Krabi

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(Sat writing this as a little dog yaps its head off in what sounds like an empty warehouse. . . . .grrr)

Thought it was time to make a bit of a move from the paradise that was Ao Mae, before I slipped into a compleat trance and stayed there forever. It really was a perfect place to stay!! Recommended!!
The Staff in the resturant were super friendly, Burma they were from. Infact I think the whole resort was run by Burmese, they really do go out of their way to do anything to help you out. The menu was amazing and everything was so fresh, Il definatly be sure to head there again after a full moon party. (The Island View Cabana incase you havent read my other blog)

So the morning came for me to go, the Songthiaw turned up and I traveld to the port with an English couple from Kent who were on their last two weeks of their year away. They had been over to OZ , New Zeland, Bali, Vietnam , Cambodia spending the last two weeks on the island beaches before heading off home. They were gutted to be going back as I explained my scenario, but agreed that the way I was going about things was the best way. Wingin it everywere! Felt kind of reasuring for a little while haha.
Got to the port at 10am but no boat till 12.30 . . . . .that was well planned by someone ehy. . . .NOT!
So sat around in the scorching heat looking for shade wherever I could find. Got some cash out of the ATM, which I found out from someones conversation I was listening to that the yellow ATM’s don’t charge you. Happy days!! Il be sure to use them from now on.
Sat in what was like the departure section of the port where there was a few plastic chairs and many locals gathering and going about their daily lives. I was laughin at a few old ladies that were sat glued to a little TV watchin a very badly acted Thai soap. I figured out it was about a bloke that was ill, pretty Thai girl was looking after him bedside, but he was dating someone else, but the nurse girl really fancied him, but then never seemed to quite get it together. . . . Not in that episode anyhow. . . . .haha
The boat came. !! . . . . .So I got on it.
Dumped the bag on the deck and headed down the steep stairs to the air cond underwater cool area.
Sat in the lovely plastic seats and watched the film that they randomly put on. Training day ! Not bad at all! It didn’t cut off either. Although I did get distracted by two things.
1, The absolutely mahoosive girl (I think . . . .wasn’t so sure) that had really short hair and an actual beard!
She had 9 cans of coke in the space of 2 hours! . . . . . Yea nice.
And 2, The girl that sat right infront of me. She was quite short, very tanned and had that traveller full moon party look to her, compleat with a few gothic bits of jewlry. (think u know the one) She had this really weird yellow/ blonde dirty hair that really didn’t look like it had been washed for a year! At one point she must of had dread locks/ braided hair because there were still part braids left in. . . . . . . .she was sat tryin to brush it but had what looked like bits of chewing gum stuck in there. Eughhhhh
I moved!
We stopped off at Koh Samui on the way back to Surat Thani port.
When the boat finally got to Surat Thani we were greeted by the same “U must do everything I say” port official. Ha nobody took much notice of him this time either, which made him dissapear.
Sat waiting for a coach to arrive to take us to “the coach farm/depot” near Surat Thani.
After waiting what felt like an hour, the boat load was on the road. Sat at the front on my own I was soon joined by a Russian girl.
I forget her name now but she started off really quiet, after a while I couldn’t speak or get anything out, she hit top gear and rambled on and on and on about how Russia used to be a comunist country and about the 16th and 17 century , how its different now than then and how far behind it is due to not comunicating with any European countries to make their economy grow. Oh my word. . . My head hurt! Then she would throw in about how she couldn’t understand why it was ok for everyone else in the world to easily get a Thai visa and not Russians. . . . .”Why is this Andy”??
“. . . . .. . .. erm. . . . . . . . . .what?” haha she didn’t look v impressed
We got off the bus and I met an Ozi couple. Iv forgotten their names too but we chatted for ages. They were from Cairns. I agreed with them about they reef’s out here . . There not as nice as the Barrier reef but maybe its just the places Iv been so far?? Great Barrier reef is the best in the world though has to be said.
So back in the Coach farm/depot/ suddenly turned into kitchen serving food and corn on the cob. Random!
Second time I had been here and recived a ticket again off the coach company dude/look at me Im important heres a sticker man!
Our coach was set to be here for 5.30.
The “Coach” turned up.
That will be a mini van for 11 then. Ha
Could hardly fit all the bags in but we crammed in.
I thought to myself right at this point. . . .why don’t you start looking into flights Andy or trains?

We were moving. . .
It soon went dark.
I was sat next to a French girl . . . . From france. . . .
She was so nice,we were chatting none stop. Almost lost my voice with the aircon being on.
I think I was in love for two hours. ..
She was amazing.
Perfect!
The prettiest girl I had seen for a very long time!!!!!
She had really nice long dark hair
Really tanned.
Really nice personality.
But she went to Bangkok the next day to get a flight home, probably to her husband or boyfriend.Booo

We got to Krabi in our little bouncing van. The roads were a bit uneven but what was most un-nerving was heading down the motorway at 110kph and seeing headlights coming towards you in the same lane.
Oh my word. Scooters, vans, cars they just drive anywere!

The sliding door opend “YOU WANT ACCOMODATION” even before my eyes focused for the darkness.

“Ehy”?

Where are we?

Another farm in the middle of nowere.

Everyone looked round and smiled ha what next?

We had all been dropped 3km outside of the centre, for the reason being they make you choose you’re accomodation before you get chance to walk down the streets and look around. That way can charge you more for places per night. I was soon on the case but not sure if anyone else was.
There was a big privately run tourist info desk just inside an open barn thing.

This guy just wouldn’t stop and wouldn’t let anyone go inside to look for accomodation.

So I socked it to him! (In a comical way)

Our mini van driver listening
“Look . . . Mate. . . . We have been travelling for a long time today and all a little tierd. We thought we were gona be dropped off in the centre of Krabi but odviously theres a little scam going on between you and our friend the mini van driver to bring us here so u can hussle us into youre hotel. “
I looked around to see everone giggling and broke out into laughter when our mini van driver suddenly shot off down the dusty track with all the doors still open knowing hed been rumbled.

“I don’t know him. . .I don’t know him”

“Oh and let me guess you’re place is the best place in town with free wifi, air con with a pool on the roof ,free massarge all for 300bht you say. . . . . Just to sting us with the extra 2000bht a night to get the top end room you describe when we get there.
Let me guess it’s a coincidence that that’s ur taxi tickin over just there is it ready to whisk us away as soon as we get here but oh no u wouldn’t know know anything about our mini van driver would you,or us even turning up here”

He looked at me laughin and threw his bit of cardboard on a table. . . .

“Big man . . . . .you. . . . . .”

I smiled. . . .”Yes?”

“you . . . . You. . “ he didn’t know what to say

“Yes . . . . that’s right . . . .Im not stupid!!!!!!!! So thanks. . . . . But not for me”

Our multi national mini van full laughin and all walked inside.

All girls behind the office desks giggling too .

There was a few of us that chose the same hotel so all got a ride into town. . . . .on the back of an open back taliban pickup. Had good aircon haha

Stopped the night at some place called K something Mansion.

Best part was I wanderd down the town to check out a night market. After a few dark streets, photos or a little lit up tumple I found it. It was pretty busy. So many different things on offer. Pancakes, meats, noodles, fruit shakes, drinks stall. Loads!
The whole thing was set up around tables and chairs in the centre. Each street stall being very competitive for custom, as soon as you stand in someones “Zone” you are greeted straight away with a menu to get you to stay and eat. As soon as you walk through their zone though they don’t follow you! I think theres a rule amongst each stall owner that is to be respected. “Treading on turf” if you will. Was funny though, the pretty Thai waitress I was watching stopped on an imaginary line everytime with a menu in hand every time she saw a potential customer. I felt quite sorry for her when she didn’t get one. The stall where she worked was probably one of the best on the market. Well I only ate at one place and the food was unbelievable!!
I sat down and within seconds of ordering water and sprite it was there on the table. No messin about here!
Their whole outfit was run by the family,with dad as main cook,mum prepping other dishes and spotting out customers, shouting at her daughter “over there over there” where she would litrually run with a menu. Very fast paced to get as many people in one night as poss. Im used to a quick kitchen as Iv worked in my own. . . .but this was unreal. There was of course the lazy daughter who sat down with a face on. I couldn’t figure out weather she was absolutely knakerd from working very hard or just not arsed about anything. Mum gave her a glance every now and then. There was also what lookd like Aunti involved too.Once you have a seat and a menu rather than trying to understand what you are saying or taking to long to choose you are given a pen and paper to write down the numbers of what you want to eat off the menu. What a wiked way I thought. I thought it was just for me as I was a traveller, but all the locals were writing numbers too. This then goes straight in the the kitchen . . . Well “stall” for dad to make. Ace to watch! J
Krabi is not like any other place Iv been to before. A lot more of a Thai people populated town although that doesn’t mean to say there isn’t people crossing the street to get you on a boat or taxi. But I left a tip last night that was the same as what the food cost me. I do need to take a bit more notice! Food and drinks came to £1.90 or somewere near.

I checked out today and wanderd the streets for a new place to stay. I felt a little ill last night staying where I was and woke up with a headache and soar throte. Found a place called Hollywood Guest house. Very basic but the beds comfy. . .200bht a night too. Lovin the bargains but I think Il find somewere nicer tomorrow. Still with a headache I just went and sat down near the river for a while, to listen to monster engines on long tail boats. Ha yea good one Andy. This is the main port to cross over to Rai Leh / Railey or as the swarms of boat operators assure me a trip around the mangroves for 300bht haha. I was just sat on a shaded marble bench before, they come over to me one at a time to try their luck to get me to go somewere. I soon figure out why. . . There is hardly any tourists in town. Not many wanting to go check out birds in the mangroves anyhow. I got chatting to one of the guys after he had given me his hard sell and exhausted all his efforts, I asked him about the Tiger cave temple that was nearby. . . he just pointed. I didn’t have a clue at what he was pointing at untill after about 5 mins of explaining to me in broken up English a temple right on the top of a mountain point. WAW! That looked amazing. . . . .the tiger temple.

“Very good view”

Ace, Im gona head there tomorrow. He said a taxi should be 200bht no more.

Could see it glow gold when the sun hit it.
The Tiger Cave Temple is about 8kms out of Krabi town and as my guide book says . . . .

Its home to dozens or Kutis (manastic cells) set into the limestone cliff. Tiger cave is so called because a large tiger apparently lived there leaving his paw prints as proof-some visitors find this claim dubious as the paw prints are not paw-like. Take the 1237 steps upto the top of the 600m high karst peak for fantastic views.

Happy days

I wander back through the streets and checked out a few shops. Tree ladies were deep into local conversation where I stopped to have a look at the watches. There was a few nice looking ones but none that I would trust, no matter what price lol. Got a pair of knock off Prada glasses though that were simular to my £300 ones back home along with an alarm clock thrown in for 300bht haha. The 3 women were talking and laughin to themselves. I turned around that one was stood right next to me comparing size. I do get noticed quite a lot when Im walking down the streets. When I was sat in the market I noticed a Thai girl looking at me, then moments later coupled with her friend going back and forth on a scooter smilin away and stopping to saw hi as I walked. I really didn’t know what they wanted? Felt a bit weird.

Anyhows. . . .Il stop rambling


Checked out today and found another hotel 10 min walk away.

Couldn’t be doin with the yapping dog at 4am anymore! I was ready to kill this morning!

Found a place called The Grand Tower Hotel.

This was the second time I had checked this hotel out but didn’t really like the first room I looked at the other day but was definatly happy with this one. 300bht a night, its clean, the bathrooms are in a nice order and its got a bit of a view lookin over the river too. Happy days. Sat here on free Wifi too.
I went out to the Tiger Cave Temple yesterday. What a nice day!! From the hotel I was told to wave down a red Songthiaw and got there for 50bht. Bargain! Walked into the first cave and kept myself to myself being quiet as the monks were doing their thing infornt of the big buddah. A women on my right was sat down making little red string bracelets. Upon inspection she fitted one to my wrist and asked for a donation. . . .wierdly I had a 10 bht coin in my hand so dropped it into the collection box where she smiled and thanked me. With discarded shes at the door the marble floor felt nice and cool on the feet. I saw a little sighn that said tiger cave so headed up a few steps with a low ceiling. A round room with a cage at one side. Pictures of the Thai King were hung in various places and a picture of a tiger was engraved into the wrote iron railings that stopped you walking into the second little dark room. Was very quiet and really peaceful. I quite like religious sites such as this as there isnt anyone to pester you and you can relax for a while . . .let youre guard down if you will.
I walked out, flip flops back on I headed to the main gate into a park area. To my left there were a few dogs sat on the ground panting in the heat then suddenly in with them something stood up and walked away. Little monkey. Came over to me and stood on his tyre playing with the rope. I got a few pics and was quite chuffed I had seen one in the wild. Walking on I was suddenly introduced to several hundred of them all living and doing their daily thing around a few water pools and waterfalls. They were ace to watch, newborns running round going psycho playing catch while mum, dads and grandparents were getting more and more pissed off at the noises. I must of sat for an hour and just watched. Noticing a sighn Beware Monkeys will steal I put everything in the bag. They came so close as I just sat there, some would even lean on you as a rest. After a while and watching various people being robbed of their crisps and icecreams I headed up to see a few more caves in rainforest section with a big tree feature too. The caves were ace. . .deep into the limestone I was stood looking out at what looked like a big overhang of rock, with no outside supports either. Outside I wanderd over to a huge great big tree, that what looked like from afar was wooden wings that emerged out of the floor holding the trunk up like vertical wings. I gave it a knock and they sounded like a piece of ply. Very strange. I walked a little more into the undergrowth and saw a few huts on stilts, compleat with walled off front yards, garden gates with a buddah garden gnome waving a welcome. Some just had a front door that was walled into the limestone as a cave would provide the shelter. Its was as quiet as a mouse with the odd bird making a cry every now and then,a perfect monks retreat Id say. After getting lost in the trees. . . . . Nothing to do with chasing a butterfly for a decent picture lol,(still managed to take it blurd too) I got a bit scared and headed back to the park. To the shop to grab water, 7 up and crisps before I tackled the 1237 steps, I went back to watch the monkeys again. Was a bit different this time though. As soon as they saw me with a bag they were onto me. Gaspin I opend the can. . . .with too many things in my hands I made the fatal mistake of sitting it down for two seconds. Turned round and there was monkey trying to drink from the ring pull side spillin it all over him. “Yea great” His friends sat around watching as I manage to film him finishin it off. I opend the crisps and all hell broke loose. . . .. Haha
Managed to get the empty contents to the bins that were in locked deer pen things, someone else with an ice cream got robbed too so I headed out of there, happy that I didn’t have long hair.
Ok the climb to the top started off not to bad but could see the numberd bollards as you went up didn’t seem to go very fast at all. The stairs were getting steeper and steeper, at one point they turned into a like a stepped ladder. Monkeys will be sat lazing around guarding various platforms with people stepping over them.
300. . . .. .500.. . . . I started to become a bit dizzy. . . wasn’t even halfway! The neck was hurting from constantly looking up such a steep view. 700. . . .I was stopping at almost every platform now. . . .Thai voices got closer. . . Young monks were running up with the younger ones gasping for water. “Hey English, HELLOOOOO . . .you have water . . .please”
Half a bottle gone they all carried on. . . .with two of them constantly holding hands out to me to hurry me up. . . . .oh my word I wasn’t goin at a bad pace at all, passing people that had set ff 10 mins infront of me and these guys want me to hurry up. I was nakerd!!!!! I got to the top 600metres above sea level and I had to sit lie down. There was a few people at the top too but compleat silence as nobody had energy to talk yet. At the top there was a Big Buddah temple sat on the very peak. The view was amazing. . .. You could see as far as the eye would let you. There was a complimentry water faucet at the top for all to drink. . . . .I think they would be bringing dead boddies down if they didn’t have one lol.
How they managed to get the materials and building equipment up there to build such an amazing structure that definatly wouldn’t look out of place in the Grand Palace in Bangkok is beyond me!
After pictures and a few hours pass I head back down, got talking to a really pretty girl going up wondering if it was really worth it. I assured her it was . . . . .but I should of said no its crap come on lets go to a bar. Ha. Im to honest what can I say. I think she was Spanish.
Anyhow. . .said bye after half an hour and headed to the bottom. Was a little more scary getting down, the steepness of the steps making it a bit of an experience.
Back in the park I had seen what I wanted to see so headed of to find a lift back. Tuk Tuk drivers lingering the numbers 300bht were shouted out with him already knowing where I had come from and how long I had been here.
“300bht. . ..I paid 50 to get here”
He laughed and said “but you are alone”
So walked off after giving him my 150 offer saying Il wait for mare people then.
Sat out side the shop on a bench he come wandering over “ok ok 120 and I take you to the bus station. . . .which was halfway “
“Im not bother now. . .150 to get back or leave me alone”

“ok ok . . I don’t like waiting “
We were moving. When I was on the way back to Krabi I was thinkin to myself tourists and travellers will start to get well annoyed in the future with everyone trying it on. People who travel here are not stupid and wont pay for over the odds. If they do then they are lazy and very short sighted, what people see as a fair price at home works out to be 5 or 6 times more than what the price should be over here, for the sake of doing a bit of research so much money can be saved. Some people who Iv spoken to have even said “yea we paid too much for it but we are only here for a few weeks” . . . . EHY??? Whats that got to do with anything? For the sake of asking at a different tourist office instead of the first one you walk into some things turn out at half price. I too need to start looking at alternative ways to get to places. Local busses and trains are on the list of things to check out asap.
Enough of the rant though. . . .
Got dropped off back in Krabi next to the big black mud crabs statues. Got a few pics after there was a million tourists climbing all over them and then headed back for a quick shower and change before heading off down to the night market again for something t eat. Got chatting to the waitress that usually sreves me and she was saying she works in a bike shop selling Treck components and bikes. I got her number that she wrote on the back of a buisness card and said if I even want to buy anything or rent a bike for the day to be sure to give her a ring. Ace!
Although I think Im gona head to Koh Lanta tomorrow and find a Bungalow before Xmass and for over new year. Many people from north Thailand get away from their Monsoons and head down for this time of year. Hence why all the prices go up and turns into high season. The weather around here at its best in the year too. Havent seen rain for a while now J

Scouted about today and found that the cheapest way to get to Koh Lanta is by aircond mini coach from the hotel Im staying. 250bht . I had a look around everywere else and the boat that goes is 350bht happy days. The hotel Im staying has a tourist office attached so wondering if guests set a discount. Not to sure where Im going to stay when I get there at the mo, I did see a place in my guide book called Mook Lanta but I might be able to get better than 1000bht a night that they show on the internet for high season.

Il keep ya posted

(For videos and photos of my travels so far search on youtube andyofaceness) :-)

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