Hello!
We spent the last week in Railay, Krabi which was one of our favourite spots in Thailand so far. There were two picture perfect beaches, caves, monkeys - but it is actually known best for being a rock climbers paradise. There are some pictures in the posting below. One of the best things we did there was take a sunset snorkeling tour. We snorkeled in caves, and a few other spots (a storm passed over us - there was thunder at one point while we snorkeled our hearts out!) We actually saw a huge moray eal and a lion fish, the latter actually being quite dangerous (I'm just glad I didn't know it at the time!!) With about 15 other people our age, we were delivered to a deserted island to watch the sunset, while the longtail driver headed off to the mainland to pick up our Gypsey Curry - I have never had such juicy prawns and mussels in my life. We sat on the beach for an hour or two, and once it was pitch black, were delivered to the entrance of a cave where we swam to light up the phosphoresence! It was really amazing.
We are in Phuket right now, and have been here for the last 3 days. We came to meet up with a Swedish couple that we had a great time traveling with in Malaysia, and we are now headed back to the islands with them. We were actually looking forward to getting to a city for a bit. Don't get me wrong, swimming, lying on the beach, eating banana pancakes and snorkeling are a few of the best things in the world, but we wanted to get a little more city site seeing in! From the moment we arrived in Phuket, Gustaf and Alex had us all set - bowling, cinema (2012 - worst movie ever, but $4 for tickets and popcorn isn't bad!), and a night on the streets of Patong, to experience all that is the nightlife of Phuket. Screaming Thai girls literally grab you by the arm and try to bring you to their bar!! (the prostitution is really hard to see as you can imagine). Bars are stacked side by side, all blaring out different music, song after song in a constant battle (my pool skills are slowly improving). While in the past people try to shove monkeys on you to take a picture for a few baht, it is giant lizards that they have here instead. At one point there were about 4 men walking towards us, all with bright green lizards, arms outstretched as they try to force them onto your shoulder!!
Anyways, Ko Phi Phi is where we are headed tomorrow morning! It is one of the islands that was hit hardest by the Tsunami in 2004, but apparently today you would never have known the devestation it experienced five years ago.
Chat soon, we miss everyone!
Pippa and Matt
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Okay, that has to be the best blog yet, and the best pictures! OMG!! Soooo cool where you are!
ReplyDeleteFirst. 2012 is a bad movie? Oh no! I can't wait to see those special effects! DOn't worry, I wasn't looking for a great story line....
SUnset snorkeling tour???? AMAZING!!! Ha ha, but I am SO GLAD you showed a pic of a "longtail". I had decided that you guys had just dubbed your particular long-haired, pony-tailed driver "Longtail". I know, go figure!
THe snorkel and the cave (!!!) and the phosph. (sp?) and the seafood curry truly sound out of this world. Soooo different from anything here. Wouldn't Jack Rosen from SSI like to do this trip, hey Pippa??
From the tales of your city adventures, I think I would run back to the islands, all the screaming and loud music and lizards and prostitutes, eeeeeks.
Ha ha, Pippa I notice you are only wearing glasses when 1) you're on a motorbike (good idea!) and when you are eating BUGS! GOOD IDEA!!!
I couldn't figure out what you were wearing in one picture, Oh! It's your backpack in front of you.... makes sense! Safety-wise again.
You both look INCREDIBLY happy and that is a wonderful thing to see. And Matt looks like a movie star with his new scruffy look.
Off to Ko Phi Phi! I guess it looks "back to normal" because the buildings aren't exactly concrete and steel! Little resort shacks over the water?? Not the same as rebuilding, say... New York CIty under a tsunami (2012 style).
I look out the window here.... a few lonely leaves are hanging onto my forsythia, it's POURING and gray... Wysteria leaves also hanging on for a few more days, brrrrr it's cold, I need to build a fire (!!!), but there's still lots of evergreen, and some of the bushes have really red or orange leaves, and some beautiful bright orangey/red berries, so there is SOME outdoor colour in our West Coast world here! I've had my poached egg and Squirrel Bread toast, Mitch I am sure will pour himself a bowl of Bran Flakes..... our safe, structured, mostly bug-free and definitely monkey-free life continues.....aha, I hear the crunch of Bran Flakes! Mitch is up!
Lots of love to you, I LOVE EMAIL! I LOVE BLOGS! Such a great connection. I have my atlas beside me, too and found Phuket.
Thank you for writing these blogs!
love mum
Koh Phi Phi was Nao and my's FAVOURITE island!!!! make sure you finish every night out at Hippies and dance to summer of 69 at the Apache bar! You don't even know how jealous I am when I read your blog! Especially the pancakes those were sooooooooooo good!!!!! keep having so much fun!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like BIG FUN. Lots of great stuff to see, do, and eat,(don't know about the bugs). I'm glad you showed picture of boat too. Thought a monkey (longtail) was driving boat. No snow here yet, but not quite as nice as there. Miss you guys. Love Dad.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - this is Soetopo by the way - I am an IDIOT! I have been wondering why I couldn't find your blog ever again and why I wasn't getting any emails with updates on where you guys were... and I JUST found this site now. I had the wrong url. Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, let me just say to Pippa - did I not tell you you would love HK??? I remember the disagreement you had towards me about how you didn't think you'd like it. I'm so glad you did. Its an amazing place - don't you just feel like you're at the centre of the Universe there?? Those American's have something else coming... haha
Also - Glad you got to Bali!! I'm reading your blog at work (shhhh) and totally super jealous right now. In fact I'm going to go home and tell Mark once all debts are paid off that we should do this. Provided I don't fall to much in love with my job which I sort of have...!!! yikes!
Glad to see you have made it safely out of Indo and away from the 5x/day Muslim prayers. Matt - I also mean no disrespect to them but I remember when I was a kid that it literally creeped me out so bad I would run inside the house to hide because it sounds so scary!!! And I lived there for 5 years! Never quite got over it... haha. Except I'm surprised to hear that it was in Gili because I've never noticed it in Bali - its predominatly Hindu there?? Maybe not in Gili. I miss Indo, and the $2 Bintangs!! I'll be there in July/Aug though for a wedding. SO looking forward to it!
Anyways... hope you are having so much fun in Thailand you two!! Have you done any diving at all??? You should get certified while you're there!! Are you heading to the Philippines at all? Amazing beaches there too - but pricey in December.
Anyways stay safe, have so much fun, and I'm SO GLAD to have finally found the correct address for your blog!!!
MISS YOU!!!
xoxoxoxo
Topes :)