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Jer MahonJer Mahon
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traveled in 21 countries Read more British Columbia, Canada
  • Travels 2.0
    Day 94

    Richelieu Rock (Phinisi, day 6)

    February 16, Andaman Sea ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The Phinisi motored all night north past the Similan Islands almost to the Burmese boarder, stopping once, to pick up another Diver at Patong who's incoming flight was late arriving.

    By 8am we had finally arrived at "Richelieu Rock" near Mu Ko National Park islands. Sadly, we decided it best to take the day off to recuperate from our ear and sinus issues 👂🥴, with a hint from the tour leader that we'd be diving this location a few times.

    The name of the Hin Plo Naam "rock", only seen at low tide, was named after Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu, who was a Danish naval officer and businessman who became a Siamese admiral and minister of the navy. He was also responsible for his service in charting and gaining the international recognition for Thai water boundaries.

    Unfortunately the dives weren't as amazing as the others had expected due to poor visibility. There were a few other boats in the area, but it didn't appear too busy like compared to the dives areas further south.

    Later in the day "The Junk", the sister boat to Phinisi, met up with us at Richelieu Rock. Soon after we departed for Koh Surin islands for the last two dives, and to shelter for the night. Though we weren't diving it was a relaxing day on the ocean with great food and some books to read.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 92

    Koh Phi Phi Ley (Phisini, day 4)

    February 14 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Another early rising and a beautiful start to the day. While we had a light breakfast and dive briefing, the captain motored us a short distance across to Koh Bida Nok for our first two dives.

    The first dive brought us to a roped off, shallow, sheltered bay. Despite the evidence of lots of tourism, the area was bustling with sea life. We had beaten the crowds, so the dive was quite peaceful. In the bay we saw a couple Blacktip reef sharks (or maybe the same shark twice? 🦈🙃) in the upper shallows. As we went deeper an awe inspiring sight of a multitude of fish schools weaving about like a delicate ribbon in the breeze. The second dive was much busier with many boats in the area, we stayed to the deeper area with soft coral encrusted rock walls to enjoy. The air is around 34C with high humidity, water is about 28C and feels like a bathtub🛁 until the occasional cooler current sneaks past giving a momentary shiver 😅

    We returned to Koh Phi Phi Lee Island, near Malong Bay where we prepared for the afternoon and evening dives.

    We are enjoying the multicultural passengers,each with their own personalities but thankfully none of them overbearing 👍. The crew are doing an amazing job keeping up with everything. The kitchen keeps producing lots of delicious food 😋. This isn't a weight loss vessel!    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 91

    Koh Rok Islands (Phinisi, day 3)

    February 13 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Due to large waves from the south, and strong winds from the north, the captain decided to shelter in a bay at the southeastern end of the island. The plan was to motor down to Koh Lipe near the Malaysian boarder, approximately 5 hours away. However, the weather wasn't cooperating, so we stayed for a morning dive at Koh Rok Nok Seafan gardens again. This time the current was mild so we're able to enjoy a leasurely pace through the area, bustling with activity of all the fish and other creatures.

    While we had breakfast and relaxed, the captain motored back to the Koh Haa Islands, as Koh Lipe was now off the schedule. We descended into the depths along Island One. It had the feeling of being in a fish tank as the area was absolutely teaming with all storts of life. We glided throug craggy canyons and archways, where the current was fairly swift, and out along a steep wall.

    Back to the ship for lunch and a rest before the mid-afternoon and evening dives dives.

    Once diner was finished, the captain moved the vessel north again, this time towards the Koh Phi Phi Islands, roughly 3 hours away. Anchored near the west side of Koh Phi Phi Lee, just north of Maya Beach where the movie "The Beach" was filmed.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 90

    Koh Haa Islands (Phinisi, day 2)

    February 12 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The captain sailed the vessel most of the night. Around 2am he had to take refuge behind an island due to the strong winds before moving on. Prior to going to sleep we took a sea sickness pill just in case the ride was rough. We were feeling ok in the morning 😎

    Up early for our 7am dive briefing and a light breakfast. We had just arrived at the Ko Haa island 3, just in time for our first dive. The area was teaming with marine life, and a good current. It's a popular scuba dive good spot as two other vessels were arriving as we were getting out.

    While we had a larger breakfast, the captain moved the vessel over to Ko Haa Island 5. More day trip boats loaded with divers arrived. The south side of the island was fairly protected, and little current. The highlight was a large cavernous opening in the limestone rock called the "Cathedral".

    Once back on the boat, lunch was served, and once again the vessel moved, but to a new set of island called Ko Rok. The afternoon dive on the south-east side of Ko Rok Nok turned into a drift dive along a sandy shelf called "Sea Fan Gardens". Normally these are great to enjoy up close, but we just glimpsed them as we zoomed past. We were graced with a sea turtle swimming by!

    The fourth dive of the day was the night dive, and we descended as the sun set. Armed with bright flashlights we went in search of the night life. A and J found a couple large lobsters, and the group found a large sea snail and lion fish in the dark abyss.

    A fantastic dinner of various curries and seafood were served followed by a quiet relaxing evening before an early bedtime after the day of fun.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 89

    A taste of Phuket

    February 11 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    The brief stay in Phuket was similar to our time in Bangkok; evening flight with a late night arrival at the hotel. lt was a historic building, but renovated with a tinge of modern flair.

    Once we finished our breakfast we set out for a hair cut and a couple items from the pharmacy before the upcoming liveaboard scuba adventure. The heat turned out to be very toasty 34C, but feeling like 39C with the humidity. We decided to literally chill out in the hotel lobby for a few hours.

    Later in the afternoon we got restless and went out for lunch, and to explore some of the old town. As it was Sunday, the streets were barricaded off, and the market was being set up.

    Our ride to the Chalong Pier was a bit late, but in short order we were off with a few of the other drivers to meet with The Phinisi.

    We boarded the dingy and shuttled over to the vessel we will call home for the next 10 days.

    Our tour leader M and crew welcomed us on board, and gave us an orientation before dinner. We were in bed by 10pm in anticipation for a good sleep and early rising.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 88

    Old Town Bangkok sojourn

    February 10 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    We arrived in Bangkok in the wee hours of the morning. Finally settled and in bed by 1am at a very eclectic hotel. Not a long sleep, but restful enough. The room had a decent bed, and the A/C kept the room wonderfully cool and humid at a tolerably level. The hotel had more of a hostel feel to it with an open communal courtyard, and lots of interesting decorations.

    In the morning we enjoyed the breakfast and beverage. A fair number of young French-speaking families were staying at the hotel too. We soon headed out on a mission to find a tourist SIM for A's phone. The front desk suggested going to 7/11 to get one. We walked a full massive city block, and tried a have dozen 7/11s; there are soo many of them. The final store luckily had a 30-day SIM stock for 1/5th the price (199baht) of the ones offered at the airport kiosk! J noticed Fisherman's Friends chocolate-mint and salted-caramel flavours, so we had a buy them too 🍫😋

    Once back at the hotel, A set up his phone. Simple swap of the Sim and voila! We checked out of the room, storing our bags, before heading out to explore the area. A very polite tuktuk driver stated chatting us up. He had the classic scam story of free temple admissions and wanting to guide us. Later we read how they also take you to stores in an attempt to her sales and commissions 🙃 Glad we dodged that!

    We were caught in three sudden mini-Thunder downpours. The rain was warm and refreshing, and greatly reduced the humidity. We did take shelter from the worst of it under a bridge and a couple trees.

    Our 10km walk took us past Wat Tri Thotsathep Worawihan, through Phra Sumen Fort, and along the river to the complex with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha and The Grand Palace. We enjoyed a couple iced coffees and slice of white chocolate cheesecake on a patio near the river were we enjoyed watching the boats bouncing and manoeuvring along the river, across from Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan.

    After wandering a bit longer decided to catching a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. Fare was negotiated from 300 to 160 within 8 seconds 😂 We enjoyed a refreshing shower, then lounged in the courtyard before a taxi back to the airport for a night flight to Phuket.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 85–87

    Cat Ba Island & the 3 Bays

    February 7 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    An early start to the day with a private car to Halong bay for our 2-night excursion around Cat Ba Island. E&J and kids plus us, with all the luggage made for a cramped but cheerful ride. The driver seemed amazed at how much we stuffed in his trunk. It was even photo worthy for him! Additionally, child seats are not required here, or we would not have all fit.

    We had a good chuckle when he asked us where he was taking us, 🤔 so we called the hotel who booked it so they could speak to him. It was a bit disconcerting as he spent the whole 3 hours drive texting and talking on the phone, not to mention That said, we did arrive safely at the dock with plenty of time 'till departure. The marina was packed with tour boats of all sizes!

    The small shuttle boat took us through very narrow channels past the multitude of limestone monoliths. We did get briefly stuck on a sand bar at one point as the tide was very low 🫣

    We were welcomed heartily by the crew of the Doris as we transfered to the cruiseship, and ventured up for lunch while our cabins were prepared. Once settled in the very comfortable adjoining rooms we went for a soak in the "hot tub" that was more of a slightly-warmer, shallow pool at the bow of the boat.

    The sundeck for the "sunset" party (without sun) and happy hour drinks was next, followed by the bbq dinner. The buffet meal was decent, though not all food cooked when the service started so some us had to wait for the second batch of grilled goodness.

    The next morning we boarded a mid-sized vessel for our day excursion onto Cat Ba Island and nearby village. E&J and kids took the electric shuttle and we cycled to the village; the bicycle route went through a low tunnel! Many of the cyclists gave up on the short steep hill to push their single-gear bicycles up. A quick tour around town, a coffee, and we were back to the boat. Next was a quick kayak paddle in a shallow bay before returning to the cruise ship. Many shore areas are meticulously lined with plastic tubs which hold oysters growing their pearls. Since it was a cool 16C day, all guests agreed skipping the optional ocean swim was a good idea. Water temperatures are quite warm though.

    The ship is on a repetitive schedule welcoming guests onboard for one, two or more nights. So night two, as you can guess, was another sunset party and happy hour, followed by bbq dinner.

    The evening activity is squid fishing from the rear deck. The night was much warmer than the previous and more guests joined. Few squid could be seen in the water and very few bites. The party ended quickly when one of the crew successfully caught 3 squid in the net, and the Australian group were inked on their clothes and hair! 🫢

    We enjoyed our water-front soaker bath tub before Disembarkation instead of breakfast. An early lunch was served before the shuttle boat returned us to the marina. Thankfully we had a slightly larger private minivan to the airport.

    We got our last visits for a few hours at the Hanoi airport before our friends flew to Tokyo and us to Thailand for the next adventures!    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 84

    Hanoi (day 16)

    February 6 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Our homestay hosts provided a simple breakfast of crepe pancakes, fried eggs, and packet coffee. The day itself was dreary and overcast. We were also smoked out by the neighbour's brush pile fire 🔥😵‍💫

    The ride back to Hanoi was pretty uneventful and quick, staying mostly to the hard surface roads. S did take us through more orchards by a narrow steep track. The view at the crest was pretty spectacular despite the growing haze as the city neared. Eventually we crossed the Lo River, that we had followed a couple days earlier, and then along the Red River towards Hanoi.

    Soon the zippy highways gave way to a narrow bustling road that followed the dyke. It was quiet congested in spots where popup markets had formed. At one point traffic completely stopped while people bartered and weighed cages of poultry, ignoring the horns and chaos they had created by completely impending traffic.

    As expected, the traffic got denser even as the roads widened. We did pretty well to keep up with S as he weaved in and out of the scooter masses. A quick refuel on the way in, and then a pretty crazy and chaotic ride finally back to the shop to gather our stored luggage. We said our farewells and headed for the hotel we'd stayed at previously on our arrival.

    A made an attempt at a nearby laundermat, but they were not accepting more clothing. Thankfully the hotel was able to take and wash our soiled clothing and gear in record time.

    Once freshened up, we met up with our friends from Canada whom we had coordinated our travels with to Hanoi. We decided on a walk down the block to The Skyline rooftop lounge for happy hour celebration cocktails. Dinner was at a pasta and wood fired pizza restaurant near our hotel. Delicious to enjoy some variety compared to the last two weeks 🍕

    As the night was still early, went for a walk to find a night market. Turns out the it only happens on the weekends when they also close the streets to vehicles. We did find a number of booths, but the traffic was insane, and the two kids were starting to fade.

    As luck would have it, H, whom we met from our stay in Whitchurch, UK, back in August, was in Hanoi as well! We met up with him, and shared a couple drinks discussing our recent travels. Turns out he had just finished up a four day scooter tour on the Ha Giang loop, which our tour path crossed.

    As we had an early start the next day to Halong bay, we didn't stay out too long visiting.    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 83–84

    Vu Linh (day 15)

    February 5 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Our hosts provided crepe pancakes and preserves, with tea and packet-coffee to start the day. S took us further down the road, briefly along Ba Be lake shore, before following a narrow valley with small farming plots. The locals were getting the fields prepared for the planting after lunar new years.

    Our path followed a meandering creek. Thankfully S warned us we'd be crossing it a few times, so A put on his rain pants after the other day's water crossing antics. Majority of the ford's were shallow and quick. However, there were two that involved riding partially upstream. About 3-feet deep! S misjudged one crossing and both he and J were drenched, and had water logged boots... A opted for a less immersive crossing a few meters back. Waterlogged passports probably aren't the best 🤔 Luckily it was a dry warm day, so J didn't stay too wet for too long. Though his boots were another story 👢😔

    Eventually we merged with the main road, then meandered back onto smaller concrete roads. The highlight of the day was a chiseled pathway that followed a small river in a tight canyon; very reminiscent of the Othello tunnels near Hope BC, but on a much smaller and less rugged scale.

    By noon, we arrived in Ngoc Hoi where we fueled up, then stopped for a drink. We ended up having lunch there as well; greasy fries and fried chicken. I don't think the fryer temperature was hot enough. Not our ideal lunch, but a nice change from the usual. The remainder of the day was mostly broken-asphalt and dusty roads, with the occasional trail shortcut to the next valley. This region has lots pomelo and orange orchards! Our afternoon water break at a small store was entertaining, as the two middle age ladies were very amused by us tourists, as they've never seen any 😎

    By late afternoon we arrived near Ho Thuy Dien Thac Ba lake, and the evening homestay.

    Cozy room with good AC. Water ran dry at the end of the second shower. Turns out they have a cistern and it takes a while to replenish from the well 🙃

    Dinner was delicious. The owner of the homestay joined us too. Lots of apple flavoured rice wine shots. 🍏🍷😋

    Another Vietnamese family staying here joined us for a brief visit. Conversation enjoyable as the English was very good. Their eleven year old daughter was very social. She was very curious about our travels, Canada and its weather.

    Today's ride, 5hrs for 150km 😎
    https://calimoto.com/calimotour/t-HwgHIkceFm    Read more

  • Travels 2.0
    Day 82–83

    Vườn Hoa Cốc Tộc (day 14)

    February 4 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Our day started off with S taking us to a nearby modern cafe, with the usual coffee and light fruit breakfast. A young boy was quite captivated by the fact we were tourists and kept trying to come over, but his group tried to keep him from pestering us. His tenacity eventually won out, and he repeatedly came over and asked a question in english, then run back and talk to one of the adults who was helping him translate the questions and our responses.

    There was definitely a lot of energy out on the streets as the shop owners put out there wares, and the setup for the upcoming celebrations. Leaving the city was a bit chaotic 🙃

    We spent most of the day on asphalt or concrete roads, only veering onto a dirt path once. The local communities were doing some repairs, so avoided a couple sections of freshly poured concrete. The wooded section of trail was quite steep and wet mud, so took a lot of concentration to get up. A carefully laid his bike down when his back tire kicked out on slippery mud. J came to assist lifting it up 💪. It was also very hot and muggy out, so we worked up a sweat. A section of road went right under some houses! About 4.5ft clearance. It caught S unprepared and he dropped his bike on the concrete, but both were fine! Thankfully S found a place to stop for a cold beverage not much farther down the road as we needed to take a rest from the busy morning.

    Our route took us through a couple low passes, but a fair bit of haze hung in the valleys despite the apparent clear skies far above. Around 1pm S found a place to stop for lunch as the town we fuelled up in didn’t seem to offer much.

    By late afternoon we once again found a narrow concrete path, taking us along a section of the Nang River, through a limestone canyon. The river flowed through a large cavern called Puong Cave. Unfortunately the water level was too low to be picked up by the boat near the suspension bridged, as previously arranged. A quick u-turn and we were back to other side of the cave to catch our ferry boat. The narrow flate bottomed boat navigated down a short section of Nang river before crossing Ba Be lake, and into the Ba Be National Park! Such a fun experience to have a private water taxi like this 🚕💦

    Our accommodations for the evening was another home stay, but a little upgrade as we requested a private room instead of the big-room similar to our first night. The bungalow we enjoyed was perched on the steep hillside over looking a narrow arm of the lake. It's the most enjoyable stay so far! The beds are comfortable too! Dinner was delicious and reminded us of home cooking! The smoked pork dish was delicious 🐖😋    Read more

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