Days 17 & 18 Ao Nang
We set off under light winds for Krabi Provence on the mainland; this area is popular with tourist and would be our first stop with a city to explore. We anchored off the beach at Railey, there were rows of longtail water taxis lining the beach and people paddling around in kayaks under the overhangs of the large rock stacks. Ashore there were some resorts and a stands selling souvenirs and snacks.



Danny at the bow of the water taxi

We took a water taxi into town, which was only a 10 minute ride away and cost 200 baht round trip, they drop you off at a beach that was busy with people engaged in all the beach type activities. It was a big change from our previous stops to see all the hustle and bustle on the street along the waterfront, cars and scooters darting about, people walking with shops and restaurants lining the road. We stopped at a nice looking open air restaurant facing the sea and ordered some cold drinks, our return tickets were only good to 6:00 pm after which the price goes up. Dan negotiated with a tuk tuk driver to take him to Tesco and a filling station so he could get some petrol for the dingy, while Jean went in search of some wine for the boat; Nigel and I remained behind to use the internet and enjoy some people watching on the bust thoroughfare. When Dan and Jean returned we set off to pick up some spirits as the supply onboard was running low; I also wanted to top up my sim card so I could try to use it in Skyelarks’ wifi hub.



The sun begins to set

Back on board we were treated to a nice sunset as Dan grilled chicken on the BBQ, the winds finally cooperating. This anchorage was a little noisy with the water taxis operating into the night, their exhaust pipes do not have very good mufflers, if any at all, and sound like small planes revving up for takeoff as they zip by to and from town. I spent the night on deck with a sheet to keep me warm from the steady breeze; we will spend tomorrow here so I was anticipating an opportunity to explore the town at my leisure.



A yacht at anchor beneath the cliffs



Longtail water taxis lined up on the beach in Ao Nang

The next morning we had a nice breakfast of cereal, fruit, eggs and toast before heading to shore; Dan, Em and Nigel had plans to climb one of the hills, the others were going to spend the day at the beach and I was off into town.
I walked down the main road, stopping first for a coconut shake at a small restaurant; the further you go away from the water the more food stands you see.



Food stand typical of what you see along the road

My plan was to nosh my way along trying whatever looked interesting; I tried some fried dough balls which the vendor said were filled with beans, but had a sweet taste like a donut. I saw one stand with some small fried fish covered in red curry paste, the woman kept warning me “spicy spicy” as I tried to explain “Buffalo wings”; she finally got the message when after my first bite I motioned to the fermented fish sauce with chilis to kick it up a bit, the couple locals sitting there got a kick out of seeing a farang eating the spicy Thai fare.



Breakfast of Muay Thai champions

I had hoped to find a fish market as at night the horizon is lit up with fishing boats and their huge lights; I enquired at a hostel where a European couple were working behind the desk only to be told that there were none in town and perhaps I might get lucky if I tried the pier further down the road. I continued along past rows of hostels and food stands until coming upon an open air vegetable market. My English to Thai dictionary came in handy and I was able to find a large bag of ground red chilis which I will use to spice up my meals on board.
I made my way back towards to the beach stopping for a drink here and wifi there; I phoned up Dan to check in and he asked if I could find some tea as our supply was running low. I also picked up some sticky rice and mangos so I could try my hand at Thai cooking again along with some local fruits for a fruit salad. I grabbed a water taxi back and he was happy to drop me off at the boat, the plan was to move to a quieter location nearby for the night. It was a short jaunt under power to the backside of a couple small islets joined by a sandbar.



The small bit of sand between the two islands becomes a beach during low tide and disappears during high tide, we were anchored in 12 meters of water just a short way off but the digital charts showed us in dry dock; careful attention to navigation is a must in these waters

Groups of tourist could be seen on the narrow beach, and Dan, Em and Nigel loaded up the dingy with the kite surfing gear while the rest of us stayed onboard having some gin and tonics while I chopped fruit for my fruit salad.



The ingredients for my fruit salad, from the top a pineapple so fresh just the smell of it made my teeth hurt, rose apples, bananas,mango, and dragon fruit

Dinner was a stew of roast pork and lentils with vegetables; very tasty and satisfying, the fruit salad was well received and every bit of it consumed. As the sun was near to setting a large swarm of fruit bats began rising from behind the top of the nearby hill, there were literally hundreds of them, and judging by their size as the flew overhead they must have had wingspans of over 3 feet; no sleeping on deck for me tonight!



Holy batcave Batman!

After dinner we had nightcaps in the cockpit while Robin entertained us with his guitar, it was goodbye to Captain Bligh, as I finished the last couple nips. The wind piped up again ensuring another comfortable night below and we all turned in waiting to see what tomorrow will bring.



Another beautiful sunset

Beautiful pictures, Sammy! Keep em coming!

Hi Sammy... What are the winds like? Is there typically a good sailing wind or does it only get up in the evenings? What's the tidal range?

Cheers

Winds during the day have been steady at between 10-15, seas less than 2' and usually about a 1' chop. The tidal range is around 21/2-3 meters, say 7-10 feet, tidal currents can be strong. You really have to check the tide tables before you anchor, and even when taking the dingy ashore. We stopped at a little bay today and the shore line changes by a couple hundred yards at low tide, a long way to haul the dingy if you get stuck there

Sounds good <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

This is just fantastic. Really eating it up!