M-whY

I got up too late to go on any of the tours, but early enough that I would be bored if I didn't find something to do. There's not much in terms of activities within Krabi itself. The town is primarily a launchpad for day trips to various islands, including the world class Ko Phi Phi. Liz and Jennie were planning on going over to Railay Beach, and I was about to join them until I found out my tour the next day included a quick stop there. Seeing the same beach twice wouldn't make for good writing material. Instead, I tried to find somewhere else to go.

Guan, a pretty Thai girl who ran a tour booking agency right next door to my guesthouse, was extremely helpful. She was obviously in the business of selling me tours, but her ever-present smile made me glad to give her my business. Better than any tourist information center I've come across, she showed me on a map several sights I could visit to pass the day.

I decided to visit Wat Thom Sua, or Tiger Cave Temple. Public transportation could've gotten me there, but driving a motorbike is so much more fun. I rented a ride from my guesthouse and followed Guan's directions to the temple entrance. Admission was free, but I donated a few baht towards a reconstruction project that was going on.

The temple's main draw is an arduous, 1237 step, ascent to the top of a limestone pillar. A cool breeze and great views were the reward to anyone who made it to the summit. I was fine for the first 500 steps or so, but the climb wasn't easy. I was soon requiring breaks every 100 steps.

"I'll see you at the top," I said as I overtook a couple people taking a rest stop.

"I'll see you at the top," they repeated moments later when it was my turn to catch my breath.

monkey-style, using all four limbs. I took step 1237 with a great sense of achievement. But my triumph was peanuts compared to what the monks had done up here. A huge stupa and colorful buddha overlooked the landscape.

"I'm gonna run down to the shop, do you want a drink or anything?" joked a guy I had played leapfrog with on the way up.

I didn't get their names, but a brief chat with the guy and girl revealed a remarkable story. The two of them were old friends that had randomly run into each other on one of Thailand's beaches. Totally unplanned, it was quite a coincidence. I'm still waiting for my random encounter with a familiar face!

If the monks built an escalator down and charged five baht for it's use, I'm sure they'd have enough funds for their reconstruction project in no time. Going down proved much more difficult than going up. By the time I reached step number one, my knees were literally shaking. I sat down for a while to recuperate, and played with with a baby monkey curious enough to shake my hand when I extended it. When my knees no longer felt like jello, I hopped back on my motorbike and went for a cruise.

With a full tank of gas and plenty of time, I just picked a direction and kept going. Once, while I stopped to take pictures, a five year old Thai girl shouted "Hello!" from across the street. I waved back. The friendliness of the people here is amazing.

That evening, I ran into Liz and Jennie again at the guesthouse.

"We're going to the night market, do you want to go?"

"Sure."

The night market was a disappointment though.

"I'm afraid you're gonna be terribly bored," they said as they shopped around the few stands for some clothes. All the merchandise there was geared towards women. Nothing for me to even pretend to be interested in.

Afterwards, the three of us went to an 'Italian' restaurant for dinner. I couldn't decide whether to get pizza or pasta. I had a craving for both. I eventually went with the pizza. We shared travel experiences, particularly of New Zealand, while we ate. Sometime during the night, I let them in on my blog, which I usually keep secret from travellers.

"So... do you write about people you meet on your trip?" asked Jennie.

Of course I do!

(Liz, Jennie, if you actually get to this site, I'm sorry to admit I lost your email addresses already :( If you send them to me again, I'll email you our dinner picture, or you can just take the one linked above.)

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!