PHANG NGA BAY & PHI PHI DON
FRIDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2007
However, we leave at lunch time today and head out to the islands just cruising for a week in Phang Nga Bay, planning to take our time, read, draw and paint and try out the Thai cooking. (We have a great time at the local market buying Thai ingredients and herbs).
It is lovely on bright, sunny mornings waking up to the light dancing on the cabin ceiling as it is reflected off the water and up through the portholes. Sometimes I have been aware of it even before I open my eyes. Actually, one of the joys of cruising is waking up in a new place most days.
We are both enjoying this wonderful and easy lifestyle very much, e.g. living in bathers, swimming off the back of the boat and also showering off the back of the boat (this beats cleaning the head (bathroom) too!.
Buying fresh prawns and calamari at Karak Is.
The grandeur and majestic views of the high limestone mountains rising up out of the sea with their amazing shapes and with their wonderful colours and stalactites are comparable to the Kimberly coastline. There are many beautiful beaches to visit.
The hongs are interesting to see in different lights. They are beautiful with the sunlight shining on them but in misty, rainy weather they hold more intrigue and mystique.
James Bond Is.
Even though we have the new one we still are experiencing dinghy sagas. We realize we can’t become complacent – dinghies have an unfortunate tendency to run out of fuel (the fuel consumption is greater in this one and we just made it back to the yacht coming back from a village on Ko Yao Noi right on dark) and running aground (a tricky manoeuvre going in to a resort on the same island the previous evening up a very narrow channel in the dark. Ross has to go into the water up to his waist to push us off the rocky ledge. Another salt water wash for his good leather wallet! We have Helen and David Gronksy with us.
We have just met up with the Melletts again with their crew (Robbie’s sister, Elizabeth, and Rodney and the Gronksys), and are going in to dinner to celebrate Phil’s birthday. This restaurant has a magical setting right by the beach. The Thai cuisine is excellent.
TUESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2007
This morning we have a lovely sail across to Phi Phi Don with just the headsail up averaging 6½-7 knots until we are in the waters close in and the waves are washing back off the island and confront the waves coming from the west. This last ¾ hour is very sloppy and sets up a very uncomfortable rolling of the boat.
We have fun and more exploring with the Melletts and their crew until we set off after lunch on Wednesday to head back to prepare for John and Jenny Hall to arrive.
It is always good to be in the marina to get the yacht ship shape and exciting looking forward to friends joining us.
John and Jenny are with us for a week. We venture from Yacht Haven Marina to Phanak Island and Hong Island to find hongs;
then eastwards to Ko Yao Noi Island to go ashore for walking and dinner; sail south to southern tip of Ko Yao Yai, including some quick and exciting weather and wind changes; west to Kai Nok Island for snorkelling;
Kai Nok Is.
John and Jenny at Kai Nok Is.
Ko Rang to anchor for the night and dinner on board (lovely to have a fireworks display); south to Ko Racha Yai for snorkelling, swimming, walking and two excellent restaurants.
then eastwards to Ko Yao Noi Island to go ashore for walking and dinner; sail south to southern tip of Ko Yao Yai, including some quick and exciting weather and wind changes; west to Kai Nok Island for snorkelling;
Kai Nok Is.
John and Jenny at Kai Nok Is.
A highlight here is the Ross/John risotto for dinner for 8 (the Melletts came across to catch up with the Halls and a lovely French couple who have been sailing for ten years). It begins early in the morning after our run, walk and swim when we visit the large fishing boat hereby. They invite us on board which is an experience in itself. We hope to buy one large fish but they give us about 50 smaller fish. Ross and John filet about 24 of them and give some to the French couple.
The dinner (Thai style) is wonderful with its delicate flavours. They tell us the recipe is a “secret”! It is such a magnificent night to be wining and dining – the French couple came for a drink at 6pm and stayed until very late.
(I’ve had to contend with a painful back for a while, perhaps from when I lurched into something in the rough waters off Phi Phi Don. This annoys and frustrates me immensely but with some neurofen and avoiding lifting it is soon forgotten. Also, John has been a great crew member and I haven’t had to do a lot of the usual things, e.g. helping with the dinghy).
We then have a calm crossing to Phi Phi Don to a different anchorage on the north-east coast. This area had no casualties with the Tsunami disaster but it is still being rebuilt. We enjoy a “feet-in-the-sand” dinner with local food and dancing. Breakfast the following morning is at a “Gypsy” taverna – these are one of the minority cultural groups in the area from earlier seafaring days.
Ross fixing Jenny´s toe
We have a couple of memorable days at Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le with the Halls until we see them off on the ferry. We feel very fortunate to be able to share some of these special times with friends. Ross enjoys John’s enthusiasm to help solving problems on Impulsive – there is always something to tend to on a yacht!
Catching up with Impulsive at Koh Yao Yai
We enjoy our final two days of cruising. The weather is idyllic so we venture up to the Krabi area. This area is not protected from the prevailing south-west monsoon season so we didn’t take guests on board up into this region. It is very beautiful with the striking limestone shapes rising out of the crystal clear water and the sunsets reflecting off the wonderful rich orange-tinted colours of the tall cliff faces.
Krabi
We were fortunate to have a favourable tide to get the dinghy into the lake in Ko Hong Island. We anchor at Chicken Head Island and find the only other yacht here is our newly made French friends. They are a very interesting couple. The snorkelling here is wonderful. Our final stop is to anchor off a lovely beach on mainland Krabi. It can be touristy but we happen to arrive as most of the morning tourists are leaving (you can only get here by boat).
The skipper dealing with an issue in the engine room
We then spend three very busy days in the Yacht Haven Marina preparing to leave Impuslive to go home to Australia. As seems to be the way, everything goes smoothly for 1½ days, then there seems to be problems with organizing everything in time. However, all eventually falls into place and we are happy with the way she is left, especially knowing someone reliable is checking her regularly and running all the systems to keep everything in order.
What a wonderful three months we have had in Asia, better than either of us could have hoped for, including some exhilarating sailing.
So many people ask what we do when we get bored on the boat – we have not had one instance of this happening.
We are now so looking forward to having some time at home with family and friends and taking up our way of life there again.
Religions we observed travelling through Asia:
Indonesia: - paganism
- mostly Islam
- Hindu (Bali)
- Christianity
Singapore: - Hindu
- Buddhism
- Christianity
Malaysia: - mostly Islam
- Buddhism
- Taoism
- Hindu
Thailand: - predominantly Buddhism
- Islam
(The Thais are lovely, polite people but do respond best if respect is shown to their living and their religion, e.g. do not point your feet towards Buddha as they are our lowest dirtiest parts of our body (so sit cross legged) and our heads are the highest andcleanest.)
Cuisine
Indonesia: - nasi goring
- rice, noodles
- seafood, chicken, some beef
- satay
Singapore: - (Malays, Chinese, Indians) – They seem to eat at all times of the day.
- rice, noodles
- Indian
- Chinese
- chilies
- hawkers’ stalls
Malaysia: - (The 3 major ethnic groups are Malays, Chinese & Indian)
- rice, noodles
- vegetables (a favourite is Kangkung)
- curry
- seafood
- chicken
Thailand: - (Mixture of Thai, Malay, Chinese and seafaring gypsies)
- 3 curries – green, yellow and red with chicken, beef or seafood
- rice, noodles, pad Thai
- vegetables – e.g. morning glory, baby corn and kale
- seafood: especially prawns and squid
- + many delicate flavours using:
• limes, kaffir lime leaves
• fish stock
• lemon grass
• Thai basil
• shallots, spring onions
• chilies, chili powder
• mint leaves
• long beans, eggplants (several varieties)
• ginger
• galangal
• coriander and roots
• green curry past
• coconut milk
• cumin
• grind rice
