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Published: January 3rd 2007
Ko Phi Phi... By Night.... Fire Light...
One of many fire dancers setting the scene for a lovely Christmas Eve on the Beach....Wow!!! 10 days of truly differing places and festive experiences!!!! From Kuala Lumpu to Ko Pee Pee to Bangkok to Bombay to Goa!!!!!! I’ve left the pictures in time order (except the first one) so please check out page 2 for the whole story...
Chapter 1 - Kuala Lumpu, So off to the big city again!!! And this one happened to be Kuala Lumpu in Malaysia, which was never on my plan but was a good base for getting flights and Visa for my trip to India for Xmas & New Year.... Booked my flight from Bali over the internet on AirAsia for 1.4million!!!!!! (80quid’ish), landed and took a taxi to my hostel in “China Town” which i picked out the Lonely Planet due to its opposite the bus terminal location... KL is very modern with the option to venture of the main streets and take in the numerous local market (but alas mostly selling the same stuff!!)... Its was also though a 3 to 4 day stop maximum as not too much to see, so when i arrived Friday morning and headed India High Commission I was both Helpless and Gutted when i was told come back Monday
Stridy Fancy Seeing You Here!!!
The Hostel was just around the corner from here, China Towns main street. Me, Onoman (from Quebec), Dee & Sam.... morning and it’ll take 5 days from then!!!!!! Which meant a week here!!!!!!!! The only saving grace to this blow was the fact the hostel was very well equipped for such a scenario, Big TV, Pool Table, Premiership Live and a fairly decent DVD rental service (of which I watched about 80% of the films!!! Clients 2 was my favorite funny, great LOTR v’s StarWars “Which is the best trilogy sketch” Oh yes and Borat)... The one thing that saved you from feeling trapped in KL and you even miss when you leave is the Food!!!! Lots of choice from great Chinese (being in china town and all!!!) to local dishes.... I also found my next Looky Likey in the form of Sam from Reading who is a spit for Wayne Stride (Hello Stridy!!!) in both looks and mannerisms quite spooky actually, check out the picture!!!!!!!
Also must say hi to Doug my American friend from Kuta who popped by for a night on the town!!! Was my only one as drink here when you go out is pricey!!! More than at home!!!!!.... And hello to Dee who was also in the hostel for a while, thanks for the scrabble
China Town...Kuala Lumpu
This was pretty much where i came most nights for food and maybe the occaisonal beer.... Graet for people watching... wins and dinners... I also broke up my time here with an overnight trip to Singapore, very flash place, lots of great restaurants i couldn’t afford and trendy bars i just looked in the window of!!!! But did get myself a hat, tshirt and belt so was quite please...
My next move was to simply book a flight to Goa!!!! But in that simple mission lies my trouble!!! Without paying hundreds on Emirates there were no flights this side of Christmas!!!! It was now the 22nd and i didn’t want to be here for Christmas!!!!! So plan B...
Chapter 2 - “Plan B”, So decided to head north to Thailand for Xmas but i had to be quick so jumped on t5he next available bus to HatYai which is just over the border and from there head up to Ko Samui then onto Bangkok for a flight to Goa for NY.. Uploaded some pictures in the internet cafe while waiting for my 11pm overnight bus and got a mail from Scotch saying forget Ko Samui as too touristy, better to go to Ko Pang Yan so that was now my “Plan C”... Done my 10 hour overnight
"One Malaysian Meal Please"..
This is local food, we have boiled quails eggs, a prawn dish a lamb dish and strange veg dishes with a little rice... All for about 11 ringets "130p".. to HatYai but while on this had many conversations about how the island on the east were now having a bit of bad weather from the monsoons!!! So in an instant my new destination and now “Plan D” was to get another bus to Puket... Simple, MMMmmmm only bus available was a mini bus crammed full of tourists stuck for a ride and this trip was supposed to take 8 hours!!!!! But the bus also passed through Krabi and after hearing there was the possibility of making the last ferry to Ko Pee Pee and only having to be on this bus for 4 hours i finally had my final plan - Ko Pee Pee “Plan E”
Chapter 3 - Christmas on Ko Phi Phi (prenounced and also spelt Pee Pee)... The boat to the Island took an hour and was worryingly full!!!! This is incidentally the same island that they used in the film “The Beach”.. As it was now early afternoon Xmas Eve and accommodation would be in short supply!!!!! So my mission was to be first off and run to find a tout, which in itself is a strange thing as normally you cant get
Ungly As A Box Of Frogs!!!!!!
No i didn't but i did ask!!! Deep fried, grilled or baked!!!!! The most adventurous i got was Sting Ray which by the way Uncle Paul was not that good!!!! (glad we threw ours back!!!) rid of them!!!! So off i went along the pier with the masses like a battle scene from a film with the advancing touts closing in!!!!! first offer was 3000!!!! (thats 35quid!!!!), no way fight on!!!! Same - fight on!!!! 5000!!!! Run run!!!!! 3000!!!! Run run... starting to panic!!!!! People seem happy with these crazy vacation prices!!! Found a man with tents on the beach for 250!!!! (3 quid!!! But its Xmas and Scrooge is not with me!!!)... Finally got one of the last rooms available for the mere price of 1500 (thats 10 times over budget!!!!) which i paid immediately for 2 nights without looking first as that wasn’t an option open too me.... Infact the whole Xmas experience had added up to a hefty few weeks traveling budget already!!!! Just lucky for Ko Pee Pee that its stunning and i had a wonderful time here....
Settled into my room which was lovely by the way, showered and headed out to the beach... Within the first hour i had met my lovely Xmas buddies Elle and Zoe from London who were out on vacation and later in the evening Jason and Clare form Waterford S.ireland (Hi Guys!!!!)... We hung
Time At The Bar!!!!!
Tiger beer is the drink of the traveler here... heck out the parking meter??? out and had a very lively evening in both Hippies and Cape Dion?? (can’t actually remember the name of this bar but its something like that!!!)... The atmosphere was great, live music on a fairy light laden beach with fire dancer everywhere (it was Thailand’s nation fire dancing championships over 27-28-29th and many had come early to practice which was a great bonus!!! Would have liked to stick around for that!!).. The night got very messy, some of us even went in the sea!!! (Elle’s!!), Finally got home about half 4 in the morning!!!...When i awoke it took me about 0 seconds to open all my no prezzies and no cards!!! Small tear or is it a bit of sand in my eye.... I had also lost the ability to stand!!!! And i thought i’d broken my ankle???? Then the incident with the collapsed swing on my leg came back to me!!! Seriously though it was broken and was debating whether i’d have to fly home!!!!! Got my cleaner to go on a mission for pain killers and the like, she got back 20 minutes later with a selection of pills and i necked than fell asleep and woke at
Ko Phi Phi at sunset...
The island has a great backdrop of green cliffs that meet the waters edge at a 90 degree angle.... 3pm in the afternoon felling much better!!! Merry Christmas!!!!!!
That evening was pretty much the same, live music on the beach, but the vibe was considerably more chilled as to be expected and the fire dancing was now at its best!! So beautiful to see done on the beach, really created a wonderful moment... Things tapered out at around 2am.....
Today i would be leaving on the 3pm ferry and getting the bus, 12
hours!!!! To Bangkok.... But for the morning i would attend the memorial service for the Tsunami victims as it was 26th December exactly 2 years since the disaster killed over 2000 people on the island.. Crazy to think that as for me never having been here you would never notice any signs of this tragedy but for the majority of people here who would have lost relatives it was a mere 24 months ago... Although i was present the evening would be marked with no parties or celebrations just low key....
Wasn’t to fussed about short time here as will be popping back in April when my sister comes out to Thailand for 2 weeks...
Chapter 4 - Bangkok, Arrived at
How Many Tourists Can You Fit On A Bench Swing???
Less than six is the answer!!!!! We woke someone who was sleeping on it to take the picture then distroyed his swinging bench!!! Home Reckers!!!!! - Dutch Guy, Claire (Nice Knickers!!), Jason, Elle, Me, Dutch Girl, Zoe - 5:30am after my long coach trip, and true to form struggled for a room, but 3 time lucky at 350 per night and as only planned one night here no harm done.... My mission for today was book a flight to Goa!!!!!! Although i had my doubts and thought i may have to stay here!!!! I did find a flight leaving the next day for Mumbai (Bombay) as Goa was fully booked up and actually only “4” left to here before New Year so the price was high, 11,000 (150 quid!!!) but worth every penny as after seeing on the BBC website on New Years day that 11 bombs went off in Bangkok with some fatalities i as you can expect felt abit lucky!!!! I should have been there if my traveling budget head was engaged....
In the 2 days and 1 night i spent here i loved it... Not the in your face Sex and Ladyboy fest that you hear about although I’m sure it exists here just no in the KoSan Road area... In my first day i wandered the street markets checking stuff out, i did purchase a portable CD player and 17 cd’s for about
Ko Phi Phi - By Night
This was so beautiful and will be a Christmas "Eve"ning to remember.... About 100 of us just all sitting around and chilling to live music and fire dancers.... 25 quid along with a couple of T-shirts for a quid 50 each (sorry about the common slang quid’s everywhere just there’s no pound signs on these foreign keyboards!!!).... That evening met up with Elle and Zoe again by chance and had a low key night... We all met for braekfast and went for a nice relaxing massage!!!!! Which actually was more like a strange Bulgarian wrestling match at times, with my super strong old massage guy putting me in some strange holds??? Boston Crab Ect!!!... Afternoon was my next flight...
Chapter 5 - Mumbia (Bombay)... Oh My Budda!!!! What a change of scenery!!!!!! I’m now officially in a different land!!!! Got my bags and headed out the airport, it’s now 11pm, things are pretty quiet I’m greeted by only a few taxi drivers but my plan is to do it the local way!!!!!!!!!! So i ask for some advise, i knew where i wanted to go Central Station Terminal Victoria (CST) for my bus & train connection if i could find a way i was happy to get straight on a train or a sleeper bus and head down to Goa (18 hours!!!!)... I was advised to
My Effort At Festivity!!!!
Thats as much at it got!!! hats stolen for a matter of minutes and a quick photo of me and Elle's... "Merry Bloody Christmas".... get a bus to someplace and switch to a train that would go straight to CST.. Off we go... Bus no hassle 20 minutes and I’m at the train station!!!!!!!!!! Wow!!! Madness!!! People everywhere and no tourists just Indians and all watching my every move and me!!!!! Which i found quite intimidating at first. I got my ticket and the hour-long train i need was on platform 6 so off I go over the bridge past the stairs for platforms 1&2 and then as expected 3,4 & 5 then next came 7 & 8???? Then on and on upto 15, but no number 6??? I did eventually find it by crossing platform 7 & 8 and going back on myself... The train was fairly empty to start with which was good for the cockroaches as it gave them a chance to pop out for a quick scavenge!!! I had 3 running round my feet!!!!! After a couple of stops the train was packed as in people hanging out the gaps where dorrs would normally be!!! “Mind The Gap” and i felt quite unsafe!!!! I was in a corner and all these beady eyes staring at me!!!!! I didn’t know where
Ko Phi Phi...Beach..
The main drag of Bar and Resturants was along this stretch of beach... to look or what to do!!!!! So i just stared out the window as much as possible until we reached our destination... After the migrating of the wildebeest I found myself on the streets of Bombay, I checked the trains, All Booked!! Except first class air con for 4000 rp’s (45quid!!!) leaving in 10 minutes which I passed on and found a sleeper bus leaving the next afternoon but was still not cheap at 1300rp’s. Later after aimlessly wondering looking for somewhere to stay!!! “No Room At The Inn” again and again so in the end I was accosted by a local and we set off in a cab to 6 various places??? All fully booked except one i refused (Its a bugs life!!!) and the final one which was a blatant offence on the trades description act proclaiming the name of “Dream World Hotel”.... I could see that many closed shopshacks along the roadside when we arrived and when checked in I went straight to bed....
Next day i woke pretty early and decided to go check out Bombay, Gobsmacked!!!! As the rows of shops we had passed on the way in were actually houses!!! They lined the
Ko Phi Phi...Memorial Day...
2 years to the day since the devasting Tsunami swept across the Island and killed more than 2000... streets along with litter, open air toilets and goats!!!!! I spent a good 2 hours just in a memorized stare walking up and down, watching there lives unfold.. People bathing in silver stainless tubs, families preparing food for the day, kids playing, the occasional homemade Santa, i was unsure as to whether it was safe around here but felt i didn’t want to miss the chance to get involved in this and that is where we are so lucky with digital camera’s as you have something to offer back, the kids love looking at the pictures you’ve just taken of them where as i can imagine before digital it would have been hard to take so many shots without feeling very intrusive as if your stealing a moment, where as now we can share that with them (check out the pictures on page two)....
I left Bombay with a big incentive to be back, and i will.... This exit was to be my first sleeper bus experience!!!!! Bad!!! The buses are old, seating as normal with cabins built from the roof for sleeping!! 2!!!! They were the size of a single mattress and about 6 foot long!!! I had
Ko Phi Phi... Bay Beach...
If it wasn't for the Extremely hiked up prices i'd have found it difficult not to stay here for a week or so... mine to myself to start with but was expecting my guest at any of the next few stops!!! Worryingly i filled the whole space and my guest would be as unhappy as I at the prospect of this evenings sleep!!!! As the bus left it was very clear it had no exhaust!!! And my cabin was pretty much a white water raft simulator!!!! The only saving grace is my guest never did show!!!!! But next time I’ll do the seating!!!!!.....
Chapter 7 - Goa, Arrived in Mapusa and within 10 minutes was on my local to Vagator, normaly an impressive feet until i realised i had no cash and would have to do a return trip as no ATM in Vagator!!!!!!....
Vagator is the home of the Old School Hippies and within the first few moments you get the vibe (should have dreaded my hair!!)... Poeple come here for the alnight beach parties and secret trancy raves that go off.... Walked for a bit sussing out where the beach was as i wanted a room fairly close.. but wasn't happening unless i spent big so when i passed Kris & Malik who had found a cheap place allbeit
Panoramic View!!!!
If ya tilt your head slightly this and the next one sort of join up to give a surround picture experience!!!! a 30 minute walk from the beach!!! at 150rp's (2quid) per night it was cheap!!!... First night i popped down to the beach for drinks and was a little worried at how quiet it seemed!!!! Only to find out that there had been bomb warnings for Vagator especialy as very much an Israily haunt, and consiquently Christmas Eve beach parties were canceled!!! Met a girl form Finland "Corida" and we went for food and drinks....
New Years Eve- Met an old hippy who was staying at my place and told me about a anual big party at Hilltop (literaly a Hill Top!!), last year went on for 72 hours!!!!!!.... started my day on the beach getting some sun and listening to music... Corida came by in the early afternoon and i started on the Mojito's (memories of South America!!!), after watching the sunset and finishing my 6th or 7th drink i left to get showered ready for the evening.... Later met up with Corida for an Indian!! and even went halves on a 9quid bottle of Indian Champagne!!! which was not actually that bad.. Lovely restaurant looking over the sea.. Pity it was next to the open air night club
Ko Phi Phi... Bay Beach...
Just a 3 minute walk across from the main drag to this stunning bay... and house music blaring away!! "If you can't beat them join them!!" So we did for the midnight celabrations and fireworks, which were very scary!!!! how nobody died i don't know crazy muppets (holding rockets in your outstretched arm as a launch pad!!??!!)...... Not suprisingly (terrorist warnings) the venue's all closed after the fireworks and every body headed out to the party...... Now id love to tell a story of all night dancing and funny things but i confess i must be old as i just wasn't into it so had a couple of drinks on the beach said my goodbyes and headed back to my room (more like staggered - "Have you been drinking son, you don't look old enough to me???"......"I'm sorry officer, is there a certain age your meant to be??")... Boring old Git Aye!!!!
New Years day i just chilled on the beach and thought about the year ahead!!!!!
Chapter 8 - 2 days later...."The Year Ahead" Listen you guys are the first to know this but... Ive been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days, you know New year and all and ive decided that India will be my
Ko Phi Phi...
The quaint little sandy market streets give the Island a great character and lovely feel to it... last destination.. Two resons really, firstly traveling South America was hard but fantastic as you do it very naturaly and on a budget, sort of feels untouched even in the touristy places, had the time of my life, loved it.. Then NZ and Oz were great fun but very costly and the beaches ive done over the last 2 months have been amazing, if i was to stay away for a year i'd have to go back to serious budget mode!!! and in these places its hard as people are here on vacation where as SA your all in the same boat, i don't have the motivation for this kind of penny pinching traveling anymore.. Gonna love doing India thats different!!! but after that....home i think...
Secondly is that those who know me from home know the 12 months prior to my leaving were pretty messed up and life changing for me and apart from a couple of obvious high points, were quite difficult.. This trip was always a dream of mine and also for me to sort "Me" out abit... which i feel i have done and feel ready to go in new more constructive direction.....
So
I Never Send Cards Anyway!!!!!!
But i was happy to utilise the leftover pictures from my India Visa appplication to wish you all good tidings....xxx after my 8 weeks here will pop over to Bangkok for some shopping and the fly home early March...
Chapter 9 - F**king Mosquitoes!!!! God what a long blog!!!!! hope is was a good read and not too painfull!!! after reading this small tale of "Ray & The Mozzy" you'll understand why its been very painful to write...lol...
Ok you do everything to keep the buggers out ya room at night, gaffer tape door and windows. Set up your mozzy net and begin your military 15 minutes silence while you listen intently for that little buzzing sound... I heard it!!!! a big bugger, followed him and his lightning speed round in circles untill he flys over the dark door and i lost him "Damm"... this goes on for ages and in concentrating so hard that when he lands on the cieling and i slowly climb onto the bed and position myself for the perfect "Big hand Mozzy Splat Move I'd Perfected"......
OOOOOOOOoooooooooooccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oooooooooooooooooooccccccccchhhhhhhhh!!!!! (Many Swear Words!!!) Oooooooooch!!.... Quick check for blood!! and not the mozzy's!!! Dickhead Me Had Been So Transfixed I'd Forgotten About My Ceiling Fan!!!!!!!!!!! Evil *@#^ing W#$@y Fan!!!!!
So after this 10,000
Ko Phi Phi - "Christmas Greeting"
Great Effort for a tree on a tropical palm beach!!!!! Wish all them prezzies were for me!!!!!! (but then what would i do with a load of empty boxes???? No just for the record i didn't open them!! Its just a guess!!!!...lol)... word blog my hand is now again a bit puffy and sore...lol
That Me Fans... Hope You All Had A Great Christmas & New Year..... (Some party photo's would be great!! heyheyitsray@hotmail.com)....
Amazing India Pics page 2...
All My Love...
Peace On Earth...
Ray...x
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Sam Yarnold
non-member comment
K.L.
Hey Ray, Just checked out your blog, looking pretty cool. Glad you got some photos up of China Town in K.L. Well after I left you guys, I headed up to Koh Samui, Koh Pangang, Bangkok for Christmas and then Hong Kong for New Year. Arrived in Tokyo last night for my final week of travelling, hopefully gonna catch some Sumo Wrestling! Hope you had a cracking Christmas and all the best for your travelling in `07. Take it easy Sam