Diving paradise - getting my feet wet

Diving – if you’ve done it skip this (first) section, if not…

have you ever seen the movie Avatar?  Even better, did you see the 3D version? OK.  Well, imagine you are the main character in it.  You are immersed into a whole new world; you are foreign to it but can interact with it.  You fly, you hover, you glide.  Inside this world are strange and wonderful creatures that you have never dreamed of before - different shapes, sizes, colours and personalities.  The “forest” is wide and wild.  It stretches on for miles around you, up down and sideways.  A kaleidoscope of colours and contours.   Some of the creatures take one look at you and dive off, others go about their business like you are just another pedestrian passing them on their watery sidewalk.  Others come up and look at you, curious.  Some get territorial.  Others  come and pick any loose skin or scabs off you (don’t worry, these are very small fish and remember some people pay a lot of money for that “therapy” in the high street).

You haven’t seen Avatar?  OK, well (this is a bit harder)…put yourself into a spa pool or bath where the water is the same temperature as your body so you feel like you are weightless.  Now, close your eyes and imagine you are in an enchanted forest and you can glide and fly with all of the wild life. This isn’t really working is it?...oh well, rent the movie Avatar and, if you want to be in it, come diving.  Too trippy to describe otherwise…and that’s not recommended in diving (in fact it’s verboten). So, a lot less expensive than crystal meth or cocaine, safer (if done properly), legal and acceptable in groups.  Oh, however, one shared attribute – it is addictive. 

 

[with special thanks to Nick Shellcroft, the professional underwater photographer who accompanied us on my last dive and took the pictures in this post]

taken on my last open water dive in Koh Tao- at Hin Pee Wee site

For all of you hardened, non-tropical divers…

If you are from the survival school of…”Suit up in a 7mm wetsuit, go for sea dive in 13 degree water with 1m visibility.  Descend until you feel mud, swim until you hit the submerged tyre then turn left until you can feel the submerged gumboot  If you feel something soft in front of you that slows you down, extract yourself from your buddy’s wetsuit…”…then you’ve been scammed and you really need to get here.



Getting my feet wet - it's been a while - water 30 degrees

The Haka is preparation for the Dive!

 

Beautiful ! (the sea life that is!). An explosion of colour

 A word on working and playing if doing a dive course

Mr T - newly qualified Open Water Diver

If you are doing your open water course, don’t come here planning to work all day and party all night.  While a well-structured course, it is a pretty intensive 4-day mix of theory and practical during the day with homework on the theory at night followed by tests in the morning.  Best to squirrel yourself away for the period of the course then spend another week here exploring your new found world and enjoying the evenings. 

Just what I am not doing! 

Phnom Penn and my friend Jehangir beckons so I leave the day after finishing the course.

 

 

Finding Nemo (aka Diving Koh Tao)

While I don’t know what the collective noun is for a group of divers (a pod?); whatever it is, Koh Tao is a natural habitat for them. 

Dive boats waiting in Koh Tao bay

With water as warm as 28-30 degrees (c), some of the best diving around Asia/pacific and an open water (PADI) diving qualification course for NZ$550 including accommodation, it seems crazy not to come here.  My European itinerary has me in a variety of some beautiful diving locations so it will be great to capitalise on that by getting my PADI Open Water certificate at this end of the journey. 

Getting to Koh Tao

The trip from Krabi to Koh Tao was long but entertaining (possibly as I have a warped sense of humour).  I travelled via www.ferrysamui.com

A 2 hour van ride that was meant to be a 3 hour ride from Krabi to Donsak.  The Buddhist conscience kicked in and it was decided to wait an extra 30 minutes for the 2 missing/booked passengers.  Once they didn’t turn up, we were on our way (and 30 minutes late).  30 minutes into the ride, the van driver got a phone call and turned around and went back and picked up the two Swedish guys who had finally made it to the pick-up depot.  Better to try and get 5 of us there on time than 3 of us with plenty of time.  The 3 hour journey then became a 2 hour mad dash to make it to the pier at 2.05 only to see a ferry sailing off.  Never fear, they had held our ferry for us.  Two of my fellow passengers were a young couple from Spain.  He and I exchanged travel plans and ideas; he would occasionally translate for his girlfriend who spoke little English.  We make a mad rush to the ferry from the van (more for show - I think they wanted the captain of the ferry to see some suitably chastised farang run with a body armour of packs and bags).  I test out my only Spanish on one of my new found friends.  “Loco!”  She beams and laughs, “Si!  Loco!”

The Andaman sea can be rough this time of year with the winds.  Today was no exception.  I had already experienced 2 Danish lads leaning over the side of the long boat from Krabi painting the water green. 



spare propellers! Others could learn from this

This was a small ferry, the kind that we would class as a small island hopper/across the harbour 50 -100 person passenger ferry.  Not a lifejacket in sight, there were 2 forlorn (though obligatory) life rings.  However, we were comforted to see two shiny new propellers sitting aft on the deck.  Gleaming pieces of bronze and probably 500kg each.  So we set sail for the 3 hour trip in open water secure in the knowledge that, should one (or both!) of the propellers shimmer off during the trip, our able crew would be able to immediately leap into the 5-8m swells and fit a new one to the offending shaft.  Sorted!  Many green people and 3 ½ hours later we arrived in Koh Tao.

The Diving Course - and a plug for Master Divers

There are six forms in front of me.  Three are indemnity waivers (such is the way of the world), one is a medical questionnaire, one a PADI dive course background details questionnaire and one …well, I’ll come back to the last one later as it really captured me.

“Master Divers International Limited” www.master-divers.com in Koh Tao is a very professional and slick operation.  It was recommended to me by Duncan, my brother, who did the course with them a year ago.  I had originally planned to be here a day earlier though fate (and ferry bookings from Railay) conspired differently. As it turns out, had I started the course (Open Water Diver certificate) yesterday I would have been in a group class.  As I am starting today, I can truly say that, other than the instructor, I am the brightest in the class.  Such is the benefit of 1:1 tuition. 

I work through the forms in front of me.  “Have you every dived before?”  The question seems simple enough.  The pen hovers momentarily before I reply “no”.  Strictly that’s not true, though given that I qualified 30 years ago (i.e. before my instructor for this course was even born) and have not dived for over 10 years, I figure any corresponding synapses have long since atrophied.  There is a difference between years with the qualification and years’ experience.  When I did my original cert, it was CMAS and PADI was the new and young upstart on the block, there were still references to aqualung in the text, we had to learn all the dive charts by wrote (when your brain was the ‘dive computer’) and we carried laminated or plastic US Divers charts (US Navy adaptations – now defunct in recreational diving) inside our wetsuit if in doubt.



That's not The Little Mermaid sitting on the deck, it's Lexi,my instructor

So, here I am – bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Or I should say feeling that way.  The instructor has more cause for the initial description.    Lexi is your classic (though contemporary) Colorado girl: bright, blonde, blue eyed and tanned.   A girl from the mountains in love with the sea (a bizarre fact that Colorado apparently has the highest per capita PADI qualified divers in the US).  She is diminutive in stature and I hope doesn’t need to try to pull me out of the water on the course.  Her story is probably similar to others of the enlightened.  “Graduated, decided to go and do some travel and have some fun before settling into a real job.  Loved diving, got my instructors certificate. When it came to doing a real job, I figured why not try to use a qualification I have to do what I really love?” 

Why not indeed!  While young she is clearly competent, patient and calm.  Her teaching style is supportive and methodical.    It comes back to the hours of actual experience versus the year of graduation. 

The lessons are well structured.  The course is over four days.  A mix of written modules with follow-up questions, instructional video and practical (initial shallow water) then open water training/test.  8 dives in all during the course.

Koh Tao - Sustainability?

Koh Tao sounds like it is suffering a similar fate to Railay in its self-fulfilling prophecy of paradise which perpetuates crowds to the point it cannot sustain itself without environmental damage.    The sixth form in my pile of pre-requisite signing by “Master Divers International Ltd” is a “statement of obligation to the environment”.  While some places pay lip service to sustainability, living on a sustainable farm and married to an expert on it, you get a pretty reasonable antenna to signal to noise (or veneer versus substance). Sustainability and the environment is clearly part of their DNA at Master Divers.  The form talks you through the things that you can do or consider to help reduce stress on the environment.  By ticking (or not) each box, it is your pledge.  If nothing else, it brings the issue from a background hum to conscious thought.  The toilets do not flush, the have a large bucket of water with a smaller bucket in it so you decide how much water the flush needs.    At the back of the shop is a series of recycling bins.  I like these guys!

 

Places to eat and places to see

Insights and ideas for night life, diving and food in Koh Tao I will leave to my new found friend Lorna. While fate was a little late in bringing us together as climbing partners in Railay, she was able to provide me with some great insights into Koh Tao.  A diving instructor herself and having helped construct the artificial reef in Koh Tao (affectionately known as “junkyard”), I got off my (somewhat bumpy ferry ride) to find an email from her with some great advice on Koh Tao.  Verbatim (with due acknowledgement to Lorna Eaton-Brown and in correspondingly military intelligence style):

“…, if you get the chance in Koh Tao, have a meal at 996 Duck (North Sairee Town, near Asia Divers) and if you want a good sunset view try Lung Pae (taxi will pick you up and drop you home, most locals will have the number saved in their phone). Nanna's in Mae Haad does good, authentic, cheap Thai food, spicy as you like! My favourite Bar is at Alvaro diving, a bit tricky to find, you have to go to Chalok bay (South end of the island) and follow the concrete path out over the sea on the West side of the bay, keep going right to the end! Quite a fun walk back if you have a few too many White Russians but a really relaxed atmosphere, they tend to play a lot of jazz/pop music and do great cocktails. If you DO get any free time Shark Bay was awesome fun, lots of black tipped reef sharks (very friendly, don't bite I promise) and a Turtle who hangs out there a lot, just go out with a snorkel to where the orange mooring buoys are and swim around a bit, best sightings at dawn or dusk :) “

(Thanks Lorna.  I can already second the vote on Nanna’s and 996 Duck)

Beautiful sunsets - just make sure you bring your partner to share it with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting around

On my second night here I decided to take up one of Lorna’s suggestions and try the 996 Duck restaurant.  This is about 10-15 minutes taxi ride from where I was staying near the Pier and well worth it. It looks more like a roadside shack than an eating establishment – but the food is delicious.  Taxis on Koh Tao don’t have a meter – they tend to run at a fixed price of 200-300 baht one way depending on where you are going. It’s not a big island.  While “taxis” are easy to find – on my last night I wanted to explore the island a bit and find somewhere different to eat.  Rather than a taxi I opted for a scooter.  These cost 150 baht to rent for the day  - so being of Scottish heritage, it was pretty simple for me to do the maths and opt for that.  Be aware that there’s no “add ons” here for bike/scooter hire – you can’t increase the rate you pay in return for a reduced insurance excess.  There is no insurance (well, you and the deposit of your passport are the insurance!).  So, if you wrap the scooter around a lamppost, another car or otherwise write it off, it’s yours- a slightly used bike for the princely sum of 16,000 baht. I was willing to take that risk and had a great time riding around the island. One risk I was not willing to take is not wearing a helmet.  You don’t see many who do in these parts but I’m willing to trade the foot loose and fancy free/hair blowing in the breeze look for the price of my head (my family and Carolann will tell you that I’ve already sustained a number of head injuries over the years which explains quite a lot!).  If you are the only one on the scooter – likely you are the odd one out.  It’s not unusual to see 1,2 or up to 3 passengers on one.

I'll do a separate post on the actual diving including some pictures. 

Railay Castaways

I had the pleasure of spending some time with some of the ex-pats here.  This is not the gated community of ex-pats, more the "barefoot" variety.  Many of them congregate at the"Why Not?" bar in East Railay.

Mike, whom you've met before (in the post about his Junk), "T", the Maori Rasta barman (1 year here), Georgia, originally from Alaska - 6 years here and a 41/2 year old son.  Doing it hard by herself raising a son here.  There's Francesca, an Italian girl, here for climbing.  All characters all with their own special stories about what got them here and why they are still here "Why not?".  Well, "why not?" indeed.

 

Railay through the rear-view mirror

I came to Railay to climb.
Instead this trip largely turned out to be about meeting some great people.  

Had this been a trip for climbing then returning home I would have been disappointed. Notes for this as a climbing trip destination (for next time).  Be climb-fit before you get here.  Have a climbing budy or partners sorted out before you come.  If bringing a rope make sure it's a 60m (tick for that one). Do spend a day with a good local climbing guide to get the lay of the land.

I look on this first stop on this journey a bit philosophically.  I was unfit when I arrived.  The lead-up to my trip was made up of lists and working my ass off to get things done before 5 months away.  Sport was off the radar and other than a basic level of strength/fitness afforded by working around the farm I did very little to keep in shape. 

That said, this is my first set of climbs in 5 months worth of climbing. Hauling 7kg of climbing gear around Europe and Asia is a good incentive to actually use it!

As for Railay...it's great.
It is all here.  If you want the resort and tourist lifestyle, it is here (In Railay West). If you want to climb and live (very basically) there is Ton Sai.  If you want to climb, party and meet some real characters there is Railay East.  Fate pushed me into the third and I am happy for that.

I have kept my King Climbing guide book.  It's too heavy to cart around with me.  All proceeds from each book go to the new titanium bolting project on Railay so a good cause.  I intend to send the guide to Philippa (my main climbing partner in NZ) and get her to circulate it around.  I hope we get to use it jointly on a future climbing expedition here in the not-too-distant future.


There is an old Maori saying:
He aha te mea nui?
He tangata.
He tangata.
He tangata.
What is the most important thing?  It is people, it is people, it is people.

I wonder if the rest of my journey will unfold in a similar way?

Final Day (and climbing all day) - with military precision

Yesterday while Nurd and I were walking around Railay we came across a small roadside (well, path side) stall barbequing corn.  A European girl was sampling some of the local fare.  "How is it?," I asked.  It was lunch time and it certainly looked very appetizing.  "It's wonderful," she replies in a British accent.  We bought some and we sat together and talked. 

"Are you a climber." I inquire.  "Yes, but I've been trying to find someone to climb with.  My boyfriend had to return to England for a family emergency."  Turns out Lorna is from Kent, has lived in Thailand for a year and four of those months in Railay.

"Well, as chance would have it, I am a climber and have been looking around for someone to climb with."  Serendipity a little slow in making this connection as I have a day left in Railay.

We met the next morning and spent the whole day climbing (initially on Diamond wall then on 1-2-3).  For someone who has been climbing for less than a year, Lorna's climbing capability combined with her command of the theory is enviable. 

Turns out Lorna is ex British army - having gained her engineering degree then on to leadership training at "...not sure if you've heard of a place called "Sandhurst" she says humbly.  Yep, I have.

Lorna on the crux move leading (successfully) a 6a+ - go girl!

It was great getting to spend the day climbing together.  Shame it is my last day in Railay as it would be nice to have a buddy to climb with and Lorna is good company and it's great to see someone gaining in confidence in their climbing.  She and her boyfriend are doing up a bus in England and due to travel around the UK (and Europe) and learning about sustainability.  Lorna's other passion (and qualification) is as a diver - who spent time in Ko Toa (my next destination) so good to get some insights into that.








"Andrew, when you get to here, put in a quickdraw, OK?"

Weird and wonderful.  I had to abandon a lead on Diamond wall mid climb as I interrupted a group of (around 30) monkeys traversing the face.  Mmmmm....do I climb between the alpha male and the females carrying the children?  Discretion being the better part of valour, I retreated.  Lorna was to comment later that it was a tactical retreat ;0)



Mike leads a 6b with Lorna belaying

Michael (the guy responsible for the junk in the bay  refer to earlier post) rocked up to the 1-2-3 wall to meet us late in the afternoon.  His arm is on the mend and first chance to give it a trial run.  Good to spend some time climbing with Michael; for a guy whose been away from the sport for 5 months, certainly looks like a monkey on the climb. Hopefully Lorna and Michael will get to do some climbing together before she returns home in 2 weeks.

Stay well Lorna and hope you guys come over to NZ some time - if so, drop us a line and we'll get you out to the farm (and to some local rock) .

One man's junk...

This one certainly is a treasure.

I met Michael in my night out with the Vikings at the best bar in Railay (and aptly named) the "Why Not Bar."

Michael is originally from Sydney and shrugged aside his job in rope access when he forgot to leave from his holiday in Railay 2 years ago and has been here ever since.  He and his sister (based on Ao Nang) bought the Pla Luang about a year ago and operate a wonderful tour.  The Junk is one of the only remaining Siamese Junks still in commission.  Over a hundred years old, it is a must if you are in Railay.  

Michael is laid- back guy, easy to get on with.  He is just recovering from an arm injury which has put him out of climbing action for 5 months.    We got to talking and when we bumped into each other, the other day he mentioned he had a cruise booked and would I like to join in and bring a few people along.  Nurd was up for it and Angelina was still around so very keen.  The cost was 1500 Baht per person (apx NZ$56) for a 3 hour cruise including dinner.

Nurd, Angelina and me - solving some of the worlds problems ;0)

We set sail around 3pm and sailed off to Chicken Island (so named for the unusual rock formation that looks like a chicken's head poking out from one end of the island).  We motored over to the reef and swam amongst the beautiful fish.  The water warm (and my ears now clear) I was able to enjoy it.  Another part of the cruise that Michael usually offers is a chance to do some "deep water soloing" climbing (climb up the cliffs and jump off into the water).  Sadly the weather at this time of year can be a little bit rough so we had to forego that piece of the fun on the trip.  We set sail back (a junk in full sail is something to behold, and even something more to be on.  The cruise includes wonderful Thai food, non alcoholic drink and a pay-for bar. 

Sailing back to Railay in the sunset...a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Books and judging them by their covers

Nurd has a past he would rather not talk about and a future he's immensely positive about.  At the junction is Buddha.  He celebrates his 33rd birthday next week and, reading between the lines, there's a lot of mileage on the clock already.

While he won't talk about his past, the dragon snaking it's way up his back , across his left shoulder and onto his chest looks rather tortured. The local Thai's all give him a very wide berth, even although he is short in stature. His torso looks like an inverted triangle and there's no fat on him at all.  He watches,   His eyes sparkle as he practices his English on me.  We seem to have adopted each other over the last few days and he is good company. 

I wondered why he was so talkative at least to me.  Probably a case of being a bit shunned here by the Thais and a little scary to the farang (foreigners).  He has some catching up to do when it comes to talking. He retreated to a monastery for 2 years (sounds like an imposed exile as an alternative to a different kind of incarceration).  After that, an additional year of silence and reflection living by himself in a small village.  No talking for a year, he has a lot of catching up to do and his reflection and wisdom belie his years. 

Nurd doesn't have a cellphone or an email address.  He exists very simply and mainly in his head.  He seems convinced that we'll catch up again, not with the assistance of modern day technology, rather when time is right our paths will cross again. 

A hard day at the office and reflecting on nostalgia

So, Andrew, if you are enjoying yourself so much, why so much time blogging?
Well. This is a travel journal as much for me to reflect back on later once I am home and so people who may be interested can read the odd snippet. 
"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.  I'm neither and I don't.  The heat of the noon day sun is quite apparent here.  I typically go out and do something from 9-12 or 1.00 then rest from 1 - 3.00 then go out again after that (sunset is quite early around -m7.00pm). 
So, I use some of that down-time to update the blog and meet a few new people.

"in the office" - taking time in the heat of the day to update the blog

Nostalgia and its place
On my third day here I met a lovely guy at 1-2-3 (climbing wall).  Mo is a Thai climbing guide who was belaying a guy from Denmark. Mo and I struck up a conversation.  "First time here?" he asks. "First time in a long time, "I reply "1997 last time" I say.  He smiles "Where you stay then?".  "On the beach in one of the tree huts that King's (Aussie) wife sorted for us."  Mo's eyes seem to focus off in the distance, to another time, another place.  "Ah.  Yes, Me too, I use to stay there.  I started coming here 1995.  Place..." (he pauses for awhile)..."...place different now. No more tree hut,  Many, many more people, many many more places."  It is not a positive tone in his voice.  He shakes his head as  his eyes come back into focus.  We talk some more, about where he comes from (Ao Nang), how much time he spends here (he and his brother take turns in looking after his elderly and frail mother).  "You have local Thai number?" he asks.  "Maybe you and me we go climbing together."  He pauses.  "If we climb, this not for business. We climb some of the old stuff, I like to spend some time just...climbing together, not guiding."  We swap numbers and he sets off with his client who has packed up the gear and is ready for the next wall. 


As he heads away, we smile and shake hands.  There's something about a shared history (even if it was just of a place and time that no longer exists).  I doubt we will see each other again or climb together. It is Mo's turn to look after his mother and to take over that task from his brother this week.  His offer was genuine and born of a shared memory that he (and I) would both like to catch again but both know we can't.

Nostalgia is a funny thing.  For my 18th birthday, an ex-girlfriend of mine at the time (Wendy) gave me a bottle of Dom Perignon. I still have it.  It is at my parent's place in Christchurch and miraculously escaped the earthquake.  I will repatriate it to our place at some point in time.  I will never open it.  It represents the best of another time that is in the past.  To drink it would be to open a set of memories that might have corked over time.  Better to leave nostalgia in the bottle and to look at it sometimes rather than try to re-live it.   Better to make the best of now.  So, too, my memories of Railay. It is very different place.  Vibrant in its own new way.  With that, I head out to enjoy the world that is Railay right now.  And that's not a bad world!

Testing out the local Thai Health System

OK - first question is to Baubre (my accountant) - can I write this experience off to "research" for tax purposes ;0)


I noticed after swimming in the pool in Bangkok that my left ear was badly blocked.  Took a few days to get the water out and, even then, ear still blocked.  Happened again during a sea swim in Railay.  Woke up one morning still with a blocked ear and the realisation realisation that my Dive Master training starts in Ko Toa in less than a week....mmm, best I do something about this.

Walking around Railay I had noticed a british woman at one of the local travel agents so asked her about good local doctors.
"You have a choice," she said.  "There is a pharmacy on Railay.  It's not like back home, you don't need a prescription so you just ask for what you want."  Either that or go over to Ao Nang (a 15 minute long boat ride) and go and see Dr Sumboon (oft quoted as a good Dr for westerners to see in this neck of the woods).

Never having been a fan of self medicating (somewhat akin to letting a kid loose in a gun shop in my view), I opted for option 2. 

By the time I arrived (around 4.30) Dr Sumboon's clinic was closed (I later found out they had not yet opened for the day - they open after 5.00 so customers can see them in the evening.  Something worth noting in comparison with NZ!)

A few doors down is the Ao Nang Clinic. 

They were incredibly apologetic that I would have to wait for 10 minutes to see the Doctor (I was a walk in without an appointment).  The nurse spoke good English, asked me for my symptoms, got me to fill in a form and took my blood pressure and temperature in the meantime.  Dr Napannop was charming and very helpful.   he spoke excellent English and was very efficient.  Turns out I had a very blocked eardrum full of wax.  He went in with a speculum ? and tried removing it.  Got some but then spent the next hour with their nurse sluicing out the ear.  I got both the prescription and the medication at the same place (Doctors prescribe and dispense here).  In comparison with NZ, the medication was the most expensive part of the consultation. 

A picture (Shayne Hunter - take note of the drug labelling.  Clear and pretty simple really). 
They don't seem too systemised here.

I was later to find out that this clinic is regarded as one of the more expensive ones.  In all, for about 1 hour's consultation I was pretty happy with the service and the price.

Consultation summary

The bill (with NZ equivalent prices I've put beside it.  Notice the fact they ask you to sign it before paying.  They have to get the signature before they bill you.  Nice touch! )

So - some lessons for NZ General Practice here I think.  Now, if only they could systemise it better over here....

POSTSCRIPT.  They said to leave it for 3 days and take the medication in that time and to come back if still not getting better.  I went again yesterday as ear still blocked.  They were able to pull more of the blockage out, a half hour more of sluicing and now clear as a bell.  Still a slight infection in the drum, still on medication but OK for diving and swimming in 5 days.

Some refection's on the safety net of an electronic person centred medical record
Before leaving NZ, I hypothesised with a few people about the scenario of a person travelling and the great utility of an on-line medical record that they are able to access and update and that has their notes and meds history from back home. I thought it would be a great idea and a great service that could be offered.  Now I am certain of it. 
Sadly my GP (my medical home !?) does not offer a portal.  Those Docs I spoke to who do usually relate this to their own patients and said they would probably take an email/on line consult through a portal for one of their patients who is travelling.  What about the Travel Doctors themselves offering this as a value added service.  Would be great to get a second opinion and to validate the medications that you have been asked to take.  Equally (and probably not ? something that would be considered by the NZ Docs is the virtual prescription that I could have filled here).  Anyway, suffice it to say, this is a need that could and (I don't think) is being filled in NZ General Practice or travel doctors.

The Vikings are coming!

A big hello to two new-found Norwegian friends, Jonas and Angelina. 

Such is the cultural diversity here at Railay, there are so many different nationalities and so many personalities, each with their own interesting stories to tell.

The same day I booked in for my multi-pitch climbing course I met a Norwegian at the climbing guide shop.  He was here with his daughter and due to be leaving the next day.  Nice guy and we struck up a conversation about what to do/see in his hometown (Oslo) which will be part of my return journey. 

That night and with my head feeling like it was under-water (ear still badly blocked - refer post on researching the Thai health system), I hunkered down for dinner at one of my favourite eating places on East Railay (The Friendship restaurant).  While I didn't feel too sociable, a guy eating alone at the next table struck up a conversation.  It was the beginning of a good and fun evening.  Jonas was also Norwegian (a different guy to the one I had met earlier).  When I mentioned that he was one of at least 2 "Vikings" here, he asked if the other one was a dark headed girl ("no"), OK, so there's probably at least 5 of us given the guy you met earlier is here with his daughter, as is the other lady also here with her daughter."  Jonas spoken English is impeccable.  Hardly surprising given he lived in Sydney for 6 years and went to university there.  He works for a large systems integration company in Norway where he specialises in user interface design.  Jonas is passionate about his job and the company he works for.  He loves Norway and has travelled extensively including a year in Spain.  We had a great discussion about Norway, the lifestyle there and the economy and social and cultural aspects.   

Midway through the conversation, a lady walked past.  Jonas broke into Norwegian and bid hello to the lady - turns out she is one of the other Norwegians here in Railay.  She had to go back to her bungalow to see her daughter - and returned to join us later.  "Well," says I,"if you had asked me her nationality I would not have guessed on Norwegian.".  "Aha," replies Jonas, "Not all woman in Norway are tall, blonde and blue eyed. He smiles, "We have many types, colours and shapes." A friend of his had ventured a theory that the Vikings had gone far afield and brought a variety of the "best" back to Norway.

Angelina joined us later and we had a few drinks at the restaurant.  I was (unashamedly) asking for ideas and places to visit in Norway.  "Where else are you going?"questioned Angelina.  I rattled off my (known) itinerary.  Ah, so, here's where you need to go to in Croatia.  Turns out Angelina is Croation, raised in Norway, lived in Croatia as a (very young) mother and has also lived in Spain. 

Later Jonas, Angelina and I  retired" to one of the "local" bars - where there are locals - mainly castaways (refer separate post).  Angelina apologised for her poor English (it was anything but poor) and she spent the evening effortlessly switching between English, Spanish and Norwegian depending who she was speaking with.  So the only language we didn't hear from her that night was Croatian.  Four languages fluently and now travelling with her 14 yo  and 4 1/2 yo daughters and her mother so she can show her daughters some different cultures.  At 32 yo, Angelina is an impressive young woman.  Jonas and Angelina were great to be around and we had a blast with some of the locals.

One such "local" is "T".  The guy with dreadlocks behind the bar who greeted us with a big smile and drink as we arrived... and a broad kiwi accent.  A Maori boy who came here for 2 weeks a year ago and forgot to leave.  A great night.   

I now have some new friends and some great insights into where to visit in Croatia and Norway.

Given I couldn't find an experienced climber to buddy with the next day, I offered to teach Jonas and Angelina and her older daughter how to climb.  The state we all poured out of the bar in after midnight, it was highly unlikely that was going to happen (either that anyone would remember the offer, let alone have a head capable of heights or coordination the next day).

9.00 am Saturday and Jonas did meet up with me at the allotted place (Tex climbing to rent some gear).  Jonas has climbed - last time about 10 years ago and has agreed with his brother to take this up again soon.    We didn't see Angelina til later that day - turns out her daughter had hurt her elbow and she was trying to find a local doctor. 

Jonas and I spent the morning on the Diamond wall.  Miraculously we had it all to ourselves (unusual as it's usually a favourite for the climbing guides taking beginner classes).  Jonas climbed brilliantly and quickly went from 5 to 6 to 6a (15-17 in Aus grades).  He did so well, we moved on to him learning and doing leading.  Again, took to it like a duck to water.  Hopefully, Jonas, this will set you up well for when you and your brother team up again for a climb in Norway.  Stay in touch and maybe we'll catch up in Norway (Oslo) in November/December.

Jonas tops out after a successful lead climb at Diamond Cave

enough rambling, what about the climbing?

HEALTH WARNING!
only read beyond this point if you are a climber or are seriously (and I mean so seriously) bored with your day.  You have been warned.


http://www.railay.com/railay/climbing/climbing_intro.shtml
(this site says it al really- I won't make a hash of trying and failing to repeat it)

If you are a climber you have to get your ass here.  It is a crime against your soul and climbing in general if you do not. 

In the words of the lonely planet guide :
Krabi’s fairytale limestone crags come to a dramatic climax at Railay (also spelled Rai Leh), the ultimate jungle gym for rock-climbing fanatics. This quiet slice of paradise fills in the sandy gaps between each craggy flourish, and although it’s just around the bend from chaotic tourist hustle in Ao Nang, the atmosphere here is nothing short of laid-back, Rasta-Thai heaven

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/andaman-coast/railay#ixzz37kCby61B

It takes 2 to climb
If you are coming here in the low season/rainy season (like now i.e. July) make sure you have someone to climb with or bring a buddy.  Goodness knows I tried persuading mine to join me but for some reason they muttered about having to work for a living (what sort of excuse is that!).  That's unless you are Di, whereupon your response is "I just got back from 2 months climbing in Norway so guess I need to do some contracting to earn a bit so I can go climbing again".  Now there's a girl who knows her priorities.

Grading systems and walls to start on
They use the French grading system here.  So I have been trying to do the (Aus) conversion in my head.  Getting there.  There are dozens of walls with hundreds of climbs.  Some walls have a majority of a few good lower grades (16-19 equivalents) for warming up/getting into it (if you are an old bugger like me)..  These can be found on Railay East at 1-2-3 wall and up the hill at Diamond Cave wall.  The downside to these locations is that they are usually used/capitalised on by the climbing courses so you need to get there <9 or during lunch time.  Take lots of water, you dehydrate very quickly when you are baking against the rock face.

Walls to progress to
TonSai is climbing for grown-ups.  Well, it's actually the opposite.  It's climbing for the testosterone filled youth who still have nuclear reactors in their core and can prance up rock like the monkeys found hereabouts.  The old diesels like me tend to be better served in Railay East and West (and there are plenty of climbs here).  That said, there are still some great 18-21 equivalent grades to be had in TonSai in addition to the vertical and overhanging 24+ grades (next year!). 

Climbing Guide Books
There's only one to buy (the King Climbers guide book for 800 baht) for two reasons:
1./ King is one of the founders of climbing on Railay (together with Tex).  His stuff is well written and well researched.  King's English is great (I met his Australian wife back here in 1997 and King is now living in Australia seeing his boy through the education system over there). 
2./ All proceeds from his guide book goes to the re-bolting project (see below).


Question - when is a bolt not a bolt?
Answer: when its corroded and is likely to fail on you as you take a winger.

Don't worry about steel bolts - they disappeared to rust years ago
Worry about Stainless bolts and hangars.  That's right, folks, the bolts we happily swing off back home and regard as bomb proof (depending on how well they've been set!) fail within 4 years here. 
There's a mammoth project underway to re-bolt every route using titanium.  Not a small undertaking,
These are usually easy to spot the titanium bolts (they are dark grey rings set into the stone with ?? coloured expansion glue. 

If its stainless and uses orange or blue glue - usually OK, or Titanium the best.  If not, prayer might be a useful backup to clipping into anything else. 


I've noticed that many belay stations (where there is rock on the beach) usually have an anchor for the belayer.  Can't help but think this is for the local Thai guides who are teaching and belaying Farang (foreigners) twice their weight. 

Don't be surprised if you see cord or rope threaded around fissures in the rock instead of bolts on some climbs.  There are a lot of these and all look pretty safe (well, certainly safer than anything that's not Ti)

Multi-pitching galore here...and views to die for (perhaps not the best turn of phrase give the topic but oh well, you get what I mean).


Deep water solo
(i.e. Free climbing and dropping into the water off the climb)
is the latest craze here  And ,no, "free" climbing (for those of you who are not climbers and have hazarded their way into this post) is not free of charge - it's free of rope i.e. if/when you fall off, there's nothing to prevent your fall.  Its a case of what you fall into and, in this case, it's 28 degree water.  Just make sure you hire some of their climbing shoes to do it in!

Interestingly the guys who introduced the craze (and are based in TonSai are not doing it for another month as they say the weather is too unpredictable and the sea too rough...whereas the other guys in Railay offering it now! (mmmm...when was the last time you took a bungy jump that didn't have the name "AJ Hackett" emblazoned on it? - analogous to quality and safety.  Call me old (fashioned) [the bracketed optional] but I might just give it a miss this trip. Pity, it sounds  like a blast.

More to follow...
I've booked a multi pitch course tomorrow so hope to get some decent shots. 
I'll write some more about the climbing soon.
Meanwhiile (Phil, Fran, Di, Marty)...in the immortal words of that Aussie ad a few years ago "Where the bloody hell are ya?"

Railay - the story so far

Where is Railay?
http://railay.co.uk
(OK. so this URL is a little confusing.  Railay is in Thailand -but this UK tourist site explains it well (in the Queen's rather than the [Thai] King's English).
Railay is approximately 1000km from Bangkok (and worlds apart!).

http://www.railay.com/railay/intro/map3.shtml


What's there to do in Railay?
Well, five days in and I have relegated my watch to my "electronics" packing cell.  Watching takes on a whole new meaning here (and no, mind out of the gutter please some of you!).  I have learned to watch the tides so I know when I can get to which beaches to climb, watch the sun so I know where the best place is to be in the shade, watch the wind and sea so I know where I can swim or kayak out of the rough. 

I originally booked in my current accommodation for 5 days when I first arrived here (Diamond  Cave resort and Spa on East Railay -www.diamondcave-railay.com
 I highly recommend it as a mid-tier but very comfortable and cost effective place.  It is off-season (rainy season - more about that later).  Railay has an East and a West side - access between the two via a path and1- minute walk. The up-market/tourist hotels are on the west side.  Rooms tend to come in three different types.

• Basic - fan only (no air-con) and cold water [not really an issue when it's 32 degrees on average].
• Mid-range bungalow (air-con, clean/tidy, hot/cold water). [this is what I opted for]
• Top range (all trimmings).

I've yet to see anything with a kitchen.  After all, when you see the price of food here, why would you!?

Five days in and I've just extended the booking here for another 5 days.  I was always going to be here for 10 days - just wanted to give some flexibility in case I found better accommodation (which I have not for the price).  So, for a private bungalow 1 minute walk from the beach and 5 minutes walk to the nearest climbing and with a pool (and friendly cat which I have nicknamed Tom) I pay the princely sum of 600 Baht per night ($22).  By the way, come here in the high season and you can expect to pay around 2000 baht per night.


A brief diversion under the heading of what not to do in Railay
While extending my booking a young lady came rushing up to the counter to speak with the desk clerk.  He is polite and friendly and his command of English relatively basic. 
"I ordered a room with a TV," she speaks with an American accent (which means she could be from the US or any myriad of other countries who learn English - and I notice, typically with an American accent)
"Yes," he smiles as he replies
"I paid extra for a room with a TV"
"Yes," again, the laconic Thai smile
"But, all the channels are in Thai.  There is no English speaking channel"
"Yes"
"What use is a TV which I am paying extra for when I cannot understand anything available on it?"
"Yes!"

She walks out of reception exasperated.  The desk clerk turns to me and smiles. 
Yes? he asks.

The Thais are extremely literal.  You want a TV, you will get one.  You want a phone in the room - yes (it may not be connected).  I have only recently got used to asking them to leave the tomato out of the mixed fruit salad (and that's in every Thai restaurant/café I've been to that serves fruit).


Thai Food
If nothing else, come to Thailand to try the food.  I have (happily) foregone the western diet in exchange for a Thai one.  I am spoilt at home.

 In NZ my wife and I own a small organic lifestyle block and I have the privilege of eating what might be some of the highest grade beef in the world.  I am not going to head overseas and pay restaurant prices for something that may disappoint in comparison. 

However, that's not a choice that's difficult to make in Thailand.  The Thai's have a knack of combining the most diverse of things in some of their dishes...and it works! 

The prices belie the quality and taste.  I am on a budget of around 1200-1400 baht/day ($40 per day.  Some climbers (particularly those from Paynes Ford in Takaka NZ who have been here would say that's profligate!) .  My budget is 600 Baht for accommodation, 120 baht for water (that gets me 4.5l per day...which, when you are climbing, is easy to get through), 120 baht for breakfast, 120 for lunch and 200 for dinner.  Do the maths on the food and you'll see why none of the accommodation have kitchens in the units.
Today's fare
I had a Thai pancake and fruit with fruit juice for breakfast, for lunch today I had pineapple fried rice with fresh squid (that's "fresh" as in yesterday's catch...if you have not tried fresh squid, you should) and for dinner tonight Pad Thai with seafood and rice then for desert, fresh banana in fresh coconut milk.  I couldn't eat more if I tried.  That said, I've lost 6kg since I started travelling a week ago. 
Yesterday I ate a bowl of fresh cashew nuts - within arms length of their source. 
The road-side stalls that sell fresh fish and chicken skewers are usually pretty good.  Word of advice on the chicken front - only buy the ones that have just been cooked/come off the BBQ and are hot.  You don't know how long the cold ones have been sitting for.

Alcohol prices are a different matter.  Luckily I don't drink over here.

Oh yes, back to Railay and surrounds... 
Please excuse the diversions as I write...it's like a Billy Connelly joke - but no punch line sorry. 

Railay East, Railay West (budget/up-market).
Ao Nang a 15 minute long boat ride (read previous post on Long Boats).  100 Baht if in a group of 8.  800 Baht if you want to charter a boat for yourself.
Ton Sai - the climbing beach at the far end of the bay (and over a hill).  This is "tres primitive" (OK certainly an upgrade on Paynes back home for all you climbers out there). 
Around the back of the island is another beach, Pranang (great for swimming and sun bathing)

For the pedants out there, Railay is on the mainland- on a little peninsula (for Kiwis, just think of a mini Banks Peninsula in the south Island).  It's just hard not to think of it as its own island when you can walk from one side to the other in10 minutes)

Climbing...
oh boy, you would not believe it.  A separate post on that for the addicted.  I'll spare others the salivating over that as "it's for those of us who you can hear the wind whistling between our ears as we are on the cliff face" as a friend of mine once said.
On a related note...when you read the posts about "don't worry about coming to Railay with a climbing partner, it will be easy to buddy up with other climbers when you get here", that has not been my experience so far.  If I was in Ton Sai, quite possibly, here in Railay in the off season, most climbers are here in groups (or couples) or are in a learn to climb party (not who I want belaying me thanks). 

I have tended only to try to impose on groups/couples who are experienced climbers if they are over 25 or 30 years old (few and far between).  After all, who wants to go climbing in a group that has someone who is the same age (if not older than) your parents tagging along! Maybe it's time to take up another sport.  Like Chess?  Like hell!

That said, there are local instructors and guides for 3000 Baht for 1/2 day or 4500 for full day.  That seems like a large sum for a belay buddy with some local knowledge so I have had a couple of climbs with some couples and an Italian guy here and tomorrow have booked a 1/2 day 1:1 course on multi-pitch climbing through King Climbing here in Railay. 

Beaches and water
The beaches are postcard material.  We are in the same location as "Leonardo DiCaprio's, "The Beach" movie and a quick boat ride away from the nicknamed "James Bond" Island (from "The Man with the Golden Gun").
The water is around 25-28 degrees.  Railay opens straight out onto the Andaman sea and is subject to some pretty strong winds and currents so the water is not that clear as you swim.  Plenty of other spots for clear water and diving. 

Retail therapy?
Other than the "Armani" tailor on the beach in Railay offering tailored suits with a label of your choosing (surprisingly not doing a lot of business), there is little high-end retail here. Most shops sell beach gear and there are an abundance of mini-marts who all sell the same (western) food and supplies/fare.  You can buy chocolate at the mini marts (I don't eat chocolate in these climates...it's always been a comfort food mainly for winter for me back home).  There are a number of tour operators who offer various excursions and tours; the common denominator is a long boat - the variable is their imagination.  There are a few scuba shops around too.  As this is a climbing mecca there are a myriad of climbing guide and rental shops.  A plug for the nostalgic here - if you do come to Railay, I highly recommend using either of the two longest standing climbing guide shops here - named after their founders  respectively (the 2 original climbing instructors here) Tex and King [yes they are Thai but, like good marketers, latched onto using pronounceable and memorable names for westerners some time ago].

The Long Boat - a feat of engineering

MasterCraft meets the Flintstones.  

The long boat design hasn't changed for years.  Other than most if them having an electric start rather than a pull start.  Take a 25 foot x 6 foot wide design with a shallow draft and then put a 4stroke 4 cylinder engine on it with an open drive shaft that's about another 15 foot long, then work out the perfect balance point  for the motor.  Then treat it like an auxiliary outboard that you steer with a hand throttle.

These things race along in open water - a semi planing hull. Then in the rough you can trim the bow down by burying the prop shaft deeper in the water.  I'm sure the boatmen make it look easier than it actually is.

So.  Message for the Wellington Water Ski Club Committee - I'd like to propose one as the club boat.  In fact I've negotiated a good price on one. 

They even have life jackets on board

By the way Lockie, I've also negotiated a good price on this outboard as part of the package ;0)

Tiger Balm for the soul - Railay Beach (picutres only - i.e."exec summary")

Images of “The Beach”

imagine paradise...then add people...
Words to come...thought I would share some pictures in the meantime.
For those of a vintage who recall it, the Leonardo DiCaprio film "The Beach" was shot hereabouts.

Raumati beach....ok just kidding - it's Pra Nang Beach at Railay

so many climbs, so unfit!
 

 

 

 

 

 

my little bungalow - just below some great climbing.

there's a story behind this!  Its a photo of me, Andrew Sutherland and Neil MacNeil when we were climbing here in 1997

Ton Sai beach

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Breakfast at Tiffanys - Railay style