Day 20 Thailand

I woke up to the sounds of the jungle, & had a pineapple shake before we hopped into vans for the ride to Krabi on the West coast. We had to stop alongside the road for a few minutes, because one of the girls thought she forgot her camera & wanted to check for it; meanwhile I spotted another monkey - of a different type -in a nearby tree. Some of us went over to check him out & were able to get quite close for a photo.
We got to Krabi & piled all our gear into a long tail boat to Railey Beach. It was a short ride with gorgeous scenery. This is really how I had pictured Thailand, beautiful colored water & lots of green mountains jutting out. We arrived at the Yaya resort, right on the water, where we would stay 2 nights. This area is lovely & a bit cooler with ocean breezes from beach on both sides. We stowed our stuff in our cute rooms, although they still have the typical bathroom: a vanity with sink, toilet, & detachable shower head that is not in a any way separated, so the whole bathroom gets wet when you shower.
Some of us walked around the area & to the caves before hitting the beach. The caves were neat with some impressive formations. We found our way to the main beach- a huge, wide beach with soft sand. It looks like paradise, it's breathtaking with tall green mountains on each end & small islands out in the distance. I spent the afternoon swimming, then some of us got lunch at an open, beach-side restaurant. I had chicken satay & some of the best mango sticky rice I've had yet. We wandered the shops & I bought 2 dresses for 550 baht=$16.
By the time we walked back out to the beach, after less than an hour in the shops, the tide had gone out; it was amazing to see the rate at which the beach had receded. I had planned on snorkeling by some rocks at the far end of the beach, however this was no longer an option, so I walked the beach scouting for shells & watching crabs make beautiful patterns in the sand. As they dig their holes, they toss the sand out making interestingly artistic & symmetrical patterns.
Allison & I decided to walk to the other side of the island to see the other beach. On our way, we saw lots of small brown monkeys playing in the trees & crossing on the electrical wires right over our heads. We were able to get quite close to watch them. As we walked to the other side, we had to follow the coast, then hug the walls of the mountain & walk under rock walls. The beach on this side is also lovely, & it started raining as we got in the water. It was only a drizzle, & the first real rain we've had. We were content to swim in the warm water & enjoyed the rain.
We had dinner at the resort, then all went to the Last Bar for drinks. We sat on mats on the deck & ordered buckets of cocktails to share - they looked like sand pails. The flamethrowers put on a great show; although this was something that never would've happened in a bar in the US. Several guys took turns showing us tricks with fire lit balls, sticks, etc that they juggled. They were right in front of us & it seemed rather dangerous, as they dropped them a few times & nearly burnt people. At one point I got sprayed with kerosene coming off the sticks; this is when I decided it was time to move back. It was a very impressive show, & I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Everyone had been wanting to dance, so Janelle started it off by running out to the dance floor. Several of us quickly followed & had a blast dancing the night away. As the evening advanced, the dance floor got more crowded & we ended up sweaty & eager for a swim. Penny, Allison & I found our way to the main beach, where we were pleasantly surprised to find the water filled with bioluminescent plankton that lit up & sparkled when we stirred up the water. I've seen this only a couple other times, & it always amazes me. We had fun playing in the water before heading to bed.