2012-10-06 - Day 7 - Emerald Cave, Charlie Beach

What a lovely first night. We woke up and walked straight onto the beach to explore. Los of starfish and crabs everywhere! What an amazing view!

We picked up some snorkels for our boat trip, then headed out on our boat to Emerald Cave. The water was pretty rough on the way there. We put our life jackets on, and then swam in pitch black through the cave and came out into the most amazing secluded beach and forest - it was out of this world, the cliffs just shot straight up, covered in jungle. The girls were so brave going through the cave, and it got amazingly calm as we went further into the cave. Paish did lots of backflips while we were there - typical!

We swam back through, and the closer we got to the exit, the rougher the sea got. On the way back, we stopped to do some snorkelling, but a little disappointing. Coral was bleached and not many fish. Roxy realy enjoyed it, but Paish didn't as she was a bit scared.

We came back to the beach, the girls went to the pool and Daddy did a run on the beach - so hot he got blisters, but he did 14 laps though and was very enjoyable.

Went back to the house to finish dragon eyes and magosteen, then walked into the village, bought crisps and saw some huge fish in the market for Tom Yam! Then we took at really small dodgy car to Charlie Beach. We saw Dan on the way, who waved then fell in a ditch off his motorbike - funny. We also had to get out at one point to cross a small river! Clara's dog tried to follow us, but could not keep up - sad.

Charlie Beach was deserted, apart from one other person! We played poison wave, then collected hermit crabs, then did some running races! Mummy also went for a swim - very brave! We went and explored the rock pools that were full of fish!

Found a taxi to take us back - tried to drive through the river, but could not make it - we had to get out! Saw the chinese guys again! Aiysha and Daddy went to the pool, and Aiysha won catchy 5-4, and we played pool poolball too, which Aiysha also won 5-4.

Mummy had Jungle Curry - hmmm, not so nice.

Another crab hunt! Maximum security prison needed! The purple crab was huge!

What a day!

2012-10-05 - Day 6 - Koh Muk

After another lovely breakfast, we went in the pool for the last time, while Mummy packed up. We watched a family trying to teach a boy how to swim - looked pretty hopeless.

Tut then picked us up and drove us to the port about a couple of hours away. We stopped for fruit, which was great. When we got to the port, we waited for our boat, and then had the most amazing boat ride to the island through mangroves, and was very mysterious.

Apparently Koh Muk is one of the last underdeveloped islands left in Thailand. It was vey overcast when we arrived at Pawapi resort. We met Dan who showed us our room, which was very basic but had two stories. He didn't know English too well, but tried really hard and we liked him immediately. His boss was not around, and when we talked to Dan about the keys and the safe, he could not get the keys to work and explain why they did not. The girls went off to look for another resort, and we decided to move to Sivilai. Dan was really sorry, and we left him a tip. He was pretty upset, which was a shame.

Sivilai was amazing - completely the opposite, for not much more! The hotel turned out our beds in the morning, and our rooms were amazing, with working locks! It was also right on the beach, so we could listen to the surf as we fell asleep. Lovely! This was perhaps the best room we have ever stayed in, ever!

We paddled in the sea and settled in. Dinner was lovely - satays, noodles, steamed fish and spaghetti for the girls. Aiysha was beginning to like the Thai fried rice!

There were some chinese people next to us who seemed to go wherever we went - funny. We had a night walk home, and we were followed by a pack of dogs - Roxy and Daddy made friends with two of them - Roxy's was brown (Emily?), Daddy's was black (Stephanie).

We played Go Fish on the veranda, and we were so exhausted we went to sleep early.

What a place to stay!

2012-10-04 - Day 5 - 1,237 Steps, Crystal Pools

Hmm, we don't like people smoking when we are having breakfast! Naughty! Nice breakfast all the same though.

We got a taxy with 'Tus', firstly to the fruit market, where we bought 2kg of mangosteen, 1kg dragon eyes, and 1kg of mangoes for $7! Amazing!

We got to Tiger Cave, and it was pretty hot. A woman made bracelets for all of us to wear for luck, and the we went up to Tiger Cave, and read about the cave and how the tiger with a big roar lived in the cave, and the Buddhists move in, and the tiger migrated and never seen again. Lots of monkeys everywhere.

Then we began our walk up the 1237 steps. Wow, it was hard for everyone, and we took our time, stopping at the top of each steep flight of stairs. Roxy did so well with her short legs, and Aiysha stopped complaining after 500 steps after Daddy stopped talking about taking small challenge as it comes - it got boring. We had 2 water stops on the way up but refilled at the top by the girls who were desperate for a drink! Survival!

Amazing temple though, amazing view, lit josticks for good luck by Clog and Paish.

The way down was a lot easier, and we stopped to talk to a Burma couple, and English / Thai couple - pretty funny. Roxy's legs were shaking on the way down! As we almost reached the bottom, we were attacked by monkeys! They even stole our precious water bottle! We finally got down by trying to ignore them, but they seemed to attack the next family coming up! Oh dear...

Once we got down, we had a fruit fest! It was lovely!

Once we ate our fill, we headed off to the Crystal Pools - it started raining, and we decided to get some snacks - sweetcorn, eggs, and a not so nice sausage :-(. We walked to the Crystal Pools to the loud sound of cicadas, and it took a while through the forest, but it was worth it! It was amazing! It was so clear, and so slippery we used the waterfall as a slide! It was so funny. Clog climbed on Daddy, shouted 'Taxi', and waved like the Queen, and I did gymnastics on the side, as usual. There were amazing damsel flies, butterflies, and after about an hour, there was really loud thunder. Mummy tried to tell Clara it was a motorbike - strange Mummy. What an amazing place.

On the way out, we had more fruit and bought another egg. The taxi stopped off at the fruit market on the way home and we got more mangusteen and dragon eyes. We got home at about 6.30 after Tus told us about spending 24 years in Switzerland as a chef and he had a 14 and 16 year old who live there, which was a bit sad as he never saw them.

We headed out at 7 for dinner, and we ordered our bracelets which said Aiysha and Clara on them from a lovely boy - they were amazing. A young Thai boy chatted to Daddy for ages and didn't even try to sell him anything - that was a first! We had dinner at Jeanettes which was yummy again, and had ice creams, but the pancake place was closed - Daddy was sad. We got another tut tut home, and still they didn't understand Mummy - so funny!

Mummy and Aiysha had a night time swim, had fruit, some TV and DS.

A great but exhausting day.