Day 221 Mar 13 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

the climb

made it 

after getting back down

Tiger Cave Temple

fossil shell beach

Day 221  Mar 13  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

The highlight of the day was a trip to the Tiger Cave Temple where I climbed the 1237 steps to the top.  David made it 830 steps and sat down on the stairs and waited for me to get back down.  Evy and Isabel made it 260 steps when Evy had a problem with acrophobia and had to turn back.  The view from the top was nice and I got to brag that I was the only one of the family that made it.  The climb to the top made me realize how much my physical condition has improved since we started our trip in August.  When we climbed the 476 steps at Daredevil trail in Newfoundland I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest.  I did not have much trouble climbing the steps at the Tiger Cave even though the temperature was in the high 30’s.  Coming back down the steps caused me more grief then the climb. By the time I got back down my legs were shaking from what I can only assume was muscle fatigue.   You really had to watch the monkeys as they would grab just about anything and run.  One tried to grab our camera but did not succeed.  Isabel and Evy saw a monkey grab a wallet out of a woman’s purse as she was walking and bottles of water seemed to be a favorite target.  The next stop of the day was at the Fossil Shell Beach which is slabs of fossilized shells.  No one was at the entrance booth to take our money so we just walked in.  When we got to the site we were very happy that we did not pay the $20 it should have cost to get in.  The “beach” is very unimpressive as the majority of reviews on trip advisor stated.  We spent no more than a few minutes there taking pictures then left.  We went to Ao Nang for supper and a drink then stopped at a hair salon where David and I got haircuts and Evy  had her hair colored.

Day 220 Mar 12 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

observation tower at Emerald Pool Park

is it Tarzan or an ape?

thinking about nothing!

Hot Stream pool

relaxing at Hot Spring Waterfall 

Day 220  Mar 12  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

We visited 2 sites today, the first being Emerald Pool which is advertised as being a “pool with clear green water containing hot natural mineral water which is believed ideal for good skin and health”..  When we got there we found a place crowded with lots of tourists and nationals.  The water was a murky greenish color definitely not clear green.  Isabel jumped in but David looked at it and put his shirt back on.  I told Isabel to get out and we left to walk the trails in the nature reserve.  We saw no animals but discovered what we can only assume was an observation tower.  The tower was abandon but had no signs saying do not climb, so up David and I went.  The last stair of the last set of stairs to the top floor was missing as was the hand rail.  The hand rail had rusted away as we assumed did the top step.  I made sure David stepped close to the pipe so he did not put much torque on the weld as it did not look very secure.  Once we were at the top the view was good and we got some nice pictures.  On the way out of the park we saw some locals swimming in the crystal clear river right next to the park entrance.  The kids and I joined them so we actually got to swim at the Emerald Pool Park, not in the emerald swill hole but in a nice clear river. The next stop was at the “Hot Spring Waterfall” which is a waterfall fed by hot springs.  The water which is between 40 and 42 deg C has worn natural bathtubs into the waterfall making it a great place to have a relaxing soak.  The kids went swimming in the river below the falls where the hot water meets the cold.  David said one half his body was hot and the other half cold giving him a weird sensation.  This is the first time I have been in thermal water and found the experience very neat.  If it had just been a warm pool it would probably not have impressed me so much but a hot waterfall; that is just cool.

Day 219 Mar 11 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

entrance to Klang Cave

Klang Cave

Klang Cave

Klang Cave

Klang Cave

Petch Cave

Day 219  Mar 11  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

We walked the main street of the town looking for car rental agencies.  We found a Budget agent; however they only had a big SUV available for much more then we wanted to pay.  We ended up walking back to the condo’s where we are staying and renting a car from the condo manager.  The condo management is also an agent for a local car rental company.  The contract we signed is in English but is horribly written.  It does seem to limit our liability to 6000 THB in the event that we destroy the car but I really hope we don’t have to test that theory.  We took off for a ride with no destination in mind.  We ended up stopping at Klang Cave near the town of Ao Luk.  The guide was good and provided good head lights.  The cave was absolutely fantastic with the greatest variety of formations I have seen in one cave.  The second cave we stopped at was Petch Cave (Tham Pech Cave).  At the cave entrance there was a Buddhist monk taking donations for the cave entrance and flash light usage.  He supplied one flash light for the 4 of us, when I asked about guides he shook his head no.   Off we went into the cave with our one light and no guide.  We did not go very far as we soon determined that it is not very safe for 4 people to walk around in a dark cave with only one light.  We made it to a big “room” that had lots of bats and some interesting formations. After the caves we headed to Ao Nang where we ate at May and Zin restaurant.  The food was as fantastic as the first time we ate there.  After 5 months of not having a  car it was very nice to have one again; however with the traffic and the cheap cost of transportation in most of Asia I would travel exactly as we have been. 

Day 218 Mar 10 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

beach day 

nice stroll down the beach in the 38 degree weather

looking for crabs

told the kids to stay off the slippery rocks! I should have taken my own advice.

Day 218  Mar 10  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

We went to the beach for a few hours today.  I tried snorkeling around a small island just off shore but the visibility was not good and there was very little to see.  At low tide we walked to the island and were looking for crabs along the shore.  I told the kids to be careful and stay off the wet rocks as there were slippery.  A short time later I was walking along the rocks and slipped, scrapping my foot and leg.  I never lost my balance and slid off the rock onto the sand like a skater on an inclined rink.  The rock did not look any different than the dry rock beside it but it was like black ice and gave no warning of the danger.  The salt water helped clean up the blood and we continued playing in the water for a while longer.  We then headed back to the condo and spent time playing in the pool. The rest of the day was spent reading about stuff in Europe and finding a place to stay when we get to Paris. 

Day 217 Mar 9 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

Getting attacked by David

trying to escape the monster

always ready to pose for a picture

Day 217  Mar 9  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

I started the day with diarrhea again and took more Imodium to control it.  We made the kids do school work and let them play on their tablets.  In the afternoon we went swimming for several hours.  Evy and I walked to the store for bread and cheese and on the way we stopped at a dress shop.  Evy is thinking about getting a dress for Allison and Scott’s upcoming wedding in September.  We ate supper sitting on the terrace looking at the sun setting behind palm trees in the distance.  It was another relaxing day.

Day 216 Mar 8 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

spending a relaxing day in Nong Thale

practicing the back crawl

gecko hunting 

Day 216  Mar 8  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

Evy and I went for a long walk down the beach and returned by the road.  By the time we got back we were soaking from our sweat since the temperature was in the high 30’s.  On the walk we priced out some taxis to go to the local tourist sites.  It is looking like it will be cheaper or the same price to rent a car in this town.  It seems there is no public transit here so the taxi and tuk tuk drivers have you over a barrel.  The prices for the popular destinations are posted on big signs and there does not seem to be room for negotiation.  In the afternoon Evy took Isabel swimming at the pool.   The manager for the apartment we are renting took us to the night market and to a Tesco in the evening where we bought quite a few groceries and lots of fresh fruit.  When we got back to the condo we enjoyed a meal of grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches and fruits.

Day 215 Mar 7 2015 Nong Thale Thailand

enjoying the roof top pool at one stop residence hotel in Kuala Lumpur

last dip before heading to Thailand

view from balcony at "At Sea Condo" in Nong Thale Thailand

Day 215  Mar 7  2015  Nong Thale Thailand

I was not feeling 100% so we hung around the hotel till 1 pm then took a taxi to the airport to catch or flight at 5 pm.  We arrived at the Krabi airport and took a taxi to the rental condo.  Evy and I went for a walk around the area to look for grocery stores so we could eat breakfast the next morning.  We ended up taking a tuk tuk to the 7-11 up the road only to find out it was with in easy walking distance.  The tuk tuks and taxis in Nong Thale are very expensive in comparison to other places in Thailand,  the 600 meter round trip to the 7 eleven cost 200 thb (8 cad).