Bali to Thailand
Kuta May 11 2010
We had our penultimate breakfast at Kedin 2- the usual scrambled eggs on toast with black tea, watching the Kedin's hotel workers busy making a Galangan decoration- a significant religious event for the Balinese. The day was spent with final purchases (one very funny moment was when I was ahead in the street, and George had apparently called out to me, and a taxi driver drove past, wound down his window and said 'mama, papa call' and gestured back in the direction of George...this reminded me of a time on Lembongan when we'd hired motorbikes and I'd lost George somewhere and a local couple, who I didn't know, who were on a bike stopped and said 'Your husband at Mangrove Village” It was also the day that George was to pick up his newly made vest, which turned out to be fantastic-vivid colours and striking design. We packed up, ready for our departure.
Kuta to Thailand May 12 2010
At breakfast we were assured that it was best to book the taxi 15 mins prior to our departure, which we did, with lots of time to spare. So we ventured out with our luggage (which always seemed such an ordeal...even though I'd bought what I thought was a very small wheelie suitcase) to await the taxi. A half an hour passed, and at regular intervals I paced down the lane, checking to see if it was in vain. Not a taxi in sight! Again I spoke with the manager and he rang again- 5 mins he said. Traffic must be heavy...Again we waited...until we could wait no longer. I asked the manager to let the taxi know that we were heading to Legian St...and we heaved our gear along the narrow lanes, and again the thought entered our minds...there is not transport when really needed.. and, to our delight two taxi emerged in the next lane...so we were off to the airport.
We still had some rupiah so thought it a good idea to convert it to baht...so at this stage we had only baht, only to discover that there was a 150 Rupiah departure tax per person...so quickly had to change it all back again...and even converting some $US as we didn't have enough. Finally onto the plane (no problem exiting...our bags left untouched, though a local couple in front had their suitcases heavily scrutinised)...and then we were in the air. For me this part of travel is exciting...it's the landing, having to find accommodation, visas, customs...that's daunting. So we settled into the flight, and our pre-ordered meal arrived- Georges smoked chicken focaccia was fine, my rice fine, but the chicken on the skewers had a texture of rubber, and the taste may have had slightly chickenny overtones...but only because I knew that I had ordered chicken. Our thirst needed to be quenched, but alas, credit cards weren't to be accepted, and we'd used all our rupiah- but quickly realised that we had Mary's baht, generously provided for drinks, so we toasted Mary on the plane...delighted to have the necessary baht...In all a very smooth flight, and our next step was to land at Bangkok, and then find our flight to Sura Thani- a 4 hour wait.
Immigration and customs- a breeze! Nothing looked at- so we were free to find our next flight. Again all went smoothly, and we were on our way. This time some apprehension had started to settle in, knowing that at the other end we needed to get from the airport to the City (about 27k), find accommodation....We boarded, found our seats, and I was next to Nok, a Thai woman, about 30, a nurse at Koh Samui. Her first question was 'How are you getting to Sura Thani from the airport?' to which I gave a vague response, as we'd spent the last 4 weeks being vague, as any mention of how or where we may be going, ended up with offers of a driver, tours and the like. Nok, whose father was picking her up, insisted that he would take us to Sura Thani. We had a long conversation about Thailand, and on touch down Nok said “Wait for me at the airport” and she assured us that all would be fine by her father. Nok was greeted by a very jolly lady, and our gear was piled into the back of the ute, and the three of us squeezed into the back seat and headed off. They laughed and had a very happy conversation, at some stage, even offering us to stay for a meal, but we thought that it would be stretching their hospitality. Nok said she knew a hotel that we could stay at, close to where we needed to catch the bus to get to the harbour for Koh Phangnan, and they even did a loop to show us how to get there from our hotel...so we ventured into the hotel, and found ourselves with luxuries such as aircon, shampoo, soap, TV...and a view of an incredible building, temple-like, from our window. After settling in we found a local eatery and had beautiful chicken soup, with ice filled glasses and a jug of water on the table.
Sura Thani to Kho Phangan May 13 2010
The bus filled with locals and we headed off. Thailand is quite modern, the roads good, and driving is easy, particularly relative to Bali. We travelled past many houses, coconut palms. Massive mountain like rocks that looked like they had a volcanic origin..until finally we saw the port...where we sat and sat (in between an iced fruit juice) until it was time to leave. The skyline above the port is dominated by a huge white Buddha that sits prominently at the top of the cliff. We travelled on a huge ferry, which carried many cars and trucks in its hold to the island. At the dock we met an Englishman, Dennis, who was also headed our way, with whom we shared the taxi which was open air, with seats at the back separate from the main cabin, to Hat Rin.
Coral Bungalows Sunset Beach Hat Rin
Sunset Beach Hat Rin
Finally we arrived at Coral Bungalows, after a harrowing taxi ride, the driver speeding up and down windy, hilly coastal road, with us hanging onto our luggage and the car, to prevent ourselves from falling out! We settled in, only to find that we were surrounded by party crazy young 18-25 year olds, with a pool party, disco...that went until about 2 AM. We managed another night there and knew that it was time to move on...knowing that we would be leaving behind the sunsets which were truly awesome...
Seaview Haadrin Bungalows Sunrise Beach Hat Rin May 15 2010
Beautiful hibiscus
Our little bungalow was one row back from the beach- though we still had a reasonable view of the sea. It was tiny, but a relief after the hustle of our previous place, though the bed was as hard as a rock, and the pillow was a rock. The beach was exceptional, the sand very fine, the water clear. There were few swimmers, and the only vendors on the beach had three surfskis, but didn't approach us- they were eagerly sought out by young people ready to burst out into the sea. Our days were spent swimming, sun baking, reading...enjoying the delicious fruit- watermelon, pineapple and mango. The sea was clear, relatively shallow, and incredibly warm- bath like. The nights weren't as peaceful as we had imagined they would be. The tiny hut with fan heated up like a sauna, and the party at various places along the beach continued until dawn, with the deep bass beat resonating throughout the area.
Seaview Bungalows Hat Rin
Seaview Bungalows, Sunrise Beach, Hat Rin May 17 2010
The night had been stormy, the sea was a lot more turbulent than usual, but the day was hot. I ventured in for a swim, pleased that the water was deeper and cooler. I found myself drifting towards the rocks, so started to swim in the opposite direction, only to find that I was swimming on the spot, and being carried closer to the rocks. I realised that I was disappearing around the corner, out of view of the beach, behind the rocks, and the current was pulling me further out. A wave took me close to a rock and I tried to grab on. Couldn't. After another wave I was more successful, grabbed on, and hoisted myself up, wedged between two rocks. There I perched, hands and legs bleeding in a number of places, as the rocks were sharp from mollusc and other shells, and as I stood there, I wondered if the waves would come in, and take me off this rock...Miraculously a local man appeared with a long bamboo stick. He used the stick to show me where I should stand next so I carefully made my way through the sea on the rocks, till I was close to another big rock, way too steep for me to negotiate. A few more young men appeared, and two helped me up, in the meantime my hands and legs becoming more cut and scratched. I made my way up the steep rock surface- in shock, but thankful to be alive! Later in the day I went up to try to find the man with the bamboo stick to thank him again, but he wasn't around, so I asked one of the young men there to pass on the message.
Ill-fated swim near Magic Mountain
Chuloklum May 18-20, 2010
We negotiated a price to get to Chuloklum with our Seaview Bungalow host, and headed off. It was drizzly when we arrived, the roads filled with huge puddles, and all looked bleak and miserable. Both of us had had the thought that perhaps we should ask them to take us back to the port, as they were going through there, but we didn't. We'd looked at two possible places in Lonely Planet, so we were dropped off at one of the places, rain coming down. The manager showed us the room, and it looked prison-like. One window, hard beds, dark and gloomy with dogs everywhere. Our luggage was under cover, so when the rain eased I ventured off to see if we could find a more salubrious offering. After a hot tea we finally decided where we would stay.
Our current accommodation, is not unlike our previous hut, but larger, and with two beautiful windows, with a picturesque view of the bay, sprinkled with fishing boats. Unlike our previous hut the pillows are soft, though the mattress still very hard. The bathroom is open air- so it's possible to get a tan showering. It's been much cooler at night, and we invested in a new light bulb as the lighting is very dim. This has made a huge difference to night reading- a definite improvement, and one that we'll carry to our next place as lighting has been very dim throughout.
After exploring the village and area generally we hired motorbikes, and have seen lots of the island. The motorbikes provide so much freedom to explore, and yesterday we found a spectacular tranquil beach, not far away, where we'll head to once we leave here. In the huts around we are surrounded by a large German group who travel lightly, and have hired motorbikes for a long time, so they move on with their packs and find new places to stay. There are also French, English and Argentinian tourists, but we haven't spotted (nor heard) any other Australians here.
The sea is quite shallow, and there are sharp creatures under seaweed- but I'm yet to venture in as I'm waiting for my wounds to be more healed. Tropical wounds need to be well looked after. We have the bikes for four more days, so it will give us plenty of time to explore.
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