Koh Lanta Take Two!

25 February 2009

We left the cool hilly north for the quiet beaches in the south. The North was nice, but we realized that Thailand was our last beach-y country until...Turkey? This made us a little uneasy, so we decided to bolt down South to return to our beloved Ko Lanta.

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Before we could think about the beach, we had to see a bit of the North! From Chang Mai we went to hotsprings and a geyser on the way to Pai. We were so happy to hear that it was only 100 baht to camp in the park, and that there was a mineral pool to swim and cleanse ourselves. Wow! Jonny had been feeling a little under the weather for the past while, so a nice hot mineral bath sounded just right. We quickly changed into our suits, grabbed our towels, and headed for the pools. There was only one problem...they were too hot!!! We have been taking cold showers for months now, so hot water is usually quite a treat but this was just too much. MC could barely put her foot in. Jonny went insane and tried his entire right leg for about 30 seconds. Determined to take a bath, Jonny tried to cool the pool with a nearby hose. As a pool owner, MC knew it was too good to be true... We had to give up and go back to the wombat...

After one night at the geyser, we went on to Pai where we visited a doctor for Jonny. We went to the local hospital where he was seen quickly. He had an infection in his stomach and a common cold. The total cost of 6 prescriptions and to see a doctor was 302 baht (about 9 USD). Wow!

Now that Jonny was all medicated and was relatively rested, we went to a waterfall near Pai. Getting lost on the way, we asked for directions...from 2 guys from Quebec. Pretty small world... (they also got lost before). The waterfall was pretty, but the water as freezing!

Now, the area around Pai was gorgeous, but the roads were winding and annoying. To cross to Mae Hong Son, you have to do 1864 turns on the road (they give you a certificate in the end). JD was not feeling very good, and MC thought that if she wanted to do 1864 turns in a car, she could just go in a field and spin around all day. So, we turned around and headed back to Chiang Mai. We decided that we had seen what we wanted to see in the North and to head South. Our deadline is that we have to be in KL on March 6th to organize the shipment of the wombat to Chennai. We figured we would go to Ko Lanta for a week!

This meant about 1500 km of driving back to Ko Lanta. On our first big driving day out of Pai and through Chiang Mai, we stopped at the Wat Lampung, what we read was by far the nicest temple in all of Thailand. Now, we haven’t seen all the temples in Thailand, but it’s true that this one is very special. What makes it stand out is that many parts are made of wood. Some parts were made in the 1400s and have not been extensively restored, so they are very charming. It was a moving place, and definitely a worthwhile stop.

The next day, we drove 900 km. The only eventful part was when MC was stopped by the police. Let us explain. In Thailand, the highways are really well maintained (often with pretty plants between the different directions). There are at least two lanes in each direction on all major highways. Travelling by car in Thailand is a breeze, and it is great that it is possible to do 1000 km in a day! The problem is that there are many overloaded heavy trucks on the road. They generally go about 70km/h and stay on the left hand side of the road (where they should be...in Thailand, we drive like in the UK). This makes for large patches and bumps on the left side of the road where pothole repairs have been done...so most normal cars stay in the overtaking lane (the right lane) at all times. Why hang out on the bumpy side when you can sail smoothly on the nice side? Well. MC was cruising in the overtaking lane for a while (doing as the locals do) and there was absolutely no traffic. She was hailed by a highway cop who asked for her licence and yelled “no right side no right side” to her. She didn’t say anything. Then, the cop yelled “you pay 100 baht 100 baht” After the cop checked the licence (which is Aussie and chances are he couldn’t read) MC reached for her wallet to put it away and grab the 100 baht. As she handed the 100 baht note to the cop, she asked for the ticket, and the cop walked away with free lunch money. Damn. It’s only 3USD, but it sucks to bribe cops unknowingly. (It was MC’s first traffic infringement ever!)

We stopped at a hotel for the night. It was nice to relax. In the morning there were ants everywhere, a nightmare since that day near Fitzroy River (click here for more details). We grabbed a quick breakfast and with the hot sun and gorgeous beach in mind, we cruised on to Ko Lanta!

Once we were back, it was so nice to see Kasim’s expression as the wombat pulled in in front of his bar! He was so happy! We sat down and had a welcome-back beer with him. My goodness, it’s good to be back!

So we’ll be here until the 3rd, and then we head for Malaysia. We plan to take it easy, and reorganize the wombat a little before we ship it to India.

What a wonderful place, Ko Lanta. Today, we rested. Swam, tanned, read and swung in the hammock. We are so happy to have the chance to come back to a place we love.

MC and JD