Thailand. Bangkok - Kuraburi - Koh Surin

---

And so after two planes, two trains and a very sweaty (forgotten how humid Bangkok is) we arrived at our lively hotel looking very bedraggled. Why change a habit of a lifetime. Now as I have previously mentioned the Ugandan diet was limited. We arrived in Bangkok which is a Mecca of cuisine and what did we fancy, something we maybe eat once a year at home, McDonalds. Could we find one? No! So we settled for the next best thing KFC and enjoyed every fat laden mouthful!



So after a very restful luxurious bath, Queen size bed and a wonderful buffet breakfast we set off for our next destination via Bangkok domestic airport. This entailed many changes of trains, up and down many long stair cases and a few cross words from Steve when yet again when we met, this time Thai police, who asked to look at our bags and we were very close to missing our connection. After calming him down we practically ran the last part only to find the timetable was wrong and we had 30 mins to spare.



The train to the airport was an experience in itself. No swish air conditioned sky train this time. This was a proper local train. Air conditioning, open the window, and stick your head out .The flight to Ranong in the south with Nok Air, a Thai easyjet was great. Little twin prop plane. 50 min flight and we were given a packed lunch included in the £19 fare! After a hair raising taxi drive to Ranong bus station we travelled the two hours to our home for the next few days, the town of Kuraburi.



We found our accommodation, a small bungalow on the side of the not very attractive river. Walking to find something to eat we realised we hadn't seen another 'farang'. Kuraburi is a place to transit through which is what we would be doing when we decided what and where we wanted to go! So our first night was spent at what would be become a regular for us Mr Kosaks, situated on the side of the Main Street a group of plastic tables and chairs. We ate wonderful fish deep fried with chilli and garlic, aromatic curries, garlicky morning glory, pad thai amongst other mouth watering dishes over our nights there washed down with bottles of ice cold Chang beer. Yum!



That night we couldn't understand why at times we heard tapping on our door. We were soon to discover why! Yuk! It was great big cicadas attracted by the light that would fly around randomly banging into anything including us. What was worse was when we discovered 'mamma', the nick name we gave our non English speaking landlady, collecting them in an empty bottle. For the deep fryer as a TV snack when watching her nightly soap I shouldn't wonder. Mmmm, crunchy! Any number of deep fried bugs could be bought in the local night market along with dried squid on a stick!



So the plan was set. The next day we would leave Kuraburi for the Koh Surin National Park where we would camp on the beach for two nights on one of the many small islands and in between times we would snorkel morning and afternoon on each day, eat great food, lay on beach. You get the picture. So it was a bumpy hour by speed boat to our first snorkelling spot. I'm not the most elegant and proficient at getting in or out of a boat at the best of times, but especially when wearing fins and a snorkel and mask. Steve thought it was highly amusing as I tried to get my feet over the side of the boat and plopped into the sea. The fish and coral were amazing and we spent a very happy hour bobbing around before repeating the process to get back on the boat! After stopping at a different reef we were taken to our island for the night where we had an amazing lunch before 'checking in' to our tent. Well this was basic camping. A very thin hard mat and a sleeping bag. That was it! Now you would dream of sleeping on a beach on a beautiful island. Have you heard how noisy the sea is!!! Ear plugs were needed for that, the cicadas and the hermit crabs scratching at the bottom of our ground sheet.

---