The joys of being a slacker

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Apologies for the slack attitude to my little online diary. If it is any consolation, I haven't updated my personal journal for three weeks either.

I have been in Thailand for more than two weeks now (three weeks? Kind of losing track of time). Bangkok freaked me out a little bit. I am aware that there is plenty of interesting stuff to see and do, but I decided to put off exploring the city until my return (I fly home from Bangkok) and get the hell out.

So I took the night bus (what joy, what fun) down to Ko Phan Ngan, an island off the south east coast, made famous for its ability to keep the entire S.E. Asian drug industry in business whenever there happens to be a full moon.

I didn't have the pleasure of the full moon party. I won't deny it - it sounds a little like hell, and I actually checked that my visit wouldn't coincide with this momentous event.

I found a nice quiet beach on the west coast called Hat Yao, almost as far away from Hat Rin (full moon party mecca) as you can get. The place I stayed, a ramshackle little operation with ten or so bungalows, was cheap and cheerful. I put up a hammock. I read. It was sweet. If I was hungry, they would cook me some tasty food.

I found time to do a little snorkeling, despite the love-hate relationship i am developing with my snorkel (my mask slowly filling up with water). I rented a bike for a few days, and motored around the island, not doing much, just enjoying the ride. In all honesty, I rarely ventured out of the guest house. There wasn't really any need to.

After a while I got a little restless, and decided to shoot over to the west side of Thailand, to Krabi province, where friends of mine have a small guest house. I had the pleasure of being their first guest, and very nice it is too. Once again, I found myself not being incredibly active. Partly because of the television and DVD player in my room.

I have been to Wat Tham Seua, better known as the Tiger Cave Temple. The temple itself is not so exciting. We climbed the nearby staircase, 1200 steps up a 600 metre cliff. Ooh, doesn't it sound like a lot? You have no idea. I honestly thought my legs were going to give way on the way down, supporting myself with both hands, taking the steps like an 82-year-old man. But the views from the top were worth the climb. We also walked around a nearby dell, a quite wooded area surrounded by huge limestone cliffs (like everywhere round here, the scenery is spectacular), home to a handful of monks, living quietly in small huts, and a large number of monkeys.

I also went on an island tour. We checked out quite a few of the numerous islands which define the Krabi coastline, and saw some truly beautiful beaches. We enjoyed the views with the thirty-odd other boatloads of tourists who were all doing roughly the same thing. And this is the low-season here for tourists. As one of the most popular resorts in Thailand, I cannot imagine what it would be like in high season.

I will be heading north fairly soon, hoping to find some slightly less travelled surroundings, and possibly some cheaper prices....lots of temples, jungles and large dangerous cats before I make it back to England. Already counting the time left in weeks. Gaaaaahh, damn you earth for continuing to revolve. Maybe I will just stay here....

Just kidding.

Maybe.

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Photos

An Island, Krabi Province
I may or may not work out which particular island this is. Wait with baited breath.

The mangroves
Around the Krabi River mouth, my guide deftly strips a pineapple