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Thailand 2007
Too be we can’t post these photos at full resolution. Since the originals are over 10MB each, we reduced them to about 25K for these logs, and a little over 100K for the larger versions in the photo galleries. We spent eight days in this idyllic area, soaking up the beauty and doing some sightseeing. This area is famous, in part, for its role in the James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun. The “bad guys” had their evil headquarters in the top of one of the mushroom-shaped islands. The tsunami that took so many lives struck some of these islands, but not others. We met a woman who lost her hotel on an island where several thousand people died. She was safely away at the time. many visitors center their activities o The easiest way to get here is to hop a nonstop Thai Airlines flight to Krabi from Bangkok to Krabi and then a taxi to either Krabi town or Au Nong. From Krabi it’s a 30-40 minute boat ride to Rai Lay east. From Au Nong it’s a 5-10 minute boat ride to Rai Lay west. We found everything significantly more expensive than it was three years ago -- although it is inexpensive by American standards. We stayed at the Krabi Seaview Hotel for $25/day. Massages are an especially good value and are easily found. It’s amazing the stresses an 85 pound Thai girl can put on a 230 pound guy, so be aware that you have have to ask them to take it easy. Foot massages are terrific, especially when they use oil. Nothing like sitting around drinking a beer while someone works the sore spots out of your tired feet. On the other hand, there can be an implied insult. This photo was taken after two ladies (and one’s son) went to work on our feet -- wearing masks! I swear she was wearing the thing when w Krabi has a nice sea view walk and a night market where one can sample the famous Thai soups for about a dollar. People are friendly here and we heard of little crime, not that one doesn’t need to use normal precautions. We found the area a perfect place to begin a long trip and recover from jetlag, as everything except the rock climbing is relaxing. It has everything one needs, including plentiful ATM machines, affordable dining, and even 7-11 markets. Tip: try the “nata de coco” yogurt. since the area is nearly surrounded by water, there is much boat traffic. If you are “hearing sensitive”, beware of the extremely noisy “long shaft” boats. Their propellers are at the end of a long shaft, and their engines lack mufflers. When going arriving via boat at Rai Lay, be prepared to jump into the water and carry your stuff, once the boat hits mud or sand. There are no docks. Photo below: a local uses his boat for boat fishing and the transportation of goods. Our primary impression of this area in southern Thailand is one of serene beauty. Although the skies are frequently hazy, nothing can obscure the uniqueness of the topography. Although it is not an easy place to reach by train (it involves a three hour bus trip from the nearest station), flights are surprisingly inexpensive. As of March 2007, the Thai Air website sells the flight from Bangkok for about $86 o/w. It’s about $5 more if booking through a U.S. travel agency such as American Express (this based on an exchange rate of 35.2 baht to the dollar. One advantage of adding this flight to your incoming flight to Bangkok is that yo One minor problem to watch for when swimming in the ocean involved the tiny jellyfish. Tour boats schedule swimming stops, where most people jump into the warm water. Swimmers can find themselves plagued by minor stinging as they encounter the nearly invisible creatures. Still, that’s a small price to pay for being one of the more beautiful and unique places you’ll e Later in our 47 day expedition we crossed the Mekong River from Laos into northern Thailand to see a friend we met six years ago, when living in Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok. Thiam (pronounced T-M) is an English teacher at Nong Khwai (not Nong Khai). She is a total delight (and is single, guys!). Thiam’s little town is so remote that no tourist facilities exist. Her friends greeted us warmly and made us feel at home, although the school has had but a single “outside” visitor -- until we arrived. We had no idea what to expect w Don, who towers over everyone, felt especially awkward when it became apparent that the students had no idea what to ask us...and we certainly didn’t know what they wanted to hear. Finally, Don borrowed a trumpet from a school band member and played a couple of American tunes. That seemed to bridge the cultural barrier. Photo: We also visited a school six miles away, invited by an English teacher named Nonglak. Most of the students in this primary school come from extremely poor families, and most aspire to be farmers like their parents. Therefore, she finds it difficult to get them interested in learning English. Still, they were very enthusiastic about meeting us. Nonglak would love for a native English-speaking person to volunteer at her school for a few weeks or months to encour It is interesting that no matter where we go, children show the same enthusiasm for visitors. At Thiam’s school we presented sporting equipment, and they loved it. At Nonglak’s school we provided books and schoolwork supplies for the students. We wish only that we could do more for these beautiful children. After all, they represent Later, when we looked carefully at the photos of these girls, something caught our eye -- an eye! In this enlargement you will notice the eye of a girl. She has been almost completely blocked out of the shot by the other girls. It was not easy, physically, to visit this place, and yet we were sad to leave these wonderful children and their dedicated teachers. They live simple but cheerful lives. They touched our hearts. Before we departed the village to catch the night t It is our hope that these marvelous people live successful, healthy and happy lives, and that we can one day have another chance to visit them. If you would like to teach English in this area, on a voluntary basis, please contact us at mail@twogypsies.com See our new Thailand 2007 photo gallery temp end
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It was a long haul -- more than 10,000 air miles -- from Billings, Montana to Krabi, in southern Thailand. But what a perfect way to start this latest adventure.
n a peninsula known as Rai Lay. It attracts rich resort-dwellers as well as budget-minded backpackers and rock climbers. The east side is marshy. The west side (photo) has a sandy beach and terrific island views.
e got there, so hopefully it wasn’t us specifically that she was protecting herself from.
ur luggage will be flown directly to Krabi. This avoids your having to collect it in Bangkok, clear customs, and return with it to the check in counter for your next flight. You’ll understand the importance of this once you see the new Bangkok airport.
ver see. By the time we departed, we had recovered from jet lag and were ready to take on more active explorations.
hen we got there, but soon found ourselves the featured item at the school’s morning ceremony. There, nearly a thousand students squatted in rows, eager to know who we were and why we were there. 
Standing before nearly a thousand Thai students with Thiam and other teacher friends, we were the days primary exhibit. Thiam is to Becky’s left.
age the kids, so please consider helping out. What a great learning experience it would be for all!
Thailand’s future.
rain to Bangkok for our flight the next day to Kathmandu, Thiam and her friends and school workers who hosted us in there conducted a ceremony. They tied strings around our wrists as they way of expressing friendship and their hope for safety in our travels. We are still wearing them weeks later, and it seems they worked well!