Expanding Horizons

Well, I gave up on daily updates during the trip. I did of course adjust to the 13 hour time difference, right in time to go home.

Day 4, half of our group left us to stay on Ko Phi Phi. It was a big party island! 3 couples left us! Our days together flew by. We were just warming up to eachother!

We all had our last lunch together as a group and parted ways. Such amazing people! 

Karsten and I walked to the beach, had a drink, had some good conversation, then also split. I wanted a Thai massage!

I ventured around, on a mission to find one! At las! There is a whole strip! I came across one salon where it was 200 baht for an hour, which is reasonable for a well populated area. It was incredible! I had a private bed, separated by a curtain, and a 300 lb woman, using her entire body to kneed, my back, literally! Her “oofs” and “ahh’s” made it quite an experience. My hour flew by! 

Well, if you know me… my sense of direction is not the best. The captain was bringing the dingy back around 4. I thought I my way back… I ran from one side to the other. It was like a winding yellow brick road! I would pass what I thought was my landmark from before, thinking I was on the right path. Well go figure, there’s Pirates Bay 2 restaurant. 

I made it back to the port about an hour later. Sweating. Everyone was just happy to find me. I was grateful they didn’t leave me, and felt awful for putting our schedule behind. I had a little anxiety, but felt perfectly safe running around as a single female alone. Phi Phi is a very popular island. 

With everyone accounted for, we head to Ko Sumui, where the famous scene with Leo Decaprio’s love scene from the Beach took place. I have yet to see it. 

Well, I hope earlier in the day, it’s a little more foot friendly. We came out of the tunnel with sliced feet! The water level was low at this time (partially my fault for being late), and the rocks were quite slippery. 



It was beautiful. Max, Ciaran, and I ran ahead just in time for the sunset. It was well worth the cuts and bruises! Oh, since part of our crew left, Angela, an OT who studied mental health from Switzerland joined us! Welcome aboard!

We docked here for the night. It was perfect. It was on the opposite side of the tourist area. I believe I slept on the bow again this night. 

Rock climbing, rock climbing, rock climbing! Oh my! But wait, there’s so much more! Let’s see if I can recall everything we accomplished.

Well, this time change is both a blessing and a curse. Once again I woke up at 530. Luckily, the wifi is the fastest, first thing in the morning. I finally had the chance to finish my last post.

Before breakfast, Kristina and I took the kayaks out. We headed back to the mangrove lagoon by where we anchored. The water was so tranquil, making our paddle so peaceful. Surrounded by water, hearing nothing but nature.

We spotted a lot of colorful birds, some fish and a decent size lizard! What more could I ask for before breakfast!?

The breakfast bell rings, before we depart for Reilay. 

We had the same combination as the previous day, scrambled, with croissants and toast. Fresh fruit is always a given! 

After we sailed away for about an hour, we dropped anchor around Ko Hong. We are in the clearest water. Snorkel time!

The biggest “stressor” I have experienced this whole journey is the damn jelly fish! Without much hesitation, Sarah and Eric dive in. Max and I soon followed. We swam towards a small beach, where small rock crevices stood under water. 

We saw quite a bit! Red fish, blue fish, yellow fish, green fish! Some were long, some striped.. I saw Sarah snorkeling down to the bottom, so I joined. I have not gone down below the surface before. The pressure down under was well worth it. You could see so much more! We saw sea urchins, a few starfish, nemos (clown fish) in between rocks and even a clam opening and closing! I learned later in the trip, it’s similar to diving. Plugging your nose will release the pressure, just like when flying. Thanks Karsten!

When swimming back towards the boat, I was thinking, “wow.. what was I even worried about with these jelly fish?”

Maybe I should stop jinxing myself. Right before the boat, a decent sized jelly is nearly in front of my face! Thank goodness I could actually see! I went far around to stay clear of those dangly tentacles! They are neat to see up close. A light purple color, just bouncing up and down through the water.

 

Ice did it again! I can barely snap a photo before people dig in! Shrimp fried rice, chicken wings, and squid salad containing tomatoes, red onion, and a spicy light sauce. 

Off the Reilay! I can already see the sheer sided, limestone mountains. We did not have any wind, so unfortunately we had to motor the whole way. 

Evi decided to join me, so we were dropped off first. We met the men at the Rock Adventure shop and headed to the rocks! 

It was a short walk down a couple dirt paths to make it to our climbing spot. There were groups set up along the entire wall. My paradise.

I climbed all the routes set up, and even lead an easy route! First outdoor lead! Their grading scale differed from the US, but the guides reassured, I would be fine. Then again, every route they repeated to me was “easy.” Debatable.

I was so proud of Evi. She needs to give herself more credit. It was very brave for her to come along, and finished two routes! 

She was so grateful for me pushing her to finish, and not give up! She was within reach of finishing, and the sense of accomplishment is well worth it at the end. Work hard, play hard!

After climbing, we went and had a well deserved coffee and waited for the rest of the group. 

We took the dingy back, and “freshened”up to head back to land for dinner. By freshened up, I mean jump in the water, and use some natural soap. All of the drains lead to the ocean except one, so we had to be cautious if we were swimming!

We head back to the island for dinner. It was a little place with mainly Thai, Indian, and fish.

Everything was so fresh!

It was on a beach path so only a couple people wore shoes. Well, when going to the bathroom, I realized this was a mistake. The bathroom was flooded with water, frogs and who knows what else was hanging/floating around. Thank you Ciaran for sharing your shoes!

We finished our night at “The Last Bar.” It was legit, the last bar. We had a few drinks, and inside there were fire throwing, and Thai boxing. 

Group photo!

Our night ended on the bow, again. I could not believe how much we did. I enjoyed every minute of the day.

I finished my previous post this morning at 5 am. So pardon the overlap.

Instead of starting my day off with coffee, I decided to test the water. Oh goodness the water was blue! But how warm…? My fellow Chicago couple went in first, and just yelled “jump!”

I took the plunge, wondering the temperature. Immersed in the water, I could already taste the salt. It felt like bath water. Amazing to be swimming, let alone in December!

Breakfast is served! There is nothing like fresh, free range eggs. Look at those gorgeous orange yolks! Fresh pinapple and papaya, fabulously cut and arranged, with a side of crispy bacon.

Onward! We head towards the caves in the middle of the bay. We all layed on the bow, relaxing until we arrive two hours later.

Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the beautiful karst formations. Since there were not enough kayaks, we swam, and “walked” through. There are a few pictures of the caves that I will add later.

The paths were dark and narrow, many making us duck, then squeeze under or around the low edges. The bottom had rocky spots.  Suddenly, someone from the group would fall under, sending warning to avoid. This was also a very busy stop for tourists. Kayak services were going through at the same time. It was better being on foot, rather than being stuck in the boat traffic jam.

Inside was breath taking. Hundreds of over sized mangrove trees, enclosed by limestone rock.

Group photo: Carin, Max, me, Sarah, Eric, Captain Francis, the Swedish couple, Kristina, Tina, Karston, and Evy.

We made it out, and some decided to swim back to the boat, rather than take the dingy. Well, some made it, but a large tour boat decided to add some waves to the rest of the groups plan. The current became so strong, swimming harder and harder, made no progress. 

Francis came back to rescue the 4 left, including me. Thank you captain! We all made it safely back aboard. 

Lunchtime!

Chicken wings, salad, and the best shrimp Pad Thai I have ever tasted! Our on board cook, Ice, truly spoils us!

We set sail to our destination for the night. We made a pit stop on a small island offshore. We paddle boarded and kayaked to explore. When we reached the beach, we saw 3 starfish, who were slowly disappearing under the sand. Then, something buried started shooting water at me! It was a clam! I have never seen one closed and alive, unless I was cooking! 

Walking through these inlet passageways, we heard a screeching noise. I’m thinking,”Great, if these are monkeys I’m out!” We walk closer and closer, as the screeching gets louder… we look up in the trees… and everyone screams “MONKEY!”

I am about to dart for the hills, err beach, and then everyone goes,

“Wait… birds…? No, they’re bats!” Oh my goodness, the biggest bats I have ever seen! Now relieved, I was pretty stoked! I will upload some of these pictures later.

We head back to the boat and motor to our spot for the night. It was only 6. How the heck have we accomplished so much, and we still had two hours before dinner! Hmm what to do…

There was a little lagoon not far from where we achored. The sun was starting to go down. But, ah ha! I have my headlamp. Let’s go!

A few of us took out the kayaks to check it out. More beautiful, smaller man groves, and very peaceful. We were able to see the silhouette of the bats flying between the trees. 

Dinner was served. Once again, amazing! We have been spoiled with our delicious, healthy, fresh meals! 

Curry chicken, beef with sautéed greens and rice. Some complained the chicken was spicy, but I thought the flavor was impeccable! 

The night slowed down, and once again ended the night chatting on the bow. It is so peaceful to stare up, hearing the waves, which slowly rock the boat.

It is getting harder to keep up! We accomplish SO much in a day, once again it’s 5 am, the following day! And as mentioned previously, our wireless is very slow.

I will update later, how my day was in Raileh yesterday. Known as one of the best rock climbing destinations! Spoiler, it was incredible!

Today was the day! The day I have been waiting for, the day I finally depart for 7 days at sea. 

Unfortunately, I have not adjusted to the 13 hour time difference. I woke up at 3 am, and have not slept since. But maybe excitement is partially to blame, or it was the anxiously awaiting my luggage to arrive, determining the fate of this trip. Well, guess what? It did! 8 am on the dot! 2 hours to spare! Pfft, I wasn’t worried…

Now the real excitement kicked in. There was no way I could go back to sleep now. I went out of my room to find Naan, to request some much needed coffee.

Walking out, there was a guy sitting at the pool. He waved, and I groggily smiled back. I was on a mission. I needed coffee, and probably looked like the walking dead. I walked around in circles, eventually leading me back to the pool. I went and said hello and introduced myself. His name was Nick, and he was from Switzerland. After chatting, and having breakfast, I found out he quit his job, and told his family he was moving to Thailand for 9 months. He said it has been the best decision he has ever made. I am envious. One day…

Dirk called me a taxi, costing 200 baht. I am still unsure if you tip or not. I was also told by Nick it is an American thing, and we make them look bad. Oh well. 

I arrive at the lighthouse restaurant, about 5 miles away. I was the first to arrive. Well,  if you know me, this is a rarity, and truly shows my excitement. I see two women with packs walk in, and ask if they’re here for the sail trip. Yes, they were! A mother and daughter from Denmark, Cristina and Tina. I did not catch what they do for work. The next, a young radiologist, Carin, from Dublin, Ireland. It was easy to tell when people came in with packs, looking lost. Then Sarah, a college counselor and Eric, a car dealership salesman/owner, from Chicago! Sarah actually grew up in Oscoda, and they were stunned I knew the city. We met the rest of the crew on the boat. More people than I expected. Two men, Max, from London who is a building surveyor, Karston, a physicist from Germany, and a women named Evy who does some sort of engineering, from Greece. She is my my bunk mate, but decided to sleep outside on the bow tonight. Then our captain, Francis, from France! He has been coming to Thailand on and off for 3 years. I feel so lucky to have such a unique, intelligent crew to be with. Many of them had never sailed. A lot were asking me “boating” terms. Apparently I’m either good at bsing or I actually learned over the years of being a skipper. It helped  when I learned together with MY captain, Nick. Learning to sail with a SO definitely strengthened our relationship. Efficient communication is a must. 3 boats later, I had to have picked up on something, right?

WE’RE OFF! Unfortunately,the wind was under 10 knots, so we motored for about an hour. I hear the magic words, “Rene, Karsten, let’s raise the main!”

Woo! I hoisted the main, but it took forever! This boat is massive. Welcome back calluses!

The wind died down, but a little motor power did the trick. We made it to our docking point. Some jumped right in, but came out shivering. It was about an hour until sunset. I think I’ll wait for the sun… 

We all sat around chatting. It was nice. Everyone seems open minded and ready to try and learn new experiences. 

Finally, the delicious smell from the galley is served. 

Red snapper, sticky rice, curry chicken, and a veggie medley. YUM! What a feast to the eyes, let alone my belly! 

After dinner, we all laid out on the bow. It was too cloudy to see a lot of stats, but the moon was beaming.  We chatted some more. Surprisingly, it went well talking about American politics. Maybe it’s because only 3 of us are from America, and they others just pity us. We did give them crap about how much holiday they get.

Max, was like “I had leftover holiday  to burn before the end of the year.”

 We asked “how many days do you have left?”

He replies “15.”

“Rolls eyes.” Great, now they pity us more.

Thank goodness I actually slept until 5 this morning! Every hour counts! Then again, going to sleep at 1030 pm last night, over 6 pm like I did the previous night, kind of defeats that win. 

Oh well. At least I get to see the sun rise! Awful service on the boat, which I secretly enjoy.

We are off to Ko Hong, first thing after breakfast. I cannot wait for day two aboard!

Day 1- The 22 hour flight was tough. Four movies later, two smelly fish meals, some strange pastry with pork in the middle, a quick nap, and I was at the HKT international airport! 

I made it through integration fine.  Phew! Then came time to claim my bag. I’m thinking to myself, “No problem! This is great! I can finally sleep!” 

Ha! Stay humble Rene… 3 hours later, after waiting for my bag, I give up. The carousel went around 3 times, after my flight number disappeared. I went to baggage services to file a claim. The language barrier added some extra stress. He asks where I’m staying. Uh, that’s complicated. I show him 3 different addresses. He shakes his head and puts up 1 finger. I respond by shaking my head, trying to explain, and number the order of my Airbnbs. 

I tell him how urgent it is, because I depart over an hour away for a 7 day sail trip. I write down as much information as possible, then leave to go to my first Airbnb.

Davids airport hotel. Convenient is the best way to describe it. It was about a 5 minute shuttle, and they arrange free pickup. I had no trouble sleeping. I was out within 5 minutes but woke up at 3 am. I did manage to find the only movie channel in English, with Chinese subtitles. SCORE!

I went downstairs around 10 to ask if there’s anything I can do until check out. She points to bikes and scooters. Heck yes! She draws out a map, to a beach and national park. I wanted exercise, so obviously chose the bike. Plus, people here are maniacs when it comes to driving. There seems to be no system. Scooters in all lanes, bikes, people walking, cars parked in the on coming traffic lane. The arrows actually switch to open different lanes. I hope it isn’t too sudden. I feel like it is real life Mario kart!

I ventured to the park with 40 baht in my pocket. I then realized how little that is worth. .028=1 USD. Oops, rookie mistake! It is 100 baht to get into the park, but the ranger gave me a break.

The scenery is beautiful. All types of boats in the water. Well, non motorized. People swimming, surrounded by mature trees. 

I returned to my hotel, returned the bike, and booked my taxi for 1000 baht to drive me closer to where I depart for my sail trip. It was hidden. The driver turned around 5 times! Anyway, we made it!

I meet Naan, one of the owners of the Airbnb Rawai Garden. It’s beautiful. Her husband was not home. He teaches diving lessons down the street. Anyway, I was STARVING! I hadn’t eaten all day. I asked Naan if she recommended somewhere to eat. She showed me a menu and said “I’ll cook for you!”

When asked what I wanted, I replied with “healthy, and with chicken!” She was pleasantly surprised with my ability to handle spice.

After, I walked into town. I came across a little market. I saw fresh pinapple! I asked where and how far away does this come from. He simply pointed. My eyes lit up, and he makes the motion to “shoo,” hopefully meaning to go get. He came with me with a small knife.. (yes I know, not the brightest) and cut some for me. I was so grateful and gave him 100 baht. I hope this was not offensive.

I did a little shopping at a beauty supply store. I saw shoes by the door, so followed order. I will go back here to get some of the amazing beauty masks. They had EVERYTHING!

At this point I was exhausted. I couldn’t believe it was 6 pm… Oh well, I had 8 more days ahead of exploring, and the main attraction, my sail trip. I can’t wait to meet my crew!