Monday 21 April 2014

Koh Yao Noi

I've been a little slow with the blog posts over the last week or two. That is in part, due to illness, and partly due to adjusting to the pace of island life, i.e. never feeling rushed to do anything! Since I've started writing this blog, I felt a good gauge for knowing when to move to a new location, was when I had nothing to write about. My objective was always to write from the heart, so when I had to think about what to write, it was time to go. With that, I decided to leave the wonderful Koh Lanta. I left there with very fond memories, and met some great people.

Making my way from Koh Lanta to another island, I got the opportunity to pass through Koh Phi Phi very briefly. This is the island that had a large part in putting Thailand on the map in 2000, when 'The Beach', was filmed there. It is beyond beautiful, and I could really see the attraction of the island. The water has a really bright, turquoise tint to it and being honest, I felt that the movie didn't do the island justice. It is completely over run with tourists though, and I got the feeling that the best days have already passed for that little gem, in the Andaman Sea. It is a matter of taste and opinion, I guess.

My destination, on that same journey, was one of the least known and less developed islands in the area, Koh Yao Noi. The locals on this island form an extremely strong community, and time after time, they have resisted the opportunity & temptation to sell themselves out, in order to keep mass tourism off their island. Most people have a price that they would sell for - no amount of money will encourage the people of Koh Yao Noi to open the floodgates to tourism, or at least, it hasn't yet. Never say never. That was part of the draw of the island, as I wanted to see how life went, in a place that isn't as heavily touched by tourism, as the rest of the country. Apart from the odd, modern, Government building and one or two fancy houses, everything else here is really old fashioned. Buildings, scaffolding, chairs, floors, tables, all made from bamboo. I didn't realise how robust bamboo was, until I saw it being used so extensively, here in Thailand.

A half hour speed boat journey brought me to Koh Yao Noi. Before getting onto the boat, I witnessed the only crime I have seen in Thailand - funny enough, it was committed by a monkey! It went into a shop at the pier and helped itself to a packet of crisps, before climbing onto the roof, eating them in front of the frustrated shopkeeper. Talk about rubbing it in!

Even before getting off the boat, you could sense how peaceful the island is. Whoever said that this island is largely untouched by tourism, wasn't lying. This is the real deal, in terms of being off the beaten track. Life here is as laid back as it could possibly be. Even though the island is quiet, and the locals don't want mass tourism, they make you feel so welcome here, and everyone seems to walk around with a huge smile on their face. Hardly surprising, when you see the beauty of their surroundings, and take account of their easy going way of life.

Most of the roads around here have concrete surfaces. There are a few areas where the concrete runs out, and you are driving along a dirt road, through the jungle. Seeing some of the tribal settlements along the way, reminded me of my jungle trek, in Chiang Mai, earlier in the trip. Everyone just seems to do enough work to get by, then spend the rest of their time surrounded by their nearest & dearest - the things that really matter, as I've previously mentioned.

What I especially love here, is how informal everything is. Checking into the hostel was just a matter of paying for it. Renting out a scooter was the exact same. They laughed at me, when I asked for a helmet! Everywhere else, there is a rigid policy of checking passports, filling out pointless details etc. Here, they put blind trust in you, on the assumption that you are just as honest as they are.

Monday 14 April 2014

Songkran

Something I've noticed on my travels to South East Asia, is that there are a lot of very pale looking, local people here. I thought nothing of it, until someone explained to me, that people use a whitening cream (the opposite of fake tan) to give them a whiter complexion. The idea of it is that it will make the consumer look more Caucasian, rather than Oriental. I was completely speechless, for once!

This is an insecurity created by the media and it is very sad, in my opinion. White people want to be browner, so they use fake tan; Oriental people want to be paler, so they use a whitening cream. Why is that? In my opinion, it is because the media portrays images of what they think we should look like; this creates insecurities in people, so they end up thinking that they need to change. It's disgraceful that the media make people feel like they need to be different from the person that they are. Models, actors, pop stars etc., that we see in photos in magazines, don't really look like that. Just do a Google search for 'photo shopped celebrities before and after', and you will see what I mean. Anyway, rant over - it was just something that struck me along the way.

The Andaman Sea, that surrounds Koh Lanta, is warmer than any water I have ever swam in. Usually, if I'm going for a swim at home, I run into the water, dive under, realise how cold it is, then get out. Here, it is so different - it's just a case of run in and swim until you want to get out.

I've always been a huge fan of the sea. The sound of it is very relaxing and I always feel at ease when I'm near it, in it, or on it. Watching the sunset, on Khlong Khong beach, is a truly beautiful sight to behold. Looking out over the Andaman Sea, all you can see is boats on the horizon, numerous other islands and the sun, changing shade as it sinks deep into the clouds. The reflection of it, on the sea, seems to make a direct line to wherever you sit, as it always does, regardless of where you are.

Experiencing four seasons in one day is not unusual, where I am right now. Following the magical sunsets every night, there tends to be a tropical rain shower, that can last anywhere from five minutes to two hours. It can actually be quite refreshing to go out in it, to cool down, especially after the scorching heat during the day. As well as the rain, there is nearly always thunder and lightening. It may not be directly over head, but the flashes, in the distance, really light up the sky over Koh Lanta.

Strolling down the beach in the dark, the shore line becomes a street of it's own, with loads of bars & restaurants, and even a little mini-mart. The music is often questionable, the food is nearly always great, but it is the people that make this place such a great location to visit. Safety is never a concern here, and you could leave your wallet on your doorstep at night, to find it still there the next morning, guaranteed.

The weekend just gone, was the Thai New Year, or 'Songkran', as it is known locally. The New Year's celebrations went on until the very early hours of Sunday morning. For a small island, they really know how to throw a party. It was a very pleasant surprise. Following the party in the night, there is a huge water fight the following day, which was also another welcome surprise. Driving my scooter towards Saladan, the main town on the island, I was completely unaware of this water fight. By the time I reached Saladan, I was dripping wet, from head to toe.

There were people everywhere, of all ages, waiting for the opportunity to throw buckets of water onto people driving by. To fight back against the people on the side of the road, there were pick up trucks, with huge buckets of water, and plenty of people to give the roadside a taste of their own medicine! It was so much fun to be a part of it, and to see everyone enjoying themselves so much. The festive atmosphere of the whole day really made Songkran a New Year celebration worth remembering.

Tuesday 8 April 2014

Island Life

After eight very relaxing days in Laos, I made my way from Vientiane back to Bangkok, so I could go towards the islands of southern Thailand. The overnight train from Vallaleng station to Bangkok took 12 hours, and was very comfortable, due to the fact that you get a bed. This was a lot more pleasant than the bus journeys I had taken over the previous few weeks. I knew Bangkok was big, but didn't realise just how far the city spread. Our train was travelling pretty fast and we were travelling through Bangkok's suburbs for the last 2 hours of the journey. Arriving at 6 a.m., I didn't expect the city to be very busy - the place was choc-a-block and there were hoards of people going about their day, or others concluding their night's partying!

My original plan, coming to Thailand, was to get off the beaten track. Due to the size of the tourism industry here, it is becoming increasingly difficult to wander the path less travelled. Luckily, I came across Koh Lanta, a small island in the Andaman Sea, South West of the mainland. It is nowhere near as busy as the more popular islands, like Koh Samui and Koh Phi Phi, the island shown in the famous film, 'The Beach'.

Island life in Thailand seems to be even more laid back than the mainland; something I didn't think would be possible. Getting off the boat, there were taxis waiting to bring everyone to their accommodation. When I say taxi, I mean Honda 50 motorbikes with little side cars for the passengers to sit on. The journey of 12km took about 30 minutes, so we weren't exactly breaking any land speed records. 'What's the rush anyway', is the attitude of everyone here, something I warmed to straight away.

There is so much to write about the beauty of Koh Lanta, that I'm finding it difficult to decide what to include, and what to leave out. Driving around the island on a scooter is a great way to pass a day. As you go up the coast roads, there are many secluded beaches with perfect white sand and clear blue seas. The kind of ones you see in photos, and then question if the pictures are photo shopped to enhance them.

Some of the beaches have little bars on them, so you can cool down with a drink, after your swim. I must commend the owners of these bars on their resourcefulness - some of them are fully constructed from driftwood, held together by rope. They are class and fit very well into their locations. Unfortunately, the abundance of driftwood in the area is a tragic reminder of the tsunami, that hit the area in 2004. Many locals can still recall that tragedy as if it it were yesterday, and one guy nearly reduced me to tears, explaining his story to me.


The Southern end of the island is a National Park that is a dense rain forest with the lushest of lush, green trees all around. The trees go right down to meet the sea, almost all the way around the island. Some of these trees are upwards of 100 feet tall. Wild monkeys can be seen swinging in the trees as you drive. Some of them are at road level, scavenging for food from rubbish, carelessly thrown away.

Long Tail boats, the traditional Thai boats, have fascinated me for the last few years. They are lovely looking boats and their unusual looking engines always had me curious. It wouldn't have been a trip to this part of the World, for me, if I didn't get to hit the seas in one, so I organised a snorkelling trip that was hosted on a Long Tail boat. The guides on the trip were very experienced sea men - being at sea is their whole life, like a lot of islanders. They knew every nook and cranny, of every cove, that was worth visiting for snorkelling. The water was so clear that you could easily see 40 feet below where we swam. Tropical fish, of every colour, were just as curious about us, as we were about them.
When we got to one cave, we had to put life jackets on, as we were creating a human chain, to swim 80 metres into the darkness of it. Imagine our surprise when we swam through the cave to end up on a tiny beach on the other side, that could only be reached by swimming through the darkness of the ancient looking cavern. There were cliffs towering above our heads, all around this isolated beach. Trees were growing on the side of these cliffs, and you could see the roots coming out through the rock. I'm still trying to figure out how rock can support this form of life, growing into it!

Getting back out to our boat was traumatic, as by the time we got back to the opening of the cave, where the boat was anchored, there was a freak swell after picking up. It was really hammering the opening of the cave. Our guide was very calm and he got us out of there after a few very nervous minutes. Getting out of the cave was the first problem; getting back to the boat was the next, as it was moored quite a distance away, and swimming with a life jacket on, is tough. We had to let our human chain disband, so the stronger swimmers could swim to the boat. The rest of the party climbed on board a boat that was closer. All the guides from the other boats were just as surprised as our guide, at the swell, that had put a dampener on everyone's day. There was a lot of panic, but thankfully, everyone escaped injury. I felt bad for our guide, as he apologised to us, even though he did everything in his power to make sure we were all safe.

The swell going back to shore really showed what the Long Tail boats are made of. The side of our boat was being hit by wave after wave, and the vessel just ploughed through them effortlessly. The swell came over the side of the boat at one point and still, it motored on without strain. Needless to say, the boat lived up to all my expectations, as has Koh Lanta. I'd highly recommend it.

Thursday 3 April 2014

Vientiane

Laos has been growing on me, steadily, for the last week or so. Luang Prabang started off slowly. Then I    realised that the attraction of the place is the laid back way of life. At first, I was worried that I was wasting time, just lazing about, people watching. Then, I realised that it's not wasted time if you enjoyed doing it.

If anyone does find themselves in Luang Prabang, make sure to check out Kuang Si waterfall. It is like heaven on Earth - you'll see for yourself when you get there. The waterfalls flow down on top of limestone rock, and this makes the colour of the water a very bright blue. It is really magical and to top it all off, you can go swimming there - guaranteed to cool you down. It was a much needed swim, especially in the 40 degree heat.

Vientiane was my next port of call, after Luang Prabang. This is the capital city of Laos and like the rest of the country, I hadn't done a whole lot of research on this city. The road to Vientiane was an interesting one. It was one hair pin turn after another, for most of the journey. This was in a double decker coach, so we were crawling for most of the 12 hour road trip. At some points during the journey, we were looking down sheer cliff edges, as our 20 metre long coach took these turns that were, at times, more acute than right angles. It was pretty impressive driving. The rugged countryside of Laos is very beautiful and it seems very peaceful. We were so high up, it could be seen as far as my eyesight could stretch.

Getting off the bus in Vientiane at 4.30a.m, I was really looking forward to getting to my hostel and putting my head down for a few hours. A short tuk-tuk journey turned into a nightmare, when the driver couldn't find the hostel. Driving around in circles for more than 2 hours, eventually ending up in a really run down part of Vientiane, I feared for my own safety, for the first time on this trip. The feeling of being completely helpless was hard to take, as being robbed seemed like a very real threat, at that moment in time. Asking the driver to bring me somewhere central, he kept making excuses to drive a little longer. Hence, my fear. Luckily, the tuk-tuk driver admitted that he had no idea where he was going and all my initial fears amounted to, was a half hour walk. The sun was starting to come up as well, so I felt a little safer.

Having little research done on Laos, I went to the COPE Foundation headquarters to spend a morning learning about one of the most significant occurrences in the country's short existence. The COPE Foundation builds prosthetic limbs and rehabilitates people that have lost limbs, as a result of unexploded bombs going off in their vicinity. Laos was the victim of a US attack in the 1960s, that saw them drop 260 million bombs on this passive, neutral nation. 30% of these bombs never detonated and the repercussions of this, still result in people losing limbs, eyesight and even their lives, to this day. If you take the ratio of bombs:people, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the World. It was very upsetting to see the documentaries on the subject. Seeing people still risking their lives, out of necessity, to farm the land, was disturbing. Hearing the stories of the survivors, some completely blind and with no limbs, really hit home the point, that no matter where you are in life, there is always someone worse off than you.

Staying on the subject of people being worse off than you, I bumped into a guy at the Laos/Thailand border, who had just been released from prison in Laos, for overstaying his visa. He spent 6 weeks in jail for outstaying his welcome. I'm just throwing that in there as a heads up for anyone intending to travel to Laos. This guy looked worn out, hungry and tired, but he was very positive about his experience. It really takes an open minded individual to see the bright side of the ordeal he had been through. He commended the camaraderie of his fellow inmates, all of whom were foreign and behind bars for similar offences.

The idea of incarcerating someone, for staying too long in a country, seems alien to me. Being honest, and at the risk of being criticized for my idealism, the idea of borders & the ownership of land seems alien to me as well. Going back, who gave anyone the right to say 'I own that piece of land and you can't walk on it'? It doesn't make sense at all. Surely we should all be free to go wherever we want, whenever we want, as no one really owns the Earth. Wishful thinking out of me, I know!