Krabi 2016
Day 1
Let me begin by saying that this is the most spontaneous overseas trip I've been to - no tours booked beforehand, no plans, no idea of what we're going to do besides some vague feel-like-doings, and no idea how. The only things we've booked were the plane tickets and the accommodation.
The driver bringing us from the airport to the villa got lost but refused to let us know, so he pretended to stop by his agency for a toilet break when he was really there to ask for directions.
The villa is amazing. It has a pool, big beds, and the best housekeeping service ever. Part of that is thanks to Michael's natural charisma and his ability to accidentally flirt with Thai ladies, which happens a lot in the trip.
For the first night, we headed to Aonang Beach (the only place nearby / a touristy shopping street) to walk around, have dinner, book a tour, and go to some bars for drinks and girls - some of their primary goal. It's unsurprisingly my first time drinking in the company of women whose job scopes are mostly to flirt with customers. The night didn't last too long because it was day one and we had an early morning the next day.
Day 2
Us with the tour guide, Mr Cho, whom I'll talk more about
The awesome housekeepers of the villa made breakfast for us before most of us even woke up. After that, a tut tut arrived to fetch us from our doorstep to the start point of the tour, all part of the package.
Our tour guide, Mr Cho, is a reggae man, full of energy, spice, passion, fun and nonsense. To sum the tour up, a speed boat brought us around to look at different bays, beaches, caves, and stuff. We got to dive head in into the bay for swimming, hang around in a beach with really violent waves, snorkel in another, and had free cookhouse-esque lunch. Made friends with some of the other tourists in the process.
When the tour ended, the tourists were all dispatched based on their accommodations. We and a family were the last and we all had to wait really long, so they got really pissed and provoked a fight with Mr Cho. It was quite entertaining because nobody was taking them seriously and Mr Cho wasn't even in charge of the transport; he just happened to be there.
Our tut tut never came so Mr Cho's friend drove us back in a lorry just when it was starting to pour icy needle-like rain. The journey back was painful; we were cowering and shivering, so we decided to play games of scissor-paper-stone and the losers would have to take off their shirt first, and when he loses again, he has to stand and embrace the rain. It was a ride filled with screams and sadistic laughter.
The moment we got back to the villa, we jumped into the warm pool and refused to get out and open the door, because we remember not having turned the air-con off. So, we just kind of skinny-dipped a while, until we decided to play another scissor-paper-stone of death to determine the tribute who would open the door and turn the air-con off, but the housekeepers came and save us just in time. Still, some of us refused to leave the warm comfort of the pool.
Day 3
The previous night was long. Under the influence of alcoholic courage, I said some stuff that I would've regretted not saying, but I had to face the aftermath, which turned out to be okay. Anyway, the day started late because everyone was tired. By the time I woke up, the breakfast was gone, along with electricity because the whole of Aonang got cut off.
We booked a car and two bikes and went on a journey to find the Western Union because Jaryl ran out of money already. To his defense, we all severely underestimated our spendings, because "how much money can you spend on a beach," right?
It was entertaining being a passenger in a car driven by Kent and navigated by Gabriel, because Gabriel's navigation sucked and Kent was all about safety. Imagine how he felt watching Michael on his bike - speeding, going crazy on his own, and making senseless maneuvers.
But we arrived at Krabi Town - our destination - in one piece.
That night, we headed out and I decided that it would be waste not to be a pillion, and yup, it would've been a waste not to be a pillion. Also, I made a yolo decision to have trust in Michael's biking despite what we saw earlier in the day :')
I decided to skip the drinking for the night, a decision I regretted.
Day 4
Everyone was mostly dead except Gabriel and me because Gabriel came back early the previous night and I didn't go at all. We went for a kayaking tour through some mangroves. It was nice to watch the surroundings. As expected, Gabriel and Lai's boat was filled with funny angst. We dubbed it the 笨船。It means 'stupid boat'.
Kayaking was a half-day activity, so we returned to the villa right after. For the rest of the day, we mostly chilled and slept and woke up again in the evening to get to Krabi Town again for the night market.
There was a fire dance show, some other shows, a lot of food, souvenir shops, etc. I just kind of soaked in the mood and enjoyed the last touristy things we do while it lasted.
The night market
Even later that night, we returned to the bar we went in day one and apparently day three and drank and watched Clement get drunk and stuff and by the time we returned, it was two hours before we had to wake up again.
Day 5
I really like this picture
Basically, we returned to Singapore.
I miss this trip. It's here that I got myself to do things I never would've done had I not met these people as well as things I've always intended to do but never did. Now I'm just looking forward to my solo ORD trip but hoping that it won't be too lonely.
Labels: overseas, places, things that happened