Tim & Ana's Travels: February 2007

Friday, February 09, 2007

Ana_Phuket

Day 11
Sat. Jan. 27
Left Krabi town in the early morning. It was pretty easy to get tickets to Phuket town. By the time we finally made it was past noon. I didn't like the look of the city one bit. It was bit run down and had a desolate vibe to it. We were planning to stay one night there before heading to the famous beach of Patong only 20 minutes away. We started walking to the center of the town with the spicy sun hitting my face. I was burning. Vane had the greatest idea to stop for lunch so we can think and relax. Plus it was lunch time. So we did. Had my usual chicken and rice. Very good.

Did decide to go straight for Patong. We go on the pickup truck/bus and waited for 30 minutes until it got full. It was only 20 Baht each for the ride. Didn't have a reservation or anything like usual but kept hoping we'll find something not too pricy since Patong is for the super rich tourist with only few places for the backpackers. We got off what we thought it was the middle of town. We were so lucky that the street we picked first to go right we saw a hostel. Vane went inside and they only had one room for 500 baht (about $14 US). I did look around some more on the same street and everything was FULL and twice expensive. So I rushed back to Vane and told her we better take the place. The lady at the reception was super friendly and greeted us with a huge smile and told us we were very lucky. She thought we were Mexican and we let her think so. We didn't feel like explaining.

Couldn't believe we were in famous Phuket and were the tsunami hit two years ago. It seemed like nothing happen in this particular beach. Tons of bars and restaurant next to each other and crowds everywhere. It reminded me of Cancun but less pretty. I wasn't really impressed with the beach either. Mind you we arrived in time for sunset. We stay in bed like Vanesa calls it being "Fiona" from Shreck but we do the reverse we hide from the sun all day and come out at night. We decided we were only going to stay that night. We didn't like the vibe. It was a lot of couples or old man looking for some Thai buddy. We did decide to party here or at least go out at night so we did. Prices were a bit high and eating at nice restaurant was out of our budget. We decided to just buy beers from 7-eleven and just drink outside. The first time we did it, I felt we were bums on the side of the street with a bag of chips to go with our beer. We only needed a signed that said HELP US TO PARTY, WE CHEAP BACKPACKERS! J/K. Anyhow after one big beer we were both already giggling and having a good time just people watching. We walked around a bit more before we got our second beer. It was so fun just to chit chat and laugh. We kept walking up and down the bar street to find a place to dance but we didn't find anything we liked. By mistake we started walking down a street that had the famous "go go bars" with poles all over. I told Vane WE ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE. As we walked I finally saw some lady boys how the call them here. I have to say they were hot and sexy. Very beautiful. You couldn't tell they were men. Of course they were dancing to get attention from the tourist and pose with them for a picture. It was cool to see. We kept walking and walking and giggling and giggling. We made our third stop at different convenient store for another beer. By this time I need some food. Vane kept checking on me asking if I needed to go to the bathroom, puke or was hungry. This time I was so hungry and wanted to pass out. We went to the first place that had fast food. I had a slice of pizza, it was so disgusting. I ate it all. Then I felt much better. Vane was a buzzing too. She talked with some Thai boys asking if they knew were to go dancing. Somehow they felt obligated to help us and asked us to follow them so we did. They were also visiting Phuket. It was funny. They seemed really nice. But after we kept walking with them for a while and still no dancing we left them. Our last stop was an Aussie bar for a beer. I didn't want anything else to drink. I was doing just fine.
Oh, yes I was forgetting as we kept walking vendors on the bar streets they kept offering a free ping pong show. Vane asked me what that was and silly me told her I think is just ping pong. Then one of the guys showed me a flyer of the ping pong show and it wasn't the game. It was a sexual thing. It was probably some kinky erotica show. I started laughing. I did get that vibe that the beautiful thai women dress all sexy were looking for the rich old men to spend money and more money on them. It was definitely a one night stand and give me your baht type of place. I'm glad we experienced it but I was glad to get out of there.

Day 13
Sun. Jan. 28
Woke early with a minor hangover. Vane bought water for us. I felt dehydrated! Left town about 10 en la manana. I was so happy to get the hell out of there. We went back to Phuket town. Found one place open for lunch. Had something different for a change Chicken with cashew nuts. DELICIOUS! Was probably the best meal so far. And it wasn't too spicy.

Took the next bus to Phang-Nga about and 2 hours north of Phuket. It was a smaller city and it seemed like a good place to hangout our last two days before heading back to crazy Bangkok. And it was! Getting out the tiny bus station the city seemed peaceful and quieter for sure. Found another cheap hostel back to 150 baht a night. The old couple at the reception was adorable, husband and wife running the hostel. So cute! The lady walked us through the end of a rundown hall. It looked a bit sketchy. It was actually quit nice and roomy. It even had its own bathroom and it was clean. I've stayed in worse places. We took the room. Had nothing plan. Just sat in the room reading and talking and enjoying the shade. The rest of the day slowly flew by.

Day 14
Mon. Jan. 29
Woke up early. Took my little sweet time to get it up. Decided not to do any tours. This town has to offer similar things to what we've seen already. It wasn't worth the effort we decided. So we made it a lazy day. Did change some money, bought our bus ticket to Bangkok, Vane got her haircut and visited a spooky temple. We walked a bit to get to this Heaven and Hell temple. We manage to see only the Hell part and we freaked out and left. We didn't see any tourist just locals. The first thing we saw was devilish stone figures with deformed and bloody faces. We kept walking some more and saw some weird looking monkeys. They looked evil with red faces and just skinny looking. Vane and I got a bad vibe and just left. Vane said lets go before we get a curse or something. We never saw the heaven part. It was funny!

Another day gone by. I'm super excited that in two days I'll time again.

Ana_Krabi

Day 8
Wed. Jan. 24
We arrived in Surathani around 5:00 am. I felt sleepy and tired. There were bunch of minivans asking where we wanted to go. It was part of the joint ticket deal. The minivan took us to a waiting area. Other backpackers were waiting there as well. It seemed we were the only ones going to Krabi Town everyone else was going to an island. The man that worked there asked us if we were sure we wanted to go to Krabi. I started doubting myself. For the next hour that we waited I kept going back and forth. I was driving Vane crazy I'm sure. She is so easy going that she kept saying we can go where ever. She had no preference. So my inner voice told me to go ahead and go with he original plans to Krabi Town. We took the minivan to the town around 7:00 am. We got dropped off in the middle of nowhere it seemed like. I asked the guy where out we and he said we were outside of Krabi. He told me I had to take a taxi to the city for 20 Baht more. Hidden charge for sure. I thought the ticket included being dropped of in the middle of town not at the end of town. Had to suck it up and do it. We took the pickup truck to town. From there we walked to a hostel mentioned in the lonely planet. Good thing for that book. It guides you when you feel lost. The town didn't look that bad. There were other tourists walking around. We thought we were going to be the only ones there. Vane helped looked for the hotel. I was so cranky and sweaty from the hot sun.

After few minutes we finally found the hostel. It was so quaint and clean. Couldn't be the price. It was the cheapest place yet, only 250 Baht a night ( $7US) for the two of us. The room was super clean and spacious with only one bed. We didn't care. We wanted a place to sleep. I rushed to the shower. It felt so nice to have a cold shower. I was starving so right after we ate at the hostel it had a restaurant too. Vane was pretty hungry too. She had a chicken sandwich and I had rice with chicken. After eating I felt hungry. I don't know why. It felt like I didn't eat a thing it went straight to my feet or something. Couldn't think what to do next. Decided to take a two hour nap. Vane didn't resist the idea. I think she was tired too.

Felt much better after nap. Woke up hungry. I looked through my bag to see what other snack I could find. I had brought some from California - beef jerky, some gummy snacks and a few granola bars. Vane made the funniest expression. She said she could eat all day long with her hands. At least that is what I thought she meant. Her face was hilarious. She ate some candy corn that I had brought her to satisfy her hunger.

We booked a tour for the next day to the nearby 4 islands. The pictures looked amazing these islands have beautiful rock formations. One of them is famous because it looks like a chicken. So many tours to chose from but we went with our gut again. You can't go wrong its either beautiful or more beautiful. I felt better booking the tour. That is the reason people go to Krabi town to book trips instead of staying at a specific island for days. We walked around the town as the sun was coming down. I had to look for a stupid adapter. Now I know how Tim feels when he has to deal with that. I brought so many adapters but of course none worked for Thailand. But it wasn't that hard to find. Along the way Vane spotted a signed that said it had rooms for 150 Baht. We went to check it out and it was decent. Not as nice but tolerable for sure. We made the reservation for the following day. The hippie guy, Joe, was so stoned you could tell. He was listening to Bob Marley and just had that mellow attitude with lazy eyes. But the owner seemed really nice, Judy, so I didn't care so much.

The rest of the day we just kept getting hungry and trying to tame the beast. We were laughing. We were both really hungry for some reason. =)

Day 9
Thurs. Jan. 25
We were ready to go by 8:00. Had to pack and leave our bags in storage which I loved. It was behind the bar area in the open. I tell you so far I love the storage areas in Thailand. They feel real safe. So far so good. They do guarantee me that nothing will happen. I just have to let it go and trust, which I've learned to do on this trip. Sometimes you have let it go and trust it will turn out and it always does, in a mysterious and perfect way.

We were the first ones to get picked up for the tour. Oh, another thing when you sign up you also have to trust and hope for the best. It's not very clear all you going to get in the tour. But at least you get the basics out like lunch is included and you'll get water. An hour later and we arrived at the agency doing the tours. We had to wait to get a sticker for the tour. It's organized chaos. By 10 we were walking to the old long tail boat anchored near the shore. We had to get wet to get on it. It was smaller and more beat up than the long tail boat we rode on in Ko Tao. They sure crammed us in there. There wasn't even room for the holy spirit. Vane and I were laughing. We tend to do that alot. So far we've met not so friendly tourist. Not sure is because the destination is overcrowded with tourist and they're on shorter holiday and just want to get away and relax, specially the couples. Can't blame them. The point being me and Vane are the playful ones usually. We tend to speak Spanish so no ones understand, plus the others are speaking in their language - Dutch, Swedish, Danish, German and so on. Tons of European tourist especially Swedish we've met so far. The conversation doesn't go pass where you are from and how long are you traveling for?

Our lovely guide told us the name of our first island. Could barely understand him and to be honest I'm so bad with names that already forgot although I've read few times. The ride was beautiful, another extension of paradise - emerald waters with stoning rock formations in the middle of the ocean. Our first stop was a gorgeous island crowded with other boats. The area for swimming was small but amazingly gorgeous. We had an hour to sit around and enjoy. So we did. Time went by fast. I kept looking at my watch to make sure we didn't miss the boat. Another couple did. We left them behind.

Our next stop was Chicken island. We got to do some snorkeling. By this time were experts. Too bad we couldn't see shit. No visibility whatsoever. Oh, well it was good to go in the water it was pretty hot. Then it was lunch time we stopped at the third island another beautiful island. I know that I sound like a broken record but can't seem to find other words to describe paradise. Can't beat having lunch right in front of the beach. We were able to see some monkeys hanging out. Although we were warn not to get to close since the bite. They hang around near some bungalows. I even saw one of the monkeys trying to open the door. It was pretty funny to see. Wouldn't want to stay there.

The last stop was the most hermosa beach ever. Maybe if I say it in Spanish it sounds different. J/K. It was really pretty - it had a gorgeous cave near the beach area known as the Princess cave. To get there we had to walk over burnt bodies. Vane and I want to clinch when we see people roasting in the sun. I mean burning up. The white skin is completely burnt. It’s beyond a nice tan. I feel like covering them up with a blanket, especially the topless ladies with their burnt boobs. It looks like it hurts so bad. It makes me want to cry just seen them like that. They don't seem to care but it gotta hurt. Anyhow Vane and I found some shade near the cave and even got a cool breeze as we starred in to the ocean. We had an hour there too. Great trip for only $20 for the both of us we got fed and had drinking water plus great pineapple for a snack.

I was so tired by the time we got back. Just wanted to take a shower and relax. So I did. We did manage to grab a bite to eat and sign up for a kayaking tour for the next day. I was looking forward to it. Never done it before.