Sunday 22 April 2007

Thailand - Overland / Malaysia

11th April 2007

Bill and Sally arrive in Thailand

Fresh back in Thailand after almost 3 months away, we checked in at Ao Chalong. Restocking and bits of shopping is always first on the agenda and we got busy with that immediately.

The kids were very excited about their grandparents imminent arrival and were counting the days down. Also imminent was the Song Krang festival, the Thai New Year celebration. This takes place from the 15th to the 18th April and is a hectic festival to say the least. Water is the theme and wetting everyone in sight is the aim!! I thought it best to “equip” the team and we went out and bought 4 HUGE water pistols. With armament and ammunition readily available, we were prepared for Song Krang!



On the 12th April, we hired a car and drove through to Phuket airport. As usual, the kids danced and jumped around in the arrivals section, eagerly awaiting Bill and Sally’s arrival. As they walked through, baggage in tow, the kids ran out to hug them. It was great to see Bill and Sally again, the last time being in the Seychelles some 15 months previously. After non stop chin wagging and catching up, we made our way to the car, climbed in and headed back to Shayile at Ao Chalong.

The plan for the next 3 weeks was to celebrate Song Krang, cruise Pananga Bay and then overland to Chang Mai in northern Thailand.

Bill and Sally settled into life on Shayile very quickly and with no time to waste, we all caught up on events back home and life on Shayile!



Song Krang

We really had no idea what to expect of Song Kew. We knew it was a festive festival and water was used “liberally”. We had no idea! Armed with our water pistols and in our baggies and t-shirts, we set out. We tied the dingy up on the Ao Chalong pier and walked along towards our car. Everywhere kids were out with water pistols, looking for targets! Daniel and Jenna, (and me!) were ready and the drenching started. As we passed Dims restaurant, a yachtie friend came out and sprayed us all with water with Sally getting the brunt of the water! We jumped into our car and headed out towards Rawai Beach.

The roads could best be described as Comrades Marathon day 15 km’s from the finish. The roads were lined with people with buckets, hose pipes, water guns and every other form of water throwing devise possible! It was unreal! As we drove slowly down the road, we were doused in water from every side. I made the mistake of opening my window to retaliate and soon someone had sprayed us, through the window, with a hose pipe! First Song Krang lesson Rob!!

We made our way down to Rawai Beach where it was one gigantic party for some 3 km’s. As it was a bit early to stop for lunch, we headed out to Prom Thep Cape to do some sight seeing. The kids complained bitterly as they wanted to go back and join in the fun. After a sight seeing, we headed back to Rawai Beach, parked the car and found a table for lunch on the road. Daniel, Jenna and I, now well armed, set out on a “seek and wet” adventure. Up and down the road we went, spraying everyone in sight, and in turn, getting drenched ourselves! It was unreal! Supplying the water were these huge water tankers that drove up and down the road offloading water in huge containers for the public to enjoy. We took a break for lunch and then it started again.

At 3pm, wet to the core, we climbed into the car and headed back to Ao Chalong. On the way back, and now better prepared on “shooting” from the car, we had great fun spraying unassuming people on motor bikes and those sitting by the road side!

Back in Ao Chalong, B and her parents were keen for an afternoon sleep, but the kids and I had still “wetting matters to attend to”. We grabbed our water guns and headed up to Sunrise Road, the main strip in Ao Chalong. There we found a bar where a number of other yachties were gathered. Being on the road it was ideal! The kids got busy with wetting everyone in sight, whilst I wet my thirst; and whoever came within range! As the afternoon wore on, fun was had by all; all except the poor Thai guy on the scooter. As he came down the road, minding his own business, he was doused from every direction. All part of the fun. However as he passed our watering hole, he tried to avoid the firing range and wandered onto the oncoming traffic. Fortunately the vehicle coming up had slowed right down as our Thai guy was now in their lane and oblivious to the approaching vehicle. Head on collision, and the Thai stuntman was airborne! How he did not break bones or damage himself I have no idea but he managed to crawl to the side and lie stunned for minutes afterwards. The bike was not in good shape! Apparently the road death toll over Song Krang is the highest for the year and with alcohol, water, high levels of bravery and testosterone, it certainly comes as no surprise!

That evening back on Shayile, we all had no problem with having a good nights sleep after a very interesting day celebrating Song Krang



Pananga Bag cruise   

Panga Bay lies to the NE of Phuket and is a wonderful area for cruising. The bay bites into Thailand mainland and is littered with islands. As the top end does form part of a delta system for rivers, the water is not very clean and the tidal strengths are quite severe at times. However it has a lot to offer in terms of islands and anchorages. There are huge granite columns that extend skywards towering to over 280 meters at times. Many of the islands offer wonderful Hongs to be explored. (Hongs; Thai for “room”, are beaches or enclosures accessed through cave like tunnels.)

Pananga Bay is littered with these Hongs and tourist boats are everywhere, visiting the islands, hongs and other landmarks within Pananga Bay. A big hit is James Bond Island, home of the movie “Man with the Golden gun”.

We motored out of Ao Chalong and stopped off in the small picturesque bay of Aquaruim. A nights “rest” and then we headed up into Pananga Bay. It was a slow motor sail up and really a “get into the mood sail” for Bill and Sally. That evening we dropped anchor off Ko Phanak. Off to the side was a cave disappearing into the islands side, a sure sign of a Hong. That evening we sat around, chatted and then crept off to bed. Sleep lasted a few hours and then a squall came through with god winds and an hour of down pour! Myself and B were up putting out buckets to collect rain water and to ensure all was well. With anchor alarms armed and water being collected, we went off to bed!

Next morning we decided to check out the hong. Bill, the kids and I did our best to get into the hong but unfortunately the tides we too high and we could not get in. With that we abandonded the idea and headed further up the island to another hong. This one was easy to get into and was very interesting for us all to see. With that we sailed on up towards another hong, but still on the island of Ko Phanak. This hong was a tourist hit with many day charter boats were anchored off. We dropped anchor and, using the paddle ski, we paddled into the hong. This one was amazing! We entered a small cave like hole and proceeded to paddle for some 60 meters before exiting into a stunning hong. The sides towered upwards for some 100 meters with natural vegetation clinging to its sides. The hong itself had no beach but was one large swimming pool. Inside the hong there were no fewer than 10 other canoes with tourists taking in the scenery. It did not bother us and after a few trips in and out, we retired to Shayile for lunch.

That afternoon, we motor sailed up to a small island not too far from James Bond island and anchored up for the night. Again it was stunning and we all sat on the front of Shayile, enjoyed sundowners and identified the constilations in the heavens above.



Time to move on again net morning and we literally zigzagged our way in between the islands and monsterous granite formations. We headed on down towards, perhaps our favorite anchorage in Pananga Bay, Ko Hong. For the next 3 hours we took turns in exploring the hong and the surroundings. Each one of these hongs we visited was very different from the next. With its easy access and cave like tunnels to explore, Ko Hong was superb. 

That afternoon we set sail again, heading back to Ko Phanak to tackle the hong that we could not enter due to the tide being too high. Now the tide was just right and myself, Bill, Daniel and Jenna went ashore to explore. Well the tide was very low and we could not paddle into the hong. With torches on, we carefully picked our way trough water, over rocks and into mud. Oh yes, as we exited the tunnel into the hong, we hit the mud! Deep, dirty, grey mud that was knee deep! It was not pleasant infact the kids battled as shoes got lost in the mud and tiny mussel like barnicles mad walking difficult. We all chalked the hong down as “done” but not recommended and left!

That afternoon we headed back to Yacht Haven, arriving there at 9.30pm. We dropped anchor and hit the sack!



Overland trip north 

The plan was now to put Shayile into the Yacht Haven Marina whilst we did an overland trip up to Chang Mai and Bangkok. That day we moored Shayile up in the marina and prepared her for 2 weeks alone whilst we packed our back packs.

The plan was to bus up to Bangkok, then take a train up to Chang Mai. With Shayile now safe and secure, we all piled into a taxi and headed into Phuket Town to catch the bus. We had booked on a 24 seater VIP bus to get us there! As it was some 13 hours in a bus, we had no intentions of arriving at our destination, tired and completely worn out with no sleep. The VIP bus seemed the answer, and was!

Unfortunately Sally was not well, suffering from a tummy bug of sort. However she made it through the trip, although feeling quite grotty.

We left Phuket that night at 6.30pm and arrived in Bangkok the next morning at 7am. The bus was very comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out and sleep. The kids particually enjoyed it as it was their first real bus ride!



In Bangkok, we jumped into a taxi and headed for the train station. As we were going to return to Bangkok in a few weeks, we made no effort in seeing the city. We entered the train station and immediately tracked down a train to take us north to Chang Mai. The schedules were all available but the trains were all full! We did our best to get tickets but to no avail and we had to move onto plan B. Catch the overnight train that evening, meaning spending the day in Bangkok with all the luggage in tow! We went into a coffee shop in the station to plan our day. Not 3 minutes before the Chang Mai train was departing, the ticket officer came and found us. “There are tickets available but you need to run!!” We grabbed our bags whilst I ran down to the ticket office and bought the tickets. With virtually 1 minute to spare we were on the train to Chang Mai. It was 8am and we would only be in Chang Mai that evening.

Again, it was a first for Daniel and Jenna. A train journey across Northern Thailand! It was a very comfortable trip and we all enjoyed the experience. Although a long way, we all sat chatted, played games and took in the fantastic scenery outside. It seemed the whole way to Chang Mai was just paddy fields! Everywhere one looked, the rice was growing. Not surprisingly, as Thailand it the worlds biggest exporter of rice. I must say I am fascinated by paddy fields and the way rice is planted, grows and is harvested.

As the evening took the place of the afternoon, we slowly made our way into the train station in Chang Mai.



Chang Mai   

Chang Mai was the ……………………





Arrival in Chang Mai

We had already organized accommodation in Chang Mai after phoning various B&B concerns we found in our Lonely Planet book. It can be tricky picking a place to stay from a book but we took the chance and arranged it. The place we found was a traditional Thai teak house in a popular area of Chang Mai. It was close to all local attractions and seemed very appropriate. Fortunately the owners offered a pick up service from the station and soon we were in a bakkie and heading off to the Teak House. Well, to our surprise we were offloaded outside a dormitory! A “boarding house” which resembled a prison block with decorations! B immediately asked about the so called Teak House in which we thought we had booked, to be told that this was the annexure and was a great place to stay! Perhaps it was but as we were in Chang Mai, doing the “tourist” thing, we wanted to stay in an authentic Thai Teak House as clearly advertised in the Lonely Planet and it was what we had booked! As if to imply we were being difficult, we were then taken to the Teak House. Well, again we were disappointed by what we came across as it resembled a second hand used appliances center. The rooms were not much better and although we were in an “authentic teak house” it was not living up to our expectations.

It was late and we wanted bed, so without too much of a scene, we had dinner and went off to bed. 

Next morning we checked out. The receptionist understood our reason for leaving and agreed that “the 5 bands playing in the vicinity were a real problem and sleeping was a problem!” Well, the bands posed no problem to our sleep and certainly were not the reason for us leaving! However we somehow agreed and departed.

We checked into Gap House, a guesthouse not too far away and spent the next 12 days here. It was great, with beautiful gardens and little authentic Thai houses!!

Chang Mai is a shoppers mecca. It certainly is the flea market capital of Thailand and shopping was on the cards. Further to this myself, Bill and Daniel were going to go on a trek into the hills whilst B, Sally and Jenna were going to do a Thai cooking course.



A Trek into the mountains

Northern Thailand is reknown for its trekking and many tourists set out daily heading into the mountains to experience the hill tribes, elephant trekking and other outdoor activities.

The 3 of us were picked up outside Gap House and we motored north. Joining us were 5 others, all keen for the experience. It took us about 4 hours to reach the starting point of the trek. We all prepared ourselves and our back packs. Our guide Corn, known as Popcorn, briefed us on the days walk and off we went. The starting point was tucked in amongst dry paddy fields. With winter over, the farmers and local hill tribesmen were now waiting for the summer rains to begin before planting would commence. We followed paths weaving through natural vegetation and paddy fields and crossed many small rivers as we slowly made our way higher into the surrounding mountains. It was certainly very interesting and Corn showed us many attractions along the way. One was a tree, some 30 meters high with a huge bee nest situated in a fork, high up. Embedded in the trunk and extending all the way to the top was pegs with a make shift ladder attached. Locals would use this rather flimsy ladder to climb up and raid the honey far above. I cannot imagine being caught high up trying to obtain honey whilst being attacked by half the bee population of the nest. Obviously honey is a delecasy I this part of the world.

Daniel was very interested when we came across a taranchulas next in the ground. Using a stick, Coren tempted the monster out where we all snapped pictures of this hairy best of a spider.

At lunch time we reached a homestead where we took shelter from the sun and rested up. Daniel anmd I did a bit of exploring around the stilted houses and other shelters. In one was a rice de-husking revise! A tribesmen came across and gave us a lesson on how it worked and we all took turns in de-husking rice. Very interesting.

On we walked and soon we were off the lowlands and entering the surrounding hills. These cannot be described as mountains but, none the less, up we went through bush and trees. It was not easy going as the heat was intense. Daniel did well and although keen to know when we would get there, “round the next corner” seemed to work quite well as a distraction. Later that afternoon we entered another homestead, our overnight stop.

It consisted of some 10 – 15 crudely built homes on stilts, with other shelters for livestock and food stocks. We put our gear down and again myself and Dan went exploring. There were quite a few local kids playing around and Dan was keen to check then out. It was all extremely interesting to see how they lived and survived in these remote parts of Thailand. Not easy and I equate their existence to those of the rural African people living in such areas as the Natal Wild Coast and the north coast of Kwazulu Natal namely “Zululand”.

Making our way back to the “boma” area, we climbed a ladder up into the kitchen where dinner was being prepared. In one corner a tribesman was cooking a whole snake over an open fire. The poor creature, now long dead, was being “spit braai-ed”. We enquired as to whether this was dinner and gained relief as we were told it was not part of the menu but could be tasted if wanted! With that we all gathered below, caught up on the day over a few beers and got to know each other a bit better. Dinner was served and later on we were given the opportunity to taste “Roasted-snake-alla-king.” I declined the generous offer but a few did give it a go. Unfortunately there was no snake taste as chilli and spices overwhelmed any sign that snake meat was present!

That night we all crept under rather tatty looking mosquito nets and dirty bedding. From a long days walking, sleep was not far away and the unhygienic bedding arrangements were soon the least of our concerns!



Next morning we were all up early and congregated around the “boma” eating area. The days walk was discussed whilst we consumed coffee, eggs and bread. With batteries charged, we were ready to depart, but not before a group of children visited us selling all sorts of beaded jewelry and hand made crafts. I could not resist buying a few pieces, before getting setting off. Daniel had a great morning walking around the village and checking out the folks and their family ways. I could not but help thinking to myself how is living an experience of a life time. How many kids of his age would get the opportunity to experience hill tribe life way up in the northern Thailand hills, and interact with a culture so far from our own.

We set off, meandering our way through the forests, passing through rice fields and natural vegetation. However we did encounter areas where large tracks of the mountain sides had been decimated. All the vegetation was burned and cut away, making space for the planting of vegetables. Now, not a real issue when these folks need areas to cultivate and plant their crops. The real issue, according to Corn, was the decimation of steep hill sides where the rain would wash away huge tracks of topsoil in the monsoon season. Areas would be farmed once before news areas were cut, burned and prepared.

We soon arrived at a clearing in the trees and these, waiting for us, we elephants. Using a wooden ramp, we climbed into the chairs and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. Myself and Bill in the seat with Daniel straddling the elephants neck with his legs tucked in behind its enormous ears! I cannot say it was a comfortable experience, but we all enjoyed it as we made our way through the forests with a view over a trunk and some huge flapping ears!

From the elephants, we were then back on our feet, walking through to our lunchtime spot, just below a rather dried up waterfall and river. It was extremely dry and the rivers were not in full form! A quick lunch of noodles and then we were off again on our last leg down into the valley way below. It was an extremely hot afternoon with temperatures way into the 40’s. Daniel was not amused and was really looking forward to just what really was around the next corner. After a long slog, we finally emerged fro the forests into a more lush surroundings of the valley floor. At a small canteen Daniel was able to restore his sense of humour and even take practice rounds shooting tins off a branch with a pellet gun!

Here we were picked up by vehicle and driven a short distance down to the river where, awaiting us, were bamboo rafts. Our next leg would be aboard these rafts, making our way down river, with our guide using a long pole and menouvering us down rapids and around rocks. These rafts are constructed from large bamboo logs, all strapped together with off cuts of car tyres. Once at the end of the river trip, the radts are easily dismantled, put onto vehicles and transported back to the start again! With Daniel and Bill sitting in the middle of the raft, I decided to assist our guide in polling the raft down the river. It was an excellent trip and we all had a wild time shooting rapids and avoiding rocks and other man made obstacles in the river. At the end of our ride, we climbed off our rafts and made our way up to the refreshment hole and our departure point back to Chang Mai. It had been a long and extremely hot day, but extremely enjoyable and an experience I shall never forget.

Back in Chan Mai, B, Sally and Jenna had enjoyed a great day of Thai cooking lessons. I just could not wait for a return on my investment!



Over the next week, we did our best to explore every tourist attraction and street in Chang Mai. Based at Gaps Guest House, we were in the center of the old city of Chang Mai and simply walking or catching a taxi, brought us to most of the attractions the city offered.



The Night Market 

Chang Mai is reknown for its street market which is held on a Sunday afternoon and evening. We may call it a Flea Market as traders selling every conceivable artifact, displayed their wares. Streets were closed off, traders erected their stands and business commenced. On our first visit, we were blow away by the size of the market. It was spread over some 3km’s of roads and alleys, with traders virtually on top of each other. Thousands of tourists and local citizens ambled up and down the streets, bargining for items on display. I cannot even start to list what could be purchased, surfice to say you could leave there with complete home and house contents, perhaps even the house!

Belinda and Sally had a ball! With Belinda and I having now confirmed our trip back to SA, we had many gifts to buy for friends and family back home. This was the perfect opportunity. Sally and Bill also made full use of the opportunity and “stocked up” on artifacts from Thailand.

Daniel and Jenna also had a ball walking the streets and focusing in on the many food stalls. I tried to tempt them into trying a few of the many deep roasted bugs! From Silkworms type catapillars to what resembled cockroaches, there were all there, deep roasted and ready to be consumed as a snack!! Also a hit with the kids were the many massage stands. Here one could pull up a reclining seat and have weary feet massaged. All along the many alleys, these massage facilities were there to give feet and legs a break and a rub down. Given the size of the market, these massages were a hit! Dan and Jen loved them and when we needed a break from them to examine a stand and its contents in more detail, we sat Dan and Jens down for a half hour massage. They soaked up the attention and the massage whilst we went about our busy shopping spree! 



The Wat

Perched up and a hill just outside Chang Mai is the ………. Wat.

One morning, we all climbed into a taxi and drove out of Chang Mai and up this huge hill with its road weaving its way high up above the city. The Wat overlooks the city and offers spectacular views. We took a kind of cable car / tram from the parking lot and emerged in front of spectacular temple. 

Unfortunately it was not a “quiet” wat, but a very busy one with tourists and locals alike exploring every part of the temples and the buildings. However, even with the many people roaming its grounds and taking pictures, it was still a fantastic place. We spent the next hour or so visiting the many rooms and temples; even being blessed by a monk. As Belinda said, the monk who blessed us radiated warmth, energy and kindness. A happy, gentle face of a man who appeared quite content and happy with his bundle in life; a rare quality in todays populace. Daniel and Jenna seem really taken in by these Buddhist experiences and both enjoyed the few rituals carried out at the many Buddha statues.



We left the wat, after taking in all the experiences, and slowly made our way down the meandering road back to Chang Mai.



Everyday we explored different parts of Chang Mai and spent many hours on our feet, walking the streets, having massages, eating out and trying to buy the last of the gifts required before we went home to SA. Gaps House was a great place to stay and, although we got exactly the same breakfast every morning for 10 days, it was a relaxed and enjoyable place.

With our stay in Chang Mai up, we packed our bags and headed off to the train station. The plan was to catch a train to a small village somewhere between Chang Mai and Bangkok, where we would spend a day or 2.

Again the train trip was enjoyable and that afternoon we pulled up in……….. Again we had organized a B&B via our trustly Lonely Planet Guide. Catching a taxi, we arrived at the B&B and checked in. The B&B overlooked a rather polluted and manky looking river, but offered all the amenities for us to enjoy the stay.

……. Is certainly not a tourist destination and offers not attractions aimed at tourists. We were happy with this and spent the next 2 days, again, wandering the streeta, eating at restaurants and finding great coffee!



Bangkok

With Bill and Sally flying back to S.A. in a few days time, our last stop was Bangkok. We caught the train from …….. and that afternoon we arrived in the city of Bangkok. With people bustling in and outr of the train station, we flagged down a taxi and set off for our hotel in a trendy touristy part of Bangkok. Not too sure on what to expect, we checked out the hotel, gave it the nod, and then grabbed our bags from the taxi. Although popular and “happening” with tourists, unfortunately the room were a bit small and stuffy. As we were not paying top dollar for our hotel accommodation, we really cpould not expect much better and resigned ourselves tro the fact that we would only be sleeping here for 2 nights and the rest of the time we would be out and about.

Unfortunately, as with any huge city like Bangkok, we experienced the “rip the tourist off” mentality. There was virtually nothing that we could do, that would not involve ongoing lengthly negotiations on price. Everything was negotiable! Now this can be quite an adventure at times and negotiating for a t-shirt or souvignier is a challenge. But having to negotiate to get into the Kings Palace and a simple boat ride down the river, or a taxi ride, (with meter!) it gets quite tiring and eventually you get the feeling of being ripped off! Walking the streets, one is constantly harrased by……… offering you trips or excursions to parts of Bangkok. Eventually it lead to us getting quite annoyed with the whole Bangkok experience and when we left the city, it was not soon enough. I have no doubt that it is a great place, but it remphisised our stand on “avoid cities where possible”. At the Kings Palace one has to wear long pants on entering. Fortunately there are robe type pants available on entering and can be obtained for free.However outside and before entering, traders are renting out clothing and insisting these have to be obtained before entering. Why this is allowed outside one of Thailands premier tourist attraction, I have no idea? We opted not to go in and decided rather on a boat ride down the river. It was reputed to be a great way to take in the sites of Bangkok. Again, we were coheresed into a “deal”. Again I had to negotiate the price and as time went on the price was reduced. Finally we settled on a price and the “guide” took us to the jetty. Before paying we manyt a few more enquiries only to find we could go on a similar cruise for a 60 baht per person, as opposed to the 1200 baht for the family! We rejected the 1200 baht option much to the disgust of the …… What a complete rip off!!

On leaving Bangkok, we wanted to catch a metered tax to the bus terminal. Well, this was not an option. Although there were many in the immediate area of the hotel, the fares were not metered but exorbently expensive! (Obviously being a tourist area and a captive market, the taxi drivers had agreed on no metered taxi rides from this area! A km or so away, the metered taxis came back into existence!!

Bangkok is a very interesting place with many sights and sounds of Thailand. It is vibrant, fast and buzzing with activity. It is also dirty, polluted and expensive. It is the only place in Thailand where we have been exposed to beggars in the streets and shady looking characters wandering the alleyways. Taking stock of our stay in Bangkok, we again concluded that cities were not really for us. Not a difficult conclusion to make considering our lifestyle over the past 2 years but none the less, we were not keen to put Bangkok down as a must see destination. There is a whole lot more to Thailand, its cultured and people than experiencing a week in Bangkok.

We bade farewell to Bill and Sally. They were to fly back to S.A. from Bangkok, whilst we caught a bus through to Phuket. 



Back in Phuket

We arrive back in Phuket early the following morning and caught a taxi back to Shayile at Yacht Haven. We were all extremely happy to be back on Shayile. It was our longest period away from her for 2 years and it was great to be “on water” again and back into the comfort and security of our home. 

We had massed 2 huge boxes of souvigneers and presents for friends and family back in SA. Our tickets home were all finalized and our plan was to sail down to Langkawi, leave Shayile in Rebak Marina and then fly home from Kuala Lampur.

We sailed out of Yacht Haven and headed down to Ao Chalong in order to check out of Thailand. Again, arriving in  Ao Chalong, it was like coming home to the village we deemed home in Thailand. We were now very familiar with the people, the shops, the streets and the anchorage. Dins bar on the waters edge became a land mark for us and greeting her the next day was like greeting a neighbour back home.

We spent 2 days in Ao Chalong catching up with people and buying a few things for the trip south. On the day of departure, I started the engines in the morning to charge batteries. After running the starboard engine for about 2 minutes, the alarm went off signifying the engine was overheating. I immediately turned it off and check out the engine. With obvious signs of it over heating I left the engine turned off and went to check out. My observation was a possible faulty solenoid. We returned to Shayile and prepared for departure. Again I turned on the engines and the same alarm sounded. I now relaised that it may well be more than just a faulty solionoid and soon discovered water under pressure was being forced out of the radiator water resivour. With an obvious engine problem identified I went off to try obtain some advice on the problem. I knew of a mechanic in Ao Chalong and soon tracked him down at his house. After giving me the run down of his life so far, he explained the fault. I had blown the head gasket on the engine! I was shocked at his prognosis as I had been nursing the engines and there was no obvious signs of any overheating or complaint. As we had already checked out of Thailand I made the call to sail down to Langkawi with one engine and get it repaired there. Bothered by the engine I returned to Shayile and we prepared to leave Ao Chalong.



Back to Langkawi

Next morning we set off for Langkawi. Accompanying us was a couple from Australia, Joe and Helen who were also heading down to Langkawi. They kindly said they would stay in touch with us, ensuring we had no problems with the one engine left!

At 11am we upper the anchor and headed out into Ao Chalong Bay. It was not 30 minutes later that the weather turned and it began to blow. They wind was not the problem, but squall were building up and moving our way. An hour out and I picked up a big squall heading our way. I called to B and we got to work, taking down the main and preparing for a blow. It arrived and within minutes we had winds close to 40 knots! We reduced the head sail and Shayile held her course as if nothing worried her. Ahead of us we saw a Sun Sail yacht in trouble. Not having reduced sail in time she was now heeled over and doing her best to come into wind in order to drop sails. Not obeying the Boys Scout motto of “be prepared”, she was caught in the squall. We watched as they finally managed to get her sails down. With that they did an about turn and headed staright back to the protection of Ao Chalong anchorage! Squalls can be scary and not for the faint hearted! On we sailed towards Phi Phi Island, as squall after squall hit us, sometimes with sheet rain reducing visability to 50 meters. The sea continued to pick up as the weather deteriorated. As we closed in on Phi Phi I picked up a huge squall closing in on us. Again myself and B did the necessary and we were ready for its driving wind and rain. Well it hit us with vengeance and soon we had winds measuring 50knots apparent! With us traveling at 6 to 7 knots, the true wind speed was well over 50 knots and the highest wind speed we had encountered on our trip. However, even with the seas choppy and a short swell, Shayile took it all in her stride and I was quite happy and relaxed at the helm in 50 knots of wind. Everything was under control and, frankly, I was enjoying it!

Soon we received a call from Joe telling us that they had just blown their genoa in the squall. They did not get it down in time and the force of the wind literally shredded their genoa. (Head sail) Under motor they managed to tuck in behind the lee of Phi Phi joining us for a much needed break from the relentless onslaught of the squalls and seas. I dropped anchor tucked in behind the cliffs of Phi Phi Don, joining the many day excursion boats and many fishing boats. When one sees many fishing boats at anchor seeking the protection of an island, you must know the weather is really bad out there! You know – local knowledge!

For 2 days we sat at anchor at Phi Phi Don as squall after squall thundered overhead. Even in the protected sanctuary of the island, we were still battered by 30 knot winds. Out to sea we could see the waves building. A few yachts came scrambling for protection, not keen on fighting the elements out there with winds in excess of 50 knots at times!



With the weather improving and the dreaded squalls having disappeared, we commenced our journey south. Our next stop was on the SE side of Ko Muk. We anchored up for the night and enjoyed a squall free evening together on Shayile.

Early the next morning we set off again, this time for Ko Lantra, well known for its bird next gathering activities. As previously mentioned there are certain islands between Thailand and Malaysia where the harvesting of bird nests takes place. This delacasy is obtained and sent for processing where it is turned into bird nest soup. The secret ingredient is apparently the syliva generated by the bird to “glue” the next together!

We anchored off Ko Lantra, away from the bird nest activity as we had heard a report from Ad Astra that we wanted to avoid. After having anchored up for the night, they were told by a boat full of Thai men to move away from the cliffs. Not that keen to move on, they asked why, only to be confronted by armed men explaining that they would shoot if they did not move. Ad Astra moved away!! We anchored up with……. And soon were joined by 3 other boats! With 5 yachts at anchor we felt secure with our anchorage for the night. Joe and Helen joined us for dinner that evening and we had a great meal together catching up on sailing stories and exotic destinations around the world! It’s amazing how chatting to people who have been to wonderful places around the world, how we are able to obtain information and learn more about sailing, places to visit and experiences of others.

Next morning we again headed south towards Langkawi, this time steering down the eastern side of the island of Ko Tarantao. We anchored between 2 islands just off a small beach. It was a deserted place and besides another yacht anchored some 500 meters from us, we were quite alone. A small Thai fishing soon came by and began picking up their nets. Watching them at work, I decided to go across and see what they were pulling up. Daniel and Jenna joined me and I paddled across to the fishermen. As they hauled their nets up, I saw a number of prawns in the net, along with many undersized fish, and all kinds of mobile marine life caught up in the gill net. It’s sad to see little Travelli and Rock Cod some 10 to 15 cm’s long being pulled up. Sadder still was when many were thrown back, already dead from the gill nets. Am I being over sensitive to this or is it a real problem? I keep questioning myself on this issue, something that I have seen taking place in every country visited so far. Take what you can regardless of size and ignore the long term effects. I could debate this for days on end but then what damage can poor fishermen do, going about their business in Thailand, fishing for the family, oblivious to any damage done? Let’s not go talking about commercial long line fishing boats and drag netting that provides us with tinned tuna on our supermarket shelves. This makes our Thai fishermen’s techniques positively environmentally friendly! 

Well, we spent some time watching them haul in their catch and then returned to Shayile. About half an hour later they came past and offered us the prawns they had caught. I had earlier expressed an interest in them but with the language barrier, was not sure if they understood me. They packed the 20 or so prawns into a plastic bag and handed them across for inspection. When B tried to confirm a price for the prawns they palmed it off implying we could have them. We refused and handed them 100 baht for their catch. Here were some seriously rural, poor fishermen going about their daily catch and then wanting to give us the prawns! What generous and kind folk! With 100 baht, some R25, they motored off home. That evening we had fresh prawns for dinner.



Langkawi

Next day we upped anchor and set off for Langkawi, some 15 miles away. As with every entry into Langkawi, we anchored outside Telaga Marina ands went ashore to check in.

Daniel and Jenna always enjoy Telaga as it has great ice creams at a reasonable price, and a fantastic educational playroom.

Our friends Don and Jeanne on Katrine were at anchor and invited us across for dinner that night. Also at anchor was Rob on the yacht Emma Peel, whom we had met in Chagos. For sundowners we went across to Rob and had a few beers. It was great to catch up with him, his travels and adventures over the past 8 months. Rob is a marine biologist, but has kind of side lined his profession to go sailing. Rob does the occasional charter and knows the Phuket / Langkawi area extremely well.

At 7pm we then went across to Katrine for dinner. On pulling up to Katrine, Don asked what we would like for breakfast!? We also noticed that, judging by the dinner layout, we were late for dinner. I asked Don what was the time and he said “Just after 8pm!” Myself and B looked at each other realizing we had forgotten to put our watches forward by an hour. We were still on Thai time and, according to us, it was 7pm! We all had a good laugh at the time confusion and soon settled into an enjoyable evening of red wine and a typically South African braai of steak and boerewors! Both myself and B get on very well with Don and Jeanne as they are fantastic folk, great company and really genuine people. After an evening of catching up on each others plans and travels, we headed back to Shayile for a sound nights sleep at anchor in Telaga Harbour.



With 5 days to go before departure date to South Africa, we did not have a whole lot of time socialize and sight see. We needed to get cracki8ng with packing and preparing Shayile for 2 months on her own.

We sailed down to Rebak Marina and checked in. Rebak was fast becoming our preferred stop over in Langkawi and was also becoming very popular with cruisers. There had been a change of management some months back and the benefits were starting to show. Yachties were now being well catered for with additional services being provided which, in the past, did not exist. Laundry facilities, restaurant foods at reasonable rates, free ferry rides to and from Rebak, and other important issues had been addressed. From some 12 yachts in a 140 yacht marina, Rebak was now becoming popular.

We tied up, checked in and then started to prepare Shayile. With only one engine working, I needed to get on to that one right away. I found a mechanic and teed up for him to fix and service both engines whilst we were away. I also needed a number of other tasks carried out. These were mostly cosmetic but important none the less. We had to strip an redo the galley floor. There were other minor gel coat repairs that needed attending to and some 35 other “maintenance issues”. Hamid, the local contractor was called in and he quoted on the repairs. With Hamid working on the boat and the mechanic on the engines, Shayile would be a whole new boat when we returned. Hopefully…..!!

At Rebak, I bumped into Carl and Bea who were in town. Carl and Bea were working on a motor yacht in the USA. However their contract was not renewed and they decided it was time to cruise. With their catamaran, “Rampant” on the hard in Rebak, they were now completing major work on her before heading off for some well deserved cruising.

Daniel and Jenna love Rebak and are kept well entertained with the many other kids around. Their good friend Thai, who lives on a yacht in Rebak, is always very excited when Shayile comes cruising into the marina. Immediately they get together, catch up on the latest news, (mostly new PS3 and other online games!) and then head off on their bikes. Most days we did not see them most of the day as they played and explored the resort. It was just as well as B and I were working frantically packing boxes and bags. We also had to ensure Shayile was secure and happy to remain on water, with no one on board, for 2 months maybe more.



Departure to South Africa

On the 20th June, the Shayile Clan left Rebak Marina on the evening ferry. It was sad to look out towards our beloved Shayile as the ferry pulled away, but as always, with those beautiful Maxim Yachts lines, she winked at us as if to say, “Enjoy, I’ll be fine here!”

We were loaded to the hilt with baggage and very concerned that we would be over the airline baggage limit! At the ferry dock, we caught a taxi to the airport some 3 km’s away

and boarded an Air Asia flight to Khula Lumpur. There was a 4 hour wait in the terminal as our flight home was only at 12.30am! Although very excited, the kids grew tired and we did our best to keep them awake until boarding the flight. In the departure lounge, before boarding, we sat amongst other passengers going to SA. Many were tourists on their way to SA for a holiday or even business. However others were SA citizens returning home from holiday and boy could we spot them! Boxer shorts, 2 toned button up shirts covering a huge beer boep, tackies and a Blou Bulle cap!! Hey, we were going home!!!!

We boarded, and on time, the Boeing 747 Jumbo jet departed for South Africa. It was an 11 hour flight to Johannesburg. Daniel and Jenna immediately explored all the bits and pieces given to them on an international flight. A hit was the little TV screen and remore control. Within minutes Dan had it waxed and was showing me games and other electronic functions that only he could work out in no time at all!

The flight home was fine. Obviously for the majority of us, long flights are not pleasant, but we managed to watch movies, get some sleep and remain sane for the flight.

It had been 2 years since we were last in SA. It is a relatively short time in the bigger picture, but for us it was a long period to be away from our family, friends and familiar surroundings. B and I chatted well into the night describing what we missed about SA, what would have changed whilst we were away, and how the excitement of being home may influence our future travels. Would we want to get home sooner? Would we opt to keep going indefinitely due to circumstances back home? Would the whole crime scene affect our quality of life, bearing in mind that for 8 months we had lived in an environment where crime was as foreign to us as the truth was to Jacob Zuma!