A visit to paradise and loads of water

Heya guys!

It’s me again – and I’m doing good. I’m currently in Trang, way in the south of Thailand and far away from all the troubles in Bangkok… Lia and I spent the last few days on a little island called Koh Lipe in the Andamon Sea: turquoise waters, white sand beaches and not too many other tourists… We spent our days there  enjoying the beaches, snorkelling, eating and chilling the evenings away in some beach bar drinking cocktails – what a life!

However, after a few days we decided that we want to see some more of the real Thailand, and thus left paradise in order to stay at a little fishermen village on the mainland. There, we rented a kayak and explored some mangrove forests, pirate caves and deserted beaches. Moreover, we spent some time observing the rural life of the people there, and tasting their food and drinks… Last night, we planned on taking the bus to Trang, but were somehow misinformed about the departure times, so that we missed the last bus. Great! But no problem, I mean, two girls sitting at the deserted bus stop are a good reason for the whole village to gather in the centre, talk a lot and find a solution: three lifesavers gave us a ride to a bigger city close by, from where we were able to take a taxi to Trang. It sounds alright now, but it was a bit creepy at that time: we didn’t really know what was going on (most Thais don’t speak English, or only really really bad), the guys themselves were a bit scary carrying weapons and it was just turning dark. Oh well, in the end we managed to get to Trang in a safe and healthy state, and after checking into a really nice hotel with a clean bathroom (!), we hit the nightmarket for some dinner. That was the absolutely best idea of the day: numerous stands were offering all knids of items and food, we couldn’t restrain ourselves from eating lots of tits and bits, and later falling into bed with aching stomachs… But it was worth it!!! We weren’t really convinced of the Thai cuisuine until now, but the visit to the night market has definitely changed that! So my advice to any of you coming to Thailand: try to eat the food on the street, it’s tons better than in the restaurants, and a lot cheaper, too!

So, anyway, we spent the day today in Trang, having some nice breakfast and watching the ongoings on the streets. No, there are no strikes here, but the Buddhist celebrations of the Songkran festival, so instead of using weapons, people here ‘fight’ with water… It may be a bit less dangerous, but still quite mad, geeze. People drive around town in their pick-ups (up to 10 of them on the back), throwing with water and shooting water pistols and soaking everybody who dares to be outside. So, of course we didn’t get spared, and so ended up completely wet after a short ride with a tuk-tuk to the bus station (I think the driver drove through the really bad roads on purpose, haha) and of course we got blessed numerous times by having some baby powder rubbed in our faces… But it was (and actually still is) fun! The cool water is quite refreshing in this some 40 degree hot weather (ok, the ice cubes that were put down the back of our shirts maybe were a bit too much… hehe), and everybody is smiling and laughing and having loads of fun!

So that’s the news for the moment, I uploaded some new pics, you’ll be jealous seeing those nice beaches, I promise you! Take care guys, and speak soon!