08122013 Khao Kanap Nam / Ko Klang / Ao Nang

Both me and my roommates overslept, and only woke up when our friend texted us saying that it was already 8.30am. Breakfast was just some simple toast provided by the hotel. We then walked out to the Chao Fa pier in search of a longtail boat, and was approached aggressively by a guy trying to hard talk us into renting his boat. He wanted 500 baht but we refused, as the common price stated was only 300 baht which he refused to go lower on. Finally he relented and said that he would bring us to both Khao Kanap Nom and Ko Klang villiage for 300 baht so we agreed, a decision which we would regret later.

First stop was the Khao Kanap Nom cave. Had to pay 30 baht for the entrance fee. It was a short walk in from the jetty where we got off, then a flight of stairs to get to the cave. It reminded me a little of the Fairy Caves, albeit smaller and much more easier to climb.

There was an opening, and someone had prepared a rope for those daring enough to climb up to get a view of the top. Apparently people once dwelt in the cave, and they also found a 4300 years old skeleton  belonging to a man in it. Japanese forces had also once anchored their ships in Krabi town, and used this place as their hideout too. Went back down to the boat and the driver went back on his words of bringing us to Ko Klang village. He refused to go back to the jetty, and insisted that we pay an additional 200 baht or else leave us stranded here. Needless to say we were pissed off, but there was no other way out, so eventually everyone agreed to pay the additional fare, but not without much complaining. Then again, not like the boat driver cared much.

It was only a short distance to the Ko Klang village. We got off near the fish farm, and a young boy showed us the various fishes they kept in the farm, like red snappers, eels and parrot fish. I pity the poor pufferfish though, which they took out of the water, making it puff itself up. Imagine being forced to do this every time someone comes by.

We then strolled around the village, trailing a goat which I spotted from afar. The village was a dominantly Muslim village. The people were very friendly, greeting us whenever they passed us by. Even stopped by to watch some kids fishing, and they were very proud of their rods despite having caught no fish! Followed the concrete road further into the village, which was littered with the goats’ dung.

After we were done wandering about the village, took a boat back to the Chao Fa pier. Stopped by at 7-11 because my friend wanted to activate her Thai SIM card, and the rest of us were just in it for the air-conditioning and for a bite. We asked the 7-11 staffs where to take the songthaew to Ao Nang, and they directed us to a makeshift stop of plastic chairs and umbrellas. Some men wearing vests with taxi ads on it were sitting there, so they told us to sit down on the plastic chairs while waiting for a songthaew to come by. We were waiting specifically for a white one which would bring us to Ao Nang.

Pretty soon it was rattling by. Got up and there were already 4 ladies in it. We went uphill, and was soon joined by a couple from Russia. Then another Russian guy. It was already pretty packed by then, but when another guy hailed it along the way, we were like ‘No! No space!’ But the driver was shouting at us in Thai to make space, and so he managed to squeeze in somehow. The guy who just hopped on thought we were also a Thai like him, so he kept speaking to us, and we were tying to tell him that we weren’t Thai, but he refused to give up. Hilarity ensued, with one of us taking out her phone, and trying to translate ‘We don’t understand Thai,’ from English into Thai for him. He was rather cheeky though, and hopped off at the first stop, Noppharathara beach, followed by the 4 ladies. We went a little further uphill, then decided to get off at a random stop before we lose sight of the beach.

It was terribly hot, and we were asking random tour operators for tours to Phi Phi island, and found that most of them were rather pricey, in comparison to what was offered by the guy at our hotel reception. Headed for lunch first because it was too hot to hang out at the beach, and also all of us had sore limbs from the Wat Tham Suea climb yesterday. We had a long lunch, to keep ourselves out of the hot sun for as long as possible.

Two of us were bored, so we started building a sand castle, while another was trying to destroy it. A petty fight ensued, with one of us getting thrown into the sea.

Joined my friend who was sitting at the edge of the beach for a walk, where we went for a walk and bought ourselves some clothes and postcards to send back home. By the time we got back to the beach, it was already sunset. We spent the whole day not doing much.

Wanted to get seafood but ended up at an Italian cum Thai restaurant. The Thai food was bad. Really bad, but thankfully the pizza was better. We then caught a white songthaew who happened to be passing by outside the restaurant back to Krabi Town. A Malay family was in the songthaew, and they told us that they had just came back from the nightmarket in Krabi town. They were staying in Ao Nang, and was on a 3 days 2 night trip, and had just arrived today. Since their hotel was just around the corner from where we got up, they soon hopped off, and it was just the four of us in the songthaew, listening to it rattling, while we were battling the dust and wind which got into our face and eyes.

The songthaew dropped us off near the nightmarket, so we did some shopping, including a trip to the 7-11 around the corner for some alcohol to have a small drinking party for the night.