Tue 29th Jun - Awoke to another torrential morning. I had set the alarm clock for 7:30am so that we could get an early start, but the rain had other ideas. Had breakfast late and then waited until the rains had eased off before heading for the bus back to Phuket Town. Plenty of buses heading for Takua-Pa bus the next one go on to Surat Thani was at 1:30pm. This one goes on route 401 and passes the turning point for Khao Sok National Park. Had time to ring the Jungle Huts to arrange for collection at the juntion, just in case we got stuck there in the rain.
The bus route went via Khao Lak on the coastal road. It seemed like a nice place, albeit a bit quiet. The hope is that we can get a break in the rains and do some trekking and maybe ride an elephant into the jungle. We are at the mercy of the weather....
Have you ever had one of those occasions when you wished you had asked the question...How long will it take?. Well after a couple of hours and needing the toilet and feeling hungry, the conductor said 3hrs to get to Khao Sok. Well, that was longer than we expected. After 3hrs from leaving Phuket town, we arrived in Takua-Pa. I asked him how long the stop was....2 minutes was his reply. So we rushed off the bus and grabbed some snacks. 20 minutes later the driver got back on. Well i guess you cannot trust their idea of time!
Having asked to be picked up by the guest house, we were beginning to wonder how long they would wait. Turned out to not be a problem as the guy was waiting for us. We opted for a nice raised hut by the river for 300Bt per night. As soon as we walked in, we were treated to some monkeys playing in the trees on the opposite river bank. The river was flowing fast with the high volume of rain that had fallen, so the setting was a total rainforest experience.
Out to explore and check at the park HQ for the latest info. As per my last visit the same parts of the park were off limits for hikers (1st Jun to some time in December), so we could only trek to 1,2 and 8 on the map, which could easily be done in a day.
Dinner at the Thai Herb restaurant, the best food on this stretch of road. The night is when most of the jungle comes alive. Time to wander with the camera and snap some cool bugs and tiny frogs that make a big noise. Praying mantis, flying lizards, Snakes amongst the list. Also, the best challenge for any photographer as the conditions are tricky and just finding them takes some skill. With time to relax, the ideal way to spend an hour was to have a Thai Massage. Plenty available, but opted for the place i had been on my last visit. Not the best i have to say, but relaxing enough.
The next day we went trekking in the park (200 Bt Entrance fee for 24 hrs). The rains were relentless for most of the day, with the only respite being about an hour at the middle of the trek when we reached the Ban Hua falls. Ideal timing but made the conditions also ideal for Shiera's worst nightmare...the dreaded Leeches! Now most people aren't too bothered by these little slimy reatures...but Shiera had sleepless nights at the thought of them, and was so covered up and drenched in her own personal mixture of salt and detergent to keep them away...it was hilarious. I got a couple of them on me, but they are easy enough to deal with and part of being in the jungle.
With boots squelching with water and skin soaked, we had finished by late afternoon. A welcome meal afterwards is enough reward for a day when your legs feel like lead and ache. To be honest, trekking in the rain is lovely and adds to the memory. Didn't see much other than some Chameleons, a snake and a few bugs, but daytime is the worst anyway.
A major highlight of a visit to the park has to be an Elephant trek (600 Bt). We had to wait for another group to return and thought we had been lucky the rains had stopped. A wonderful couple of hours with rains beginning half way through. I had switched to riding on the elephant's neck for the return journey. The rains came with full force and i was soaked but happy.
It all added to the experience. The trek route went through a Latex plantation with a stop at a nice waterfall and natural pool for a swim. Not too cold, so was refreshed. Shiera loved it too, as her first experience of riding an elephant. It is one of those treats in life that you just have to experience at least once.
On the Friday we just wandered along the roads following the river. Part way along we got adopted by a friendly Alsation, that sort of guided us along. It kept waiting at regular intervals to make sure we were following. It was a beautiful dog and we were sad to leave it behind when we had finished.
Art's Riverside lodge, a beautifully located collection of solid cottages and tree houses nested in amongst the trees by the river. We stopped for a fruit shake and watched some canoes and tubes float by. We must have done a few Kilometres by the time we had walked enough, so stopped for a late lunch and a Singha beer at the Nong Thai restaurant. Excellent food and pretty location. The food in general has been excellent here, no matter what you have or where you eat, it is good. It is very quiet everywhere, being rainy season and most leave it until later in the year to visit. So, often we are the only occupants when we eat.
Saturday 3rd July - Time to move on out of the park and back towards Malaysia. Many choices, but opted for a route down the eastern coast. Minivan to Surat Thani leaving at 9am for 200 Bt and taking 2hrs, followed by local bus to Nakhon Si Thammarat for 120 Bt. The minivan driver dropped us at the agency shop in Surat Thani and luckily the minivan leaving for Nakhon was only around the corner. Enough time to buy some Lanzones and oranges for the journey, which left at 11:30am. We weren't sure whether we were going to stay over night in Nakhon, so left the decision until we got there. The options of where to go from there mainly centered on having to get to Hat Yai first, which would be a further 3 hours or more away.
Well, by the time we arrived in Nakhon I had decided to stay overnight anyway. We chose the Nakhon Garden Inn, being the first place in the guidebook and had a nice write-up. Everywhere was quiet and the rooms were really good. 455 Bt with TV, aircon and wi-fi.
The main claim to fame for this town is that it has the largest and oldest temple in southern Thailand at Wat Phra Mahathat. Theoretically it should have been a single Sawngthaew to get there (10Bt each), but we went the wrong way and it took us two. Luckily some ladies helped us to get there. It is in an old part of town where there is an abundance of wats and stupas with a liberal sprinkling of old wooden thai houses. Much nicer than the congested new town with wall to wall shops. The mistake in going the wrong way wasn't all bad, as we found a lovely little shop selling birdcages and the parts to make your own. They also specialised in decorative metalware for the finishing touches. Liked them so much i bought some parts to make my own in the future. The shopowner was lovely and threw in some discounts and a free can of soft drink each.
The restaurant attached to the Garden inn is ok with a mixed menu of local and some foreign. No English so you have to accept that some misinterpretation is bound to happen, so what we got wasn't what we thought we had ordered! Late night snack on the street of my favourite banana roti with a cup of Thai coffee. Cheap and satisfying.
Sunday 4th July - Independence day for those US folks. Time for us to move further south....destination Songkla, but we have to go to Hat Yai first. The railway station is only a 5 minute walk from the Garden inn. Train 455 was due to leave at 09:38 and arrive in Hat Yai at 14:32. At 37 Bt each, it is a cheap journey. The same journey by minibus would have taken a couple of hours less i reckon, but i love train travel in Asia, so fit in a trip as often as possible. About an hour to watch local life go by on the platform. Vendors bringing produce to move somewhere else. People travelling home after the weekend away, and kids playing on the tracks as their playground. The little community that flanks the railway track is something you see everywhere, but it has its own character. Personally, i wonder how they ever sleep, but i guess they get used to it. Once the train had set off, chance to sit and take in the view with the window down and some natural air-conditioning. My baby was looking lovely today....I love her so much.
The train was about 10 minutes departing as it had to wait for the train from Bangkok to arrive, as they coordinate the connection of trains, plus it avoids switching tracks.
The journey ambled on steadily with many stops at some pretty stations that would never appear on any tourist map. Arriving at Phattalung at about 12:30pm, over half way on our journey, was lovely. The area is flat with a surround of karst peaks and a basin of rice paddies and latex plantation. Cows chewing on grass in the baking sun; Lotus growing in the stream that followed the rail track; the occcasional pretty wat in the middle of nowhere. All very idyllic. I wasn't too impressed with the look of Phattalung itself. But that was only from a limited viewpoint of the train. I guess it doesn't see many tourists.
The train livened up here as a group of school children boarded. With the sound of the diesel train engine and the routine blast from the train's horn, it was a cocophony of sound.
On the way, Shiera and i were planning a farm, for the day when we have actually found a resting place, bought some land and are developing our home. The thought is exciting...Shiera is impatient, which i understand.
As soon as we arrived at Hat Yai Junction i didn't want to hang around, so caught a Sawngthaew (60Bt) to the bus stop for Songkhla (20Bt each), which took around an hour to get there. No map and no idea where we were going to get off relative to anywhere important, so a total guess. Fortunately, where the bus dropped us wasn't far from an area where we found somewhere to stop, at the Sonsiri Resort & Guest House for 480Bt aircon, nice big space and good wi-fi (15/30 Rong Muang Rd. 085-8951573). There were other places but they seemed dire in comparison. Unfortunately, zero English spoken and no maps available, so we had no idea which direction to walk in to find anything. After a random walk we stopped for a meal at a coffee shop where we at last found an owner who spoke English and pointed us in the right direction. This place is generally flat and ideal for exploring on a bicycle, so will try to find one tomorrow.
Monday 5th July - After a good night's sleep it was time to see what this place had to offer. The tourism office was closed but we managed to get a map off a guest house across the road. Had the best English breakfast i had had in a very long time at the Bread shop in the expat area. I learnt that Songkla is oil town, with much foreign investment with Canadian and US expats working long contracts here. As such a community has grown up with many services to entertain the staff on shore. Great little bars and comfort food. The lady who owned the coffee shop we visited yesterday passed us and stopped for a chat. She really wanted to be friendly, which was so sweet.
We aimed for the Wat Tuan Lift which would take us to the top of the hill overlooking the town. 30Bt return and rewarded with an awesome view. Songkla is blessed with about 9km of beautiful beach, which for most of it is deserted. From the top you also get a wonderful view of the town. Many colourful roofs and wats spread across a manageable town. Also on top is a Stupa a Lighthouse and an evacuated restaurant. When it was built it must have had loads of business, but now it is just a viewpoint. As I say, this place doesn't see much tourism, so I guess its business collapsed. After a nice walk along the beach and passing some famous landmarks of the Mermaid and the Cat and mouse, we had a nice meal in a laid back bamboo hut at the roadside. Catfish, chicken, mixed fried rice with seafood, and a large Chang beer and soft drinks all for 215Bt.
Songkla is also a university town, with a large campus on the waterfront. For most of the frontage, the elegant feathery Casuarina trees offer welcome shade for picnickers to take refuge from the heat as the gentle sea washes the beach. I was continually surprised by Songkla. It is super place. Almost perfect beach and laid back nature. Very understandable why many expats would choose to live here instead of the crazy towns inland. The waterfront also has some nice statues. The 'Cat and mouse' bronze sculpture, which has an interesting story attatched to it about how Songkla and its two small islands were created. The sculpture of the Mermaid washing her hair is one of the most famous landmarks here.
Late afternoon we we chose a random direction to walk in and struck gold. We had no idea that there was a Chinese celebration going on, and one road had been closed off to traffic to become a market stall street. Entertainment had been set up with small groups and there was an incredible amount of unusual food for sale. First stop was a wat for some culture and photo taking, and the rest of the day into darkness was spent walking the street. What made it even more exceptional was part way along the road a Chinese opera was being staged at a Chinese temple. I was lucky enough to be allowed on stage to photograph the performers being made up. Over the top make-up and dazzling bright costumes as befits a Chinese opera. Group photos with the cast and also a small baby thrust at us for a photo. Poor thing bawled its head off! The thing about a Chinese opera, is that it can go on for many hours. We had to escape to eat so didn't see the finale, but we had seen enough to appreciate the plot, albeit in squeeky Chinese voices.
Snake juice, coconut and candy treats, herb and rice snacks and traditional pad Thai served in banana leaf...so many great foods to excite the taste buds. Had a brief chat with a Canadian oil worker which caused us to change plans. A couple of days ago a bomb had caused some trouble in the area we had considered going through. Chances were that we would be safe, but why take a risk when we had a safer alternative?
After a wonderful day of beach, sights, culture, food and entertainment, we collapsed into bed absolutely shattered ....zzzzz....
Tue 6th July - Visa expired tomorrow so have to move on today. After another awesome breakfast at one of the best places in this part of Thailand at the Bread shop, we were full enough to last quite a while. Bus to Hat Yai, which this time was almost empty. Almost across the road from where we got dropped off was a minivan stop. Decided to go straight to the border crossing at Sadao as i had no wish to stay in Hat Yai again. 55Bt for the journey and left about 12:30pm. Travelling is tiring and started to fall asleep again. Our destination for the day was going to be Pulau Lankgawi, but let's see if we make it. Well we did, and quite and easy journey it was too.
The border crossing at Sadao was quiet. On previous visits through there i had booked a direct minibus to my destination, but this time i hadn't. So once we got through the Thai exit booths we had a long, but downhill walk in the melting mid 30's heat to get to the Malaysian immigration centre. Could have taken a taxi, but didn't. Through there in a short time and then had to sort out getting to Kuala Perlis for the ferry to Langkawi. Problem is that there are no other options but to get a taxi.
No local buses going directly there, and the taxi charges a fixed 50Bt. It is a long way though, about 36km. Clocks forward 1hr to Malaysian time.
Ferries go regularly to the island and we made the 4:30pm sailing on board the Sun Power Ferry for 18 Ringgits. After a superb crossing we arrived on Langkawi at the main town of Kuar, into what seems like a pristine shopping mall. Got some money at an ATM and changed my remaining Thai Baht into Ringgits and then went to the taxi booth for a voucher for the taxi.
There is no public transport here, and so the only way to get anywhere is by taxi, or shared minivan, but the price is the same at RM24 for us to get across the island to the beach side, some 36km away. As per the usual of not knowing where to start looking, we opted for the area around Pantai Tengah, south of the very popular Pantai Cenang. Settled into an aircon room at Mali Perdana Resort for RM60 including TV and wifi.
This area is super; Loads of top quality restaurants, nice hotels, quality shops and a lovely sugary white sand beach for part of it. We were located within a couple of minutes walk to the Underwater world centre. After a great south Indian meal at a resto near to the beach and a brief look around...time to crash out.
Over the next couple of days we took advantage of some nice weather and lack of tourists. After the school holidays finish, it is mainly weekends. In between it is fairly dead. Eating here can be an expensive experience. Good quality but pricy.
Other nice meals at the Little Mexicana (Best chilli con carne in town), T-Jays (Italian)
As mentioned, there is no public transport here. The taxi drivers have monopolised getting around. Apparently there used to be a bus, but it was done away with by the taxi drivers. A Maybank ATM has been here at the underworld for about a year. It took 5 years for them to get it there, as the taxi drivers campaigned against it due to losing business doing ATM runs for the tourists! Apparently it used to get sabotaged regularly so it wasn't working! At 24 Ringgits each way, it is an expensive business getting money here. The other way is to hire a motorbike or car to get around. It pays for itself if you want to squeeze in as much as you can to avoid high taxi fares. The island tours that are offered are far too high a price i think, so best to consider doing it yourself.
Thursday 8th July - As planned, but after a typical late start, we went to the Underwater world complex nearby. RM38 entrance and worth it. Spent an excellent few hours there. Some great specimens of fish and a real treat of some gorgeous Marmosets. The Rockhopper Penguins are so cute too. The main aquarium is exellent and the souvenir shop is a little different than normal in that you can have your hands cast in wax and have some personalised glass objects made. We are struggling with some of this stuff right now, as we would like to buy more things but don't have anywhere for it. Everything we buy has to be boxed up and sent to the Philippines until we know where we are going to live. In between we have to carry what we buy and plan when the next post office is going to be. Life on the road!
We were hungry, so what else but a South Indian curry...the default meal nowadays...
We are both suffering with something strange that has happened to our legs. Both of Shiera's legs from her calf muscles downwards, and mine too have some purple bruising in patches that is itchy. I reckon that we both came into contact with some small jellyfish a few days ago in Songkla or even earlier. It looks weird, and changes randomly. The klinik has been closed and cannot get treatment yet, so have been trying anti-hystamines that i had left and see what happens.
Friday 9th July - Hired a vespa motorbike for 24hrs for 30 Ringgits and set off on a tour of the island. First stop heading north was the Oriental village and Langkawi cable-car station at Gunung Machincang, which holds the reord as Malaysia's longest span at 919.5mtrs, and the steepest in the world at 42 degrees. 38RM each for the cable-car, and wow, what a view from the observation decks at 706metres. They have constructed a superb triple platform system and a 125mtr suspension walkway to the far platform. A great bit of engineering! It isn't until you see Langkawi from high up when you can appreciate some of its beauty. The Oriental village bit is quite nice, but as you can expect, it is just a collection of shops and restaurants, albeit organised around a nice pond.
Next on the agenda was the wildlife and bird park further around the island (RM22 entry). A nice group of playful Monkeys, one of which had great fun, or was it the other way around...with Shiera? Some nice birds and an enormous Crocodile that looks fearsome.
Onwards to the main town of Kuar, and the infamous Eagle square. The fish eagle is the symbol of Langkawi, and what a magnificent bird to have as a symbol. So majestic in flight. The Eagle in the square adjacent to the ferry terminal is a proud tourist attraction. Everyone scrambles to have their photo taken, and it overlooks a lovely view of the Andaman sea. Getting late we returned back to Pantai Chenang before dark after a wonderful day. This island is easy to do in a day by motorbike. The roads are so easy to drive on, and all attractions easily signposted.
Saturday 10th July - With half a day left with the motorbike, we headed out to Awara Porto Malai at the southern tip of the island. A sleek and sophistiated resort hotel complex overlooking the Andaman sea and marina. It looks to be a great place to be of a night, but we won't have the oportunity this time.
Back north and a vist to the Aussie Deli by the airport to buy some cheese before stopping to go go-Karting (RM37 for 10 minutes). Great fun even though i was the only one on the track!
Time to return the bike (I had only used 7 Ringgits of fuel for the whole time...cheap motoring), and time to hit the beach. Another bit of excitement for the day was going Parasailing from the beach. Only about 5 minutes or so (RM50), so a bit extravagant, but a nice experience offering a great view of the surrounds. Needed a rest after all this excitement. Time to sip on a beer on the beach...relax briefly in a hammock and swim in the sea with my baby. Have I said recently how much I love Shiera. Wonderful stuff!
One of the most expensive meals we have had to date in the evening at the Papadam Ria. An Indian restaurant with a lot more style than the usual...but the price...a shock when the bill came....scorchio! About four days meals blown in one!
Time to pack up ready for moving on tomorrow. Been a very tiring day...Zzzzz....
Sunday 11th July - Moving on back to Penang today - RM60 for the 3hour trip leaving at 2:30pm. Got to the ferry terminal early so that we could have lunch. A nice meal at Kenny Roger's Roasters. Isn't it a great business opportunity for a singer as famous as Kenny to have his own chain of restaurants around the world. Good quality and a nice way to have his music spread to all those diners. I wonder how much income he gets from the restaurants compared to the royalties from his music? I think i'll start a chain of 'Jeff's Asian Burger' restaurants and see how far i get.
With plenty of time to spare, we had time to buy some more souvenirs for the home we haven't got yet! We always laugh when we buy something....We have the dinner stuff, but no table...we have some decorations, but no walls to put them on. Today we bought some matching key rings...we now need a door for them to be used on!
When we were in Singapore a lady stopped us in a shopping mall and tried to sell us a fancy nail polisher. Basically a small block with different grades of polisher on each face. She wanted SG$24 (Singapore dollars). At present exchange rate equivalent to 12 UK Pounds. Today we saw exactly the same thing here for 5.9 Ringgits...equivalent to 1.23 UK pounds...made in China. That lady is making one massive profit with her sales isn't she? I bet they cost about 30 pence if bought direct from China. We bought a few of them just in case!
Boarding commenced at about 2pm and the boat was full. So we say goodbye to Langkawi. We hope to return one day as it is a beautiful place. It certainly lived upto its reputation.
The main reason for returning to Penang is to collect our visa for India which we applied for in Kuala Lumpur nearly 2 months ago. They hold it for upto 3 months, and our flight to India is on 2nd August, so we will get it now from Penang (they send it to KL to be put into the passport), and then disappear off somewhere else until it is time to leave.
After a smooth journey we arrived at exactly 5:30pm as predited. Knowing this place is useful as we walked to our accommodation in Jalan Muntri at the Star Lodge. Usual aircon room for RM45. Shower, freshen up and felt human again then out for a nice meal at the food court around the corner.
The night was a bit odd...in the early hours of the morning, maybe 4am there was a crazy screaming going on. Sounded Chinese and then the sound of glass being smashed and a hysterical woman in tears and going really hyper. A foreign guy occasionally shouted in response. It went on for ages and I had to go and see what was happening. There was a bunch of other people downstairs who were also disturbed but didn't want to get involved. It sounded really serious, but they just wanted to let it calm down and see what happened, so we all went back to bed. Turned out to be a bad quarrel they were having, but what a noise...Sounded terrible.
Anyway, after the disturbed night we had to get up early to go to the Indian visa Centre on Lebu Chulia, only about 10 minutes walk from where we were staying. Our passports would have to be sent to Kuala Lumpur to have the visa put in, and we would get them back on friday afternoon. 152 Ringgits each and we had been given 6 months as requested. One little niggle...I was given a double entry visa, whereas Shiera had only been given a single entry visa. Typical differences between one nationality and another, irrespective of whether married or not. There is nothing we can do about it as the High Commission makes the decision and it is final.
Time for breakfast and Shiera was so tired she went back to bed.
Well this has been a really long blog to post, and sorry for that. Just haven't got around to doing it. Will follow on with some photos soon.
Bye for now
