railay: the last sunset

tragedies happen, life goes on. dogs are walked. words are written. photos are edited.

these are the last of my Thailand photos: our last night in Railay. we spent the afternoon drinking at the pool and playing cards, but managed to hit the beach for dinner and sunset. the tide was low and the crowd was out in full force. there were kids playing soccer and some guys doing what must have been a muy thai kickboxing demonstration? it looked like dancing and fighting at the same time. sadly, no pictures of that. but we have sunset and longtail boats aplenty...

to be honest, the sunset was a little lame and my pictures went a little wacky. but we sure had a blast running around the shallows and hopping onto boats.

Railay, you were wonderful. relaxing, tasty, and full of adventure. I can't wait to go back...

railay: longtail adventures

one afternoon during our stay in Railay, Husband and I hopped a longtail boat to Ao Nang for a late lunch. taking a longtail taxi is interesting. it's cheap... about $3 US for a ride. but you wait until they have 8 passengers before the boat will leave, unless you want to pay the private boat fee.

we weren't in any rush. [it's vacation, after all]

ten minutes, a few splashes, and a pirate boat sighting later... we found ourselves on the shore of Ao Nang. our stomachs were rumbling and our feet were soggy and sandy. and in my case, in pain.

on that particular morning I had sliced my foot open on a rock while Husband and I were exploring the shallows. salt water + open wounds = sting-y. wet feet + sand + cut = possible infection.

it was strange to see all the cars and traffic and people after being on secluded Railay beach for a few days. after wandering through the streets + shops for a bit, we stumbled upon an Irish pub. Husband was pleased because the pub was playing European futbol [aka soccer] on the big screen. I was pleased because I was able to rinse of my sandy, sting-y feet in the sink. AND they had Weston's Cider on tap. which means happiness for the gluten-intolerant! Husband had fish + chips, and I had a giant plate of nachos [which turned out to be better than the ones we got at the Mexican place a few nights later. go figure.] Irish pub for the win!

happy with bellies full of tasty food [and maybe just a little tipsy] we strolled through the various shops along the beachfront. we found a pharmacy to pick up some IP alcohol for the gash on my foot. and then we hopped a longtail back to Railay, where the boats were thick in the water and begging for a photo op. I definitely enjoyed the change of scenery [and food options] but it made me glad we chose to stay in the much less crowded Railay. besides- cider is only a boat ride away!

railay: one night on the west beach

welcome to Railay, a little slice of heaven on the Andaman Sea. this is the west beach: our arrival, and our first night there.

I think it says a lot that to even get to Railay you have to ditch your shoes, hike up your skirts, and put your faith in a guy with an 8-foot-long outboard motor. this is not a fancy place. beautiful, yes, but in a very laid back way. you have to just go with it. you will get wet + sandy on your way to Railay. there's no way around it, literally. even though Railay is a peninsula [not an island] thanks to the surrounding rock cliffs, there are no roads that can reach this beach- only boats.

oh, but it's worth the trouble.

we arrived late on a hazy afternoon, flying from Bangkok to Krabi, grabbing a taxi to Ao Nang, and then of course a longtail boat to Railay beach. by the time we settled in to our hotel and made it back to the west beach for dinner we had missed all but the very end of the sunset. [in fact, we only ever saw one sunset in Railay. but it was a spectacular one.]

spectators hole up at one of the many beachside bars or restaurants and stay through the whole show. others camp out in the sand. or better yet, in front of the bar that sets out mats on the beach to use as tables. [that's where we relocated after dinner.] with warm breezes and cool beverages aplenty, there's not much incentive to go very far.

there's still plenty to see after dark. the moon, big and bright. the stars, clear as ever. couples strolling hand in hand. possibly drunk girls feeding pizza to cats. 

merchants selling paper lanterns wander the beach. and when someone breaks down and buys one, and everyone watches to see how far out over the sea the lantern will fly.

after a few drinks, the west beach quiets down. the sea starts to light up in eerie green as the squid boats arrive for the night. some good conversation, a few rounds of cards, and it's time to head back to the hotel for a midnight swim some beauty sleep.

Thailand by iPhone

bangkok by night //  wat arun // heading to the pool // power lines // lanterns in the market

longtail boats // fresh young coconut // longtail to ao nang // cheers // thieving monkeys

railay from the water // beach kittens // husband // cave exploring // sea kayaking

currently on a 48-hour layover at home in Taiwan. basically, enough time for a load of laundry and a fresh coat of nailpolish before we head off to the Phillipines. there's no way I'll be able to go through and edit all the pictures I took before then, so today you get a smattering of phone photos. enjoy!