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Published: February 4th 2023
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I had a pretty sleepless night due to the local cockerels, dogs, cicadas and geckos tag teaming all night all around me, one would stop and then some other sort of argument would strike up. I had to be ready for 7.30 so no chance of breakfast and I did not feel my best.
I’d paid Yai 250bt for the boat to the mainland and a can transfer to Trang bus station where I had to find my next van. I hadn’t researched this much/at all so wasn’t feeling too confident but googled a bit on the first van and it looked doable, as Yai had said. He drove me along the pier to the halfway point where there were 2 shonky looking contraptions and he told me which guy wold be the van driver, he would help me when the boat got to the pier. It was very fumeh downstairs but I sat there as we had been bobbing around for a while and was feeling a bit green, especially after no breakfast. There were local people paying 60bt for the trip and 3 farang. No visible life jackets or anything, as usual! The journey was about an hour
and we got to a tiny jetty called Khuan Tung Ku Pier. it was the size of a small coffee table and on it was a songthaew, my van and 2 taxis. The other farangs had booked a private transfer to Krabi and I was envious but didn’t want to pay for that.
3 of us got into the minibus and I followed the routeon Google maps. We arrived at Trang bus station at 9.15 and it was very easy, as Yai said. You walk though the fit’s part of the building where you can buy tickets for longer distances like Bangkok and then there are platforms on wither side with clear destinations and a desk selling the tickets in front. Mine was 112bt anf the girl showed me on Google translate it left at 11.30 so I had loads of time to mooch about and buy snacks. The station was spotless, bins everywhere and a guy mopping. The loos were clean but squatties on a pedestal mostly, always a bit of a white knuckle ride. You pay 3bt to use them. At the far end were snack stalls, a lady selling fruit, hot food like chicken rice and
coffee. I risked the coffee, a huge heap of Nescafé granules, equal sugar and water and a splash of condensed milk, 15bt served with a smile. It was actually not bad!
There didn’t seem to be too many interested in my van, which had been parked there all the time, until 30 mins before departure when the driver opened his door and then there was a huge whoosh of people piling in. I was the last, of course, left my embarrassingly large bag next to it and got a seat in the middle. As there were 13 seats there was no room behind for bags and the driver git a little wooden stool to hold mine up and wedged it against the door. His conversation to the Thai women had farang in it. I doubt it was a compliment. We left 15mins early as we were full and it took 2 1/2 hours, non stop except to let a few people off along the way.
At Krabi bus station I could see a songthaew for the town waiting, it had gone by the time I walked round but there was another, had to wait 10 minutes and then it
was 40bt into town and I got off at the end of my street. I’d stayed in JP Hometel before, it is super cheap at £11 a night for a room with bathroom but my friend Jinnie lives next door and it was convenient. It was better than remembered, so clean and cool. The novelty of my own bathroom, hot water and aircon was mindblowing.
Jinnie and I walked round to the Shell garage, which is one of her family businesses, and had coffee in the cafe, then later we went into Ao Nang to a Muay Thai night, another business she has had for 23 years. I had a couple of hours to kill there first, which was just great as its the first year I haven’t stayed there. I was deeply shocked, I don’t remember it being so crowded (especially after the islands) and the restaurants were definitely catering to a western palate. I found the night market and had noodles and a beer, and an older Ukrainian lady joined me. Botox, bigtime, which was a bit distracting, and as her English wasn’t too good we used google translate. She comes from Kviv, life is very hard,
she managed to get a flight to Poland and then by circuitous route to Bangkok. She works as an accountant and lives on the 13th floor. They often have no electricity (and there is no gas in her block at least) so she cooks on a camping stove. She loves the Russian people and says it is à beautiful country.
The boxing started at 9 and I was picked back up in a very smart van. We went to get 2 English girls from a hotel and when we arrived the tickets were 1200 or 1500 each. I knew it was expensive, especially for a foreigner. I got ushered straight in by Jinnie’s son and nephew, posh seats on leather sofas one row back from the front, beer and nuts provided. Jinnie was working behind the bar, which confused me slightly until I realised it was her family business so I stopped feeling guilty about not having a ticket. It was an extra special treat for me! There were 8 fights, including some with visiting French guys over to train in the gym for six months. They looked really aggressive compared to the calm exterior of the Thai guys
and will get a fine from their fee for fighting dirty. The whole pre fight ceremony has a lot of traditional elements, which I googled. The head band, cloak, flowers round their neck, the music they play, paying respect to their coach and opponent. It takes a while before they actually start. It was really, really interesting to watch if uncomfortable at times, especially as the last fight was the really little kids who should have been in bed at 11pm.
This morning Jinnie and I went out for dim sum at the restaurant on the corner of the road which only opens for this. It was absolutely delicious and very popular. Then we walked around the local covered market and Jinnie translated loads of things for me and bought me snacks for my journey, including one kind she said is very hard to make, you need a hammer! She is the kindest person ever, I had such a nice time with her. We met for the first time just before the pandemic and then kept in touch on Facebook. I wish I could have had one more night before flying to Chiang Mai.
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