krabi-phi phi-lanta

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I left you whilst still in Krabi where i managed to tone my leg muscles fairly impressively by walking the 1237 steps at the Tiger Temple; I had decided i should do a little site seeing after the previous day of doing nothing, so after much deliberating over the cost of tours versus hiring motorbikes versus buses i decided that by far the safest ,and actually cheapest way, would be to take a local bus. On the bus i met two lovely German girls who i then spent the day with!
So, whilst climbing up the aforementioned 1237 steps i think i must have lost my own body weight in sweat ... and by the time i reached the top (which did seem to take quite a long time?!) i looked like i might explode! ...and the whole way up i kept thining how on earth did i spend 6 days trekking in Nepal! The view from the top was stunning, and, i have to say, well worth the sweat and subsequent days of muscle pain!! At the top i met a young English guy called Jason – he seemed to trot up at a pace without so much as a bead of sweat and then he was off back down! (more later about why i have mentioned him!) So Marie, Jana and i headed back down the 1237 steps – on the way down we passed a Buddhist monk who was sauntering up (and i don’t use the words sauntering lightly!!) apparently they do this trip daily... is it wrong to think a Buddhist monk is attractive?!! (i mean he was so lean and muscle.. no doubt due to all the steps he walks up every day... and had beautiful and intriguing tattoos up and down his torso (what i glimpsed of it!) and his arms!! .. it did start me thinking about vicars back home... maybe church’s would be better attended if we had such attractive priests!!! .. .gosh, yes, that does sound wrong doesn’t it!!!

So once we reached the bottom and had sufficiently recovered we made a quick detour into the surrounding jungle to see some caves where the tiger (of ‘tiger temple’ fame) lived and were also directed to ‘an old tree’!! After which we managed to haggle with a taxi to take us to some hot springs about 40 minutes away. (we were feeling very pleased with ourselves because a tour to these places can be anywhere from 750 – 1300 baht and we had managed to do it for 300 baht!! Result.

The hot springs were fantastic although i decided it would be a good idea to slide down the rocks into the murky looking river below and managed to get a fairly nasty cut on my bottom which i then had to apply cream to twice a day for a week! (seemed like such a good idea at the time!!)

The following day Marie, Jana and i decided to go to the infamous Railay beach...famed for climbing which we didn’t do?!! However we negotiated a long tail boat with two other guys and headed over there. As we pulled up on the beach i got a tap on the shoulder and there was Jason – the sweat free guy from Tiger Temple! The reason i mention him is because after spending the day on Railay in a little group of 6 I then arranged to meet Jason in Au Nang where he was staying for Loi Krathong (a festival of lights in gratitude for the water). So Jason and i hung out in Au Nang – Loi Krathong was beautiful. We sat on the beach as hundreds of lanterns were lit and sent into the night sky (a few didn’t make it and ended up setting light to a nearby palm tree which was then followed by police trying to stop people from lighting their lanterns!!) Luckily the wind changed direction and Jason and i sent our lanterns up very successfully and with hopes and wishes for the coming year and gratitude for the past year. Jason and many others, also sent a beautiful float into the water although most of these tended to get caught in the surf and smashed to smithereens which seems to have a rather negative connotation for the coming year so i didn’t do one!! It was lovely though and whilst Au Nang was very touristy and i did find a cooked caterpillar in my pad thai one night, we left happy and relaxed the following day heading for Koh Phi Phi.

I had been to Phi Phi in February and had stayed on Long Beach which i loved... Tonsai (which is the main part of the island) is not my cup of tea at all! I was not a big fan.. it was full of bars and restaurants and young tourists getting pissed and partying.. not my tea total cup of tea at all!

Having said that i was contemplating staying to do my dive master, but mainly because i met a lovely dive instructor who had the most lovely sense of humour and smile (! Always important when choosing a dive instructor i think!!) I had 2 days of great fun diving both local sites and the more well known King Cruiser wreck and Shark point (saw leopard sharks, black tips and hawksbill turtles!) with him and left intending to return in a few days but i wanted to check out Lanta to be sure. (i also popped round to Long Beach to see if my dive instructor from February was there.. and he was.. which opened up the possiblilty of staying on Long Beach and doing the dive master there!!.. arrghhh.. and so started 2 days of indecision...)

Well the indecision about whether to stay on Phi Phi immediately stopped when i arrived on Lanta. It is far calmer and the tourists here seem to be a little older? Or maybe it is just that they are less into the party life.. i’m not sure but it’s cheaper here and seems more laid back. I walked into Blue Planet Divers and met the lady who would be my mentor – and whilst she may not have smile (!) she totally put my mind at ease and so the decision was made. I would stay here to do my dive master. Phew. Decision made.

Jason and i hired a motorbike and took a look around the island (with two german guys i met on the boat!). It is a large island with one main road running from top to bottom and so is fairly easy to navigate around.. even with my navigational skills! We also hired kayaks and paddled into the mangrove swamps. Then came the time to say goodbye to Jason which was sad.. he’s been a good travel companion and friend for the past week and i will miss him. Luckily though there is a lovely English couple in the next door room and so hung out with them and learnt a new card game! (Kings corners!)

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Photos

Au Nang Beach
amazing sunsets in Au Nang!

Loi Krathong
People set of lanterns during this festival to show their gratitude for the water. (i think!)

My Lantern
I set off a lantern with some hopes for the future and gratitude for the past and present.

the rain!
It is still raining quite a bit.. my feet are in at least 3 inches of water which came in the space of about an hour!!

Koh Phi Phi
We walked to the view point to watch the sunset but had to leave before it happened because i was being eaten alive by the mozzy's! Good view of Tonsai though.

lion fish
my obsession with underwater photography is still alive and healthy!

Leopard Shark
Amazing leopard sharks at Shark Point.

Baan Phu Klom Beach
we stayed at the new beach resort.. it was cheap cheap and lovely,

motorbike rides!
stefan, me, Mario and Jason... good times.

Jason and I
sunset on the beach...

Comments

[GAP]

So pleased the blogs have started again
Your blogs transport me to your carefree young life and I love it. lots of love Tricia

[auro]

breakfast at koh lanta
Miss Paxton, chanced upon this and it brought back a few memories. i think i met you on the boat to riley and we even stayed in the same multi-bed motel. i should keep coming back to your blog.

[Katep]

oh wow.. who are you? (it just says auro77!!) they were good times!! I remember sharing a boat with a few people on the way to Railay.. i don't remember the motel.. terrible memory though!!