Krabi: Bus Ride & Wat Tham Seua
June 29, 2008 7:30am – 7:30pm 2nd Class Bus from Bangkok to Krabi
Our transportation
Instead of flying from Bangkok to Krabi, which would have cost 1,800baht/person ($56), we decided to take the 12 hour bus ride which was only 550baht/person ($17). The cost was one advantage, but for me the big payback was watching the landscape of Thailand pass by. We saw hundreds of cows roaming freely, karsk mountains to the west, karsk mountains to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, the Gulf of Thailand to the east, simple two room concrete block houses dotted the roadside, occasional lavish mansions by Thai standards, motorbikes zoomed passed, cities where bananas and durian fruit dominated the markets, rubber tree farms, thatch roofs protected from wind by bicycle tires and kids playing and dancing at the bus stops for the entertainment of the passengers. This my friends is the advantage of a road trip. We never could have seen any of this if we had taken a plane. AND it is more environmentally friendly. At this point in our lives, Nik and I have all the time in the world, so we are making the most of it by enjoying this place rather than rushing from one appointment to the next.
The rest stop consisted of a large metal roof structure covering tables with snack foods, a couple hot food vendors and a restroom with squat toilets. Nothing fancy, but it was a good place to stretch our legs.
This is a photo of our first casualty of the trip....Travel Scrabble. This Scrabble board has been part of Nik and I's relationship from day 1, literally. We played on our very first date back on April 6, 2006, and have been playing ever since. This board has gone with us on most of our trips for the past 2 years, and has made it to several of Nik's blog posts. You may even recall his largest victory ever where he scored 318 points in one game. I am very sad to say that Travel Scrabble was left on the bus. We loved you very much, and I hope that someone in Thailand is enjoying this little bundle of joy that Alex donated to us when she left us for NYC.
Upon arrival in Krabi, we had our first of many dinners at their Night Market. About 10 dinner carts dot a vacant concrete patch next to the river along with several metal folding tables. All of the menus are in Thai and English, so most of the farangs make it here eventually!
Nik eating Penang Curry with 5-baht water and a bottle of Coca Cola.
Our next adventure in Krabi was visiting Wat Tham Seua and climbing to the top of the adjacent mountain which is the home to one a large golden seated Buddha and a couple small alters. The climb was pretty rigorous with over 1200 steps…and these were not the typical 7″ steps. Several of them had to be over 15″ tall with only a 4″ tread. It was more like climbing a 1200 rung ladder!
The ascent
All around Thailand, they repurpose used automobile tires into trash bins. There were several along the hike up as well as near the beaches in Phi Phi.
Seated Buddha
View from the top
Another view from the top
After we came back down the mountain, we went back to the guest house to change out of our sweaty clothes, then we came back to Wat Tham Seua so that we could visit with the monkeys!! Nik took several good photos, so take a look at his website.
I was still worn out from the hike, so I rested with this little kitten. She was so adorable that I couldn’t resist petting her. She climbed right into my lap, and wouldn’t leave. Unfortunately, I am allergic to cats, so I ended up with puffy eyes for a couple days, but it was worth it.
My friend
This happens to be at the base of the temple, but it is typical of all electrical wiring in Thailand. I don't know how people don't get electrocuted.
Then we took a short ride outside of Krabi. We were on the same roads we had traveled down yesterday on the bus, but it was so much nicer to be on the motorbike!! The neatest part for me was the rubber tree farms. I have never seen one, so to watch white latex dripping from the trunk of a tree was pretty amazing!!
Rubber tree farm
Rubber catcher