A day in Krabi

We woke up this morning just after the dawn, it was about 0530. The bus was beginning to empty, as every small town we passed through, another few people would disembark. For us though, there were still a few hours left on the bus, snaking through the countryside.

We might not have slept particularly much, but at least we had slept a bit, which would make the day a bit easier. With her complete lack on space in her seat, Courtney slept the worst of the two of us, so I would have to be the brains of the operation today.

We arrived in Krabi, at its bus station, just before 0730 in the morning. We were the only bus there, with just a few minibuses otherwise, touting for work running people to Aonang (a beach), or to Krabi (by road). We weren't interested in either, just in getting to our hotel. Unfortunately for us, there were no metered taxis. There were no taxis of any kind. Just the pickups with bench seats in the back, that pass for public transportation in this part of the world. After the usual bullshit bargaining with a few of the operators - people start at such a high price - we found a guy just about to depart with a load full of people that would take us for a quarter of the price. He still ripped us off, but not as much as the other guys were trying to. The locals paid about half again, of what we paid.

Unfortunately for the touts in this part of the world, we have been travelling so long, that we think in terms of the local currency, and compare to prices in this part of the world, not the UK. We won't pay anything like the tourist prices that people attempt to extract if we know we can help it, and most of the time we can. You just have to play the game. The horrible, time-wasting game.

Arriving at the hotel, we were very early, but at least we could get rid of our big bags, and wander round the town for the day. Unfortunately, the hotel, was not particularly close to Krabi town itself, so we had to eat breakfast there. The breakfast was not great. Not even close. It's sole redeeming feature, was the fact that you get get an omelette made fresh for you, and they tasted good.

After breakfast, it was time to wander into town itself, along the waterfront. Here we would be accosted by long-tail drivers, trying to get us onto their jalopy boats, for a tour of the river mouth. There was nothing much to see, and we were happy enough to spend most of the day relaxing at the hotel, but that didn't stop 50-60 people having a go.

As the day heated up, we retreated to a local cafe, to have a drink, and cool down in air conditioned bliss. This was a good move, as I lacked the liquids that I had been carrying so religiously the past week, and was quickly finding myself dehydrated. Coffee was not the bst drink to rehydrate with though, and Courtney had to step in and finish the drink that I had bought myself.

Fun fact, just as we had found in Nha Trang, Vietnam, quite a few of the signs and menus in Krabi, are printed in Thai, English, and Russian. We wouldn't have to wait long to find actual Russians.

After our cafe pit stop, we headed to the local temple, which sits on a hill overlooking Krabi Town, gleaming in white. It was looking a bit cluttered because of ceremonies related to the former King, who has passed away a bit more than a month ago, and the rearranging of everything for a wedding happening the next day. It was still open to received visitors though, including a tour group of Russians, enjoying a holiday in the sun, while everyone at home freezes through another Siberian winter.

After the temple, it was back to the hotel for some R&R by the pool, and for some more research around the ferries we would be taking down the Malay Peninsula to Penang.

Following an afternoon of relaxation by the pool, and in the cool of the air conditioned hotel room, we headed into Krabi Town on the hotel shuttle. This shaves about 10 minutes off what would be a 15 minute walk. Once in town, we ate at a Thai - French fusion restaurant, which as we would discover, was more than a bit understaffed that night. That being said, the food was good, even if the service was painfully slow. We put it down to 'island time', and nothing more.

After dinner, there was time for a wander passed the wall of history, which documents in friezes, the history of Krabi, before stopping for an ice cream dessert, and finally making it back to the hotel.

Tomorrow morning, we'll be on the boat to Koh Lanta. It should be pleasant enough, though there is a slight concern, that Courtney will end up a bit sea sick.

Keep reading, and find out tomorrow, in another exciting post.Read more