So our two extra days to climb in Ton Sai didn't turn into much; there was rain, rain, and still more rain. We got out for some climbing, went to the Dum's Kitchen area again and the Tyrolean Wall (not sure why it's called that, there is no traverse). We tried to get out to Eagle Wall, but after a 20 minute walk over sharp rocks at low tide we got caught in one of the most intense thunderstorms I've seen in a long time, rain coming down in sheets for about 30 minutes. Thankfully we were able to hide in a cave, but the wall was hopelessly wet so no Eagle Wall for us.
We did get to climb at an area called The Nest/Wild Kingdom though in Ton Sai, it was more overhanging and somehow miraculously stayed dry.
We celebrated our last night in Ton Sai by having dinner at our bungalows (Green Valley), and I got adventurous and ordered one whole squid. It was freshly caught in the Andaman Sea and I saw it before they cooked it. Then it came, head, eyes, tentacles, and all. It was a very delectable squid although I could not make myself eat the eyes (they were trying to convince me to eat the eyes, apparently they're the best part. I didn't buy it). Then we went back to the Chill Out Bar down on the beach for a beer and watching some fire dancers.
This morning we headed over to Railay West to catch the speedboat ferry to Koh Yao Noi. It was sad leaving Ton Sai, we were there for 10 days but it felt like it went by very quickly, and we were feeling quite comfortable there. Ah well, on to new things...
We pulled into the pier at Koh Yao Noi with no idea of where we were supposed to go. Apparently Heather from the Mountain Shop booked us tonight into a bungalow near their climbing shop, but like the genius I am I didn't ask her which one! Oops. The tuktuk driver had no idea where the mountain shop was but after I told him "rock climbing" we made a couple different stops and talking to people along the way we were able to figure out where we needed to be. So we got deposited at the Mountain Shop wtih all our bags, where the owner Mark gave us a scooter ride down to our bungalows, the Tha Khao Bay View bungalows. And what a view! We have to climb a hill to get there, but it's worth it... beautiful views of Tha Khao Bay and of Phang Nga bay where there are tons of beautiful little islands.
After relaxing on our porch for a bit we moseyed up to the nearest "village" (a few shops on a corner) and rented a motorbike scooter for 200/baht per day (about $5) for the next week while we will be here. It's the best way to get around the island as there is no big tourist center, it is a long island with little Thai villages scattered throughout.
Koh Yao Noi is extremely different from Railay and even from Ton Sai. There are no loud bars, no vendors, not even many tourists. It is very quiet and definitely has a village feel. The beaches are deserted and the roads are more like sidewalks. Should make it interesting on our scooter when we get passed by a tuktuk!
Tonight Heather and Mark are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for any Americans on the island. We'll hang out with them tonight and then go climbing with them tomorrow. Apparently the climbing here is mostly accessed by boat, and there is no real guidebook- Mark put up most of the routes here, so I guess he has a little guide. We're looking forward to climbing here, way off the beaten path. It's incredibly peaceful here and we're also just looking forward to relaxing, watching the world go by....
Happy Thanksgiving!
Liz and Jamie
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