Week in Thailand

My week in Southern Thailand -on the Andaman Coast- has been my first trip that has been good mixed with not-so-good. I will focus on the good.


I spent the three solid days living aboard a dive boat, diving 4 times a day (3 the last day I was there) to make a total of 11 dives -the dives were made in and around the Similan islands in the Andaman Sea. It was awesome. I really enjoyed, not only the diving, but the experience as a whole. Our dives saw spectacular underwater mountains and boulders -covered in plant life; greens, reds, purples, pinks- creating a labyrinth (including many swimthroughs!), a diver's playground, 25m under the sea.
On my third dive I saw a Manta Ray (3-4m width) swim about 10m above me. After the dive I wrote in my journal: "This alone has made the entire trip to Thailand worth it. It was possibly the most graceful, majestic creature I've ever seen. It cruised by us like the Enterprise moving effortlessly through space. Phenomenal."
On my second day on the boat, I saw the coolest thing of all: a freakin' Octopus. I would have liked to have seen it swimming around; It was sitting on the coral moving and stretching itself along using its eight arms. I fought the current for a few minutes to watch it. It was spectacular. I could have stayed there for much longer but my group including my dive buddy began moving and I was using up a lot of air fighting what was a relatively strong current. I remember thinking that, had I not seen the Manta, seeing the octopus alone would have made the trip worth it.
I also did my first ever night dive -in fact I did two. On one of them I saw a pair of Moray eels swimming about, hunting. While I have seen Morays on previous dives, they have always been hiding in the coral and I've never seen more than a head. But that night there were a pair of them; two metres long, in full view, snaking their way through the water.
I'm also getting a little better at not using my air so quickly. (Stress to be placed on the word little).
As I was leaving the liveaboard, I realized that I had spent three days without having my feet touch any solid ground. The only times I got off the boat were to dive or swim. I absolutely loved it. The rocking and swaying of the boat, being out on the water, laying on the roof of the boat between dives to read (I read a phenomenal book while on board called 'Into Thin Air') or just to get some (ok. a lot of) sun, or laying on the roof at night for hours just looking at the stars. I have made up my mind to, sometime in the future, spend a significantly longer period of time at sea.
After my dives I was planning to go to Rai Leh, a rock-climbers Mecca of sorts (in the area), with a possible stay at Ko Phi Phi (Ko is a word for island). I hopped on a Ferry and went to Phi Phi. It looked like a really lovely place, but it was crazy with people. Also, the cheapest accomodation I could find was for 2000 Baht (approx $65CAN). First, the island was packed; second the cheapest accomodations cost a literal 10 times more than I usually pay and 5 times more than I've ever paid during independent travel. So I decided not to overnight there. I found a boat that was going to Rai Leh later in the day, made friends with two American dudes and hung out on the beach with these guys relaxing and having some drinks for a half day.
I then hopped on the boat to Rai Leh. I believe I arrived at around 4:30pm. By 8:00, I had checked every guesthouse, lodge, bungalow, hotel, hostel, and shack that looked like someone may let me sleep there, for a place to spend the night. Everything in the area (both Rai Leh and Tonsai) was full. Now Rai Leh, though on the penninsula, happens to be innaccesible from land. A limestone ridge makes a sort of U shape with the two points of the U ending in the sea. Rai Leh is in the U's "hollow". So, there was no leaving the area by land. I figured I had two options, hire a boat outta there or spend the night on the beach. I figured I'd check about a boat first and then if that didn't work out I'd spend the night on the beach. It really was a spectacular beach. Besides, what's the worst that could happen: I suppose I could get beaten, killed by some dunken or stoned (there was a lot of weed around) dudes, or worse, have my camera stolen. But by now the sun had set, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to find a longtail boat -the taxi of the sea in the area- to take me to Ao Nang, a 15 min boat ride away.
I did manage to hire a boat, but by now it was pitch black out and once we got under way I realized that we were moving with absolutely no lights and there was a stiff breeze blowing across the sea making for not-so-smooth going. The driver kept the boat about a half-mile from coast -the coast being a limestone cliff that dropped straight into the sea. I wasn't sure what I wanted: If the boat went any farther out to sea, I felt certain that the stronger waves would overturn us; But if it went closer to the cliffs, I felt certain that the waves were strong enough that we would be bashed into the rocks. One way my camera drowns, the other it gets obliterated. As I was in a state of indecision, I figured the boatman was doing a fine job.
As it happens, we got to Ao Nang and I spent 2hrs checking every possible place that had rooms to offer, only to find that they too were all full. I wasn't too happy about this because the beach in Rai Leh is considerably nicer than the one at Ao Nang. As I resigned myself to spending the night in the open, I passed a motorbike rental place and only then did it dawn on me to rent a bike and get out of town. I did so and headed towards Krabi town, 25 km away. Enroute, about 4km out of Ao Nang, I passed a collection of little bungalows for rent, stopped to ask about availability and when told that she had one available, I almost jumped and agreed to take it without asking the price or to see it first. It was 10pm.
I had planned to go to Rai Leh to do some climbing the next day, but was so tired that I didn't get up early enough in the morning. I decided to sleep in and when I got up, I returned my motorbike, got a bus to Krabi, found accomodation -I walked into the first place I saw, they had accomodation and I took it- and made my base there for a few days. I spent the rest of my time ckecking out Krabi, rock climbing in Rai Leh, and went on a kayaking trip along some rivers that flow through caves.
The climbing in Rai Leh was a lot of fun. I learned the basics of lead climbing and actually lead and anchored the ropes for one climb. This was exceptionally scary. Although it was a relatively easy climb (a 5B/5C for those familiar with the French rating system), it was the first time I'd climbed a route (that I had never climbed before) without a rope over my head. It was great fun. The cliffs, however, were packed with climbers and, all in all, I didn't do a whole lot of climbing. Had it not been as busy, I think I was too tired to really have done much more anyway, so I didn't lose a whole lot here.
Overall, the diving was easily the best part of the trip. I have decided that, if I have time, I'd like to return to Rai Leh and do some more climbing -sometime during the low season. The scenery is gorgeous and has a real romantic feel. I liked it a lot.
And now, back to the daily grind. Next weekend the trekking club is scheduled to go on a trek -an overnighter- on a mountain bordering Johor and Malacca. Hopefully we can arrange transport (forever the thorn in our side) and will not have to cancel...