From Limestone Luxury to the Gates of ...

It was still dark when I dragged myself into Malaysia minibus numero tres in 2 days... I had 3 fellow travelers that happened to be all Malaysians living near George Town and leaving the country for the first time. They were pretty excited to get a Thailand stamp. Unfortunately for them, the Thai border crossing was very simple and they didn't even get a stamp on their pristine passports. I was pretty stoked, so I treated to snacks instead :) It was a long day on the road, and from Hat Yai I jumped on bus #4 to Krabi Town. My final destination was Railay Bay to meet a friend. After a few more hours, I found myself in lovely Krabi Town. There was an open air bus/taxi to Ao Nang, so I jumped on. The driver brought me to a longtail boat stop, which I needed to hire to take me out to Railay. Quite a journey! But overall, uneventful and straightforward... although I was thankful for my direct flight booking back from Phuket later that week! I boarded the longtail and we waited about 20 minutes while they jump started the motor... When it kicks into gear there is a collective sigh of relief. Off I go to meet Czech #1 and her family! What a gorgeous place! We pull up to Railay Bay and it is stunning with the limestone cliffs and turquoise water.  My friend and her family are staying at Railay Bay Resort, which is amazing and a wonderful place to call home for a night. It's a beautiful reunion with Czech #1, and we enjoy the view, the pool, and familiar company.

Our luxury was short lived, but enjoyed and extremely appreciated. The next day Czech #1's parents were off, and we headed to Tonsai to begin our adventure. Just a longtail boatride away and we were in the climbers haven of Tonsai. A much different vibe than neighboring Railay – here there were many backpackers, a more laid back vibe, and the slight smell of sewage around the guest houses. There was a restaurant with beach seating, so we ate there and called it an early night. The next day I planned a dive to check out the underwater scene, and Czech #1 was going to scale the limestone cliffs. The grand plan changed for me around 1am when Montezuma came upon me for some revenge... I spent the next 24 hours in what we some of us might like to call hell... Most of my night was spent hailing the porcelain king.... During the day there was no electricity in our room, so it was like having a fever under a wool blanket in a concrete tomb. I will spare you greater detail... and while I was grateful for the help of Czech #1, I was also relieved when she headed out to go climbing! By the next morning I was weakened but ready to get out of there – long bus ride and longtail boat look out! We were headed to Phrang Nga and I was excited to get out and enjoy some of Phuket's natural beauty. Moving on :)

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