Being in/on/under the water, is my happy place. As a child I used to lay facedown in the bath and use plastic cups to breathe underwater without surfacing. Krabi is way down south and by the ocean, but before getting there, there were some observations that are interesting enough to share.
I passed the police academy. They were lined up in perfect military formation with hands behind backs, getting briefed for the day. One of them was standing on the sidelines. My friend earlier joked that he probably brought in the least amount of bribe-money to contribute towards year-end function. You see the Thai police doing their rounds – collecting envelopes from entertainment venues during the day, with big smiles on their faces.
Tipping for services is also worth noting. Waitrons at some venues (the less touristy ones) and taxi drivers, are immensely grateful when you tip them. My friend told me of one occasion where he tipped a waitress who ran up to her friends to show them what had happened with great delight. It feels good to be able to bring such joy when your currency can go far.
I’m so glad that I’m not part of the Gen-Whatever people who think that taking selfies is a matter of life or death. I witnessed such folk taking selfies on the shuttle to the plane, walking up the steps to the plane, and on the plane, while holding up the queue behind them. Crisis.
So Krabi! It took a while to drop the others off at their fancy hotels until I started to smell the ocean. I LOVED my accommodation – at the “Krabi Forest Homestay.” There were adjoined rooms that share walls, each with a terrace and sounds of wildlife. A little Monitor Lizzard lived close by. My bed was HUGE and the room was super clean and equipped with a fridge, aircon, TV, fancy showerhead and a high-tech bum-gun. I stayed for a week and considered extending my stay.
The beach was a 10-minute walk away, but my enthusiasm got me there in 6 minutes flat. On my first morning, I enjoyed four swims in the warm ocean after a Thai coffee and took a long walk through a national park to get to another beach. But sadly, the trash was evident… I picked up so many plastic water bottles and a Pringles can and wore them on my fingers like Freddy Krueger’s less-evil twin brother – Eddy the Ecotourist. Perhaps I can get a Ecotourist Visa?
I’m getting more fit and tanned by the day! I might look like a buff lump of coal by the end. After my work meetings (in the afternoon Thai time) I got another glorious massage and bought three big mangos. I approached reception with my shirt unbuttoned to ask if I could borrow a mango-slaying knife. They reacted like schoolgirls seeing a college boy! I’m told that hairy men are a welcomed attraction. I knew my hairiness and beard would be an asset one day! Said knife was like a butcher’s cleaver. My massage even involved a chest and beard rubbing.
I have to say, that even if you make it clear that you want a good massage with NO happy ending, they still make contact with your balloon knot and graze brain. No complaints though. It was great.
(My star sign is Cancer, represented by a crab, hence the title “Crab Man in Krabi”).
Next: Thailand #11 – Island Hopping
Previously: Thailand #9 – A Farang Takes a Stroll
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