A Few Happy Snaps

Blessings by the boat load.

Offshore property on Ko Lanta.

Sea Gypsy village on Ko Lanta.

A house in Baan Lanta.

Swinging in Baan Lanta.

Boats off our beach on Phi Phi.

Sam on the move.

Sam not on the move.

Phi Phi Long Pockets

There is nowhere in the world quite like Ko Phi Phi. There are too many people. Too many boats. And the horrendous dance music from across the bay blares out until well after midnight.

Despite all of this, it’s still the most incredible beach holiday destination we’ve ever been to. (And we’ve been to a few.)

The beaches are the purest white. The ocean is just the right shade of aquamarine. And the cliffs of Phi Phi Lei present the most dramatic of backdrops. 

If we could stay here for the rest of our trip, we probably would. But paradise is hell on the budget.

There is little to no accommodation for the shoestring traveller. So we’ve decided to spoil ourselves a bit.

Our room faces west (for spectacular sunset views). It’s tucked into the trees about a minute’s walk from the resort’s private beach. And includes a massive front porch, complete with two daybeds, a hammock and a dining room table.

The porch is shared with the room next door. But, lucky for us, we haven’t had too many neighbours. And the ones we have had didn’t stay long.

I wonder if that has anything to do with Sam’s new 6am wake-up time.

More gloating and pictures to follow.

The Motion of the Ocean.

After an emotional send-off from our Ko Lanta hosts at the Narima Resort, we made our way to Ban Saladan for our ferry.

At 8am we left the safety of dry land and headed out onto the open sea. The small vessel quickly began to pitch and roll.

I’m not known for my sea legs, or belly, and soon had my head out the window, gulping mouthfuls of fresh air and staring at a fixed point on the horizon.

As the boat approached Ko Phi Phi, the sight of soaring limestone cliffs, white beaches and lush green jungle had the passengers running for their camera bags.

The sprog, however, had his eye on a totally different kind of bag. And showed an appreciation for his offshore experience by upchucking his breakfast on some poor sod’s backpack.

I’m sure the smell of toddler vomit will remind that mystery traveller of their once-in-a-lifetime holiday for many years to come.

Ko Lanta is Rubbish

On Ko Lanta they take their tourist season very seriously. It begins on the 15^th of October. And they will not pick up a single piece of garbage before then.

We arrived on the island on the 9^th of October. And it was like an episode of the Wombles. With the sprog toddling up to us on the beach with a well-worn flip flop in one hand and a manky toothbrush in the other.

It wasn’t great. But we eventually managed to find a clean beach not too far away. And that is where we happily spent our days.

Then on the morning of the 15^th the island swung into collective action and Operation Happy Ending began. The Ko Lantans arrived with rubbish bags. The Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand. And Cinderella stepped out of the carriage.

Unfortunately, we’d already seen her as the dirty kitchen girl, and so failed to fall under her spell.

Next stop Phi Phi.

Cheesy Rider

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. And in Thailand, it falls mainly on the is-land.

We're not complaining, though. We're here for 2 months. There'll be plenty of time for roasting hot sun and calm seas. And we're having a blast.

The sprog is having fun too. We're on an island after all. But is he running all over the beach, full of wonder at the beautiful shells and the feeling of sand between his toes?

Of course not. He prefers the parking lot.

Camera Shopping in Bangkok.

“I really want to make sale. How much you p-a-a-y?” Said the saleswoman.

The item in question was a Sony HDR-TG5 High Definition Handycam, mine for THB12 500 (about R2 900). That seemed like a sweet deal.

I hadn’t really researched this model, but the specs were very impressive. Beneath the beautiful, slim exterior was state-of-the-art technology. The stills camera offered an impressive 16MP and it could shoot full HD video.

“I’ll take it.” I said. And she scampered off to fetch a fresh one from the back.

I called Wifie over to discuss our imminent purchase. We took a collective deep breath. And before long the saleswoman returned.

Inside the box’s pristine white interior was an elegant camera pouch, a wrist strap, a charger, an HD cable, an RCA cable and a slim, unbranded instruction manual.

It seemed too good to be true.

It was.

Am I in Bangkok? Yes Siam.

Maybe it was just neurosis, but I could feel the looks of the other passengers as we boarded the plane at Cape Town International. Me, Wifie and a very boisterous 16-month old toddler.

The mouths of the poor sods seated around us narrowed into small lines as we began to pack our bags into the overhead stowage.

"Hello." We said, politely.

"Hello." Said Sam, cutely.

The response was all glares, mutterings and smiles though gritted teeth. Apparently travelling with a small child is no joke.

They needn't have worried. Sam slept pretty much the whole way to Dubai. We, on the other hand, didn't sleep a wink.

We're learning more about our sprog every day. Like what happens behind his bedroom door every night. Small passages of calm interspersed with bursts of thrashing, breakdance-like fits and headstands. Fine in a cot. Not fine when you're sleeping on an airline seat a foot and a half off the floor.

When we reached Dubai Duty Free for our three hour transfer, we couldn't believe the chaos. Too many people. Not a great selection, at least in the video camera department. And not very cheap, either.

We left there empty handed and boarded our flight to Bangkok. Which ended with the air hostesses taking turns to pose with Sam in a fifteen-minute photo shoot.

 Nice work, son.

The entire trip from McGregor to our hotel in Bangkok took a whopping 25 hours. There were some tired moments. The sprog was grumpy and noisy at times. And I had to forego a meal because he was asleep in my seat.

But all-in-all travelling with a child is definitely not something to be scared of. It's a bit like pulling off a plaster. You know it's going to hurt. But it's over before you know it.



Confucius say: Man who walk through airport door sideways going to Bangkok.