Finally (having sorted out our tickets again in Kota Kinabalu) we flew into Da Nang airport Vietnam late at night as we were routed through Kuala Lumpur and HCMC. We were met by a lovely young man with his car and taken to our guesthouse in Hoi An - Hoi An Field Resort and Spa where we were to stay put for one month. Greeted there by Nat we had the choice of several rooms - very unusual but lovely - and we settled in for our stay.
Hoi An Field resort and Spa is outside of Hoi An township, in the countryside and amongst the rice fields which suited us fine. Pushbikes were free to use, the pool exceptional and the staff absolutely wonderful.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. We biked on a daily basis everywhere, through the paddy fields, into Hoi An, to local restaurants, to Cua Dia beach - anywhere and everywhere. We certainly got used to the local traffic and its idiosyncrasies and, of course, the constant tooting!!!!! We also utilised Grab taxis for evening travel which are very cheap and readily available where-ever you wish to go. There is no problem calling up one of these cars as wifi is readily available everywhere in Vietnam.
Food in Hoi An is amazing and the beer very cold. We biked to restaurants local to our guesthouse and were able to form close friendships with the owners. "Little Flower" was our favourite where we met Nah and her husband and children and ate genuine Hoi An food. Always complimentary fresh fruit and tea was served to us at the end of each meal and the children "high fived" us each time we arrived. Another great place was "Hiep Ky" where all the locals eat. The food is so so cheap and the locals have a crate of 24 big bottles of beer brought to their table to drink whilst they eat. One crate was 360,000VD (NZ$23) or 15,000VD (NZ.95cents) each!!!!!! We would spend all of NZ$6.50 for a huge meal for both of us plus drinks too.
Dentists are cheap too as Gary found out. Unfortunately he broke a front tooth and was having issues with hot and cold sensations on another tooth. Off he trots on his bike to the local dentist - has 3 white fillings done for $73??? - turns out they run a laundry on the side there too which is a little strange - but they were amazing and the fillings great.
In Hoi An itself it was a different story - the food was much more expensive but still comparably cheap - catering mainly for tourists rather than locals. Gosh they can make a mean Mojito though in that little town. In many of the restaurants you can sit in the evening looking over the river flooded with lights and back-dropped by glowing lanterns. Hoi An is all about the lanterns, especially at night, and is very pretty with its Chinese Bridge, narrow streets and pedlos. At certain times of the day the streets are closed off to all traffic, except push bikes, for a few hours and sanity rules. However at around 4pm each day and until night has fallen Hoi An is invaded by coaches full of both Chinese and South Korean visitors. This time is best avoided unless you have been lucky enough to secure a seat somewhere to watch the unbelievable unfold.
As I said earlier we met some amazing people. Cycling through the rice fields one day we came across, in the middle of no where, the American Cafe run by this incredibly interesting hippy American from the front garden of his house. He had been a lyric writer for some very famous artists in his time - or so he told us - and was quite famous for "shooting a TV" (literally) because it was annoying him - or so he told us too. He made good iced coffee, which is what we needed at the time, regardless of his previous life.
We met a proud granddad and his young grand daughter when we stopped for water one day after a long and fruitless bike ride - it was very very hot and humid in Hoi An and hydration very important. The little girl wished to practice her English with us with the help of her cell phone. She was only little but very comfortable in our presence, taking Gary off to see the fish pond her Granddad had formed and chattering away with him. They were so cute together but unfortunately we never got to see them again as they were always closed whenever we passed by.
Several of our bike rides were fruitless as we tried in vain to navigate our way to Cua Dia Beach. The problem being that the Chinese have built a bloody great highway - which carries very little traffic - between the beach and Hoi An. It seems totally absurd for the region but finally we mastered the changes and made it to the beach which was absolutely lovely. We fulfilled that need to swim in the sea a few times, reading books with our backs up against a coconut tree and no other person in sight, but we also stumbled across a local restaurant selling the "best pizza we have ever tasted in our lives"!!! We ate that pizza on two occasions - we just had to.
It was on one of these fruitless bike rides that I fell off my bike and I can tell you it was that bloody great roads fault!!!!!! The day was excruciatingly hot, we had missed the elusive turn off to the beach again, a truck reversed between us, Gary took the high road - yes that bloody great highway - and I landed up below the road on the hard fill hence the fall and leg injury - oh and the bike also had no brakes!!!! Gary said it was like watching it all unfold in slow motion????
Whilst on the subject of bikes.....ours, parked happily in our usual spot in Hoi An township and locked together, suddenly did a disappearing act. Not trusting our memories - nothing to do with age but the fact that most crossroads in Hoi An look very similar - we walked around for a while but came to the conclusion that they must have been stolen.......but NO....wait there is more!!!!!! It was the "bike police" who had come round and snaffled them - "loading" them and others into their truck and taking them to the "Police station"?? "And the Police station is where?"......"Well, go along here to the next turn and turn right"....."Ok thank you very much". This was the start of our subsequent 4 hour journey.....every time we asked we would get new instructions which actually took us to places in Hoi An we might never have explored but yes.....you guessed it......we did not locate the "Police Station". We found many warehouse type places that contained "bikes in piles" - some "open" but "not open" and one similar one which was locked and bolted. Our search was fruitless and we were no closer to finding our bikes or what had become of them.
Stumbling across a Tourist information office we implored the help of a lady working there. With a wry smile on her face she told us that there were many places they could have been taken and so our route march started all over again with her striding out in front in her high heels and us loitering behind trying to keep up.......and start from scratch we did, back to the place we parked them. It was easier for her as she spoke the language but there was a lot of laughing going on at our expense as we did the circuit once more, finally arriving back at........yes the one and only locked door. "Your bikes are in there" she said. "When you come to collect them tomorrow there will be a large fine to pay and you will get your bikes back"!!!!!!! Absolutely shocked but grateful we followed her back to her office where she called our hotel to explain what had happened and asked them to send someone to pick us up......which they did......one man on a motorbike......after all that?.....no way. We took a Grab taxi instead. Arriving back at Hoi An Field we discovered this sort of thing happens regularly - they accept it as the norm, pay the fines and carry on. Next day Number 8 and number 5 were happily back in their ranks at the hotel waiting for our next adventure. Gosh if only bikes could talk!!!
Hoi An is the place to have clothes made and to buy cheaply and we definitely took advantage of this needing to buy an extra, small case to get it all home. Having something copied though is a much better option than having something made from a photo as Gary's suit and my dress are testament to. Shirts and tops copied were however very successful and inexpensive and the materials we chose excellent quality. We tried both tailors and the market place with little difference between in both quality or price. It was actually quite fun but they are clever and wily and their attitude can change very quickly which can be a little disconcerting. There were some very upset customers in the market place from time to time, including us, but it always turned out sort of OK in the end. It just needed to be remembered that everything was very cheap. Likewise modern Nike shorts for Gary in quick dry, non iron material (great for travelling) for $5 a pair as were T-shirts and, of course, you always barter - it is expected.
We filled in our days well in Hoi An Field - the pool was amazing, the buffet breakfasts were great and when we tired of Asian food they made a really good burger too. We met some amazing travellers from all over the world and as I said earlier the staff were awesome. One day the security guard, Dung, who also was responsible for the bikes approached us via Lee (Nat's twin sister and the owners daughter) he wanted us to go to his house and meet his wife, Muoi and son - Lee would be our interpreter. We had a great time with him and his family - he was so proud of his house and what he had achieved in life - he was such an amazing person. We went there twice, loaded with gifts, and shared food with them and were so grateful that they passed through our lives like that.
One day we were told the owner, Vinh, wished to offer us a "hot pot" lunch. Assuming he would be joining us we wandered down to the restaurant to find a table for two set with all this food which would have been impossible for us to eat. Gathering some staff, Lee, Vy, Phat and another guest we extended the table and soon all were happily tucking in......it was so fresh and delicious and also an embarrassment was averted.
Our worst moment at Hoi An Field happened when we had just got out of the pool, ordered a couple of yummy cocktails and were settling down on the poolside loungers to read our books when there was this enormous "bang" from the road outside followed by this incredible wailing of a woman. I will never forget these sounds for the rest of my life - it was just awful and heart breaking. Gary and I rushed out to see two motorbikes lying in the road, two European young people injured and a local family of four also involved. Mum had been carrying a 6week old baby on her lap with Dad and their 4 year old son on the motorbike too. Mum seemed to be the only one with minor injuries from that group, amazingly the baby and child seemed untouched. Mum was being looked after by locals and was soon taken away by car to the local hospital. The Europeans however had a lot of abrasions and he a quite nasty looking knee but were not allowed by the locals to relocate until the police arrived which was at least three quarters of an hour. Trying to help and clean their wounds on the side of the road was pretty difficult but bottled water and ice brought them some relief thank goodness........not sure where all the other helpers from the hotel disappeared to!!!!! The police finally arrived, spoke to the local people and driver but not to Stewart the European driver, loaded both bikes onto the back of their truck and drove away? Long story short Stewart and the local man were summoned to the Police Station a couple of days later - Stewart paid the Police a huge fine, paid the local man an even larger fine and received his bike back. This all seemed a bit weird to us because it was obvious the local guy was clearly at fault having come out from a side road and into Stewart??? Stewart was just relieved to get his bike back and get it repaired so he could continue his travels without a Vietnamese Court case. Can report here we stayed in touch with Stewart and Cadence, had lunch with them one day as well, to make sure they were recovering ok and after several hospital visits and much nurturing of their skin, they made a full recovery and finally were able to continue their separate journeys. I, however, felt most embarrassed when photos emerged of me helping the injured in my swimsuit - not a good look - and yes we finally got our cocktails 2 days later.
On a brighter note there were several events happening in Hoi An whilst we were there. The full moon lantern festival was one and we took a boat ride on the river but I think the best was a local cultural show called A O (thats Ahhh Ohhh) - in the most amazing little, round theatre (the Lune performing centre) - it was so skillful. It was a blend of circus stunts using bamboo poles and coracles, acrobatics and contemporary dance. Truly amazing and very much like Cirque de Soleil.
In Hoi An itself there are obviously many peddlars, mainly women, currently selling fridge magnets, pop up cards, bookmarks and dried fruits and peanuts. They all have very interesting life-stories which we were eager to listen to - this meant that we did come home loaded with all of the above but it was well worth it. They do struggle to make ends meet but in no way are they intrusive. It is well worth striking up a conversation with them - we can learn so much from their humble way of life. In the same vein are the "eyebrow threaders" - goodness only knows how many people's eyebrows and ear hairs have been removed by that one piece of thread they accost you with - you have to learn to be quick to avoid them as they loom towards you........but it is all done with a laugh and lots of banter Lol.
We all know Vietnam can be a very sad place too although you can see the Western influence happening prolifically now but.......two very sad sights have left a lasting impression in my mind. One was a lady wheeling co-joined twins along the road on a push cart. They were quite large and I couldn't look for long - it was too upsetting - there just seemed to be a big bundle of rags with multiple arms and legs with a head at either end and she actually had a colander on one of the babies heads so it could not be seen but could breathe I assume.
The second was a bullock that had a ripped nose that was dangling down the front of his face - I assume once again there had been a ring there at some stage.
The weather in Hoi An was extremely hot whilst we were there and invariably there would be massive thunder and lightening storms, no rain, during the night - it was also very humid so the air-conditioning and the fan would be going full blast whilst you were in your room, Towards the end of the calendar month electricity power cuts became more frequent - all returned to normal at the start of a new month? There was never an explanation for this - it was something that just happened!!!
The night before we left Hoi An Field they held a big dinner party to say goodbye and to mark the end of the busy season. The hotel owner Vinh and his family put on this amazing seafood spread with lashings of red wine - all the staff were there and his chefs and this is where we learned "Mot Hai Ba Zo" - cheers in Vietnamese. It was a great evening and the most animated we had seen Vinh the whole of our stay. But there was one person missing.......Phi Phi.
Phi Phi worked at Hoi An Field when we first arrived but left the job to go to work elsewhere and we missed her greatly. We had met up in Hoi An for some drinks on one occasion and she surprised us by coming to our room to say goodbye the night before we left. Similarly Nah from the Little Flower Restaurant arrived with a bag of gifts for us the following morning and, before Vinh and Dung personally drove us to the airport, many of the staff who were off duty arrived with gifts as well. It was a very emotional time for us all. Even at the airport Vinh and Dung escorted us to the check in desk for our flight to Bali.
How precious can these memories be? They will stay with us forever.
Thank you Hoi An Field Resort and Spa for a wonderful stay.
Saturday, 1 December 2018
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Borneo 2018
Our visit to Borneo was far from joyful and the bad started as we tried to check in on our flight at Phnom Penh airport via Kuala Lumpur. We were taken aside and told there was a problem with our tickets. The problem did not lie with us leaving Cambodia and entering Borneo but with our flights out of Borneo to Vietnam. Our flight times had been changed and we had been informed but Malindo Air had not been updated about the change. Long story short it was all fixed temporarily to ensure we got our flight out but low and behold we had further issues down the line which caused us a lot of angst and worry.
Needless to say the trip did not start off well.
Finally arriving at our hotel in KotaKinabalu our mantra came immediately to mind - "Nothing is as it seems". I won't go into boring details but our experience at the Chaya Hotel put a pall across our whole time in Borneo.
For us Borneo conjures up images of jungle and monkeys and beautiful birdlife but Kotakinabalu was none of that especially where we were anyway. There is a nice boardwalk along the river on the edge of town flanked by restaurants but it is vital you don your armour to walk along here to fight your way through the hordes of Chinese and Korean tourists.......seriously.
To try to better our experience we walked a few kms to the Shangri La hotel where they have a Marina and booked a trip to ONE of the little islands of the coast of KotaKinabalu..........mistake!!!!!
On booking the tour we were encouraged to buy and try one island first.....very busy, very busy......no not that one, not Manutik too small, full of restaurant tents and Chinese.......try Manukan.... bigger and better, less crowded. We are talking cute little islands here surrounded by coral reefs with beautiful golden sand and plenty of snorkeling........what on earth? Ok we will go to one and just take an add on later to see another island if we are not all snorkelled out on Manukan. Did we want a picnic?.....no thankyou......Do you want flippers......yes please because we are really looking forward to doing some serious snorkelling here. Ok ok and onto this little speedboat to take us and a few others to Manukan. Well it was a lovely boat ride on a smooth blue sea firstly stopping at Manutik to drop off a few people. Looking at that island with thousands on it we breathed out a huge sigh of relief sure in the belief we had made the right decision. On we go with our little wristbands on to Manukan.
Doubt first set in when we had to queue at this huge jetty to get off our little boat....boats were coming to the jetty from all directions loaded with eager people. Thankfully we were met by a young man from the marina staff and guided along the jetty to our raffia mats laid out on the sand in our little spot just at the edge of the jetty. Looking left there were thousands of bodies taking up every square inch. Every patch of water had a lifejacket with a snorkel bobbing in it. There was no coral and a few fish under the jetty only.
Over tourism, lack of respect for our environment and our world by anti social, arrogant, rude and selfish Chinese and Korean people and the hunger for the almighty dollar is ruining everything that to us is beautiful. We came to Borneo to snorkel, to see wondrous colours and beauty........we were heavily let down.
Freeing ourselves finally from the grip of our disgusting hotel we moved into KotaKinabalu city for a couple of days which gave us more food choices and the smelly river to sit by but also the opportunity to have a drink or two to drown our sorrows.
Leaving our main bags at the hotel we decided to fly light to Sandakan in the North East of Borneo to see the Orangutans in the wild at Sepilok and take a boat trip down the Kinabatangan River to see monkeys, elephants, wonderful birdlife and yes - you guessed it - Orangutans. Gary chose a great hotel - thank goodness - and things started to look up. The people here were gorgeous, very friendly and very helpful.
And so to our trips. We were lucky with our river trip - along with literally dozens of other boats who all set off at 4pm - to see elephants crossing the river. Depending on who you choose to believe this was very lucky because they are only seen either 3 or 4 times a week or 3 or 4 times a year to cross the river. It was particularly cute though because Mummy and Daddy elephant were helping Baby elephant to swim to the other side. We also saw the wires strung high across the river where the Orangutans cross because they can't swim but sadly only the wires. We did see Long tail, Silverleaf, Probiscus and Ringtail monkeys jumping in the trees (mmmmm) and an old Orangutan nest in the top of a tree. Just a bad day at the office I guess but this one trip definitely blew our daily budget sky high.
So everything was hanging on our trip to the Orangutan Sanctuary that operates as most sancturies do with a nursery and a feeding platform for those to come to from the jungle should they wish to do so. And Yes......one came! We were very happy to see at least one from the wild side. Her antics were quite captivating - so agile and strong. Hands, arms, legs and feet all equally useful to clutch, peel and eat 2 bunches of bananas whilst hanging from an overhead wire. If only we humans were so versatile!!!!
Across the road, just as a bonus really, we went to the Sunbear Conservation Centre set up by Mr Wong. Now this was magic that we did not expect. Set up so well with so much caring for these endangered small bears who are so so cute. Each have individual Sun markings on their chests and very long claws for digging. It all started with Mary, a tiny baby cub orphaned in the wild and reared by Mr Wong. Many have been kept as pets and not treated well when they grow from the cub stage. Here they are all happy and after many, many years of rehabilitation some are even returned to the jungle. They live a very normal life in the jungle space provided here at the Sanctuary. We spent a lot of time here and got some wonderful photos through the telescopes provided - it was captivating.
So that was Borneo for us. We returned to KotaKinabalu for 2 nights to collect and sort our luggage, have our final meal and desert on the waterfront and next morning hightailed it to Vietnam........however leaving Borneo was not so simple either as when we tried to check in the message came back......We have received your check in but there is a problem with your ticket!!!!! Oh vey........not again!
Needless to say the trip did not start off well.
Finally arriving at our hotel in KotaKinabalu our mantra came immediately to mind - "Nothing is as it seems". I won't go into boring details but our experience at the Chaya Hotel put a pall across our whole time in Borneo.
For us Borneo conjures up images of jungle and monkeys and beautiful birdlife but Kotakinabalu was none of that especially where we were anyway. There is a nice boardwalk along the river on the edge of town flanked by restaurants but it is vital you don your armour to walk along here to fight your way through the hordes of Chinese and Korean tourists.......seriously.
To try to better our experience we walked a few kms to the Shangri La hotel where they have a Marina and booked a trip to ONE of the little islands of the coast of KotaKinabalu..........mistake!!!!!
On booking the tour we were encouraged to buy and try one island first.....very busy, very busy......no not that one, not Manutik too small, full of restaurant tents and Chinese.......try Manukan.... bigger and better, less crowded. We are talking cute little islands here surrounded by coral reefs with beautiful golden sand and plenty of snorkeling........what on earth? Ok we will go to one and just take an add on later to see another island if we are not all snorkelled out on Manukan. Did we want a picnic?.....no thankyou......Do you want flippers......yes please because we are really looking forward to doing some serious snorkelling here. Ok ok and onto this little speedboat to take us and a few others to Manukan. Well it was a lovely boat ride on a smooth blue sea firstly stopping at Manutik to drop off a few people. Looking at that island with thousands on it we breathed out a huge sigh of relief sure in the belief we had made the right decision. On we go with our little wristbands on to Manukan.
Doubt first set in when we had to queue at this huge jetty to get off our little boat....boats were coming to the jetty from all directions loaded with eager people. Thankfully we were met by a young man from the marina staff and guided along the jetty to our raffia mats laid out on the sand in our little spot just at the edge of the jetty. Looking left there were thousands of bodies taking up every square inch. Every patch of water had a lifejacket with a snorkel bobbing in it. There was no coral and a few fish under the jetty only.
Over tourism, lack of respect for our environment and our world by anti social, arrogant, rude and selfish Chinese and Korean people and the hunger for the almighty dollar is ruining everything that to us is beautiful. We came to Borneo to snorkel, to see wondrous colours and beauty........we were heavily let down.
Freeing ourselves finally from the grip of our disgusting hotel we moved into KotaKinabalu city for a couple of days which gave us more food choices and the smelly river to sit by but also the opportunity to have a drink or two to drown our sorrows.
Leaving our main bags at the hotel we decided to fly light to Sandakan in the North East of Borneo to see the Orangutans in the wild at Sepilok and take a boat trip down the Kinabatangan River to see monkeys, elephants, wonderful birdlife and yes - you guessed it - Orangutans. Gary chose a great hotel - thank goodness - and things started to look up. The people here were gorgeous, very friendly and very helpful.
And so to our trips. We were lucky with our river trip - along with literally dozens of other boats who all set off at 4pm - to see elephants crossing the river. Depending on who you choose to believe this was very lucky because they are only seen either 3 or 4 times a week or 3 or 4 times a year to cross the river. It was particularly cute though because Mummy and Daddy elephant were helping Baby elephant to swim to the other side. We also saw the wires strung high across the river where the Orangutans cross because they can't swim but sadly only the wires. We did see Long tail, Silverleaf, Probiscus and Ringtail monkeys jumping in the trees (mmmmm) and an old Orangutan nest in the top of a tree. Just a bad day at the office I guess but this one trip definitely blew our daily budget sky high.
So everything was hanging on our trip to the Orangutan Sanctuary that operates as most sancturies do with a nursery and a feeding platform for those to come to from the jungle should they wish to do so. And Yes......one came! We were very happy to see at least one from the wild side. Her antics were quite captivating - so agile and strong. Hands, arms, legs and feet all equally useful to clutch, peel and eat 2 bunches of bananas whilst hanging from an overhead wire. If only we humans were so versatile!!!!
Across the road, just as a bonus really, we went to the Sunbear Conservation Centre set up by Mr Wong. Now this was magic that we did not expect. Set up so well with so much caring for these endangered small bears who are so so cute. Each have individual Sun markings on their chests and very long claws for digging. It all started with Mary, a tiny baby cub orphaned in the wild and reared by Mr Wong. Many have been kept as pets and not treated well when they grow from the cub stage. Here they are all happy and after many, many years of rehabilitation some are even returned to the jungle. They live a very normal life in the jungle space provided here at the Sanctuary. We spent a lot of time here and got some wonderful photos through the telescopes provided - it was captivating.
So that was Borneo for us. We returned to KotaKinabalu for 2 nights to collect and sort our luggage, have our final meal and desert on the waterfront and next morning hightailed it to Vietnam........however leaving Borneo was not so simple either as when we tried to check in the message came back......We have received your check in but there is a problem with your ticket!!!!! Oh vey........not again!
Phnom Pehn 2018
We chose a relatively new airline to fly from Bangkok to Phnom Pehn - Lanmai airlines. They were well organised, leaving early no less, but the planes were old and the seat space minimal.....for the first time ever Gary was unable to sit comfortably, his knees jammed up against the seat in front and his tray table coming down onto his stomach. The tray table supports were loose and broken and the chair back reclining button on my seat had disappeared into the internal cavity of the arm rest. We did however arrive safely and in one piece so Lanmai served it's purpose.
Oh the magic of Phnom Penh!!! How we have enjoyed this bustling "City of contrasts".
We are by no means city people preferring the quiet countryside to the hustle of any city but we believe, largely due to the location and quality of our hotel, we have enjoyed our 2 weeks here. This hotel with its amazing breakfasts is buzzing continuously. The rooftop swimming pool is an added bonus throughout the humid monsoon season and the monsoon rain has been very forgiving for us. Tuk Tuk drivers wait outside to take you any where you wish for a very reasonable price or, like us, you can explore on foot. we must have walked for miles here.
Obviously when coming to Phnom Penh the biggest things to visit are the Killing Fields and The Genocide Museum and, although reluctant to go, we were glad we did. These places, once again, highlight man's inhumanity to man under the rule of a single, misguided leader but especially here, where confessions were extracted by torture to make the killings justifiable, therefore "exhonerating" the killers from blame or "loss of face". Bullets however were too expensive to be used to kill their victims so instead steel rods were driven into their brain or they were literally bludgeoned to death at the pit edge. What these gentle people must have gone through and gentle people they truly are. The killing tree will stick in our minds forever as the most brutal murder of young children and babies took place at this spot. These atrocities happened when my children were young 1975 to 1979, not so long ago in many ways, and must never be allowed to happen again.
Phnom Pehn is not a pretty city - although it does sport a few parks, Wats and Palaces - has a lot of rubbish lying around in the streets and a definite sleazy side but it is vibrant. Motorbikes and Markets abound. There are footpaths on most roads which are used as motorbike, tuk-tuk or car parks so it is safer to walk along the side of the road - facing oncoming traffic - knowing you will be quite safe. Crossing the road or a crossroad is easy now......approach, look right and left, step out and walk confidently. A weave now and then may be called for but honestly it works - the traffic swells around you and everyone goes safely on their merry way. We could do it blindfold now. One word of caution here though ........red traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and green walking men on main dual carriageway roads mean nothing to motorbikes or tuk tuks but a hand held up as a stop signal is so much more empowering to the vulnerable walker and it works.
The main currency here is USDollar and secondly Cambodian Real. Real is worthless - 4,000 equals .50cents - so whenever you pay in US you are always given Real in change. Our biggest project is to get rid of it all before we leave......challenging. Happy hour is from 4pm to 9pm when beer is .50c a handle otherwise it is .75c or US1$. Food is different!!!!! A lot of street-food is seafood, clams, chicken bums, embryo eggs, frogs, intestines, those tips on the end of chicken wing tips, white sausages, gizzards, chicken feet and the list goes on.......when eating at a street stall all waste is dashed to the ground......bones, unwanted food, tissues - they each use dozens of these in one sitting - and anything else they wish to discard. The end result is total carnage.
Most of our time we have walked and explored, finding amazing local markets, restaurants and bars. We have been hassled by many beggars and children, to whom we have given food not money, and have learned a few main words of the Cambodian language to get by. We have not found any Golden Arches here which is fabulous - the locals all appear slim and healthy on their non western diet although other foods are slowly coming through - Turkish, Burgers and Pizzas.
We are going to eat in the dark tonight -I will let you know how that goes!!!!!!
Well that was amazing! Totally in the dark and served by blind people. We could hear other people - just - but could see nothing. We liked everything and ate everything we were served in our 3 course meal - first time I had eaten Duck in my life but thought it was pork??? - Gary had belly pork and he thought his was steak? Some tastes you could recognise but not put a name to but the biggest obstacle was not knocking your drink off the edge of the table!!! We were shown photos later of what we had been served and we were both quite surprised. Both of us resorted to feeling around our plates with our fingers just to ensure we had not missed a delicious morsel. Great experience and if you get an opportunity to do this it is a must.
Another great memory which will stay with us forever was so opportune and lovely. Just strolling down a back street after having dinner somewhere we heard a lot of laughing and singing. Nestled behind a TukTuk on the footpath were a group of men, women and children having so much fun, drinking juice and beer and singing karaoke from their cell phones. Gary started to dance to the music and before long we both had a beer in our hands, a chair to sit on and encouragement to join in. How could you possibly walk past all that? An hour later we toddled off amid handshakes and hugs to the strains of Adele.
Our hotel offered us a free sunset cruise on the Meekong which we accepted with pleasure and we joined another couple from the hotel for an enjoyable hour or two. Floating down the river are many golden offerings which seem to be sent on their journey during special ceremonies which also include mountains of flowers, incense, the beating of drums and the freeing of little birds from their cages. We never quite got to the bottom of all this but it was very interesting to watch. Professional people walk along the waterfront to help people pray - for a fee of course - and others are there with their cages of birds to sell. Flowers are sold once and recycled to be bought by other unsuspecting devotees but it doesn't matter, everyone is happy and leave feeling much better and much lighter.
As I said earlier we enjoyed Phnom Penh immensely. The markets were great - bought Maya a couple of pairs of shoes and some bits and pieces - but if you needed anything it could be found - from tools to clothes - hairdressing to nail polishing - food to shoes - jewelry to motorbike parts. Everything was bought in the markets. It was fun.
So our last day was spent relaxing by and swimming in the pool and our last evening at the night market where we sat crosslegged on a rush mat eating God knows what and drinking beer. A perfect end to our 2 weeks in this amazing city.
Tomorrow we head for KotaKinabalu in Borneo.
Oh the magic of Phnom Penh!!! How we have enjoyed this bustling "City of contrasts".
We are by no means city people preferring the quiet countryside to the hustle of any city but we believe, largely due to the location and quality of our hotel, we have enjoyed our 2 weeks here. This hotel with its amazing breakfasts is buzzing continuously. The rooftop swimming pool is an added bonus throughout the humid monsoon season and the monsoon rain has been very forgiving for us. Tuk Tuk drivers wait outside to take you any where you wish for a very reasonable price or, like us, you can explore on foot. we must have walked for miles here.
Obviously when coming to Phnom Penh the biggest things to visit are the Killing Fields and The Genocide Museum and, although reluctant to go, we were glad we did. These places, once again, highlight man's inhumanity to man under the rule of a single, misguided leader but especially here, where confessions were extracted by torture to make the killings justifiable, therefore "exhonerating" the killers from blame or "loss of face". Bullets however were too expensive to be used to kill their victims so instead steel rods were driven into their brain or they were literally bludgeoned to death at the pit edge. What these gentle people must have gone through and gentle people they truly are. The killing tree will stick in our minds forever as the most brutal murder of young children and babies took place at this spot. These atrocities happened when my children were young 1975 to 1979, not so long ago in many ways, and must never be allowed to happen again.
Phnom Pehn is not a pretty city - although it does sport a few parks, Wats and Palaces - has a lot of rubbish lying around in the streets and a definite sleazy side but it is vibrant. Motorbikes and Markets abound. There are footpaths on most roads which are used as motorbike, tuk-tuk or car parks so it is safer to walk along the side of the road - facing oncoming traffic - knowing you will be quite safe. Crossing the road or a crossroad is easy now......approach, look right and left, step out and walk confidently. A weave now and then may be called for but honestly it works - the traffic swells around you and everyone goes safely on their merry way. We could do it blindfold now. One word of caution here though ........red traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and green walking men on main dual carriageway roads mean nothing to motorbikes or tuk tuks but a hand held up as a stop signal is so much more empowering to the vulnerable walker and it works.
The main currency here is USDollar and secondly Cambodian Real. Real is worthless - 4,000 equals .50cents - so whenever you pay in US you are always given Real in change. Our biggest project is to get rid of it all before we leave......challenging. Happy hour is from 4pm to 9pm when beer is .50c a handle otherwise it is .75c or US1$. Food is different!!!!! A lot of street-food is seafood, clams, chicken bums, embryo eggs, frogs, intestines, those tips on the end of chicken wing tips, white sausages, gizzards, chicken feet and the list goes on.......when eating at a street stall all waste is dashed to the ground......bones, unwanted food, tissues - they each use dozens of these in one sitting - and anything else they wish to discard. The end result is total carnage.
Most of our time we have walked and explored, finding amazing local markets, restaurants and bars. We have been hassled by many beggars and children, to whom we have given food not money, and have learned a few main words of the Cambodian language to get by. We have not found any Golden Arches here which is fabulous - the locals all appear slim and healthy on their non western diet although other foods are slowly coming through - Turkish, Burgers and Pizzas.
We are going to eat in the dark tonight -I will let you know how that goes!!!!!!
Well that was amazing! Totally in the dark and served by blind people. We could hear other people - just - but could see nothing. We liked everything and ate everything we were served in our 3 course meal - first time I had eaten Duck in my life but thought it was pork??? - Gary had belly pork and he thought his was steak? Some tastes you could recognise but not put a name to but the biggest obstacle was not knocking your drink off the edge of the table!!! We were shown photos later of what we had been served and we were both quite surprised. Both of us resorted to feeling around our plates with our fingers just to ensure we had not missed a delicious morsel. Great experience and if you get an opportunity to do this it is a must.
Another great memory which will stay with us forever was so opportune and lovely. Just strolling down a back street after having dinner somewhere we heard a lot of laughing and singing. Nestled behind a TukTuk on the footpath were a group of men, women and children having so much fun, drinking juice and beer and singing karaoke from their cell phones. Gary started to dance to the music and before long we both had a beer in our hands, a chair to sit on and encouragement to join in. How could you possibly walk past all that? An hour later we toddled off amid handshakes and hugs to the strains of Adele.
Our hotel offered us a free sunset cruise on the Meekong which we accepted with pleasure and we joined another couple from the hotel for an enjoyable hour or two. Floating down the river are many golden offerings which seem to be sent on their journey during special ceremonies which also include mountains of flowers, incense, the beating of drums and the freeing of little birds from their cages. We never quite got to the bottom of all this but it was very interesting to watch. Professional people walk along the waterfront to help people pray - for a fee of course - and others are there with their cages of birds to sell. Flowers are sold once and recycled to be bought by other unsuspecting devotees but it doesn't matter, everyone is happy and leave feeling much better and much lighter.
As I said earlier we enjoyed Phnom Penh immensely. The markets were great - bought Maya a couple of pairs of shoes and some bits and pieces - but if you needed anything it could be found - from tools to clothes - hairdressing to nail polishing - food to shoes - jewelry to motorbike parts. Everything was bought in the markets. It was fun.
So our last day was spent relaxing by and swimming in the pool and our last evening at the night market where we sat crosslegged on a rush mat eating God knows what and drinking beer. A perfect end to our 2 weeks in this amazing city.
Tomorrow we head for KotaKinabalu in Borneo.
Monday, 16 July 2018
Sattahip Thailand 2018
Flying from Chiang Mai to U-tapao airport went without a hitch with Air Asia as Chiang Mai was definitely more organised than Krabi. U-tapao is now an international airport - when we used it last it was still an airforce base - so everything has changed. Everything has gone from very small to very large......surrounding roads still under construction, airport carparks plus the airport itself- all very large. All of it was unrecognisable to us and the whole district seems to have started to boom. Taking a taxi from the airport to Baan Pictory we arrived at our most favourite place to stay in Thailand.
Eventually we were met by Yudt and taken to a room that we had, on a previous visit, been upgraded to. I heard Gary's cry of happiness as he thought we had, once again, been upgraded but.........this really beautiful, pool view room, (the only one in the complex) was now an office????? We were relegated to Exoteak 3 which continuously smelled of mould and mildew!!!!!
Much was our disappointment also to find out we were the only guests staying and most of what we had come back for was no longer offered. No scooter rental to get us around; no shuttle to the beach which was our biggest plan negated; no restaurant for an evening meal and no one to talk to either. The second pool and comfortable sitting room was out of bounds as it had been sub-let to some organisation who used it rarely and not whilst we were there......this was a beautifully decorated room and an area where we thought we could spend time reading and relaxing when not at the beach, on our scooter or having a massage. Oh yes - did I say there were no massages either - just the sign was still there.
Realizing we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with little to do except swim we took to walking and walking and walking. Covering a lot of kms in really hot weather we took to the bare surrounding streets where here and there over a 3.5km trek we saw new tourist attractions being built - a pretend vineyard where the Sauvignon was disgusting (I say pretend because you cannot grow grapes in Thailand it is just for the visuals and all grape juice is imported but sadly not from Marlborough) - a couple of new lakes - a water park - an Italian village. An upside down house park????? and a Swiss Sheep farm????? The Golden Buddha was still there etched into the mountainside as were all the local food stalls opposite - the elephants had gone though. Elephant PC has definitely hit Thailand.
To our delight though there were a couple of new restaurants that we could walk to for an evening meal and this we tried for our first night. Ordering crispy chicken with vegetables and rice all I got for my chicken was small balls of deepfried, chicken skin....no meat at all!!!! Garys meal was fine though....whatever it was.
Saturday evening was a Thai invasion - dozens of Thai families appeared, stayed one night, had breakfast - separated from us unfortunately - and left. No interaction at all!!!!! Breakfast was included in our price per night but, although it was plentiful and nice, every day was the same - no variation at all - 2 fried eggs and half a chicken sausage in the shape of a smiley face is novel for the first day but by day 5 we were over it.
On our 4th day we decided to take a taxi to Pattaya. This place is a bit like Benidorm - you just have to go and see what it is all about. Like Benidorm it is full of English men with huge paunches looking for local girls. The beach is lovely as is the walkway alongside it. There are bars galore everywhere as there are posers everywhere. To the right of the beach there were so many parasails and boats it was difficult to count the exact total. The sea was unswimmable....
At the end of the beach is Walking Street but not a Walking Street that we have experienced before except for perhaps Freemont Street in Las Vegas. This was a street full of bars, strip joints, pole dancers, lap dancers etc etc. We were there during the day so most were closed but during the evening it would come alive with Ladyboys and prostitutes as well. Quite sleazy but always good to see the other side of life!
Beautiful Baan Pictory used to buzz, used to serve amazing food in the evenings and catch the European eye with its high standards - sadly not anymore. The Potager gardens are not being looked after as neither are the grounds to the same standard. There are only 2 staff who do everything - cooking, cleaning, gardening, pool maintenance. Yudt and Oliver, the owners, seem to be running this place on borrowed time.
We were sad to leave because we know we will not be back - this was our 4th visit - but pleased our time there was over because of our huge disappointment, loneliness and feelings of isolation. We only hope the high season sees them back on some sort of track.
Hiring a car we drove to Bangkok to meet up with Bobby, Yo and Ohm at The Cottage Hotel. We had met these lovely Thai friends at Pinthong Villas at AoNang and they had invited us to stay at The Cottage - where Bobby and Yo worked - before flying to Cambodia. We were shown to a 2 room suite with all the luxuries which was free for us for the night. We had dinner with Bobby in the restaurant, unfortunately Yo and Ohm couldn't make it which was sad, Bobby ordering heaps of food which he would not allow us to pay a baht for. After dinner we went for a stroll around the night market - Gary and Bobby having a Thai desert on the way.
Next morning we were up early for our flight and after a quick breakfast and many goodbye hugs with Bobby we were on our way to the airport, on our free shuttle, for our flight to Phnom Penh Cambodia.
Thankyou Bobby for your huge generosity - it was amazing to catch up with you again. Thankyou Yo and Ohm for your lovely gifts as we left. The tags are on our bags already and your "wedding memory" will take a special place in our home when we get back.
BIG HUGS to all 3 of you. xxxxxx
Eventually we were met by Yudt and taken to a room that we had, on a previous visit, been upgraded to. I heard Gary's cry of happiness as he thought we had, once again, been upgraded but.........this really beautiful, pool view room, (the only one in the complex) was now an office????? We were relegated to Exoteak 3 which continuously smelled of mould and mildew!!!!!
Much was our disappointment also to find out we were the only guests staying and most of what we had come back for was no longer offered. No scooter rental to get us around; no shuttle to the beach which was our biggest plan negated; no restaurant for an evening meal and no one to talk to either. The second pool and comfortable sitting room was out of bounds as it had been sub-let to some organisation who used it rarely and not whilst we were there......this was a beautifully decorated room and an area where we thought we could spend time reading and relaxing when not at the beach, on our scooter or having a massage. Oh yes - did I say there were no massages either - just the sign was still there.
Realizing we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with little to do except swim we took to walking and walking and walking. Covering a lot of kms in really hot weather we took to the bare surrounding streets where here and there over a 3.5km trek we saw new tourist attractions being built - a pretend vineyard where the Sauvignon was disgusting (I say pretend because you cannot grow grapes in Thailand it is just for the visuals and all grape juice is imported but sadly not from Marlborough) - a couple of new lakes - a water park - an Italian village. An upside down house park????? and a Swiss Sheep farm????? The Golden Buddha was still there etched into the mountainside as were all the local food stalls opposite - the elephants had gone though. Elephant PC has definitely hit Thailand.
To our delight though there were a couple of new restaurants that we could walk to for an evening meal and this we tried for our first night. Ordering crispy chicken with vegetables and rice all I got for my chicken was small balls of deepfried, chicken skin....no meat at all!!!! Garys meal was fine though....whatever it was.
Saturday evening was a Thai invasion - dozens of Thai families appeared, stayed one night, had breakfast - separated from us unfortunately - and left. No interaction at all!!!!! Breakfast was included in our price per night but, although it was plentiful and nice, every day was the same - no variation at all - 2 fried eggs and half a chicken sausage in the shape of a smiley face is novel for the first day but by day 5 we were over it.
On our 4th day we decided to take a taxi to Pattaya. This place is a bit like Benidorm - you just have to go and see what it is all about. Like Benidorm it is full of English men with huge paunches looking for local girls. The beach is lovely as is the walkway alongside it. There are bars galore everywhere as there are posers everywhere. To the right of the beach there were so many parasails and boats it was difficult to count the exact total. The sea was unswimmable....
At the end of the beach is Walking Street but not a Walking Street that we have experienced before except for perhaps Freemont Street in Las Vegas. This was a street full of bars, strip joints, pole dancers, lap dancers etc etc. We were there during the day so most were closed but during the evening it would come alive with Ladyboys and prostitutes as well. Quite sleazy but always good to see the other side of life!
Beautiful Baan Pictory used to buzz, used to serve amazing food in the evenings and catch the European eye with its high standards - sadly not anymore. The Potager gardens are not being looked after as neither are the grounds to the same standard. There are only 2 staff who do everything - cooking, cleaning, gardening, pool maintenance. Yudt and Oliver, the owners, seem to be running this place on borrowed time.
We were sad to leave because we know we will not be back - this was our 4th visit - but pleased our time there was over because of our huge disappointment, loneliness and feelings of isolation. We only hope the high season sees them back on some sort of track.
Hiring a car we drove to Bangkok to meet up with Bobby, Yo and Ohm at The Cottage Hotel. We had met these lovely Thai friends at Pinthong Villas at AoNang and they had invited us to stay at The Cottage - where Bobby and Yo worked - before flying to Cambodia. We were shown to a 2 room suite with all the luxuries which was free for us for the night. We had dinner with Bobby in the restaurant, unfortunately Yo and Ohm couldn't make it which was sad, Bobby ordering heaps of food which he would not allow us to pay a baht for. After dinner we went for a stroll around the night market - Gary and Bobby having a Thai desert on the way.
Next morning we were up early for our flight and after a quick breakfast and many goodbye hugs with Bobby we were on our way to the airport, on our free shuttle, for our flight to Phnom Penh Cambodia.
Thankyou Bobby for your huge generosity - it was amazing to catch up with you again. Thankyou Yo and Ohm for your lovely gifts as we left. The tags are on our bags already and your "wedding memory" will take a special place in our home when we get back.
BIG HUGS to all 3 of you. xxxxxx
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Chiang Mai Thailand 2018
Flying from Krabi with Air Asia was a definite adventure. Krabi airport is crowded and disorganised but eventually we got in through the correct gate and onto the correct plane - loading 2 different flights through the same gate at the same time seemed slightly confusing for most people - but hopefully everyone got to their correct destination......we did.
We were returning to Chiang Mai because we felt we had not done the city justice last time we were here and it was a relatively last minute decision but we were so glad we did. Our accommodation Baan Khun Krup was inside the old city walls and just a short walk from Taipei Gate. At the end of our road was Walking Street which at 4pm on a Sunday morphs from a busy vehicular road to kilometres of street stalls - absolutely incredible - selling everything.
Although our taxi from the airport found our accommodation difficult to locate as it was situated down a little alleyway - it was perfectly positioned to explore Chiang Mai and all it has to offer. Local restaurants, noodle houses, cafes, temples, massages, night markets all within walking distance. I have to say we walked kilometres, saw such a lot but still did not do the place justice.
Chiang Mai will be the second place we must return to in Thailand.
Most of the time we walked and explored but we did take one tour which turned a little controversial re the Tigers. We hired a Songthow and driver for the day and headed into the mountains of Mae Rim. First stop - Tiger Kingdom. We did not go in but observed from a balcony these beautiful creatures. We are always so careful not to take advantage of exploited animals and these Tigers all looked happy, active and much loved by their keepers so, we were devastated to be told that they were more than likely drugged. They seemed to have ample space and a pool to cool in so we were both left with very conflicted emotions. Nothing is as it seems!!!!!
From there we went to a Hmong village where our driver wanted to take copious amounts of photos of us, Gary bought his T shirt and I bought Maya a colourful hair tie - the colours here are so vibrant and sunny.
Next stop the Queen Sirikit Botanical gardens where we walked the High Canopy walkway, had lunch - farang size - and strolled the gardens and glasshouses. On our way down to a waterfall we stopped at the zip-line activity centre and watched a few scared Chinese people doing their stuff. We walked up to the top of the waterfall, 10 levels, which to be honest wasn't very clean or spectacular and then came back down the mountain to the Pa Dara Pirom Wat which was excellent.
Art in Paradise Chiang Mai was awesome - 3D artwork, some of which are interactive. We spent a whole day here chewing through 2 cell phone batteries. A playground for adults is how we would describe it!!!!
On our way walking back home we called into the Lava Cafe where they were advertising 4 beers for the price of 3 - now who could walk past that on a very hot day? Certainly not us.
Striking up a conversation with a young Canadian girl beside us Gary and I sank 7 beers between us plus a plate of thirst inducing peanuts - Christina sank 8 of her own plus our 8th one and was still standing!!!!! A friend came and joined her and here we go again - a chance meeting, lots of interaction, interesting conversation, the feeling you have known each other for years, it is so easy and off we all toddle to the noodle restaurant to continue having fun. An hour later we go our separate ways - they to the airport and us to our accommodation kilometres away. we will however stay in touch.
Wandering around Chiang Mai one day - we only had 5 days here - we literally stumbled across Johns Gallery. This Gallery of his paintings on scraps of canvas is built around a tree and is like something from the Faraway Tree series......all nooks and crannies and passageways. We know of this artist and his gallery because Adrian and Eleni gifted me one of his books when I qualified as a Yoga teacher - needless to say we bought a very expensive second one. The amazing thing was though that he sent a free painting to Adrian and Eleni and one each to the two children suggesting they should come back to see him with the children. He also gave us another painting too - his generosity knew no bounds and he is such a humble man. It was weird knowing that Adrian and Eleni had been inside this pokey little gallery before us.
Back at Baan Khun Krup where everyone loves Larb as much as we do it took no persuasion at all to get Dom to show me how he cooked Larb in Chiang Mai. We have noticed that food differs greatly from region to region in Thailand and this Larb class was no different but just as delicious. Really looking forward to making this dish at home.
Another must to eat in Chiang Mai was Khao Soi Gai - a bit like Laksa in many ways and another absolutely delicious and filling meal. Wash it down with a Thai Mango smoothie and you have your whole days calories in one hit!!!!!
And a massage - no one comes to Chiang Mai and leaves without a massage or two or three. Just around the corner the perfect place within the gates of a temple. My massage got a little complicated and challenging but I think Gary's was OK and only half the price of mine - go figure.
Sadly though it is time to leave this great city as we fly to U-tapio in the Rayong region of Thailand for a few days at one of our favourite places, Baan Pictory.
So thankyou Gavin and Dom for our peaceful stay, amazing breakfasts, cooking lesson and your helpfulness.
We will be back!!!! xx
We were returning to Chiang Mai because we felt we had not done the city justice last time we were here and it was a relatively last minute decision but we were so glad we did. Our accommodation Baan Khun Krup was inside the old city walls and just a short walk from Taipei Gate. At the end of our road was Walking Street which at 4pm on a Sunday morphs from a busy vehicular road to kilometres of street stalls - absolutely incredible - selling everything.
Although our taxi from the airport found our accommodation difficult to locate as it was situated down a little alleyway - it was perfectly positioned to explore Chiang Mai and all it has to offer. Local restaurants, noodle houses, cafes, temples, massages, night markets all within walking distance. I have to say we walked kilometres, saw such a lot but still did not do the place justice.
Chiang Mai will be the second place we must return to in Thailand.
Most of the time we walked and explored but we did take one tour which turned a little controversial re the Tigers. We hired a Songthow and driver for the day and headed into the mountains of Mae Rim. First stop - Tiger Kingdom. We did not go in but observed from a balcony these beautiful creatures. We are always so careful not to take advantage of exploited animals and these Tigers all looked happy, active and much loved by their keepers so, we were devastated to be told that they were more than likely drugged. They seemed to have ample space and a pool to cool in so we were both left with very conflicted emotions. Nothing is as it seems!!!!!
From there we went to a Hmong village where our driver wanted to take copious amounts of photos of us, Gary bought his T shirt and I bought Maya a colourful hair tie - the colours here are so vibrant and sunny.
Next stop the Queen Sirikit Botanical gardens where we walked the High Canopy walkway, had lunch - farang size - and strolled the gardens and glasshouses. On our way down to a waterfall we stopped at the zip-line activity centre and watched a few scared Chinese people doing their stuff. We walked up to the top of the waterfall, 10 levels, which to be honest wasn't very clean or spectacular and then came back down the mountain to the Pa Dara Pirom Wat which was excellent.
Art in Paradise Chiang Mai was awesome - 3D artwork, some of which are interactive. We spent a whole day here chewing through 2 cell phone batteries. A playground for adults is how we would describe it!!!!
On our way walking back home we called into the Lava Cafe where they were advertising 4 beers for the price of 3 - now who could walk past that on a very hot day? Certainly not us.
Striking up a conversation with a young Canadian girl beside us Gary and I sank 7 beers between us plus a plate of thirst inducing peanuts - Christina sank 8 of her own plus our 8th one and was still standing!!!!! A friend came and joined her and here we go again - a chance meeting, lots of interaction, interesting conversation, the feeling you have known each other for years, it is so easy and off we all toddle to the noodle restaurant to continue having fun. An hour later we go our separate ways - they to the airport and us to our accommodation kilometres away. we will however stay in touch.
Wandering around Chiang Mai one day - we only had 5 days here - we literally stumbled across Johns Gallery. This Gallery of his paintings on scraps of canvas is built around a tree and is like something from the Faraway Tree series......all nooks and crannies and passageways. We know of this artist and his gallery because Adrian and Eleni gifted me one of his books when I qualified as a Yoga teacher - needless to say we bought a very expensive second one. The amazing thing was though that he sent a free painting to Adrian and Eleni and one each to the two children suggesting they should come back to see him with the children. He also gave us another painting too - his generosity knew no bounds and he is such a humble man. It was weird knowing that Adrian and Eleni had been inside this pokey little gallery before us.
Back at Baan Khun Krup where everyone loves Larb as much as we do it took no persuasion at all to get Dom to show me how he cooked Larb in Chiang Mai. We have noticed that food differs greatly from region to region in Thailand and this Larb class was no different but just as delicious. Really looking forward to making this dish at home.
Another must to eat in Chiang Mai was Khao Soi Gai - a bit like Laksa in many ways and another absolutely delicious and filling meal. Wash it down with a Thai Mango smoothie and you have your whole days calories in one hit!!!!!
And a massage - no one comes to Chiang Mai and leaves without a massage or two or three. Just around the corner the perfect place within the gates of a temple. My massage got a little complicated and challenging but I think Gary's was OK and only half the price of mine - go figure.
Sadly though it is time to leave this great city as we fly to U-tapio in the Rayong region of Thailand for a few days at one of our favourite places, Baan Pictory.
So thankyou Gavin and Dom for our peaceful stay, amazing breakfasts, cooking lesson and your helpfulness.
We will be back!!!! xx
Thailand AoNang 2018
We survived !!!!!
After a full day of travelling - Songthaew, cattle-truck, ferry, bus, minivan - and albeit a few hours late, we finally arrived to a rapturous welcome at Pinthong resort....in the dark. Our new hosts were so worried as to where we were, frantic phone calls had been made trying to find us. Much was their relief when we did arrive but........it could have been a whole different story!!!!!!!
On arrival in SuritThani we discovered we were booked by bus only to Krabi not to AoNang and there were different buses allocated to take you to different areas (really well organised I must say). We needed to buy another ticket so proof of accommodation was required and we paid another 200Baht to get us to AoNang pier as our accommodation, the lovely Thai lady insisted, was on Raylai Beach which is only accessible by longtail boat??? We knew this was not correct but she was adamant!!!!! Do you know what - such seasoned travellers that we are - we didn't even panic........we just got on the bus with everything crossed and hoped our bags were on the same bus as us. When we arrived in Krabi to change to a minivan EVERYONE knew where Pinthong Villas was and it definitely wasn't on Raylai Beach. Job done......and it was like coming home.
What a welcome and what a place..... and it has been like this for the 2 weeks we have stayed here so far.......we are here for one month. Nothing is too much trouble, all the staff are so, so happy and helpful, everything is cleaned daily, is well maintained and is spotless, and they will take us anywhere we wish to go at any time of the day or night in a Tuk tuk . We have a swimming pool outside our door and we have met some amazing people who have stayed in the villas around us. It is just a small family run place but it is perfect.
We had been here just a couple of days when a family from India arrived with their good friends - 7 in all - and we struck up an amazing friendship. We did a tour with them to the 4 islands and I was amazed at how all of them attempted to do so many things they had never done before. Swimming in the sea and snorkeling for example. Going on a boat in the ocean, climbing up and down ladders to get on and off the boat, was all new territory for them and the food very different indeed.......but they tried everything and embraced and enjoyed the experiences. Timing however was not top priority for them and they did get into trouble a few times when schedules were set - for Dad, Pankaj, it must have been like herding water!!! Lol.
At the same time a young couple and their friend from Bangkok were in the chalet beside us and everyone enjoyed each others company. Initially Pankaj (the father) watched Bobby, Yo and Ohm (the young Thai people next door) BBQ prawns, crab, fish, squid and welks (3 very small, slim Thai people who you would have thought were cooking for a multitude and were still chomping through their meal when we went to bed) and decided he wanted to do this too for his family and friends (Sharanjit and Pawandeep) to experience but, having never BBQd before, he asked us, if he bought the ingredients, whether we would BBQ for us all......charcoal not gas!! That was not an issue so off Pankaj and his friend went to Makro (a wholesale supermarket here) and came back with 2kilos of chicken tenderloins and a kilo and a half of chicken nibbles. Duly marinated by us, the BBQ lit poolside, and everyone happy......garlic bread appeared, Indian salad appeared, naan bread appeared, Indian dips appeared, whisky and beer appeared, Bobby, Yo and Ohm appeared with more "welks" and between everyone we had the most amazing evening that we will all take away in our memories. Saanya (Pankaj and Kritika's daughter) is now a very accomplished BBQ chef too. The next night Pankaj and Kritika's children all wanted another BBQ....this time chicken and sausages......a trifle more subdued evening but very, very, good. The only thing Gary was worried about was that we were socialising so much, he was drinking his beer stocks in one week when, on our own, they would last 3 weeks!!!!!! You know Gary!!!!
It was sad to say goodbye to all of our new found friends but we have been invited to join the two families should we travel to India........oh my, wouldn't that be just awesome. At the moment we have our beautiful memories to take with us.
As for the 3 young Thai people......we had a surprise email from them not long after they left. They really want to spend time with us again before we leave Thailand and as they work in hospitality, all at the same hotel in Bangkok, they have offered us a complimentary layover the night before we leave for Cambodia. How wonderful is that? We have humbly taken them up on their generous offer so we will now be spending one night at The Cottage Suvarnabhumi before we leave Bangkok for Phnon Penh.
It never ceases to amaze me how people are brought together without prior knowledge of each other, can be so comfortable together that it feels a lifetime has been shared together elsewhere. We have had this happen for us throughout the world but I seriously believe all these people, and you know who you are, are very, very special. May these friendships last forever.
So far we have done one tourist trip to the "4 Islands" which we thoroughly enjoyed along with all the multitude of other people and boats........seriously dread to think what "high season" would be like if this is low season. It gave us our first opportunity to snorkel in deep water, experience a fertility cave full of peni (if that is plural for penis because there were 100's of them made from all different materials), see some stalactites, have a beautiful, but basic, Thai lunch on a white, sandy beach. The longtail boats pull up onto the beach, if you are lucky, but most times as you disembark to view one of the 4 islands you are swamped up to the waist by the incoming tide........ we spent most of the day constantly wet and totally sunkissed so as our day finished we felt like a 'couple of burnt crisps"!!!! The 4 islands were Phranang, Chicken (by a vast stretch of the imagination), Tup and Poda and not necessarily in that order. The day was perfect really.
We have made several sortes into AoNang during the day and also in the evening......it is an interesting place with a nice seafront promenade but compared to Koh Phangan it is quite expensive. We have contented ourselves swimming, reading and relaxing, some occasional cooking to remind us of home (one pan and an induction hob), visiting restaurants - on one occasion sitting beside 2 families from Takaka would you believe - drinking draught Chang beer and Gary obviously spending heaps of time organising all the plentiful surprises, with his partners in crime Sand and Wanna, for my birthday..........yes I am now 71years young as most of you would have seen plastered across the birthday cake!!!!!!!
The birthday was incredible - those of you who know me understand that I am still excorsising past ghosts which descended on this day - but hopefully, after this year, I believe they may be well and truly gone. How Gary put it all together I am not sure but this is how it went:
Breakfast on the verandah - scrambled eggs and toast, pancakes and honey washed down with orange juice and coffee.
Then some of the staff arrive on our verandah and strains of Happy Birthday can be heard coming down the footpath. Wanna (the owner) carrying a birthday cake - with 7 candles on - accompanied by 3 young men, all in uniform and one carrying a huge bunch of flowers - 7 different colours - smiling and singing their heads off. It was so, so special and lovely. Lots of photos and videos taken too for future viewing when I am old. The flowers and cake were from Gary of course.
Next we were picked up and went on a elephant walking/washing trip. Gosh those animals are beautiful when free. One was unfortunately blind but the other two made sure she was ok. They are controlled by command only, and an occasionally seen earlobe tug, and we had a fantastic few hours with them covering them in bright yellow mud and then swimming with them and cleaning them off. Here another cake arrived out of the blue and the Happy Birthday song filled the air again. This cake was shared with the few other people who had joined us on the trip.
Back home for a couple of hours to rest, have a swim and get changed and we were whisked off again - this time in a car thank goodness (curly hair you know is a problem here regardless of how much you spend on products) - to The Hilltop Restaurant where a table had been reserved for us to eat, drink cocktails, listen to live music and watch the sun go down.
Of note here, as the sun set, a man went down on bended knee to the strains of Ed Sheeran's Perfect to ask his partner to be his wife.......how romantic??
Later in the evening sitting at the bar listening to a guy singing all our favourite songs we even had a dance.......we were the only ones all evening to dance but we didn't care. We reflected on a perfect birthday day - beautiful food, beautiful experiences, beautiful people, beautiful cocktails and especially beautiful weather. The whole day was Perfect....just like Ed Sheerans song. Thankyou so much Gary - you deserve a medal!!!!
The day after it rained.......and has not stopped raining since. Heavy, torrential noisy rain accompanied by plenty of thunder claps and lightening. We are, of course, here in the monsoon season so I guess it is par for the course but we are both marveling and thankful at how lucky we were on June 14th.......only sunshine, happiness and love dripped from the sky.
Visiting Raylai Beach was our next sorte out on a long boat just for the day. The reason we went there was because a couple we met had a bar there so we thought we would go and explore. We found it quite ramshackle and broken down but teeming with day tourists......given the money coming onto the island we were amazed at the lack of upkeep surrounding us but, you know, that is Thailand completely and also what makes it surprisingly attractive.
Walking through the island from East Beach, where the longboat dropped us off, to West Beach we realised we had been here before because in all their splendour was the cave full of peni!!!!!!! The walk took us through limestone caves and mangrove forest.....the first full of beautiful colours, stalactites and stalagmites.......the second - smelly mud!!! A long swim on the beach, a Thai lunch and with the weather deteriorating once again, we decided to head home in quite a turning sea to be dumped at the pier with no transport provided back to town. "One way only, one way only" came the call from waiting-to-pounce taxi drivers.......they take you to the pier but you find your own way back is the meaning here. They are crafty buggers at times so the whole boat load of us cut our noses off to spite our faces and walked. Tumbling into McDonalds hot and exhausted to the thought of a cool ice cream.......their ice cream machine was out of order.......how could that be?!!!!!! No way for it but to stumble a couple of yards further and substitute ice cream for cold beer in the Irish pub.
Not being completely satisfied by our longboat adventures to date we decided to do another one - to Hong Island this time. As we set off the weather was once again perfect and believing our guide to be the local, scallywag pirate because of his outfit and demeaner we all settled down for a comfy ride? Unfortunately there was an unfriendly swell and as the boat sitting mainly of Asians most turned green before our eyes. Our first stop..... snorkeling off the boat in deep water close to a rocky island outcrop was all good. Deciding to don a lifejacket - Cathie only and only just in case - securely fastening it in place at the front and underneath I descended the ladder of the longboat into the beautiful waters of hell. The lifejackets are huge and of course keep wanting to turn you over onto your back where you subsequently try to drown because your snorkel keeps going under water!!!!!! (We have full face, snorkel included masks). Gary without a lifejacket was doing much better but to be honest the sea was really not giving up many exotic looking fish to revel over anyway so after a short while we decided to head back to THE LADDER. Our arrival at THE LADDER coincided with a group of either very rude or panicking Chinese (I like to think option 2 but truthfully believe it was option 1) who knocked Gary away dislodging his snorkel attachment at the same time. Enter stage right the trusty pirate. Shooing away the Chinese he proceeded to help Gary get me up the ladder - the first rung was up by my chin and I don't bend that much these days to enable me to get my foot right up there. Enter stage left the trusty pirate's sidekick dressed in all his tie- dyes. Grabbing hold of the lifejacket at the back of my neck - which is secured by 2 straps under my crutch - a push and a shove from Gary and the Pirate - and my foot miraculously hits the bottom rung of THE LADDER and next minute I am in the boat. Humiliated, sore but oh so safe!
Ten minutes later with all on board - some still green around the gills - the Pirate draws everyone's attention to where we had just all been swimming...........A LARGE SHARK!!!!!!!
Next stop a beautiful lagoon for swimming - no lifejacket this time, nor sharks - managed THE LADDER well but........unfortunately landed in the Pirate"s lap as I negotiated the last leg-thrust over the top of the boat whilst he was assisting me. Gary on THE LADDER behind was in stitches as you can imagine.
Lunch on another island, more swimming and feeding masses of fish with watermelon and rice, soaking wet clothes from getting in and out of the boat but we were happy. Time to trundle home - sheltering from a turbulent sea behind lifejackets, passing jellyfish fishermen tossing huge catches into their boats with what looked like hayforks and eating trays of fresh fruit by now soaked in sea water - very happy, very wet and very exhausted.
We have been lucky with the weather but as more rain was imminent a quick walk around the local neighbourhood discovering new territory seemed to fit the bill next. Not too much around - plenty of rubber trees, a cooking school, a little home shop here and there and a great iced coffee stall. Lots of banana and mango trees too but our greatest discovery was a group of students cooking a BBQ on the verandah of a huge house in the middle of nowhere. Acknowledging them we were invited over and plied with huge prawns, larb and papaya salad. They were just gorgeous and were hospitality students in Krabi having a relaxing weekend away. One young girl had "FUCK EVERYTHING" across the front of her T-shirt but I am not sure how well they actually understand what this word implies. Another young man was easily balancing crosslegged on a small tree stump- how do they do that?. We left after a while carrying a paper plate full of food to assist us on our way home. We all really enjoyed the interaction and of course they love to try out their English with us.
Coming to the end of our month stay in AoNang we couldn't leave without visiting Krabi so - taking a local Songthaew which is cheap and very efficient - we made the 35min journey. Once again Krabi is a big City and really not our scene but.....it has a nice riverfront and a great nightmarket. We managed to swap our books at a very posh hotel and get my Keen sandals stuck back together by a street cobbler for no charge........we paid him though......but his generosity was very humbling. Met a couple of small bar owners and had a beer with them on the sidewalk - beer goes down very well in this heat and humidity. A stroll around the nightmarket, a teeshirt and some sticky rice and mango later and we jumped back on a songthaew for the trip home. Krabi ticked.
Our last night at Pinthong Villas was incredible. The owners Pinthong, Wanna and Sand plus their extended family decided a BBQ was necessary and gifts had to be shared. Taking beer and a heap of marinated chicken tenderloins I thought that would be sufficient but no........out came chicken wings, thick pork strips, prawns, whole fish, pig intestines etc etc but the real highlight!!!???? Papa teaching me to make Larb in the family kitchen. When we finally sat down to eat presents for us were produced - 2 t-shirts for Gary and an embroidered clutch bag for me.
It has been our priviledge to stay in this place Pinthong Villas. All our tours were arranged by Sand at very good prices. Bags of local food treats were left at our door by Sand for us to sample. Sand is very knowledgable not just about AoNang but most places in Thailand.
Auntie did our laundry beautifully and at a good price.
All the guys and Auntie who cleaned the rooms daily and tended the pool and gardens were all funny and friendly.
Everyday you hear someone from the family call out "Love you Cathie" or "Love you Gary"......home away from home - definitely........one of the best places we have ever stayed - definitely.........feeling like family - priceless.
Thankyou everyone.......don't change anything........we will be back.
Love you all. XXX
Tomorrow we fly to Chiang Mai after a free car transfer from Pinthong Villas to Krabi airport.
After a full day of travelling - Songthaew, cattle-truck, ferry, bus, minivan - and albeit a few hours late, we finally arrived to a rapturous welcome at Pinthong resort....in the dark. Our new hosts were so worried as to where we were, frantic phone calls had been made trying to find us. Much was their relief when we did arrive but........it could have been a whole different story!!!!!!!
On arrival in SuritThani we discovered we were booked by bus only to Krabi not to AoNang and there were different buses allocated to take you to different areas (really well organised I must say). We needed to buy another ticket so proof of accommodation was required and we paid another 200Baht to get us to AoNang pier as our accommodation, the lovely Thai lady insisted, was on Raylai Beach which is only accessible by longtail boat??? We knew this was not correct but she was adamant!!!!! Do you know what - such seasoned travellers that we are - we didn't even panic........we just got on the bus with everything crossed and hoped our bags were on the same bus as us. When we arrived in Krabi to change to a minivan EVERYONE knew where Pinthong Villas was and it definitely wasn't on Raylai Beach. Job done......and it was like coming home.
What a welcome and what a place..... and it has been like this for the 2 weeks we have stayed here so far.......we are here for one month. Nothing is too much trouble, all the staff are so, so happy and helpful, everything is cleaned daily, is well maintained and is spotless, and they will take us anywhere we wish to go at any time of the day or night in a Tuk tuk . We have a swimming pool outside our door and we have met some amazing people who have stayed in the villas around us. It is just a small family run place but it is perfect.
We had been here just a couple of days when a family from India arrived with their good friends - 7 in all - and we struck up an amazing friendship. We did a tour with them to the 4 islands and I was amazed at how all of them attempted to do so many things they had never done before. Swimming in the sea and snorkeling for example. Going on a boat in the ocean, climbing up and down ladders to get on and off the boat, was all new territory for them and the food very different indeed.......but they tried everything and embraced and enjoyed the experiences. Timing however was not top priority for them and they did get into trouble a few times when schedules were set - for Dad, Pankaj, it must have been like herding water!!! Lol.
At the same time a young couple and their friend from Bangkok were in the chalet beside us and everyone enjoyed each others company. Initially Pankaj (the father) watched Bobby, Yo and Ohm (the young Thai people next door) BBQ prawns, crab, fish, squid and welks (3 very small, slim Thai people who you would have thought were cooking for a multitude and were still chomping through their meal when we went to bed) and decided he wanted to do this too for his family and friends (Sharanjit and Pawandeep) to experience but, having never BBQd before, he asked us, if he bought the ingredients, whether we would BBQ for us all......charcoal not gas!! That was not an issue so off Pankaj and his friend went to Makro (a wholesale supermarket here) and came back with 2kilos of chicken tenderloins and a kilo and a half of chicken nibbles. Duly marinated by us, the BBQ lit poolside, and everyone happy......garlic bread appeared, Indian salad appeared, naan bread appeared, Indian dips appeared, whisky and beer appeared, Bobby, Yo and Ohm appeared with more "welks" and between everyone we had the most amazing evening that we will all take away in our memories. Saanya (Pankaj and Kritika's daughter) is now a very accomplished BBQ chef too. The next night Pankaj and Kritika's children all wanted another BBQ....this time chicken and sausages......a trifle more subdued evening but very, very, good. The only thing Gary was worried about was that we were socialising so much, he was drinking his beer stocks in one week when, on our own, they would last 3 weeks!!!!!! You know Gary!!!!
It was sad to say goodbye to all of our new found friends but we have been invited to join the two families should we travel to India........oh my, wouldn't that be just awesome. At the moment we have our beautiful memories to take with us.
As for the 3 young Thai people......we had a surprise email from them not long after they left. They really want to spend time with us again before we leave Thailand and as they work in hospitality, all at the same hotel in Bangkok, they have offered us a complimentary layover the night before we leave for Cambodia. How wonderful is that? We have humbly taken them up on their generous offer so we will now be spending one night at The Cottage Suvarnabhumi before we leave Bangkok for Phnon Penh.
It never ceases to amaze me how people are brought together without prior knowledge of each other, can be so comfortable together that it feels a lifetime has been shared together elsewhere. We have had this happen for us throughout the world but I seriously believe all these people, and you know who you are, are very, very special. May these friendships last forever.
So far we have done one tourist trip to the "4 Islands" which we thoroughly enjoyed along with all the multitude of other people and boats........seriously dread to think what "high season" would be like if this is low season. It gave us our first opportunity to snorkel in deep water, experience a fertility cave full of peni (if that is plural for penis because there were 100's of them made from all different materials), see some stalactites, have a beautiful, but basic, Thai lunch on a white, sandy beach. The longtail boats pull up onto the beach, if you are lucky, but most times as you disembark to view one of the 4 islands you are swamped up to the waist by the incoming tide........ we spent most of the day constantly wet and totally sunkissed so as our day finished we felt like a 'couple of burnt crisps"!!!! The 4 islands were Phranang, Chicken (by a vast stretch of the imagination), Tup and Poda and not necessarily in that order. The day was perfect really.
We have made several sortes into AoNang during the day and also in the evening......it is an interesting place with a nice seafront promenade but compared to Koh Phangan it is quite expensive. We have contented ourselves swimming, reading and relaxing, some occasional cooking to remind us of home (one pan and an induction hob), visiting restaurants - on one occasion sitting beside 2 families from Takaka would you believe - drinking draught Chang beer and Gary obviously spending heaps of time organising all the plentiful surprises, with his partners in crime Sand and Wanna, for my birthday..........yes I am now 71years young as most of you would have seen plastered across the birthday cake!!!!!!!
The birthday was incredible - those of you who know me understand that I am still excorsising past ghosts which descended on this day - but hopefully, after this year, I believe they may be well and truly gone. How Gary put it all together I am not sure but this is how it went:
Breakfast on the verandah - scrambled eggs and toast, pancakes and honey washed down with orange juice and coffee.
Then some of the staff arrive on our verandah and strains of Happy Birthday can be heard coming down the footpath. Wanna (the owner) carrying a birthday cake - with 7 candles on - accompanied by 3 young men, all in uniform and one carrying a huge bunch of flowers - 7 different colours - smiling and singing their heads off. It was so, so special and lovely. Lots of photos and videos taken too for future viewing when I am old. The flowers and cake were from Gary of course.
Next we were picked up and went on a elephant walking/washing trip. Gosh those animals are beautiful when free. One was unfortunately blind but the other two made sure she was ok. They are controlled by command only, and an occasionally seen earlobe tug, and we had a fantastic few hours with them covering them in bright yellow mud and then swimming with them and cleaning them off. Here another cake arrived out of the blue and the Happy Birthday song filled the air again. This cake was shared with the few other people who had joined us on the trip.
Back home for a couple of hours to rest, have a swim and get changed and we were whisked off again - this time in a car thank goodness (curly hair you know is a problem here regardless of how much you spend on products) - to The Hilltop Restaurant where a table had been reserved for us to eat, drink cocktails, listen to live music and watch the sun go down.
Of note here, as the sun set, a man went down on bended knee to the strains of Ed Sheeran's Perfect to ask his partner to be his wife.......how romantic??
Later in the evening sitting at the bar listening to a guy singing all our favourite songs we even had a dance.......we were the only ones all evening to dance but we didn't care. We reflected on a perfect birthday day - beautiful food, beautiful experiences, beautiful people, beautiful cocktails and especially beautiful weather. The whole day was Perfect....just like Ed Sheerans song. Thankyou so much Gary - you deserve a medal!!!!
The day after it rained.......and has not stopped raining since. Heavy, torrential noisy rain accompanied by plenty of thunder claps and lightening. We are, of course, here in the monsoon season so I guess it is par for the course but we are both marveling and thankful at how lucky we were on June 14th.......only sunshine, happiness and love dripped from the sky.
Visiting Raylai Beach was our next sorte out on a long boat just for the day. The reason we went there was because a couple we met had a bar there so we thought we would go and explore. We found it quite ramshackle and broken down but teeming with day tourists......given the money coming onto the island we were amazed at the lack of upkeep surrounding us but, you know, that is Thailand completely and also what makes it surprisingly attractive.
Walking through the island from East Beach, where the longboat dropped us off, to West Beach we realised we had been here before because in all their splendour was the cave full of peni!!!!!!! The walk took us through limestone caves and mangrove forest.....the first full of beautiful colours, stalactites and stalagmites.......the second - smelly mud!!! A long swim on the beach, a Thai lunch and with the weather deteriorating once again, we decided to head home in quite a turning sea to be dumped at the pier with no transport provided back to town. "One way only, one way only" came the call from waiting-to-pounce taxi drivers.......they take you to the pier but you find your own way back is the meaning here. They are crafty buggers at times so the whole boat load of us cut our noses off to spite our faces and walked. Tumbling into McDonalds hot and exhausted to the thought of a cool ice cream.......their ice cream machine was out of order.......how could that be?!!!!!! No way for it but to stumble a couple of yards further and substitute ice cream for cold beer in the Irish pub.
Not being completely satisfied by our longboat adventures to date we decided to do another one - to Hong Island this time. As we set off the weather was once again perfect and believing our guide to be the local, scallywag pirate because of his outfit and demeaner we all settled down for a comfy ride? Unfortunately there was an unfriendly swell and as the boat sitting mainly of Asians most turned green before our eyes. Our first stop..... snorkeling off the boat in deep water close to a rocky island outcrop was all good. Deciding to don a lifejacket - Cathie only and only just in case - securely fastening it in place at the front and underneath I descended the ladder of the longboat into the beautiful waters of hell. The lifejackets are huge and of course keep wanting to turn you over onto your back where you subsequently try to drown because your snorkel keeps going under water!!!!!! (We have full face, snorkel included masks). Gary without a lifejacket was doing much better but to be honest the sea was really not giving up many exotic looking fish to revel over anyway so after a short while we decided to head back to THE LADDER. Our arrival at THE LADDER coincided with a group of either very rude or panicking Chinese (I like to think option 2 but truthfully believe it was option 1) who knocked Gary away dislodging his snorkel attachment at the same time. Enter stage right the trusty pirate. Shooing away the Chinese he proceeded to help Gary get me up the ladder - the first rung was up by my chin and I don't bend that much these days to enable me to get my foot right up there. Enter stage left the trusty pirate's sidekick dressed in all his tie- dyes. Grabbing hold of the lifejacket at the back of my neck - which is secured by 2 straps under my crutch - a push and a shove from Gary and the Pirate - and my foot miraculously hits the bottom rung of THE LADDER and next minute I am in the boat. Humiliated, sore but oh so safe!
Ten minutes later with all on board - some still green around the gills - the Pirate draws everyone's attention to where we had just all been swimming...........A LARGE SHARK!!!!!!!
Next stop a beautiful lagoon for swimming - no lifejacket this time, nor sharks - managed THE LADDER well but........unfortunately landed in the Pirate"s lap as I negotiated the last leg-thrust over the top of the boat whilst he was assisting me. Gary on THE LADDER behind was in stitches as you can imagine.
Lunch on another island, more swimming and feeding masses of fish with watermelon and rice, soaking wet clothes from getting in and out of the boat but we were happy. Time to trundle home - sheltering from a turbulent sea behind lifejackets, passing jellyfish fishermen tossing huge catches into their boats with what looked like hayforks and eating trays of fresh fruit by now soaked in sea water - very happy, very wet and very exhausted.
We have been lucky with the weather but as more rain was imminent a quick walk around the local neighbourhood discovering new territory seemed to fit the bill next. Not too much around - plenty of rubber trees, a cooking school, a little home shop here and there and a great iced coffee stall. Lots of banana and mango trees too but our greatest discovery was a group of students cooking a BBQ on the verandah of a huge house in the middle of nowhere. Acknowledging them we were invited over and plied with huge prawns, larb and papaya salad. They were just gorgeous and were hospitality students in Krabi having a relaxing weekend away. One young girl had "FUCK EVERYTHING" across the front of her T-shirt but I am not sure how well they actually understand what this word implies. Another young man was easily balancing crosslegged on a small tree stump- how do they do that?. We left after a while carrying a paper plate full of food to assist us on our way home. We all really enjoyed the interaction and of course they love to try out their English with us.
Coming to the end of our month stay in AoNang we couldn't leave without visiting Krabi so - taking a local Songthaew which is cheap and very efficient - we made the 35min journey. Once again Krabi is a big City and really not our scene but.....it has a nice riverfront and a great nightmarket. We managed to swap our books at a very posh hotel and get my Keen sandals stuck back together by a street cobbler for no charge........we paid him though......but his generosity was very humbling. Met a couple of small bar owners and had a beer with them on the sidewalk - beer goes down very well in this heat and humidity. A stroll around the nightmarket, a teeshirt and some sticky rice and mango later and we jumped back on a songthaew for the trip home. Krabi ticked.
Our last night at Pinthong Villas was incredible. The owners Pinthong, Wanna and Sand plus their extended family decided a BBQ was necessary and gifts had to be shared. Taking beer and a heap of marinated chicken tenderloins I thought that would be sufficient but no........out came chicken wings, thick pork strips, prawns, whole fish, pig intestines etc etc but the real highlight!!!???? Papa teaching me to make Larb in the family kitchen. When we finally sat down to eat presents for us were produced - 2 t-shirts for Gary and an embroidered clutch bag for me.
It has been our priviledge to stay in this place Pinthong Villas. All our tours were arranged by Sand at very good prices. Bags of local food treats were left at our door by Sand for us to sample. Sand is very knowledgable not just about AoNang but most places in Thailand.
Auntie did our laundry beautifully and at a good price.
All the guys and Auntie who cleaned the rooms daily and tended the pool and gardens were all funny and friendly.
Everyday you hear someone from the family call out "Love you Cathie" or "Love you Gary"......home away from home - definitely........one of the best places we have ever stayed - definitely.........feeling like family - priceless.
Thankyou everyone.......don't change anything........we will be back.
Love you all. XXX
Tomorrow we fly to Chiang Mai after a free car transfer from Pinthong Villas to Krabi airport.
Friday, 15 June 2018
Thailand 2018 - Koh Phangan
Arriving at our little house on the beach was initially a bit of a shock. The closeness of the sea was indisputably incredible but "The Beach House", plonked in the front of a community of Thai housing which included numerous children and roaming dogs and cats seemed alien to what we had booked through Air BandB. Remembering this was Thailand and our mantra "nothing is ever as it seems" we soon settled in and saw all the charming factors about it. Once our novelty wore off we were soon left alone in peace and quiet by the residents and the animals.
Doing what we set out to do - become immersed in the culture and people of the countries we intended to visit - we started to ask questions and explore. Att helped us hire our scooter (Mr Bee) for 150 Baht (NZ$ 7) a day, Liz told us about the best restaurants close by and Peter guided us through the back blocks to them. Within a day or two we had already learned a lot and knew our way around - including finding a 20Baht shop (NZ$2 shop) for washing up liquid, mossie spray and soothing balm for our "already bites". (Haven't quite got it right though here......everything we bought was at least 120Baht but still cheap).
Mr Bee has taken us the length and breadth of Koh Phangan - North to Chaloklum where we did our first snorkelling, on the way home calling into Haad Mae Haad which was beautiful; West to Haad Son; East to Haad Rin Nok (sunrise beach) and South to Hard Rin Mai (sunset beach). These two beaches are heaving with young people every month at Full Moon! Anywhere from 8,000 to 30,000, depending on the season. They party on the beaches and in the bars until dawn. It also has a reputation for lots of topless girls, rapes and on occasion murders.........but they still keep coming in droves.
These journeys have not always been easy on Mr Bee. It is monsoon season here and although warm and humid it often pours down on several occasions every day which is generally accompanied by fierce thunder and lightening. This means we have to shelter somewhere - more often than not in a bar drinking Chang beer and eating Phad Thai - but not always. Sometimes a banana tree has to suffice!!!! Also the terrain is very hilly..........and I mean very steep hilly.......with always a left or right hand bend at the bottom. Leaning into the bend as instructed often feels like the wheels are going to slide out from under us..........but I must remember!!!!!.....this is "an adventure according to Gary"?? .....lest we forget!?! Hearing that our immediate Thai neighbour, a fisherman, had been killed in an accident just a few days after our arrival has not helped the cause. He was run over by a Farang (tourist) on a motorbike. Testosterone, a motorbike, no helmets and fast driving do not gel. Europeans walking around on crutches with bandages and plaster all over them has not helped either. To date we are still whole.
Venturing into the local supermarket Makro to stock up on supplies was awesome. Everything is so fresh and very cheap - including Gin and beer - and the selection plentiful. One can eat a good, plant based diet here easily but there are many vegetables we have not seen before and The Beach House is not really set up to self cater so.........damn it........we have to eat out every night!!
Meals range from 50Baht (NZ$2.50) authentic Thai food to 250Baht (NZ$11.50) for amazing Sushi.......all is good. Our best dining experience so far though has been a Thai BBQ restaurant just 2 mins up the road on Mr Bee. This is all you can eat for 199Baht (NZ$9) of anything. Seafood of all descriptions, meat of all descriptions, vegetables of all description, pre cooked Thai food, Larb, noodles, rice, Phad Thai, spring rolls, kebabs, garlic, chillies etc etc, which you BBQ at your table. All the juices and flavours collect around the centre cooking point -like a moat which you keep topped up with water - and this then becomes a soup which is gorgeous and flavoursome. We probably didn't eat our whack but the locals know how to get value for their Baht.......I have never seen so much food consumed in one sitting. Eat.....take a long break.....start eating again but.....there is a catch. Any food on your plates uneaten carries a fine!!!!! 30 Baht per 100grams. Guess this type of eating encourages obesity but we will go back there before we leave. We were thinking how this could be brought to NZ but Health and Safety would have a field day. Guys walking around with woks full of glowing coals would be totally unacceptable......you bet!
So we have been quietly exploring, reading, swimming, paddleboarding, eating, drinking and generally relaxing. We discovered in the local village/town of Thong Sala a second hand book shop where we are able to swap in our books for a small fee.......the quirky owner loads us up with lollies as we leave which is a bonus too.
As I type this the island is being inundated with young people here to go to the Full moon party at Haad Rin on 30th May. Up until last night we have mainly been the only patrons in many establishments but last night was noticeably different. Our favourite restaurant, Mammas, was totally full with young British people getting ready to party hard on full moon. In the low season for 2 days before and 2 days after full moon everything changes. Resorts open, restaurants reopen, beaches are groomed, ferries from Koh Samui increase and the place fills up. The local Thai people need to take advantage of this small window of financial opportunity for as the moon wanes so does their income.
And so it did.....all change again. We called into the ferry terminal on Mr Bee the day after full moon and it was chaos and utterly packed. We sat and watched for a while then decided as we were leaving 2 days later that we should leave The Beach House an hour earlier than planned to join the outrageous queues!!!!!! However that was actually the post full moon exodus........just unbelievable!!!!! Everything closed down again, the roads were all calm once more, peace was restored and we spent 2 hours at a queueless ferry terminal on our last blistering hot day on Koh Phangan.
We know we are going to miss the scrumptious fried, double chicken breasts (25 Baht each for me - 40 Baht for everyone else) and the "chop, chop chicken man" (50Baht for us as was "special" - 40Baht for everyone else) on Koh Phangan, but we now venture forth to Ao Nang for one month.........we have a long day of travel ahead of us.
Good bye The Beach House we will sort of miss you too but........there is room for huge improvements there for people staying long term and we certainly will not miss the roaming dogs along the beach,
Doing what we set out to do - become immersed in the culture and people of the countries we intended to visit - we started to ask questions and explore. Att helped us hire our scooter (Mr Bee) for 150 Baht (NZ$ 7) a day, Liz told us about the best restaurants close by and Peter guided us through the back blocks to them. Within a day or two we had already learned a lot and knew our way around - including finding a 20Baht shop (NZ$2 shop) for washing up liquid, mossie spray and soothing balm for our "already bites". (Haven't quite got it right though here......everything we bought was at least 120Baht but still cheap).
Mr Bee has taken us the length and breadth of Koh Phangan - North to Chaloklum where we did our first snorkelling, on the way home calling into Haad Mae Haad which was beautiful; West to Haad Son; East to Haad Rin Nok (sunrise beach) and South to Hard Rin Mai (sunset beach). These two beaches are heaving with young people every month at Full Moon! Anywhere from 8,000 to 30,000, depending on the season. They party on the beaches and in the bars until dawn. It also has a reputation for lots of topless girls, rapes and on occasion murders.........but they still keep coming in droves.
These journeys have not always been easy on Mr Bee. It is monsoon season here and although warm and humid it often pours down on several occasions every day which is generally accompanied by fierce thunder and lightening. This means we have to shelter somewhere - more often than not in a bar drinking Chang beer and eating Phad Thai - but not always. Sometimes a banana tree has to suffice!!!! Also the terrain is very hilly..........and I mean very steep hilly.......with always a left or right hand bend at the bottom. Leaning into the bend as instructed often feels like the wheels are going to slide out from under us..........but I must remember!!!!!.....this is "an adventure according to Gary"?? .....lest we forget!?! Hearing that our immediate Thai neighbour, a fisherman, had been killed in an accident just a few days after our arrival has not helped the cause. He was run over by a Farang (tourist) on a motorbike. Testosterone, a motorbike, no helmets and fast driving do not gel. Europeans walking around on crutches with bandages and plaster all over them has not helped either. To date we are still whole.
Venturing into the local supermarket Makro to stock up on supplies was awesome. Everything is so fresh and very cheap - including Gin and beer - and the selection plentiful. One can eat a good, plant based diet here easily but there are many vegetables we have not seen before and The Beach House is not really set up to self cater so.........damn it........we have to eat out every night!!
Meals range from 50Baht (NZ$2.50) authentic Thai food to 250Baht (NZ$11.50) for amazing Sushi.......all is good. Our best dining experience so far though has been a Thai BBQ restaurant just 2 mins up the road on Mr Bee. This is all you can eat for 199Baht (NZ$9) of anything. Seafood of all descriptions, meat of all descriptions, vegetables of all description, pre cooked Thai food, Larb, noodles, rice, Phad Thai, spring rolls, kebabs, garlic, chillies etc etc, which you BBQ at your table. All the juices and flavours collect around the centre cooking point -like a moat which you keep topped up with water - and this then becomes a soup which is gorgeous and flavoursome. We probably didn't eat our whack but the locals know how to get value for their Baht.......I have never seen so much food consumed in one sitting. Eat.....take a long break.....start eating again but.....there is a catch. Any food on your plates uneaten carries a fine!!!!! 30 Baht per 100grams. Guess this type of eating encourages obesity but we will go back there before we leave. We were thinking how this could be brought to NZ but Health and Safety would have a field day. Guys walking around with woks full of glowing coals would be totally unacceptable......you bet!
So we have been quietly exploring, reading, swimming, paddleboarding, eating, drinking and generally relaxing. We discovered in the local village/town of Thong Sala a second hand book shop where we are able to swap in our books for a small fee.......the quirky owner loads us up with lollies as we leave which is a bonus too.
As I type this the island is being inundated with young people here to go to the Full moon party at Haad Rin on 30th May. Up until last night we have mainly been the only patrons in many establishments but last night was noticeably different. Our favourite restaurant, Mammas, was totally full with young British people getting ready to party hard on full moon. In the low season for 2 days before and 2 days after full moon everything changes. Resorts open, restaurants reopen, beaches are groomed, ferries from Koh Samui increase and the place fills up. The local Thai people need to take advantage of this small window of financial opportunity for as the moon wanes so does their income.
And so it did.....all change again. We called into the ferry terminal on Mr Bee the day after full moon and it was chaos and utterly packed. We sat and watched for a while then decided as we were leaving 2 days later that we should leave The Beach House an hour earlier than planned to join the outrageous queues!!!!!! However that was actually the post full moon exodus........just unbelievable!!!!! Everything closed down again, the roads were all calm once more, peace was restored and we spent 2 hours at a queueless ferry terminal on our last blistering hot day on Koh Phangan.
We know we are going to miss the scrumptious fried, double chicken breasts (25 Baht each for me - 40 Baht for everyone else) and the "chop, chop chicken man" (50Baht for us as was "special" - 40Baht for everyone else) on Koh Phangan, but we now venture forth to Ao Nang for one month.........we have a long day of travel ahead of us.
Good bye The Beach House we will sort of miss you too but........there is room for huge improvements there for people staying long term and we certainly will not miss the roaming dogs along the beach,
Sunday, 27 May 2018
Australia May 2018
Starting our "long awaited for" 2018 adventure our first stop, naturally, is Australia to catch up with our families and new grandson Xander before our 6 month journey through Asia and Indonesia. Sadly this is for only a few days but we will be returning for longer towards the end of our trip.
Xander is an amazing 3month old, bonny, happy baby boy who absolutely adores his 4 and a half (not 4 nana....hands on hips....4 and a half!!) year old sister Maya who we ultimately adore too. We spent a lovely few days with them all - Gary doing a run to Brisbane with Adrian delivering motorbikes one day whilst Eleni, the children and I spent it on the beach......lucky us......most days just chilling though, getting aquainted with Xander who smiles and laughs at anything and everything and reconnecting with beautiful Maya who is such a delight. It was also very special to spend Mothers day with Adrian and to celebrate it with Eleni over a very special Mothers Day lunch.
Garys daughter Carrie and husband Steph have just moved into their own house so we were able to spend time with them both there. Last time we saw the property it was bare dirt......now it is a completed, fully furnished abode surrounded by more houses that seem to grow from the ground overnight. At last their dream has come true and we are very happy for them.
Then it was time to leave which is always so sad and doesn't get easier for me at all. Returning our rental car back to Brisbane we faced a huge 8hour wait at the airport which actually seemed to go by in a flash - people watching can be such fun.....seriously!
And here our Asian tour begins.
Flying to Koh Samui via Singapore we then caught the fast ferry to Koh Phangan and, as all of Garys pre bookings fell neatly into place, we arrived at our little house on Baan Tai beach.
Xander is an amazing 3month old, bonny, happy baby boy who absolutely adores his 4 and a half (not 4 nana....hands on hips....4 and a half!!) year old sister Maya who we ultimately adore too. We spent a lovely few days with them all - Gary doing a run to Brisbane with Adrian delivering motorbikes one day whilst Eleni, the children and I spent it on the beach......lucky us......most days just chilling though, getting aquainted with Xander who smiles and laughs at anything and everything and reconnecting with beautiful Maya who is such a delight. It was also very special to spend Mothers day with Adrian and to celebrate it with Eleni over a very special Mothers Day lunch.
Garys daughter Carrie and husband Steph have just moved into their own house so we were able to spend time with them both there. Last time we saw the property it was bare dirt......now it is a completed, fully furnished abode surrounded by more houses that seem to grow from the ground overnight. At last their dream has come true and we are very happy for them.
Then it was time to leave which is always so sad and doesn't get easier for me at all. Returning our rental car back to Brisbane we faced a huge 8hour wait at the airport which actually seemed to go by in a flash - people watching can be such fun.....seriously!
And here our Asian tour begins.
Flying to Koh Samui via Singapore we then caught the fast ferry to Koh Phangan and, as all of Garys pre bookings fell neatly into place, we arrived at our little house on Baan Tai beach.
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