Day 21 and 22: James Bond and Moving to an Island

Day 21

I had an awful night sleep last night, I got myself so grumpy about the heat, the noise of the fan and our neighbours that the only way I could sleep was looking like I was about to do a rolley polley so I woke up with sore elbows is morning and a fuzzy head. 

The morning starts slow because of me and we just sit in the lobby watching the world going by whilst we eat and read. Today we are off on a boat trip of the area and at 1.30 we make our way down to the bus station to where a mini bus is picking us up to take us to the pier. There are two other groups also waiting, a German couple who look grumpy at the wait and 2 French couples who are already misbehaving and remind me straight away of my Dad and his friend Ed.

At the pier, we get on a long boat, our first in Thailand and we bob along the water with the roar of the engine behind. The view here is breathtaking with huge rocks jutting out of the water covered in trees and wildlife. Our first stop is a cave which although is beautiful, it's absolutely teeming with tourists, all wedged into kayaks being paddled along by bored looking Thai guides. We get some snaps and then move quickly on to the famous James Bond island, so called as it was used in a scene in The Man with the Golden Gun involving a 2 men and a midget. The island has been made into the usual tourist trap with hundreds of people and souvenir huts on the side. We did find a cool cave though and we explore like the bats that we are.

We start to make our way back now, going close the rocks to see the animals and cave paintings inside, it's a truly amazing sight and makes me feel pretty darn small. There is a little village that we past on the way to the islands and cave that is purely on stilts with no part of it touching land, from research me and Ben did we know it's a quiet Muslim fishing village that's open to tourists from 10 till 2pm and after that goes back to doing its daily things without being gawped at. The French couples however want to stop for pictures and totter off cameras in hands. We find it a bit voyeuristic and don't want to intrude so wait by the boat.

We get back to the pier and I am starving, having thought about food for the last hour with only a wooden boat or Ben's arm as options. Ben went out last night for a late snack to this cool little restaurant which he takes me to and I have the best sweet and sour vegetables in the buzz of a busy street with food stalls all around. Phang Nga is really tiny and best resembles a quite little american town with its main strip and huge trucks the only difference here is that everyone is Thai and all the electrics are dodgily plug into the Main Street lights with tape and string. Coincidently the whole town has a power cut this evening, apparently its a power shortage issue, hmm.

Day 22 

We have another lazy morning thought I slept much better last night. We each breakfast in the open lobby again whilst we wait for our 12 o'clock pick up for our boat to this time guaranteed beaches, Koh Yai Noi. Our lift is our first real taste of Thai transport and we squidge into the back of a flat bed truck with benches and a wooden roof next to 3 old Thai women and all their shopping, being serenaded by a advert van, blaring out a noisy music number. 

The pier is the same as yesterday but today's boat is much bigger, fitting 30 people instead of yesterday 10. It's full of local who stop talking when we come in to stare and smile as we waddling in with all of our bags. A few more people get on, tourists and locals and we set off on the hour trip which, for the first time I've known it, turns Ben a little green.

Our destination pier is full of mangroves and there is a little worry in my mind that Koh Yao Noi is going to be another dud when our little truck turns a corner and stretched out in front of me is sandy beaches and emerald waters, ahh much more like it. A steep drive takes us up to our bamboo cabin which has the most spectacular views over the sea. After a quick snack, we are on the beach, horizontal soaking up the much needed rays. Dinner is in the restaurant above the hut and, pushing my food boundaries, I try prawns for the first time and my they are good, once you get over their crunchy texture. The moon tonight is glowing red tonight and full in the sky, its sunny friend is meant to be beautiful as it rises so we set our alarms to see to see if it's true.