This being both the high and holiday season, we expected throngs of tourists in Southern Thailand. However, considering that the Krabi area is know worldwide as a premier rock climbing destination, we thought most beaches would be filled with climbers and cheap dirt-baggers like ourselves. Upon our arrival in Ao Nang we quickly realized the error of our assumptions. The white sand beaches (yes, very beautiful) were lined with sprawled out, sunburnt, mostly naked bodies and the streets with fancy resorts and restaurants.
With our packs on our backs inducing instant sweat, we began our ritual of searching out a clean room for a good price. Over our travels we have learned it is usually best to look at quite a few rooms before selecting one. This way you know what the going rate is and have more options. The first room we saw at the SeaBeer (yes, SeaBeer?) Guesthouse was nice with a view and shared bathroom and balcony, but it was 400 baht ($10) a night and we were hoping to score something cheaper. The owner laughed a bit when we told him we were going to look around and we soon learned why. Every hotel and guesthouse was full and the cheapest ones that weren't were 900-3,000 baht!!!
We met a couple of travelers who were also looking for a room because they had to switch places due to a prior reservation. "Are you guys here for the festival?" they asked us. "Durrr..." we shook our heads no, "what festival?" Turns out there was a HUGE three-night trance-fest just up the road (on top of the impending New Year) and rooms were very hard to come by. "How much do you want to pay?" they asked. "Durrr..around 300?" we replied. "No way!" they said, "you'd have to search long and hard for that price, the budget guesthouse around here is SeaBeer, but they're full right now."
We thanked them for the info, wished them luck on their search and looked at eachother with wide eyes- SeaBeer was the first place we checked out and turned down! We raced back down the street to SeaBeer calling out to eachother to hurry everytime we saw another taxi drop off backpack-laden tourists. Fortunately, our room was still vacant and ended up being a great place to stay through the New Year. The manager was funny and we hung out on the balcony during the evening. The only drawback was the cd store across the street that blared the same crappy ABBA remix (nothing against ABBA of course) over and over and over again!
As for the forecasted rains we were so worried about, they turned out to be mostly afternoon thunderstorms. On our first day in Ao Nang, we walked a couple of miles to another beach to have a picnic and a swim. It was a super low tide and we were able to wade/swim out to a couple of offshore islands. Heath had been keeping his eye on the cloud build-up and kept updating me with his predictions. "15 minutes and it's hitting us- are you OK with getting drenched?" As I was enjoying my first swim in the Indian Ocean I assured him that I was. Sure enough, 15 min later we were in a full on torrential downpour! We found shelter in the buttress of a tree and watched the storm rage over the water. When the lightening died down a bit, Heath pilfered a clean trash bag from a garbage can and using a broken shell, fashioned us rain jackets and we walked back as sodden, caped crusaders.
On New Years Eve day we rented a candy-apple red "motorbike" (scooter) from a shop next door and headed out to the Sa Pan Yoong Hot Springs. It took Heath a bit to get comfortable negotiating the streets on the opposite side of the road while buses and dump trucks raged by us (I didn't have to do anything but hold on and was having a fantastic time!). It seems that Thais spend their entire lives on motorbikes; balancing families of five while eating, reading and sleeping, so we figured we'd be OK as newbies with just the two of us.
The springs, were actually a hot stream running through the forest until it cascaded down into a cold river. At the confluence, bathing pools had been constructed and despite the early hour were already filled. Not in the mood to engage in intimate hot-tubbing conversation with strangers, we hiked upstream and found our own natural pool beneath the forest canopy and soaked until we were pink. Funny that with a whole stream to choose from, people herd like cattle to the single, built-up spot.
From the hot spring we cruised up the Crystal Lagoon located in a wildlife reserve. We had no idea what the "Crystal Lagoon" was, but with a name like that, its gotta be pretty cool. Though the lagoon was the main attraction, the hike to it was a fascinating walk through a bog and lowland rainforest. The gorgeous lagoon was also fed by springs though not nearly as warm as the ones we had bathed in earlier in the day. We went for another swim before heading back to Ao Nang to outrun the thunder clouds. After pushing the weather window with a few more side trips, we made it back unscathed and clocked in a good 200km on our little "hog."
That night, the party scene was in full swing gearing up for 2006. Several resorts and restaurants offered extravagant party packages including gourmet dinners and hours of entertainment. For our celebration, we bought curry, rice and noodles from a street vendor and picnicked on the beach within earshot of a great traditional Thai band. We also saw several dances and kickboxing (gotta pack it all in!) performances from outside the resort compounds. Great food and free entertainment!
As the hands of the clock neared midnight, many people began releasing giant tissue-paper lanterns that floated into the dark sky creating a sea of stars. The lanterns served as a backdrop for the fireworks show as we rang in the New Year!
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