Day 208 (Wed 31 Jan) - Krabi / Koh Lanta

Up early to sort our travel arrangements.

Met up with the woman at the Jolly Jumper who quickly sorted out a bus for us to Koh Lanta, leaving this afternoon, and a bus that would take us to Surat Thani train station and tickets to Hua Hin for our journey to Khao Sam Roi Yot. As the woman sorted out all of this her two cute pet poodles kept us entertained.

Had breakfast and then packed our gear and waited for our bus. The bus arrived 15 mins late and we settled in for the drive to Koh Lanta.

We seemed to drive around Krabi for ages, picking up boxes and local people, dropping off boxes and said people, before we actually seemed to set off for Koh Lanta.

Traveled for about an hour and then waited for 40 mins in a queue for a ferry. Crossed the river and then drove a little further to embark on another ferry. As we were crossing our driver told us, a Thai lady traveling on the bus interpreted, that he would be dropping us all off at the other side of this river and we were to walk up the road until his friend picked us up and took us on! As another passenger commented, if he hadn't spent so long doing his personal jobs he would have been able to take us as planned.

At any rate, we disembarked and trooped up the road in the sweltering hear. Soon we saw a large sort of station wagon that was going to be our ride. Not enough space in the main body of the vehicle so Sarb and a fellow Thai passenger ended up in the back with the bags.

Traveled on good roads for about half an hour lined by lush palm trees and dense vegetation.

Got to our lodgings the Miami Lanta Bungalows on Klong Nin Beach. Our internet booking assured us that we had a sea view. Technically this was correct although you had to stand on the porch of the bungalow to get a glimpse of the sea through the other bungalows!

The bungalow was very spacious and clean and had an enormous bathroom. Had a drink sitting at the attached restaurant on tables and chairs laid out on the beach. The sand was white, the sky and sea were blue and it's hot! Paradise.

Went for a walk up and down the mainly deserted beach. Development of the beach front is minimal so large tracts of the beach were fringed with huge palm trees and forests. The water was crystal clear!

Returned to our room where we freshened up and then watched an incredible sunset whilst having a drink ( [1], [2] ). It was then that we noticed that our lodgings were flying the Welsh flag for some unknown reason. Whilst relaxing the hotel cat pitched up. Very friendly little cat that would leap up onto the table, demanding to be stroked. We named him Buster. At about 9pm a fire show started, this was to be a regular evening entertainment, consisting of a man, and sometimes a woman, twirling fiercely burning brands of wood. Sitting under a starry sky, having a drink, on a beach, with the ocean murmuring beyond us and an occasional caressing warm breeze it seemed the most natural thing in the world watching people trying to get third degree burns. You just had to be there!

After the fire show Sarb started fiddling around with the larger of our cameras and managed, more by luck than judgment, taking a photograph of the night sky (here is the constellation of Orion). Jo sat transfixed (i.e. bored rigid) as Sarb then spent the next hour and a half experimenting with the camera, taking many photos, and lamenting the fact that he hadn't been able to figure this out when we were in Africa!

Had dinner on the beach and very nice it was too!