New travel adventures from HE and SHE (continued)

Day nine to fourteen

SHE is under high tension again because the self-booked transfer ride was delayed. After an hour delay and after a call to the rental company (they still had to take customers to the airport), the taxi that would take them to Khao Lak finally showed up. 

After a three-hour drive, they reached their next hotel. This time at the right hotel, but… due to an overbooking, they had to go to another resort of a lesser class for one night! HE and SHE were lucky because a Swedish couple had to stay there for three nights. Thanks to them (the Swedes made their noses), we were offered dinner with them for free. The next morning they were indeed picked up and given a beautiful room in the Khao Lak Sunset resort. They immediately lost their hearts: right on the beach, quiet location, good food, fruit - coffee and tea in the room. They could spend the winter here for three months.

SHE was delighted. The only downside, to walk to the center of Khao Lak it was a fifteen minute walk. Back was always with a tuk-tuk. They were also a year older.

A trip that was really recommended: snorkeling at the Similan Islands. Indescribable how beautiful the underwater world was there. SHE even saw the fish NEMO in real life.

FLATER 3: since his snorkel goggles kept filling up with water, HE had to shake them out regularly. HE did this so ferociously that his wedding ring flew off his finger…HE just saw a tropical fish dart at the glitter and swallow the ring. There is now a real GOLDFISH swimming around!!!

SHE could experience firsthand that losing a wedding ring brought bad luck a few hours later. The speedboat they had arrived on was in the surf of a small beach and just as she was about to climb the steps to get back into the boat, a wave came up. SHE lost her balance, fell into the shallow water and got the iron kick on her leg. Result: a multicolored heavily bruised leg for the rest of her vacation. HE then, together with a lovely Thai lady, put ice packs on her leg all the way back to limit the damage somewhat. Does this fall under Flatter number 1 of hers?

They also visited several memorandums of the Tsunami. As a small sponsor, they certainly wanted to see the house of the four orphaned girls in the village of Ban Nam Khem, for which Thaibel (Thai lesson) had also contributed. Without a specific address, however, this was impossible.

Then it was off to Phuket to the Coconut Village resort on Patong Beach. SHE was delighted again. Now that was vacation, plenty of room to store all her stuff. So much space that she left seven summer tops in a drawer when she left! Goof number 1 (or 2) from her. Fortunately, she had a savior among the many fellow students who stayed in Thailand. Long story short, the tops are back in her possession.

Patong Beach is not really their thing. With a rented motorcycle they fled the most famous overcrowded beaches and looked for quieter places. A visit to Wat Chalong, Cape Phromthep, Cape Panwa, Siray Island (gypsy village), Phuket Town, Rang Hill (discovered by chance) and Kathu Waterfall were on the program. The following beaches were marked with a dot: Surin Beach and Bang Tao Beach. Relaxing at the pool of their resort was unsustainable. Swedish, Russian and British hooligans terrorized the over-XNUMXs (HE and SHE) who sought peace and quiet.

Phuket FantaSea was also on their wish list. Indeed a fantastic show even elephants came on stage. Only the happening around they found shops and eateries everywhere a bit exaggerated to get more money out of their pockets. Of course SHE had to inspect all the shops and… come out without buying anything, that was not possible.

The nightlife in Patong can certainly be compared to that of Pattaya. Bangla Road is exactly Walking Street with many Lady Boys. There was also a new shopping center Jungceylon. SHE was allowed to walk around there for an hour (how SHE missed her daughter then) to get a new suitcase, reading glasses (ready in an hour!) shoes (had to because the heel had broken off). All this at a good hour? After that I sat in a bar for hours, hoisted Singha and watched a Ladyboys show. Men!!!

The hungry stomachs were once satisfied with a compatriot. In the Belgian Steakhouse HE ordered steak with fries, while SHE opted for stew. With the skinny Thai cow animals in mind, they wondered how they got those tender steaks here. Imported from New Zealand was the answer from the manager. Yummy. They also liked the food at Shakers, but in the end they were in Thailand and had to taste the local dishes. After all, SHE wanted to try making Massaman curry at home and HE, guess what: SOM TAM.

DAY 20 to 22

HE and SHE have to take either a bodyguard or a Nanny on a trip, because they both suffered from a mild form of Alzheimer's, which False No. 4 proved.

FLATER number 4: their flight from Phuket to Bangkok was delayed by an hour and in the Bangkok Airlines lounge they while away the time checking their emails on the internet. HE had safely placed his film bag with camera and camera under his seat. Finally it was boarding time and they were already in their seats when the airhostess shouted through the microphone: “someone forgot his camera”. SHE poked him in the side: “Do you have your camera?” HE: damn…(censorship again) that's mine!” with a head as red as a tomato, he raised his finger timidly. HE was so upset that HE couldn't find the brand of his camera (which he was asked to do to make sure they had the right owner) Oh dear, HE was lucky, imagine losing all his footage… (it wouldn't be the first nor the last time he forgets about his movie gear though).

MeSamong / Shutterstock.com

The last day arrived and their canceled cycling tour of 'day three' was now on the program. SHE was not sure: “How can you ride a bicycle in that hectic traffic?” HE: “start stressing already”. The starting point was the reception of the Grand China Princess hotel. A Thai girl rode at the front of the row and one last. Both wore yellow caps and accompanied the bike ride through traffic. Strangely enough, when the first one raised her yellow cap, traffic in Bangkok just stopped so that the group could cross safely every time. Characteristic of this 'Co van Kessel Bangkok tour' was the astonishing contrast between beautiful, ugly, grey, poor, rich, dark, light, old, new, pure art and dazzling kitch, which they passed each time. HE and SHE were the only two Flemings, the rest were Dutch (bicycle people). SHE walked beside her bike more than she sat on it. Way too narrow alleys and way too steep bridges. But it was a lot of fun (very nice, the rest of the group would say) and she would do it in a heartbeat. At one point, they crossed the Chao Phraya River by ferry and ended up in a rural area. What a peace and relief and that so close to the big city. Here they saw the real Thai life in the middle of brightly colored temples. A sincere smile here, a waving hand gesture there (children always wanted to shake hands with those farangs, and SHE almost fell over every time). The return trip went with a longtail boat, including bicycles! Anyone with a normal condition could participate in this cycling tour. Bangkok turned out to be as flat as a dime, except for the steep bridges, and the airflow kept it surprisingly cool, even in the bright sun. Really great.

Around eleven o'clock in the evening a taxi took them to the airport. In one piece which was a miracle because the driver was a real kamikaze. Apart from the fact that the air conditioning in the plane was on freezing and SHE couldn't smell any food let alone eat at half past four in the morning, the return flight went without any significant incidents or ... flats.