Thailand happened suddenly. Prashant told me about the plan sometime in May, and I immediately decided to go. He'd done all the research, decided where to go (the primary idea being rock climbing), and all I had to do was show up. Not totally in control like I usually prefer it, but well, I'm not the rock climber ... atleast not yet! Shantanu, even less of a climber than I am was also recruited; more for the idea of the beaches than the climbing, I suspect!
Deja-vous! Walking out of Krabi airport, I see Kerala ... and I see America. The landscape and weather are exactly like Kerala, and the roads and Japanese cars look just like America. The shuttle bus takes us to Railay pier in Ao Nong town, and very soon I'm waiting at the restaurant for 6 other people to show up so I can take a long-tail boat to my destination. The setting is perfect ... The sky is blue as blue sky can be, the water is turquoise as turquoise water (Correct me if I am wrong. I can only identify 8 colors, and turquoise is not one of them!) can be, the food is awesome, the people are friendly, and the waitress is pretty!
Talking about pretty waitresses, I soon realise that ALL the other waitresses at the place were at some point waiters!!! Remember all those things that people told you or you read on the internet about Thailand's famous ladyboys? Well, I'm not sure if my waitress was one ... but I decided to not ask questions, answers to which could potentially be a dampener to my spirits.
Coming into Railay, the view of the beach is one of the prettiest sights that you can see. Limestone cliffs jut out of the sea everywhere, more cliffs mark out the limits of the beaches, and there's a sparse crowd that's having a great time out there. There's restaurants / shacks on the beach, people in kayaks, fishing boats. Everything to make for a perfect holiday.
We find our way to Diamond Cave resort, which is on the bay side of Railay. It's a really cozy place, neat rooms with air conditioning, fridge, television, a balcony, and at 1200 baht a night ... a complete bargain. Off season travel is the best! A comparable hotel room at any tourist destination in India would easily cost twice as much. It's no wonder people flock to Thailand!
Prashant and Sharad are waiting for us to get there ... It's time to go climbing! My Thailand adventure is looking good already!
Deja-vous! Walking out of Krabi airport, I see Kerala ... and I see America. The landscape and weather are exactly like Kerala, and the roads and Japanese cars look just like America. The shuttle bus takes us to Railay pier in Ao Nong town, and very soon I'm waiting at the restaurant for 6 other people to show up so I can take a long-tail boat to my destination. The setting is perfect ... The sky is blue as blue sky can be, the water is turquoise as turquoise water (Correct me if I am wrong. I can only identify 8 colors, and turquoise is not one of them!) can be, the food is awesome, the people are friendly, and the waitress is pretty!Talking about pretty waitresses, I soon realise that ALL the other waitresses at the place were at some point waiters!!! Remember all those things that people told you or you read on the internet about Thailand's famous ladyboys? Well, I'm not sure if my waitress was one ... but I decided to not ask questions, answers to which could potentially be a dampener to my spirits.
Coming into Railay, the view of the beach is one of the prettiest sights that you can see. Limestone cliffs jut out of the sea everywhere, more cliffs mark out the limits of the beaches, and there's a sparse crowd that's having a great time out there. There's restaurants / shacks on the beach, people in kayaks, fishing boats. Everything to make for a perfect holiday.We find our way to Diamond Cave resort, which is on the bay side of Railay. It's a really cozy place, neat rooms with air conditioning, fridge, television, a balcony, and at 1200 baht a night ... a complete bargain. Off season travel is the best! A comparable hotel room at any tourist destination in India would easily cost twice as much. It's no wonder people flock to Thailand!
Prashant and Sharad are waiting for us to get there ... It's time to go climbing! My Thailand adventure is looking good already!
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