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Sawadee Kah!
Well we've been in Thailand nearly three weeks now and we have fallen in love with this place. We landed in Bangkok and spent 2 nights in a guesthouse which we have now been told was in the ghetto of Bangkok! It was set down a little alley behind big electric gates and had a pool and a bar which suited us fine. We spent our first day doing the usual and walking around for miles - it was fascinating and so different to anywhere else I have been. The heat is so intense and the streets are crowded but nothing compared to the roads! The pavements are lined with street sellers selling mainly food so the heat from the cooking adds to the sweltering sidewalks. As we walked around we were hounded coutless times by tailors wanting to make us suits, tuk tuk drivers and every other stand owner going. The thai men also took a liking to staring at my boobs which was pretty funny - we noticed them all having a good look and even the policeman - I say! We spent all day trying to buy a bus ticket for the following day to go to Krabi (1000km South) but it proved a little tricky. We bought our bus tickets at the bus station in the end. The Bus leaves Bangkok at 7.30pm and we were told to go there about 5pm to ensure we got a ticket. We thought we would be extra safe and got there at 12 noon - we had no problems getting a ticket on the near empty bus and then had to wat 7 and a half hours in the bus station, better to be safe than sorry!!! The bus journey was 12 hours and went really quickly. The bus we got was VIP which means it was air conditioned, had a T.V and had massive reclinable seats on it - it was great I slept for 10 hours out of 12! We did stop about midnight in the middle of nowhere at this shack like bus station place where they had laid dinner out for us - I couldn't deal with it as it was a little too Thai for me and looked like it had been there for days urgh! Ryan tucked in and is still living though so maybe I over reacted! We arrived in Krabi at 7am and then got a bus, then a ferry to Phi Phi Island and then a long tail boat to 'Paradise Resort'. We sat at the bar at our resort on the white sand and admired the view over a few beers, it was fantastic (both the view and the beer!)
Jenna and Johan arrived the next day which was very exciting and we reunited in style by an evening of catching up, drinking games and watching the boys overindulge in cognac! We spent the next four days lazing on the stunning beach of Phi Phi Island and the evenings were spent at various places. We saw Thai boxing one night which was great - even little thai boys were up there and doing it, it was awesome. The place where we watched it invited members up form the audience to have a go so we watched the drunken English embarass the nation as always!! We also went to a brilliant bar on the beach (as in lying on mats and cusions on the sand around candlelit tables) and saw a fire show which was amazing. They were really working their fire sticks and poi poi. Poi Poi for those of you that don't know are two chains with fire balls on the end that you whip around in a dance fashion - Ryan has invested in some but is yet to learn how to use them! We got massages one sunset in open air massage huts on the beach which was bliss and a tad painful at times too! Whilst on Phi Phi Island we also got a long tail boat over to Phi Phi Ley (the smaller non residential Island of the 2) where "The Beach" was filmed. We circled the island snorkelling amongst 100's of beautiful fish and seeing the fantastic coves and bays on the island. We made sure we left super early so we beat the crowds of the tour boats which was great.
The four of us then moved Island and went to Ko Lanta. We stayed again in bungalows here but this time had a pool that looked over the beach - it was awesome. The beach had bars and restaurants made of drift wood dotted along the beach. We ate most nights on platforms above the sand sat on cusions around low tables in open air huts it was great. We yet again got very keen on the bar next door and befriended the owner who told us all about the Tsunami which was fascinating, he even showed us his photos of the aftermath. Activities in Ko Lanta included drinking games, travelling in the back of a ute. All four of us in the side car of a moped and a visit to the local market.
We moved on again this time by mini bus which I'm surprised we actually survived! Next stop was Ton Sai near Railay. Again, different from the other 2 islands. This time we had bungalows in the jungle surrounded by monkeys! We yet again befriended teh owner of the bar next door. Activities here included walking/scrambling over jagged rocks when the tide was out to the next beach, going to Railay beach West (gorgeous), East (muddy) and Phranang which was stunning and supposed to be the best beach in Southern Tailand. We also went sea kayaking which was a hoot!
Jenna and Johan sadly left us to return to Bangkok before they went home. Ryan and my good self have spent the last few days in Ao Nang (just outside Krabi) which is more of a tourist town on the beach. We have been on detox since Jen and Jo babes left and treated ourselves to a hotel with hot water, a fridge and a TV - Big luxuries for us now! It was Loh Kathrong (Festival of lights) on Saturday which involves a full moon and 1000's of lanterns being let off floating into the sky. The festival goes on all over Thailand and in Ao Nang there was a big stage up with various performances, beauty shows, dances, fire shows, music etc. There were big floats and women dressed in traditional dress filling the roads, it was great. We haven't done much else here - just been chilling apart from yesterday when we went on an Elephant Trek - It wasSOOOOOO AWESOME and definately one of the best things I have done. We were picked up and taken in the back of a ute to the Elephant Sanctuary. They have 10 Elephants which seem to just be roaming around. There were no fences people and Elephants shared the land here! We climbed up onto a bamboo platform and our Elephant pulled up next to it so we could get o her back. She was 47 and called Nambu. She took us trough a river and into the rainforest. Our driver got off and let me and Ryan take care of her for a bit as she took pictures of us then I was allowed to sit on her head on the ride back to camp. It was so surreal, her shoulder blades were massaging my butt checks and her ears were slapping my legs behind them. When we got back to camp we fed her bananas and then watched her have her bath after the ride. There hardly any tourists ther and the staff were great. One guy took us ona little walk to a river where we could swim - it's force rushing over the rocks created a natural spa. Ryan went in but I decided to stay dry which was a waste of time and I took a major stack into the river on the way back - we had to jump from one rock to another over the fast flowing river. The rocks were sharp and Ryan didn't think I would make it so holding my hand told me to put one foot in the water then up and out to the other side where he and the guide were. Well my 'one foot in the water' turned into ' all of me in the water' as it was a lot deeper than it looked. The current was pulling my feet, Ryan was dragging me out. I was soaked with a bleeding slit open toe and a water filled camera - not a happy bunny to say the least (I now see the funny side now my camera works again) Ha ha!!!
We leave for Ko Samui tomorrow and will be spending the majority of our time left on the other Islands on the East coast too.
Love to all
Loz
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