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Since our last update we have stayed in: |
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Thailand Beaches Our last month in Thailand was spent beach hopping. We stayed on five different islands, three off of the west coast and two off of the east. Since it was the end of the tourist season, accommodations were cheap and easy to find. But it was also the beginning of the monsoon season which provided steamy afternoon showers and some dicey boat rides.
Ko Lanta This turned out to be one of our favorite islands and we extended our stay to six days. Fortunately it has not been developed like some of the more popular island resorts and still has mostly dirt roads and a lower density of tourist accommodations. It is the place to go for peace and quiet, but not for its night life. Our simple bungalow, at the Khaw Kwang Resort, was on the far north end of a long, wide crescent shaped beach. We spent our days snorkeling off of the beach, reading novels, searching for a good cup of coffee, and, of course, checking email. A young sea otter had been abandoned by its mother and was adopted by the owners of the café. We grew accustomed to having it sit in our laps or climb up on the table as we ate lunch.
One of the highlights during our stay was a snorkeling trip to some of the uninhabited smaller islands. After an hour of spectacular snorkeling, we cruised to a second island where we swam through an underwater cave into a lagoon hidden in the center of the island. But by the time that we came out 15 minutes later, the calm waters had changed into six-foot swells that made merely climbing back into the boat a real challenge. We had to skip the final snorkeling island, and spent the next 4 hours bouncing our way through the rough seas back to Ko Lanta, with the boat filling with water as fast as we could bail. One of the passengers on aboard boat was a member of the Swedish coast guard and assured us that we were in no danger of sinking. That was of little comfort to the Thai family who didn't know how to swim and had worn their life vests the entire trip. Mom and two daughters upchucked all the way back. Ko Phi Phi We left Ko Lanta via a 3 hour ferry ride for the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi, the location for the filming of "The Beach" with Leonardo Di Caprio. When we were there on a day trip 13 years ago, there were only two small sets of bungalows on the entire island. Now there is a small, crowded main town, a ramshackle mess of travel agents, stalls selling cheap souvenirs, bars and restaurants. Away from the center, the island still retains its appeal. We stayed for two days on an isolated beach with primitive bungalows and some great snorkeling right off shore and had a wonderful time.
Ko Phuket Ko Phuket is Thailand's most popular tourist island and a two hour ferry ride north from Ko Phi Phi. We stayed on Karon Beach in the same hotel that we had stayed in on our first trip to this area. Disappointedly, like Phi Phi, the island was so built up that we hardly recognized it. The beach north of Karon is wall to wall people and has the feel of Waikiki. If you want to dance and drink all night and spend the day passed out on the beach, this is the place to go. Or, if you are interested in watching older male tourists pair up with young Thai women. Welcome to the seamy side of the resort scene. Ko Samui After leaving Phuket, we rode for 3 days across to the east side of Thailand. The highlight was seeing the natural beauty of the country, especially the gigantic limestone formations and lush vegetation. Spending time in sparsely populated non-touristy villages was also a treat as well as an exercise in mystery dinning. Eventually we caught a ferry to Ko Samui, a very popular but newer resort island than Phuket.
We stayed on the north side of the island in a resort run by German and Italian owners, with a quiet beach side Italian/Thai restaurant. During the warm evenings, it provided lovely, romantic dining. Since the island is only about 70 km around, we were able to circle it by renting a moped for $5. We amused the locals by wearing our silly bike helmets. Here we had the unexpected opportunity of spending the night at the international hospital, where Maria was pumped full of fluids and doused with antibiotics to kill off a bacterial infection from some tainted shrimp… or was it the chicken? The standard of care was as good as at an American hospital, for 1/10 the price. Ironically, some of the best Thai food that Jim had on the entire trip was at the hospital, especially the spicy green chicken curry. An adjoining driving range and bar also helped while away the time. After 24 hours, Maria was released and we were on our way.
Ko Tao After six nights on Ko Samui, we took a ferry north to the tiny island (4 miles long) of Ko Tao for our final beach experience before heading back to California. Almost every resort on the island has its own diving center. For you divers out there looking for a deal, a set of 10 dives runs about $150. After staying for 4 days on the south side of the island, we climbed into the bed of a 4 wheel drive pick up for the drive over the steep rutted dirt "road" to the Tanote Bay Resort. This picturesque bay is about a quarter mile across and has a rocky island in the middle. Coral and fish abound making it great for snorkeling. We spent the next six days chasing schools of fish, swinging in a hammock, reading, watching the spectacular thunderstorms and chatting with an American family that had been traveling for over a year. Eileen, Steve and their fifteen year old daughter, Angela, entertained us with fascinating stories of their travels through India, Nepal and South Africa. What a great way to end this phase of our journey! Reluctantly, we left on yet another boat ride from hell, banging through six-foot swells to reach the mainland. From there we boarded the all night train to Bangkok and eventually caught our flight back to the States. Orinda We stayed at Jim's parent's house in Orinda for four weeks enjoying the luxury of hot water showers and flushing toilets. We also caught up on the foods that we had been craving in Asia, the big four of coffee, bread, cheese, and wine. Much as we love Thai food, we missed the variety of cuisines that we take for granted living in California. And, of course, Mom's home cooked meals. Our time was spent taking care of business, shoving things in our storage unit and visiting with family and friends, the best part about coming home. Costa Rica We flew into San Jose, the capital, and after a few nights downtown in a hotel with amazing acoustics, we rented an apartment in nearby San Pedro, home of the University of Costa Rica. This will serve as our base to explore the country, and sharpen our Spanish and computer skills before heading to Guatemala and El Salvador. Hasta Luego. |
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