As I write this, I'm in a tarp-covered, painfully slow Internet cafe in Railay Beach, Krabi province, Thailand. It's raining like crazy, and I feel like I might need to build an ark soon. But that aside, let me just say that Railay is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen...and definitely one of the best travel choices I've made in my life. But more on that later.
Day two in Bangkok wasn't as stressful as the first. For one thing, I'd gotten more sleep, and for another, I had gotten used to the vendors, tuk-tuk drivers, and general chaos of the city. One could boldly say that I've become more confident in travelling alone.
Day two was also possibly hotter than day one, something I couldn't quite get my (increadibly sweaty) head around. That night a nice breeze began to blow at sundown, making it bearable to walk the streets at night. There are so many people around at night, that unless you stick to dark, scary alleyways by yourself, chances are, you'll be fine.
I braved walking farther on the second day, and discovered some interesting markets. You're packed shoulder-to-shoulder the whole way through, but that definitely adds to the experience. You see all sorts of people - my personal favorite being the eighty-something woman with the Playboy purse. Some people sell really cool things like paper lanterns, jewelry, musical instruments, and the infamous Thai fisherman pants. And some people sell really weird things like dismembered fish bodies and "pawned" iPods (probably stolen from unsuspecting tourists). And one guy will take your picture and make you up a press access card, drivers license or even university degree - for just 150 baht! What do you think, Mom?
The key to haggling in Southeast Asia is pretty much the same as anywhere else...find a price that makes everyone happy, and you can usually walk away with armfuls of souvenirs without spending an arm and a leg.
I now understand why Thailand is nicknamed "The Land of Smiles". Everyone is so friendly, and many people have stopped to welcome me to Thailand, and I received a few wai's in Thailand (a wai is a prayerlike palms-together gesture). One lady even stopped me in the street to comment on how white I was (I'm working on it).
After a slightly masochistic night bus - 15 hours from Bangkok to Krabi, never mind that the bus was two hours late because of a protest - I took longtail boat to Railay! Railay beach was one of the destinations on my trip that I was looking forward to the most before I got here. Just look up a picture and you'll understand. Although unfortunately, the picture won't do it justice. The limestone cliffs rise above white sand and jade water. I was speechless when I got into the boat, and could only snap pictures from every angle available. Although there are a lot of people here, I don't get that overrun, touristy feeling.
The first day, myself and Connie, a girl from Germany who I met on the bus, rented a kayak for three hours and paddled all around the island. You can paddle through caves right in the cliffs, or for the more adventurous, try to dodge the longtails coming right at you. We found a small beach not far from our guesthouse that was completely deserted. Photo ops, anyone? My back is now sunburned beyond belief, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
For those coming to Railay, I would suggest staying on the East side of the beach. That's where the more affordable guesthouses are. Although the beach is covered in mangroves and unsuitable for swimming, it's a quick walk to the West side, where the beach is always in action.
Today was the day I had been waiting for even before I booked my trip: rock climbing! At 8:45 this morning, I met up with the guides in the King Climbers' office (conveniently located inside my guesthouse, saving me an early-morning walk). From there, we walked to the first area, which was an amazing cliff jutting right out of the sea. Climbing outside is very different than indoors. My hands and knees are all scraped up now, and some of the hand and footholds were harder to find, and almost always painful to keep ahold of. However, the guides were patient and reassuring, and I had the time of my life. After a quick lunch (fried rice with vegetables - for free!) we headed to another area on
the island which were apparently harder to climb. The views from the top of the routes are unbeatable! It makes all of the scraping, slipping and over-exertion of not-s0-strong arms worth it! Speaking of arms, mine are now extremely stiff, and even typing this simple blog feels like quite an effort. I now have mad respect for my brother, Sam, who does this kind of thing all the time. By the way, save your money and you can come out!This all brings me to right now, where I'm sitting in an Internet cafe watching the rain and thinking about what I'm going to eat. This is the good life!
Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com
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