So, what's been going on since my last post, you ask? Well, let me tell you!
Long-tails and speed boats were all along the shore of the beach.
First off, we survived the night in the dorm in Phi Phi. The Rock Backpacker proved to be a nice spot. All the walls were covered in writing, and we enjoyed reading what previous travelers had written on the cement walls. "Bedbugs - you will get bitten. Good luck!" was written directly above my bed. Great thing to read right before falling asleep. Sleeping in sketchy places gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Good night - don't let the bedbugs bite!" Luckily, I woke up bite-free the next morning! I've been impressed by the quality of the places we've stayed at so far. Not 5-star quality, but pretty clean and no bedbugs (knock on wood). It's amusing how happy Isabelle and I are once we find a cheap room or dorm to stay in that looks clean. We're pretty easy to please.
On another bug-related note: Haven't seen any cockroaches yet. I think Isabelle and I have a mutual understanding that there will be no mention of these nasty creatures. She hasn't seen any either, or at least she has kept quiet about them. Thank goodness. Yuck!
The greatest benefit of staying in dorms is (obviously) meeting other people that are traveling. People are very outgoing and friendly. When talking to other people, I've noticed that pretty much all conversations involve the following questions:
1) Where are you from?
2) How long will you be traveling?
3) How long have you been traveling?
4) Where have you been, and which other places are you visiting?
5) What did/didn't you like? Any suggestions?
On Sunday (February 2nd) we went on a half-day long-tail boat trip to places around Phi Phi. They managed to cram 24 people in the little boat. A little crowded, but met some nice people. We stopped at a few places to swim/snorkel, saw a few caves, and visited the famous Maya Bay/Ko Phi-Phi Leh, the place where Leonardo DiCaprio smoked a joint in "The Beach". As expected, this place was packed with tourists. We weren't the only ones who wanted to be in the same spot as the handsome Leo!
Hard to take pictures without getting some other people in them. You get the idea, though. It was very beautiful there! A shame that it was so touristy though.
Later that day we headed to Ko Lanta, the largest island of the 50-plus islands in the local archipelago. Because it is high season and we arrived late in the day (around 4pm), there weren't many places to choose from. We ended up in an overpriced bungalow approx 45 minutes (by car) from the boat pier we arrived at. We payed 1300 baht (253kr/$40,85) for this gem.
The bungalow was only a short walk down some stairs, and we were on a nice beach. Along the beach were nice resorts and some restaurants. Not crowded at all. Hurray! Exactly what we were looking for.
The second night in Ko Lanta (February 3rd) we stayed close to the pier, since we were leaving for Koh Ngai the next day. This area was a little more lively with a long walking street, vendors, restaurants, and shops.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to eat at Papa's Restaurant. I think their speciality was boiled cod and bread with butter and cheese. (Savner deg, far!)
Found some more fruit vendors while walking around. Apart from buying more of our favorite treat (purple mangosteen), we also tried out "longkong". These are the little round things next to the mangosteen. You peel off the skin and eat the little things inside. Delicious! Isabelle finally found out what the taste of purple mangosteen reminds us of. It tastes like sweetened rhubarb! I don't know how to describe the longkong. They're tasty, though! I wonder if we'll be able to find these in Australia... Hm. I hope so!
Arriving in Koh Ngai (February 4th) was like arriving paradise. This is the northernmost of the Trang Islands, and it was truly spectacular. Turquoise water, white sand, not very many people. Simply breathtaking!
Our first hotel (we booked in advance!) was right next to the small boat pier. There was a restaurant, a small beach, and even a pool. To get to the other beach, you could either take a long-tail boat or walk about 10 minutes through a foresty area (and risk spraining your ankle in flip flops down in the rocky areas). We did both while Koh Ngai. Ankles are intact.
Our second night in Ko Ngai was spent in a tent. A fabulous tent for only 500 baht (97,44kr/$15,71)! We loved it. The two mattresses were comfy, it was clean, and we could hear the waves from there.
Aside from the ocean, we could also hear two crowing roosters at 5:30am this morning. Apparently they thought it was time to get up for the day. The silver lining of getting woken up by annoying roosters? Going for a walk along the beach and seeing the sun rise. It was spectacular.
Later today (February 6th) we headed to one of the other Trang Islands, Koh Mook. Only a short speed boat ride away. It's beautiful here as well! Not sure if we'll be here one night or two. We'll see.
We're planning on making it to Koh Lipe, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore before heading to Sydney on February 19th. Only 13 more days of Southeast Asia!
Hope all is well in Norway and the States. Though I'm enjoying my time traveling, I must admit that I miss being able to talk to family and friends whenever I want. The time difference and bad internet connections (or lack thereof) makes it difficult to just call and say a quick hello. Hah. I'm not really homesick; I've only been gone two weeks! Another 5 months to go. I'm very excited about studying abroad in Sydney!
My dear friend, Pernille, turns 24 today. Wish I could be in Norway to give her a great big hug! Or that my internet connection was stable enough to call her from Skype. This will have to do, I suppose. Gratulerer med dagen, lille venn!
Love,
Suzy
Herlige bilder :-D
SvarSlett