Ao Nang

Kate and I are currently on the bus from Ao Nang to Surithani, where we will take a boat to Ko Samui. We were picked up on the side of the road by a large tuk tuk, and dropped off on a lush side road with a small, makeshift bus station, a large bus, and 3 mini buses. Each person was given a sticker corresponding to their island destination. All 20 of us stood around a little confused and concerned that we had just been dropped off in the middle of the jungle and that we were all about to be robbed. But we're all on the bus (which strangely has siren lights in the back that will not turn off) on our way to the port and no scams seem to be in sight. This odd (yet seemingly normal for Thailand) means of transportation culminates a 5 night stay on Ao Nang beach in the Krabi province of Southern Thailand. Ao Nang Beach is a gorgeous strip of beach enclosed by massive sandstone cliffs on the Southwest side. To the north are rolling hills. The part of Ao Nang beach that we were staying on was unbelievably touristy, with more Italian restaurants than we could count.

Caroline, Amy, and me on a longtail boat

The first day in Ao Nang we decided to go over to less-crowded Rai Lay beach, which is known for its seclusion and rock climbing. We took the 10 minute longtail boat ride over past towering sandstone cliffs and turquoise waters. Our day included swimming in the calm sea, eating a $6 tuna sandwich, marveling at the rounded cliff above us and the similar rock formations on the next island over, and floating in the oh-so-salty water that felt like it was prickling our skin. We loved Rai Lay so much that we headed over the next day for a day of trekking. Kate had read about a hike to a viewpoint and a "secret lagoon." What she read failed to mention that the "hike" was really a climb, the only assistance being ropes at some points, The way up was not too bad, as you could see where you were going. The viewpoint was absolutely beautiful and totally worth it. At the viewpoint we met two women who were headed to the secret lagoon with a tour guide. He told us he would take us to the lagoon, which was a very difficult climb down. We could not imagine anything more difficult than what we had already done, or at least without the assistance of harnesses, so we followed him. The lagoon was down from where we were, and extremely muddy. I was already hesitant when I slipped on a downward slope in the mud and banged my knee, causing a few wounds and scrapes. My hurt knee and fear of falling again did not stop me from going, but as soon as we saw the verticle climb down to the lagoon, Kate and I decided to turn around. Though the climb itself was not hard, it was strategic and scary.

Rai Lay Beach East and West

me petting a giant sting ray

The next day I woke up early to go to an aquatic research center with Bob and Collin where I fed giant fish a smaller dead fish (cool? gross?), pet a giant sting ray and sea turtles, and saw uncountable adorable clownfish and seahorses. The center had some interesting fish, but was not very clean, especially compared to American standards and there was a dead sea turtle in one of the tanks :(. Later that day I got my first Thai massage. A woman on the street took us down a long stretch of beachside restaurants, which eventually turned into a row of beachside massage shops, all open-aired and thatched roofed. They were all numbered. The 5 minute walk left us confused, but relieved to finally reach number 17, which was her shop. We thoroughly enjoyed our 1 hour massage while listening to a light rain patter on the roof and the waves crashing on the beach. The best part: it only cost 200 baht ($7).
Yesterday was our last day in Ao Nang. After our intense hike day we took a long boat back with a Swiss man named Sven who told us about a family of monkeys that lived at the end of Ao Nang Beach. Bob, Jess, Kate, and I decided to check them out, thinking we would be able to see them swinging in trees above us. As we ascended the rickety staircase up a mountain, we were greeted by a monkey just hanging out on a railing. He just sat there and stared at us, clearly used to people, yet we were still scared since these are wild animals. I continued to head up the stairs and stopped as soon as I saw a baby monkey (that looked like a fetus jumping around), afraid that the mother would get over protective and attack anyone who came close enough with her sharp teeth. We finally got up the courage to move forward and stood amongst the monkeys. We saw probably 20 monkeys. Some stood on the walkway, some on the railing, walking around, not  trying in any way to avoid us. There were several young monkeys running around and playing. Though the monkeys were completely fine with our presence, I was still scared by the fact that they are wild animals and could at any moment turn on us.

me and a few monkeys

I have been meaning to update this blog for a couple of days now but haven't had much internet. I currently just arrived to Koh Phangan after a wonderful day on beautiful Koh Samui. We will be on Ko Phangan for the next five days before heading up to Bangkok!