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  • Uncle Woully
Jan – Apr 2025

SE Asia

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  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ao Phrao

    February 7 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Laptopper again in the am, cloudy today and a few raindrops tapping on the roof. I can focus on my projects here, it's like the writer who moves into a hotel room for a few days to isolate themselves from the daily distractions. Here I can do it for a whole month.

    Time for my 2:00 p.m. swim, this time I go the furthest south possible. It takes three 10 percent grade climbs. I walk on to a very wide sandy bay and there are no three, four or five star resorts, just a few cabins and a couple of restaurants. The vibe strikes me right away, this is utter simplicity and quiet, like you would find in the 1930s and just as you sink into that feeling you hear the sweet and bluesy licks by Peter Green from the late '60s. This place is a time warp.

    The swim doesn't disappoint either, so far all corals are dead and covered by brown algae, but today I saw three heads of live white coral full of polyps. How these three heads are thriving in this warm sea is a mystery, but it brought me excitement and jubilation for their being. In a flurry an enormous school of a thousand bright yellow sardines zipped by all around me.

    I'm having a sunset dinner and I'll definitely be back for breakfast with my laptop. This place gives me warm fuzzies. As the sun sets I know I am livng a dream.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ao Phrao

    February 8 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Long morning stretch on the yoga mat. A Thai is enamored with western architecture. Picked up a Ken Follett novel translated to Dutch, and made it a beach day. The swim reveals two anemones replete with two tomato clown fish. These are the only ones in the miles of coast I have swam so far, I'm curious how that can be.

    Sunset dinner, I'll take a nap and during the night I'll try to attend parts of a seminar.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ban Bao Beach

    February 9 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The start of my morning routine, stretching and meditation. Found a cafe run by an Englishman from Bristol who made me a nice cup of tea.

    Bang Boa beach bean bag hang out reading and a short swim and I found more enemones.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ao Thiam Beach

    February 10 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Day 2 of the morning routine, amazing how fast the body responds to yoga.

    Found a quiet place to work on the laptop. An Austrian tells me there are more people visiting this year due to the tik tok and YT videos that have been posted. I'm glad I'm here now. This restaurant has great omelettes, it was a very productive morning.

    Off to a very long swim at Rim Lay. Fueled up the bicycle at a Thai moped gas station and parked it at the Russian Klingon beach, walked to Rim Lay, swam to Ao Phrao and back, then watched the sunset at Ao Thiam while eating a papaya without utensils. Great ambiance by a fallen tree.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ao Salad and Klong Han

    February 11 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Cup of coffee with Claire who is Lebanese but was born in Guadalupe and speaks four languages. We settle on French. She wants to rent a scooter once she hears I am a professional Koh Kood scooter chauffeur. So off we go to a variety of beaches and the Ao Salad pier.

    Lunch at a small locals shop where they had just made a fresh delicious Panang curry. Mr & Mrs Coconut, is the restaurant name, you can even but their T shirts. They were up at 3 am pressing coconuts for the oil, we each bought a fresh bottle good for muscle relaxation, bugs and it has an addictive smell.

    The 'Seacret' beach has an island that can be reached by a decent swim across a channel. I had been eyeing that one and it wasn't hard and no currents.

    We grab a sit on top kayak and paddle out to the island. Then off to Ah Na Lay beach for the sunset that didn't materialize due to the clouds.

    Batteries died midway.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Scoot

    February 13 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Claire is a great conversation partner, quite funny, a bit distraught, high maintenance, from Guadeloupe and Lebanon, and speaks French so it's extremely entertaining in it's own way.

    Bfast at Fisherman's, Denny is a dutchman who plays music there and he has a bass! It's open mic, who ever wants to play can join. I'm going to be living next door for ten days. This is going to be fun.

    We scoot around to two waterfalls, one I have not seen yet. Then to Ao Jak for a swim and read my book. She needs food - again - so off to Ao Phrao and this little hut serves the best Thai food I have had so far, The Green curry veggie tofu was spicy but just right. The papaya salad was equally good. I'll have to brave those steep hills again on the bicycle because I'll have to come back here. This is the place.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ngam koh

    February 15 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Back to the usual, laptopping at the fav cafe, where they know me so well they bring the coffee without me even asking and they know that in a while I have my omelet, served with some cabbage. Everyday I move my projects forward. When it gets too hot I go back to the hostel and I get ready for my beach time.

    On the way I take a detour to Kao Ruerob, a memorial to a naval hero. Ironically it is tucked into the forest away from the coast.

    I put in another swim section that I haven't done yet. I can really feel the tiredness from yesterday's long swim. Nice patch of coral on the backside of the little island.

    I read some in a hammock on Klong Hin beach and watch the sunset from the big rocks.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ao Phrao

    February 16 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Long laptop session, got to a milestone. No swim, a rest day for the shoulders, I rode to Jaks and walked a shaky path to Ao Phrao chasing the perfect green curry. Watched monkeys climb a coconut palm tree. Read my book on the pier in the breeze, windy today. All four times on this beach provided a vastly different ambiance.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    1

    Ban Bao Beach again

    February 18 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Tonight is the last night of my 3-week stay at Eve's. On the laptop, I got a victory over a program I was intimidated by, but I got it figured out. The intellectual stimulation is a great offset to the physical swimming afternoons, although today I took it easy and watched the fish and the anemones. Nice sunset as seen from the bean bags with a mango smoothie. Happy place with good music too.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    An inverse day

    February 19 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Beach swim first, but it turned out to be a garbage collection swim, the whole plastic in the ocean thing is real and I ran into it, what I collected was only a small portion of it. It's truly disheartening what our species is doing to this planet.

    An omelette with coffee on the way back, packing up for the ride to the northern hostel. It has rained a fair bit yesterday so I thought that the waterfall might be running. I take the detour and see that the swing rope is frazzled out and longer and now it can be used. I don't hesitate to play Tarzan, it's fun to be a little kid. The whole morning I have this new song called Adventures of a lifetime by Coldplay in my ears, it's quite disco and I like the lyrics.

    But life is not always all fun, and the chain decides to make it real by coming off the rear and pinching itself between the spokes and the cassette. It took a screwdriver and some very dirty hands to get it off. It's part of being a traveling cyclist.

    The Frenchman who runs Janzo is from Nice and when I tell him I lived in Valbonne, we are instant neighbors.

    I go for a cruise around the neighborhood and find a bakery that is going to be trouble just look at the picture.

    I do a late lunch at Fisherman's Hut and photograph Danmy's setlist. There are a few songs that I should know but I don't, I wish I had sat down to learn some. I'm not likely to jump right in on that bass. No worries he has all the instruments covered and i end up on the shakers.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Tapao

    February 20 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Here I sit in the middle of a coconut palm plantation on the edge of the water drinking the milk from a freshly cracked coconut. I will never again be able to buy coconut juice from a can, now I am truly spoiled. I have to pinch myself, is this place really real?

    The lonely planet guide for Laos has some great ideas, while a juvenile praying mantis runs all over me. Sunset on a different pier at Tapao with a new smoothie.

    I got back just in time for the heavens to open up with thunder and lightning, everybody is inside in the dorms.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    rain day

    February 21 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I woke up feeling drained. A bit of sore throat and just no energy at all. So I stayed in the hammock reading the Hitch hikers guide to the Galaxy. I realized that it is actually from the coconut, something wasn't clean and it bothered my stomach. It was a great day too hang back as it rained a lot.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Tapao Shantaa

    February 22 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    I'm less drained but it's actually a cold. I'm hoping a for a little bit of sun. There is a huge unseasonal weather system coming through.

    Rested up, I feel ok and decide to set out a bit late, we'll see how much energy there is for a swim, big clouds are above but just as I get into the water the sun comes out and lights up the underwater world. I think I found a great new cafe to call my office; good coffee and a view of the beach.

    Just as I get out of the water the clouds are building ominously, and sure enough it doesn't take long. The deluge starts as I take shelter in a little shop. Good timing plus they have yogurt and never before seen chicken crackers.

    I was going to go back to the hostel, but now that the sun is out the beach is calling, I'm going to lay in the sun with a cup of coffee from a special roadside stand, they make an Orange Americano that I just have to try. The lounging net suspended above the water at the end of the pier is perfect. The cold is being burned off by the sun.

    Sunset at the Shantaa bar, is a high end experience for the small price of nice drink.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    infinuty

    Sunday workday

    February 23 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After a disturbed, sleep deprived hostel night, I rested after breakfast and got to my new 'office' shortly after noon on a completely overcast day. Got some work done, a passionfruit mango smoothie from my hot shot smoothie dealer and a late swim at Khlong mad beach. Ready for some more of the same tunes at Fisherman's, it hasn't gotten old yet I feel very happy in my daily rhythm.

    While riding out to Fisherman's I see lightning everywhere in the clouds and a tropical deluge is brewing, but I'm going anyway and within 5 minutes wind, rain and thunder rock the place instead of the band. Everybody who was sitting outside had to run in, The emergency lights came on as the electricity blacked out.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Soneva Kiri

    February 24 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Got to love this office, but it doesn't open until 11am. Back to the hostel for a Thai egg pan. I adjusted my travel plans, but unfortunately I lost the momentum to program on the laptop. My throat is not cooperating either and the local store lady had just the cure for that; here is a pack of centipedes to tickle your throat!

    Soneva Kiri is so private that the only entrance on the island is for employees. All guests are flown into the exclusive private runway across the bay and ferried to the resort by speedboat. This provides them the ultimate in privacy, except of course for that intruding swimmer who starts at the beach a couple of kilometers away and just swims on over.

    I walked the beach, there are no people, it feels very dead and it's actually not the most beautiful beach on the island by a stretch. Two guests arrive on the pier, they are showered with gleeful attention by a staff of ten. Just below them, at eye level with the water, two piercing eyes observe the scene. No one notices the intrusion. I feel like a spy, and then I swim back. Mission accomplished, no photos will be released of this covert operation.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Tapao Noi

    February 25 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Daily routine done, I added one more component to wake up even better. Restful day on the beach because the cold is starting to go into the chest. I also add two rest days before setting off to Cambodia. My honey lime coffee was delicious and quite different from what I expected.

    More programming done in the afternoon, the sunset barely materialized, the supply ship pulled up and so did all the taxis that double as freight cars. This is how all the supplies make it to the shops for locals and tourists alike. There are limits on building more units and 99% of the rooms available are booked. There are far more restaurant tables than tourists so a meal is easy to find. All construction consists of small shops and cottages, except for a few of the restaurants at the upper end resorts. There are no chains here at all so each shop has its own character. This island is like life was in the 1970s or even before. I do hear from some who have been here a few years that it is changing gradually. I feel very fortunate to have had the serendipity to end up here for 30 days. The best experiences seen to happen when there is no plan.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Yai Kee

    February 26 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Another big laptop morning. I have two beaches left to swim on Koh Kood. Big anticipation for this one as a friend said it you can only get there by kayak. I chose to take a forest path, the back way in. Accidentally that has me gate crashing the isolated Captain Hook Resort, a wonderful place. Unfortunately, the water has very poor visibility today. As it is with expectations, they tend to fall short. It was another great swim though, not many left before getting back to pedaling.

    In pre-celebration of my one month stay on Koh Kood I fall for the cake shop and I just have to have 2 pieces to go with my smoothie handler's excellent mango passion fruit smoothie. I consume at the end of the Sea Far pier in the netting.

    Over dinner at Fisherman's Hut I had a very interesting conversation with an intellectual 18-year-old Harry from England, not the Prince, he wants to study aerospace and he is reading books like The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. He really has some great ideas on what he wants to do with life and he's incredibly wise for those young years.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Koh Rang snorkel outing

    February 27 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    A bike ride back in time to the part of the island where I started my visit. This part is definitely nicer. The snorkeling trip to a nature reserve was worth it. fantastic corals, anemones and fish. This is how it used to be before the fishermen used dynamite in the 70s to catch fish. It never recovered.

    On the way back I have a great conversation with Patrice, a 68 year old French man who has traveled a lot, is a pilot and we shared many activities and interests. He brings his date Liliane for a sunset drink at the bean bag bar in Bang Bao and the sunset puts on a show for my last night on the island.

    A great way to finish up my stay on Koh Kood.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Ferry to main land

    February 28 in Thailand ⋅ 🌩️ 30 °C

    Saying good bye to Koh Kood in the morning, not so keen on leaving this place.

    Great ferry ride on the Princess again,. It's an old ship, a classic steel single hull. Most tourists take the Boonsiri catamarans because they are faster, but where are you rushing off to?

    I'm checked into the same resort as the last time. It's a month later and a month warmer, my cold is not really cooperating so I'm taking 2 days of pure rest which I wasn't able to do on the island where it was just too much fun to go to the beach and put in some good swims. I miss that dearly.

    I see a super cool restaurant where they took a boat and put it on the first floor of a restaurant right on land, maybe I'll get a boat and put a restaurant on it with live music every night.

    A thunder and lightning rainstorm replaces that beautiful sunset from last night, it says everything. Consolation prize, a Mango sticky rice dessert.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Banpu Resort laze-about

    March 1 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    I wake up to more rain, does this mean I'm going to be riding wet for the next few days? It makes me scramble to find dryer areas to explore but I find none.

    7:00 a.m. it's breakfast time, the fabulous buffet awaits. I meet a Frenchman, Pascal, extremely intelligent, well read and spoken, he is a treasure trove of information about just about any topic. A few hours later I have enjoyed a splendid conversational morning and met a kindred traveller soul.

    It might have taken me a moment or two to find a convenient excuse to fall for a very nice piece of chocolate cake!

    I recline on the trampoline to let the creamy, buttery, chocolatey velvet slide gently down my tongue and the gooey mass engulfs the irritated portion in the back of my throat, It stills the scratchiness, for now at least.

    Not a bad place to spend a Saturday afternoon, even the parrots didn't argue with that.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Palmsuay

    March 2 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    In order to have the flexibility to either ride 76 km or 147 km tomorrow I only ride 27 km today, which is essentially still a rest day. I make a stop at a supermarket stock up on some essentials on the way in Trat.

    Samlout, Cambodia is pretty much the first town that I'm going to encounter where there might be lodging even though I didn't find any on booking.com or Agoda. Battambang has confirmed lodging and is a larger though still small city but it is 147km away. That's not impossible but I'm not aware of how much climbing I will face tomorrow and the heat will be a factor as well, in any case it will be a bright and early start.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    211

    Best laid plans

    March 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    That sounds like I knew what I was doing, but I had never experienced an open border that wasn't equipped to let foreigners enter. This border is purely for locals and cross-border trade, and requires a special border pass.

    This requires a slight detour, that's just on par for being a spontaneous traveller instead of an entirely pre-planned executor.

    The upshot was an incredible ride on hilly terrain and beautiful countryside with really good roads. It wasn't easy to get back in the groove after the island life.    Read more

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