Krabi

 I left Seremban at 8 pm on Monday night. My taxi driver had showed up a bit early, so he offered to drive me to the petrol station to get his tank filled to kill some time. I discovered then that there are two different fuel tanks in the taxis and the one in front takes a cheaper fuel, which I assume is diesel.

My bus left at about 10 pm and we got to the border at about 4 am. The border was slow going. However, I was very pleased that they allowed me into Thailand with a smile. When they asked where I was going, I said, "Krabi", although I hadn't fully decided on making the trip up the coast. Still, upon arriving in Hatyai and filling up on padsiyu at my favourite restaurant, I made the decision to go. Of course, the bus agents overcharged me somewhat, but, I figured I may as well get used to the Thai style of business. (I had forgotten that you're really supposed to barter and not accept the first price they offer. In fact, one should just walk away if one wants the price to drop dramatically. And it will! In most cases, to a third of the original price.)

The mini bus was an hour late. My time was an hour ahead of Thai time, so I had a bit of a wait while the black flies were making mincemeat of my legs and toes. The flies don't even seem to land and bite but, they quickly light and bite without you feeling it until they're gone. Then you get this nasty sensation and annoying itch, though you can't see any mark on your skin!

To be honest, the bus was a nightmare. I know I'm getting old and all that, but seriously, it was the most uncomfortable ride I've had since riding in the back of a truck in Borneo. First off, the driver drove around and around in Hatyai for an hour, trying to pick up more passengers and I finally complained that they were two hours late, so I wanted my money back. (We left shortly after that.)

My knees were jammed right up against the seat in front of me, and although the headrest was padded, the material on the seats was very uncomfortable. But, the worst part was the ride. There seemed to be very little if any suspension and we hit every bump in the road, of which there were ample. I mean, we were literally bouncing out of our seats, which can be annoying when you're trying to catch a few winks.

Once in Krabi, I was let down at another bus agent and told that the cheap hotels were around the corner. That is, if you consider 1,200 baht to be cheap. I don't. I thought I'd be able to find a guest house for what they had in Hatyai which was 200 baht. Not likely. So, I walked around, pulling my little suitcase, going in and out, checking for the cheapest price, since I was on a tight budget.

Finally, I found a room for 450 baht with no air-con and no hot water. So, I asked if he could lower the price and he gave me a "special" price of 400. That's double the price in Hatyai at the Cathay Guest House which has hot water, albeit the toilet is a squat toilet.

The bed was GREAT. I loved the bed. There were two of them and a nice overhead fan. What more could one ask for? I was exhausted and slept like a baby.

The bottled water was free. That was a good thing because the food is expensive by my terms. Of course, all the Western tourists that flock the town are probably enjoying such cheap prices. A nice meal with a "real" cup of coffee is about 100 baht or 10 ringgit which turns out to be about $3.50 Canadian. In US dollars, that's just about $2.50! And we're talking about an entire breakfast or dinner.

So, really, I shouldn't complain. There's a beautiful walkway along the river with picturesque karsts rising off to the side and beautiful trees everywhere. The people are just lovely and the market is fun. I love the baby coconuts and the durian is to die for!

Tomorrow, I'm planning to finally get to the beach.