The First Islands

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Hello everyone once again!

My last blog update finished quite suddenly so I will continue about Phuket and the rest of the west coast now.

Because we were rather lazy and it seemed rather cheap, me and Wanda decided to take the plane to Phuket. Upon arrival we had to face the usual "Sorry, taxi meter no work"-scam. After a short search we found a mini-van drover who was willing to take us to our hostel for a reasonable price. When we arrived at our hotel we took a short rest and went to look for a place to get some dinner. We quickly realized that this was one of the most touristic places we have visited so far, and probably would visit at all. Just as Khao San Road in Bangkok, Phuket is a fun place to visit, but not for its culture or cuisine. But for one of the things I love doing most; Watching other people. For every person I see, a new story pops up in my head: A man, walking with a Thai lady (wouldn't be surprised if it was a man) with a bit of a sad emotion on his face. A simple and innocent situation as that, and my mind does the rest. "The man walking there probably was the owner of a small company but due to the economic crisis business quickly went down and he went bankrupt. His wife left him and took the children and what was leftover from his money with him. Disappointed in western society and especially the women, he took what ever was left of his money and took off to Thailand. He quickly found a loving lady on the ever so popular island of Phuket, yet still it didn't feel the same.." As you can see, with a bit of a creative mind, even a dull afternoon of sitting on a terrace can turn into a fun activity!




After two days of Phuket we took off to where for us the bounty white beach experience would begin, Krabi Province. An hours long mini van ride took us to Krabi town. A rather big town with not a lot to offer. It has its charming evening and day markets but it is mainly a transit town to go to the popular islands.

As soon as we arrived in our guest house and I wanted to complete my registration, the owner, an immensely friendly and helpful lady, immediately offered me a deal to go on a four island tour with a discount. Since we haven't had any 'special trips' yet, I thought it would make for a nice surprise for Wanda.

The following day we got up early in the morning and got ourselves some breakfast. Before we knew it we were being picked up by the tour company and we sat in the back of a big truck roaring over the roads. He took us to the harbor where we got into a genuine longtail boat (together with about 40 other people). The first island was combined with the second island. A beautifull small island only connected (during low tides) with the slightly bigger island. Both surrounded by sand, so white it could blind your eyes and the sea around it so clear you could could the fish shooting away around your feet when you waded in it.

We swam around the island, explored the hill and climbed around it and relaxed in the sun. Then it was time to go to the next island. As soon as we arrived here we were greeted by monkeys. This was cause for a lot of laughter especially after our lunch was being served on the island. The monkeys grew ruder and ruder eventually stealing the plates of food straight out of the hands of some people. We were especially amazed when we saw a small monkey stealing a water bottle from a lady with such grace and ease he could easily have played a part in the thieves guild in the musical Oliver.

The last island wasn't really an island but more a hidden beach on the mainland where you couldn't easily come over land. We witnessed some people preforming some spectacular rock climbing on the steep rocks surrounding the beach.

When we finally got to our guest house we took some time to rest before we would explore the area for a nice place to have dinner. And this is where one of Krabi's charms comes up. A quite big evening market on right next to the pier. The scents of delicious food came from everywhere and all around you, people in small stalls were preparing local delicatessen. For a relatively small amount of money you could easily get yourself an superb three course meal from all the different stalls around.

In my next update I will tell you about Ao Nang and more islands. I will do my best to keep up with my blog so I can keep you guys a bit better up to date!

Till next time! Love and kisses,

Caspar

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Photos

The boats on the first two islands
Even though we were not the only ones there, it was still a pristine location

Pack leader
This little fella stole himself a plate from one of the other tourists.

Red Snappers
These bad boys were our main course on the market.

Pancakes
This little girl was preparing our delicious banana pancakes, a delicious dessert!