(Lisa's journey from Ko Lanta to Bangkok. For those of you who are tired of reading about transport adventures...you can skip this one ;-) But there are some nice photos of Ko Phi Phi!)
I've decided that there is just enough time to squeeze in a visit to Ko Phi Phi on my way back to Bangkok. This is the area where "The Beach" was filmed - unfortunately many people think this is the worst thing that ever happened to the islands, since these tiny twins are now overrun with tourists! But that doesn't stop them from being beautiful, and I'm particularly interested in getting a closer look at these islands because of their pointy limestone-ness (Krabi has a similar landscape, and was my 2nd choice in case I couldn't travel via Phi Phi).
The journey is pretty efficient - just one change in Krabi to the Phi Phi ferry. When we arrive at Phi Phi Don (the main island), we find that there is a 20 baht "tourist charge", which a few people try to dispute. It's a tiny amount, but I can understand the frustration of regular visitors - there's not much to indicate that the money is actually used for "beautifying the island" as the signs claim. It's a bit of a culture shock to me to be in a crowd again! Because of the mountains on the island, there are just a few narrow streets packed with people & shops.
It is tempting to take a boat trip to neighbouring island Phi Phi Le, but on the other hand I'd rather save money and have a chance to catch a ferry back to the mainland in the early afternoon. A nice dive shop offers to hold my backpack while I climb to the viewpoint instead, so I repay them by booking my ferry ticket at their tour desk.
I slather myself in sunscreen, hide under my hat, and set out with an iced coffee in hand. As I walk, I marvel at some new buildings which are appearing in the hillside- they seem out of scale with the town & the island, and I wonder how they ever got planning permission. It is really nice that the whole island is pedestrianised though so I don't have to dodge scooters all the time - it would be a nightmare on these narrow streets! I watch a funny exchange between a local woman with a yellow umbrella (sun protection) and her companion, a black cat. The cat is following at her heels and keeping up a constant stream of conversation! They stop on a bridge and share some breakfast from a packet that the woman is carrying. It's so strange & cute!
Before long, the walk turns from lanes to staircases, and it's HOT and very steep. I'm leapfrogging with two Australian girls, which gives us all an opportunity to pass around cameras for photos at stunning viewpoint #2! (#1 was not half-bad either - but we never find #3, which someone on the way down told us was the best.) It must be difficult for this predominantly Muslim area to enforce the "no alcohol" rule - it's prominently posted at the bottom of the steps and again by the entrance booth, but this is a perfect spot for sundowners....
I also notice that a few of the locals have what must be pretty steady work, carrying bags & suitcases over the hill from the other harbour. I wonder if they share my happiness at the "no motorised vehicles" rule!
On my way back I walk along the beach. It's beautiful - white sand and turquoise water, and so shallow that people are just sitting down in the water all the way out into the bay. It's too hot to stop though, and by now I'm pretty hungry. I try to find an internet cafe but it seems that food & computers don't go together on Phi Phi (sensible, but unusual!). So I stop at the "Sports Bar" for breakfast and chat to my neighbours, a Norwegian man & his twenty-something daughter. Dad in particular is tired of the party scene on Phi Phi, so I recommend that they try Lanta for a change of pace. Then I have a quick internet session at one of the many internet/travel agencies to figure out my travel options from Krabi to Bangkok. I jot down a few train times & prices - good to know that at least one sleeper train is still available - but I'm still favouring the bus since it seems a bit easier to get to, and also because in our experience, the Thai trains take a lot longer for their journeys than the schedule states!
We arrive
at 3:45pm, with just enough time to buy tickets & board the 4pm bus - good news
because next bus (5:30) is full already. It's a surprisingly nice double-decker bus, and somehow I've been assigned to the emergency exit (extra legroom!) seat. Even better, my seatmate is the last to board (1 hour in) and the first person off (45 min before
the end of our journey). I'm so impressed with this bus service - we receive a pack which contains: a snack, a packet of instant coffee (there is a hot water urn downstairs, but in my opinion the journey is rather too bumpy to permit an open cup of hot coffee!), a juice box and a bottle of water - plus each passenger has a blanket & face wipe. Amazingly, when we make our rest stop, the French couple explain that our ticket entitles us to a sandwich pack or a free Thai dinner in the "VIP restaurant"! I join them for a very quick but quite tasty meal.
I watch the scenery for a while - lots of tree plantations (for forestry), fairly big posh houses in some areas compared to bamboo shacks in others, logging trucks, some small hills & lots of greenery. But most of the journey is by night. It would be a lot easier to sleep without the "entertainment" - primarily a TV show which looks like a cross between The Inbetweeners & The Office, but with LOTS of silly added sound effects (it reminds me of a "sound effects" wand that one of our friend's children has!). This is sandwiched between some loud Thai pop music at the beginning & end of the journey. Anyways, I can sleep anywhere so I get a pretty good rest! Before dawn, we stop at a bus station where most people get off, but the conductor tells us to go to next stop where it will be easier to travel to Khao San Road. When we disembark, the conductor tries to get us to take a taxi, but we tell him we want the public bus - so he recruits a passing old man to take us to the bus stop for route 511. We are all nodding off on the journey, but luckily the ticket collector tells us when we are at our stop. Another old man on the street corner directs us to Khao San Road. It's amazing how many messy drunk people are still there at 5am!
Chris has texted me with the room number so I send him a quick text to tell him I'll be there soon, and bid good-bye to my helpful companions. I stop to say hi to the front desk staff at the guesthouse - they're expecting me, so I can head upstairs to our room (security is pretty good here - the 24 hour front desk enforces the "no guests" rule which is a good idea in this neighbourhood!). Poor Chris has only been home for a couple of hours (he was at a Couchsurfing Canada Day party the night before), so we catch a couple more hours of sleep before setting out to do all the things we didn't manage to do during our first stay in Bangkok!
I've decided that there is just enough time to squeeze in a visit to Ko Phi Phi on my way back to Bangkok. This is the area where "The Beach" was filmed - unfortunately many people think this is the worst thing that ever happened to the islands, since these tiny twins are now overrun with tourists! But that doesn't stop them from being beautiful, and I'm particularly interested in getting a closer look at these islands because of their pointy limestone-ness (Krabi has a similar landscape, and was my 2nd choice in case I couldn't travel via Phi Phi).
The journey is pretty efficient - just one change in Krabi to the Phi Phi ferry. When we arrive at Phi Phi Don (the main island), we find that there is a 20 baht "tourist charge", which a few people try to dispute. It's a tiny amount, but I can understand the frustration of regular visitors - there's not much to indicate that the money is actually used for "beautifying the island" as the signs claim. It's a bit of a culture shock to me to be in a crowd again! Because of the mountains on the island, there are just a few narrow streets packed with people & shops.It is tempting to take a boat trip to neighbouring island Phi Phi Le, but on the other hand I'd rather save money and have a chance to catch a ferry back to the mainland in the early afternoon. A nice dive shop offers to hold my backpack while I climb to the viewpoint instead, so I repay them by booking my ferry ticket at their tour desk.
I slather myself in sunscreen, hide under my hat, and set out with an iced coffee in hand. As I walk, I marvel at some new buildings which are appearing in the hillside- they seem out of scale with the town & the island, and I wonder how they ever got planning permission. It is really nice that the whole island is pedestrianised though so I don't have to dodge scooters all the time - it would be a nightmare on these narrow streets! I watch a funny exchange between a local woman with a yellow umbrella (sun protection) and her companion, a black cat. The cat is following at her heels and keeping up a constant stream of conversation! They stop on a bridge and share some breakfast from a packet that the woman is carrying. It's so strange & cute!
Before long, the walk turns from lanes to staircases, and it's HOT and very steep. I'm leapfrogging with two Australian girls, which gives us all an opportunity to pass around cameras for photos at stunning viewpoint #2! (#1 was not half-bad either - but we never find #3, which someone on the way down told us was the best.) It must be difficult for this predominantly Muslim area to enforce the "no alcohol" rule - it's prominently posted at the bottom of the steps and again by the entrance booth, but this is a perfect spot for sundowners....
I also notice that a few of the locals have what must be pretty steady work, carrying bags & suitcases over the hill from the other harbour. I wonder if they share my happiness at the "no motorised vehicles" rule!
On my way back I walk along the beach. It's beautiful - white sand and turquoise water, and so shallow that people are just sitting down in the water all the way out into the bay. It's too hot to stop though, and by now I'm pretty hungry. I try to find an internet cafe but it seems that food & computers don't go together on Phi Phi (sensible, but unusual!). So I stop at the "Sports Bar" for breakfast and chat to my neighbours, a Norwegian man & his twenty-something daughter. Dad in particular is tired of the party scene on Phi Phi, so I recommend that they try Lanta for a change of pace. Then I have a quick internet session at one of the many internet/travel agencies to figure out my travel options from Krabi to Bangkok. I jot down a few train times & prices - good to know that at least one sleeper train is still available - but I'm still favouring the bus since it seems a bit easier to get to, and also because in our experience, the Thai trains take a lot longer for their journeys than the schedule states!
On the ferry, I'm chatting with several guys about our onward travel plans (one guy has already booked a tourist bus, and two others are undecided). A Thai man - who seems to have the green light to tout bus tickets & hotel bookings to all the passengers, nice for him - gets really angry and tries to get us to move away from the main entrance of the boat so we
don't disrupt his business. It's strange to see a Thai person get so publicly upset, it's really taboo here! We refuse to move - after all, we paid for tickets like everyone else - but we do agree to change our topic of conversation.
In a little while I move outside anyways, it's less stuffy and has a better view! I find a spot amongst the bags and join the others who are napping while leaning on luggage. We are entertained (?) by two young Thai boys - brothers, I think - who spend most of the trip wrestling or chasing each other.
In a little while I move outside anyways, it's less stuffy and has a better view! I find a spot amongst the bags and join the others who are napping while leaning on luggage. We are entertained (?) by two young Thai boys - brothers, I think - who spend most of the trip wrestling or chasing each other.
When we arrive
in Krabi, I spot a couple of girls looking at a guidebook and ask if they want to come to the bus station with me, but they're not
sure where they're going yet. I meet up with them again a few minutes later while trying to negotiate a decent price for transport. There is also a French couple who
definitely want to go to the bus station. We seem to be the only people who haven't already booked continuous
journeys to Bangkok - me & the French couple prefer the "government bus" to the tourist bus, which is notorious for safety violations and luggage thieves. Since there are now 5 of us, I manage to bargain the minivan price down to 50 baht/person (originally 70 baht each).
We arrive
at 3:45pm, with just enough time to buy tickets & board the 4pm bus - good news
because next bus (5:30) is full already. It's a surprisingly nice double-decker bus, and somehow I've been assigned to the emergency exit (extra legroom!) seat. Even better, my seatmate is the last to board (1 hour in) and the first person off (45 min before
the end of our journey). I'm so impressed with this bus service - we receive a pack which contains: a snack, a packet of instant coffee (there is a hot water urn downstairs, but in my opinion the journey is rather too bumpy to permit an open cup of hot coffee!), a juice box and a bottle of water - plus each passenger has a blanket & face wipe. Amazingly, when we make our rest stop, the French couple explain that our ticket entitles us to a sandwich pack or a free Thai dinner in the "VIP restaurant"! I join them for a very quick but quite tasty meal.I watch the scenery for a while - lots of tree plantations (for forestry), fairly big posh houses in some areas compared to bamboo shacks in others, logging trucks, some small hills & lots of greenery. But most of the journey is by night. It would be a lot easier to sleep without the "entertainment" - primarily a TV show which looks like a cross between The Inbetweeners & The Office, but with LOTS of silly added sound effects (it reminds me of a "sound effects" wand that one of our friend's children has!). This is sandwiched between some loud Thai pop music at the beginning & end of the journey. Anyways, I can sleep anywhere so I get a pretty good rest! Before dawn, we stop at a bus station where most people get off, but the conductor tells us to go to next stop where it will be easier to travel to Khao San Road. When we disembark, the conductor tries to get us to take a taxi, but we tell him we want the public bus - so he recruits a passing old man to take us to the bus stop for route 511. We are all nodding off on the journey, but luckily the ticket collector tells us when we are at our stop. Another old man on the street corner directs us to Khao San Road. It's amazing how many messy drunk people are still there at 5am!
Chris has texted me with the room number so I send him a quick text to tell him I'll be there soon, and bid good-bye to my helpful companions. I stop to say hi to the front desk staff at the guesthouse - they're expecting me, so I can head upstairs to our room (security is pretty good here - the 24 hour front desk enforces the "no guests" rule which is a good idea in this neighbourhood!). Poor Chris has only been home for a couple of hours (he was at a Couchsurfing Canada Day party the night before), so we catch a couple more hours of sleep before setting out to do all the things we didn't manage to do during our first stay in Bangkok!
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