand.  I really like it here. 

The corn vendor - yummy!

Views from the Top

Some shots of Ao Nang Beach 

Koh Yao Noi

Sunrise at Low Tide - Sabai Bungalows 

Well, this is an interesting island.  It's pretty remote and in an incredibly beautiful area - Phang Nga Bay.  But first, about the horses.  I was trying to get online to call home and there was no reception at the place I'm staying.  Another guest told me just down the street she had found free wifi, so off I went.  While checking emails, a young man on a motorcycle came down the street with two ropes, each attached to a horse.  Really!  That has to be the most unique way to exercise a horse that I've ever seen.  He then let them graze on the grass in front of me.  Very cool.  So then, the two women who own the place are great: Lela from Milan, Italy and Selma from Germany.  They are both lovely and helpful people who really love this island.  It's not very populated and the people are split equally between Thai and Muslim.  That being said, I'm cutting my stay here short and moving on to Ao Nang tomorrow for a few reasons:
The worst mosquitoes I've encountered.
Noisy motorcycles (the place is on the beach but close to the road)
There is no town center and nowhere to walk and I like to walk.
However, before leaving I was fortunate to be able to do a tour of Phang Nga Bay with 3 German guys and a couple from Marseilles so it cost much less (cost of the boat split between us).
We saw amazing karst formations, swam in warm waters and went into two incredible caves - Inside the karsts.  We even swam through a small opening/cave into a lagoon inside the karsts.  It was a great day.  Let's see if I remember everything:
Our driver was Yot
We visited Udu and Aroi islands (and others I don't remember)
We saw a huge tree that was bigger than most redwoods I've seen called a Paloi (quite possibly spelled incorrectly)
I asked Yot how old it was and he said, "Very old."
Onward.

Addendum to Khao Sok (Moral)

I just wanted to add a little story.  If you've been reading this blog, you know my feelings about the cave (narrow opening, deep water, darkness, snakes and LEECHES!).  So, the next day, after the Rafflesia flower hunt, I hiked into Khao Sok Park to the waterfall.  I was sitting by the waterfall admiring the jungle, the water, the sun . . . Well, you get the idea.  When I got ready to leave, I noticed blood on my leg behind my knee and also on my handkerchief.  You guessed it - a LEECH!  The interesting thing is that it didn't hurt, but itched after I knocked it off and that, for a tiny little puncture, it bled like crazy!  So, the moral to this story is - The harder you try to avoid something, the faster it comes around to bite you in the butt, or leg in this instance!

Khao Sok

The Bus

Umm Also the Bus

My Treehouse

Resident Guesthouse Frog

Well, here I am in khao sok, but getting here is an interesting story.  I said goodbye to Thaya and Ah at 10:15.  (See picture.) Thaya asked why I was leaving so soon when the bus wasn't coming until 11:00.  I was a bit concerned because I hadn't been able to find the bus stop and thought I would have time to get some money.  So, I walked up the road and, because it was Sunday, the money exchange opened at eleven.  Oh well, I'll find the bus stop, I thought.  Two guys asked if I wanted a taxi and I said no, but where is the bus stop?  "Where to?", they asked.  "Surat Thani", I replied.  They pointed, I looked and the bus was loading luggage.  IT WAS 10:30!  One more minute and I would have missed it and the next, and only other, one was at 2:00 or 1:30 or 2:30.  Sometimes luck is on your side.  . . And sometimes it isn't.  Please note in the pictures of the bus the Buddhist monks, the king, lots of animal statues, a New York Yankees hat, flowers, offerings, etc. all while Death Race was playing on a TV and people were being blown to bits.  Even more interesting is that the man at the place I'm staying (for $11/night) was waiting for me at the bus stop with my name on a sign!  How did he know?  Anyway, I love it here.  The area is beautiful and my treehouse is cozy and you can hear monkeys and strange sounding birds and insects.  Tomorrow I booked a trip go the Kheuan Chiaw Lan, a man-made lake with karsts.  We will also hike to a cave with bats and the next day I'm hiking in search of the rafflesia, a giant flower found only in this area and can get as big as 33 inches across.
So, regarding the lake, it was as beautiful as I imagined.  The hike was a pretty strenuous hike through jungle with hills and at least six river crossings.  I did not go into the cave however because the water was neck deep, there were no bats, but there were leeches and water snakes.  I admit it - I was creeped out.  I enjoyed the day and loved the lake and the hike, but the guide was noisy and the group chattered constantly which made for a lesser experience in my opinion.  I believe the reason the guide made such noise is because he SAID his father and uncle had both been eaten by tigers.  True?  Who knows?  Today's experience was the opposite.  It was me and one young man and we walked through some family's farm of rubber, palm oil and bananas.  They gave us a lift on the way back where I met Kai's family.  We hiked way up a mountain but alas, no flowers were in bloom.  We saw blossoms the size of a soccer ball and flowers past their prime but it was a good hike and a beautiful place with lots of listening to the sounds of the jungle.  By the way, every time we stopped to catch our breath, Kai would roll and smoke a cigarette that smelled like cloves.  How did he go up those hills so quickly?.  His family also had teeth stained red from chewing betel nut. Tomorrow, on to Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay.  (Say that three times fast.)

Inigo , Rita, Me and Guayapil 

The Cave Entrance 

A Flower. Bud

Kai

Kai's Family 

Wundabar on the Reggae Queen!

Okay, so where to begin? I guess first I have to explain the picture of Theeya and Lorna.  Lorna (19 - from Scotland and here for six months volunteering at a school) is staying at Seaweed Hostel. Theeya and her boyfriend, Ah, (remember the guy with stars on his head?) run the cafe and manage the hostel for their friend.  They were going to a market in Bangbieng and invited Lorna  and I to go along.  Really, really good food for really cheap.  It was fun and I got back just in time to be picked up for the snorkel liveaboard.   Okay, now for the weird part.  Of all the ginjoints on all the snorkel boats in Thailand, I have ended up on an all German snorkel trip.  The head of the trip (Ralph or Rolf) is also German.  I mean really; what are the chances??  I know maybe one person who could get by in this situation (Wade).  My German Sucks!  I can't even wrap my tongue around the words.  All of that being said, they are all very nice and the trip has been great so far.  After asking me how old I was, they have told me I did a guut job on the first full snorkel day and designated me president of the trip.  (I told them I'd rather be queen.   Ha!)
We have just left the Surin Islands where the Moken picked us up in a longtail boat and took us to their village.  The Moken are another tribe that left Burma under duress and the Thai people allow them to stay on Surin. However, they leave when the rainy season begins.  On Surin we snorkeled in two locations and spotted many fish but much of the coral seemed dead.  On the island, we waded out in the mangroves and saw a lot of baby black-tipped reef sharks.  There had to be at least 30 of them and maybe more, each about 2 1/2 - 3 feet long.  Sorry you won't get to see pictures of them.  They're on my other camera.  We left Surin and headed toward Koh Tachai and on the way, came across a boatload of people from India on their way to Malaysia.  Their boat was old and run down and there were a lot of them on that boat.  The captain and staff on our boat are a Thai Muslim family and really wonderful people.  All of the sudden we turned around and the captain tossed them two bags of food.  I'm not sure why these people were fleeing India or why they are going to Malaysia, but I hope they make it.  The other thing we encountered was a pod of dolphins that followed us and swam next to us for a long time.  Snorkeling at Koh Tachai was great with lots of healthy coral.  We are moored by the island overnight and will head to Koh Bon and the Similan Islands tomorrow.  To be continued.  . .
Have left Koh Bon where we didn't see mantas but did see white-tipped reef sharks and a giant moray eel, as well as all the usual suspects, more dolphins and lots of flying fish.  It's been great.  One thing I forgot to mention is that our shoes were confiscated before we got on the boat (Thai people believe it's bad luck).  This is okay except we hiked across Koh Bon through the jungle to a scenic outlook BAREFOOT!  So far, so guht!
Made it to Similan Islands 8 and 9 and they're magnificent!  Snorkeled with a turtle and amazing numbers of fish.  There was another hike tonight to watch the sunset from atop a giant rock but I sat this one out and watched from the boat with a beer.  My feet aren't made for hiking barefoot.  Ended the night with the best dinner yet with lots of fresh fish and then we all went up on the top deck and talked, had a second beer (I think a couple of the guys were on their third or fourth) and toasted each other.  I've learned a few German phrases and have an invitation to visit Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Koln.   Today we finished with two more snorkel trips on islands six and seven.  As Karen would say "Ah supah ser guht, yah."
Off to Khao Sok jungle tomorrow.

For Dee

Donald Duck Bay

Lam Ru National Park

You Tell Me What This Means  

I walked south of town about 1.5 km to Lam Ru National Park today.  The good news is there are sidewalks the whole way and it's a beautiful walk.  Directly across the street from the entrance is a small temple dedicated in some manner to tsunami victims or to protect against future ones.  Whichever, there was this huge structure next to the temple that resembled a horno, only it was pointed and eight feet high.  There was a man felling trees and chopping wood and throwing logs into it and it was smoking like a giant incense burner.  Offerings, I believe.  Interesting!
The park has an entrance fee of 100 thb, so the ranger says, "200 baht."  Is there a person standing next to me invisible only to me?  This also happens in restaurants.  "Table for two?"  Um, one please.
I said, "One person, only me, 100 baht."  No problem and, other than that, the park was beautiful with great paths and some amazing beaches.  I found the perfect rock to lean against under a great old tree and watched the birds flitter about and listened to the gentle waves.  It was heavenly.  Tomorrow is the boat liveaboard to the Similar and Surin Islands for three days of snorkeling in new places.  I'm excited!

For Eric. - Lumber Sized Bamboo in Background 

My Favorite Beach