Wandering Scotsman

I’m sitting here waiting for my taxi to Krabi airport to get my flight to Bangkok. I then have a few hours to kill before catching a very early morning flight to Manila, two days there then off to Malapascua for a few days.

It’s pretty hard leaving here! I’ve been here long enough but there are plenty more islands to explore. It almost feels like ‘home’ though after spending more than a month in the area. The guesthouse owners recognise me, the guy at the wifi cafe recognises me (and said goodbye on the beach this morning), the tailor I walk past every day stops to chat, and the motorbike guy at the end of the road always says hello. The only person that pretends he doesn’t recognise me is the jobsworth security guard as I trot home every night (I always try and tease him to get his metal stick out like he did once, but he’s never done it again!).

Anyway, it is goodbye to the Andaman Sea, with a nice chill in this morning as John left to head to Koh Lanta. Last thing I heard he has successfully found ‘Tong’ at the peir, and was on the back of his pickup to sample the Lanta Family Resort I relaxed at for many hours recently! Jealous!

Although I’m heading to the Philippines I’m not ready to leave Asia for Australia – the though of heading to such a western society doesn’t really appeal just now. I was looking at Myanmar and Laos pictures last night and it reminded me how enjoyable those places were!

Anyway, needs must! Kapun Kap Thailand!

Well I’m back in Ao Nang for the thirdtime since the mid December, just having arrived from Krabi. It’s not a new place for me, but it’s new faces. I left Rachel for her slow trip home and am waiting for John aka ‘Johnny Jazz’ to arrive in town. The first and probably only chance visitor from my mates at home. Could be boozy!

Will be heading to the Philippines on Saturday night and despite wanting to chill, I’m about to investigate a short dive trip to Malapscua…arg, I just can’t resist after the last few days diving fest. And, John has taken over an exspensive plastic box with sealed buttons on it so I can take my camera diving too….yaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Anyway, will try and catch up my stories over the next few days, including my mad visa run to spend 20 minutes in Malaysia after dashing cross country in a pickup with a manic fast driver…I try and get more pictures online. I have an absolute stunner of one of the manta rays from the other day, but it’s not my picture, so will keep it to myself.

Come on John, I’m waiting by the phone for ya…

Ok, its just over one week, but from 26th December until today I’ve had 5 birthdays (two for folk I just met) and one anniversary. No wander I’m so knackered!! Was so tired last night it was a struggle to stay up until the sunrise!

It wasn’t planned, but Lee and I went back ‘home’ to the Lanta Family Resort from the noisy pub we tried out, got settled, started chatting, and it was almost sunrise time!

Anyway, I’m back in Ao Nang, back in PK Mansion, and away out to celebtrate another birthday!

Pretty uneventful blog for today and yesterday…. yesterday we went to Tonsai beach and it pissed with rain so we had a beer and came back. Today we went to Railey in the afternoon (sisters anniversary and her hubby’s birthday…two years ago today we were all on a beach in Florida jigging with kilts on the beach, setting off fireworks pissed…well, the last bit was just me). Oh yeh I did get ‘New feet for the New Year’ today on the beach where they scrubbed my feet getting rid of all the wear and tear from 6 months of boots and sandals (nice thought eh?)

I much prefer the vibe at Tonsai – a lot more chilled but maybe boring after a while if you are not climbing a lot.

And that’s about it! Still no idea about New Year’s night yet but not fussed which way it goes – mad or quiet. Tomorrow (30th) is the last full day with the family as they all depart on the 31st, with the olds taking in the New Year in Bangkok airport!!

Heading on a boat trip to Hong Island on a chartered long tail boat tomorrow.

It’s hard to think that two years ago, a large tsunami ripped through this area, devastating the lives of many around the world. There is still a bit of building work going on, but I think this has as much to do with development as anything else. There are tsunami evacuation signs all over the area, including the smaller islands.

Every day we have seen small balloons, lit by a small fire underneath ascend over the bay, staying alight for as long as you can see, drifting up to the heavens. Tonight we finally found out where they were being let off, and let off our own. They were to mark the anniversary of the tsunami, and were being set off from the beach to show respect, and make a wish. They’re a pretty beautiful sight as you often see up to twenty in the sky, staying alight until they are too far away to see.

I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that the folk selling them are making a fast buck though without any cash going to the tsunami relief fund.
Mind you though, it’s not just the guys on the street. I watched the news last week that said most of the cash donated is still tied up, and many of the large countries that pledged multi millions of dollars to help have only paid out a tiny percentage of their pledge.

Boxing day meant it was my mum’s 60th birthday. It was a totally chilled day today as she went for a Spa, while I got up late then met them at the pool. We splashed out on a nice hotel for dinner, sitting outside…only it was raining. As usual on this trip I’ve found that often the more you spend, the worse service you get. On that odd rare time I’ve intentionally splashed out on a hotel or meal, it hasn’t been significantly better to justify the cost increase.

The barmen were great, and quite talkative, but when we moved to our table it all went wrong. No white wine. The festive period and no white wine? The third person asked eventually brought one of us to the pathetically stocked wine cabinet, which did actually have white wine….about 3 bottles of it, in a big resort hotel. When the food was ordered, one starter came ages before the others, and I was served and finished my food about 45 minutes before the others. It took around three attempts at asking for the other main courses as other parties came and went, and even after that one main was completely missed out. One of us even walked into the kitchen to ask for rice to accommpany one dish! I orderd my usual chicken green curry, as I decided to miss out on the ‘Poo Dish’ – yet another classic typo on Asian menus (see picture)

I must admit, there were more than one of us that was tempted just to walk out. We would have complained but no-one seemed to have a clue what was going on. As they had a note of my parents resort, we decided to wait and pay, and they even had the cheek to call their resort as they had forgotten to put some drinks on the tab!

At least in a street stall, it’s served instantly, and it’s cheap enough you can just chuck it in the bin otherwise! You can even get served booze at another stall next door here.

Last night we took the compulsory meal and ‘entertainment’ at the resorts my family are staying at. To say it wasn’t worth the cash (1600 Baht!) was an understatment, and all drinks were chargeable! But there were around 20 young thai girls dressed in mock santa tops! (see picture above)

Xmas day was well chilled, started off on a bad note by me having a lie in and missing the uncommunicated present opening time, early after breakfast. So there it was, all started with meeting the others in an internet cafe, me heading for breakfast across from the accommodation, and a couple of hours by the pool. Present and gift swapping took place on the bungalow balcony with the sounds of the crickets luckily overshadowing the lousy Christmas tunes on my sister’s iPod!

I also woke up this morning with a sprained wrist, and I definitely didn’t fall over last night, so I’m not sure if I gace myself an unexpected (and unnoticed!) present last night during my sleep…..

In the afternoon we jumped on a moto taxi to the far side of the beach and chilled out topping up that xmas tan, soon to be finished off with us heading to the Irish pub for some traditional Christmas roast….

Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world!!!

Here’s some xmas day pics of me! (Note the custom made board shorts from Hoi An?) :

Today is officially a chill day! (another one!). Met the fam yesterday and went for some food. I went to tell the bitchy landlady that I’d stay for longer ‘Ooooh, 900 baht over christmas and new year’ (much more than my current 500!)
‘Even if I stay for over a week?’
‘Yes, Thai people, they come, holiday, one week, you pay in advance’
(I quickly remembered the empty rooms she had, and her stroppieness yesterday and makea mental note to find somewhere else)
I found somewhere else this morning out of two I looked at yesterday. When she saw me walking out with my bags, and the few thousand baht she could have had, she offered it to me for 500 Baht…
‘Sorry, too late – if you did that yesterday I’d have stayed but I’ve told someone else I’m taking a room now’

Oh well, I’m paying slightly more now, and not so nice a room, but I’d be b*ggered if I’dbe giving her my money for a week!

Anyway, it’s a fab day, my family are 100m away from me, and I’m sitting on wifi having breakfast writing this before heading up to their pool.

I’m soooo tempted to go diving on xmas day, but I think it’d go down like a bomb. We have a very cheesy xmas eve meal tonight that it compulsory for people staying at my folk’s resort, and I’m going along…although I’d rather be eating at a locals place than watching a magician’s show surrounded my kids…

Bah Humbug! Merry Christmas!

I left the two guys this morning and took the long tail boat to Ao Nang beach for 60 Baht. As usual, you pay more money for a place and sometimes it’s not worth it. They were meant to sort a spare bed for me with my folks but said they were finished, so I went out and got my own accommodation for the same price with some stropppy bitch of an old woman! I wish I went to the more expensive smaller place instead!
I had got the times of my folks arrival so there was nothing else to do but take a bike to the dive supply shop (only to find they can’t get me a housing until 9th January – yuck), then swim in the sea and stroll back to town along the beach.

Anyway, I better go – I just got a text message and mum, stepdad, sister and husband are on the bus from the airport and I have strict orders to get the drinks ready for their arrival!