Ao Nang Horseriding

(written on 05/09/09, posted on 13/10/09)

As I walk through town I wave goodbye to my landlady, the shop keepers I’ve ended up talking to, people at the dive shop. I feel almost like a local. The ferry across to Ao Nang is choppy. I must be tired as I pass out for the two hour journey. I get to Ao Nang and shopping and bad weather pretty much sums it up. Haggling with shopkeepers over the cost of rip-off designers handbags has become my entertainment. Everything is so much more touristy here compared to the island and I’m wondering whether this was a good idea. I end up having a couple of beers to unwind and watching TV and reading papers in my hotel room. These are actually luxuries seeing as I haven’t had access to either in a long time. Not that I’m particularly bothered. I’m left with the NY Times international edition which means I read stories slagging off China and strange reality TV shows. Humph.

The horse riding the next morning is much better. This is conducted on my own as the other people have all bottled out due to the weather. I would have done the same were I not going to Bangkok at 3pm. Horse riding is something I wanted to do whilst away so I’m determined. The stables owner humours me and send someone out to Spar to buy a disposable anorak so he can carry on with the ride.

I’m given Dollar who turns out to be a firecracker. I do a good job of controlling her. The best thing is as she is so lively I hardly need to do anything to get her into canter. This we do a lot over my rain drenched three hours on the beach and through rubber tree filled forests. I get given a lovely stir fry at the end and a lift back. The only thing I can do is use the hotel lobby shower after I’ve been out to get new clothes. Everything I’ve worn for horse riding has to be tied in a smell-proof bag and shoved in my rucksack to fester.

I get another night bus at 3pm. It’s tiring but I’m looking forward to a night in Bangkok perhaps in a hotel with a swimming pool if I can get one. I’m actually looking forward to going back home although it’s going to feel quite weird.

Naked Expats and moving swiftly on...

(written 28/08/09, posted 06/10/09)

R gets up at 6.30am due to spending the whole day yesterday asleep on the bus. She tells me one of the other guests has been wondering around unashamedly naked. I go cautiously to the showers and see a man now in a loincloth. It’s M from Somerset, who’s been in early retirement in Thailand forever. We get chatting to him and he’s lovely and enjoying being aimless. May move on soon, may not.

For some reason I’m excited this morning. I think it’s the prospect of my last two weeks on a beach and I’m hankering after some time alone too. R goes off to buy shoes and I need to back up photos. Again. On the net I find out another reason to be excited, my VSO placement in Delhi has been confirmed! After a failed placement, an semi-offer that wasn’t suitable, one delay due to visas in what is essentially a run of bad luck, I now have a bona-fide confirmation with leaving date. Woohoo!

R and I have beers over lunch to celebrate before we part ways. I’m sad to leave her as I reckon we’d have lots of fun. Time to go though…ferry it is. Raining out on the sea which comes as no surprise. Phi Phi looks great when the ferry docks. A tiny set of alleys where the locals and tourists mi together. I find a bungalow which has been my little dream so I head off down the narrow, car-less streets in search of one. I reach the beach on the other side in a few minutes which confirms for me how small this island is. Bungalow sorted, I unpack and within two hours have eaten, had beers and booked diving for tomorrow. I couldn't walk past all these diving shops without stopping. I'm very excited so go to bed early to prepare for my first dive in over a year.