Railay Relaxation

We were anxious to get started on our weekend getaway Thursday, and after our classes ended, we were already packed and ready to go. But, the truck needed to get checked out and we ended up having to wait for the shocks to be replaced. It was a bit awkward leaving once we did because it was the last day for our co-worker who wasn't talking with us, so I anticipated an uncomfortable exit. She wasn't around, though, so we said our goodbyes and drove the three hours to Krabi Town.

We parked at the pier and worked our way through the bossy long tail boat owners who laughed at us for wanting to pay 1/3 of their asking price. We got a very decent rate (better than they were offering - who's laughing now?!) and carefully made our way into the long tail boat via the bow with several other visitors. We were on our way to Railay, a part of Krabi that is only accessible by boat because tall cliffs make traveling by land impossible.

The waters got a bit rough in the afternoon and I threw on a life vest...I spent the last part of the boat ride wondering, if we capsized, how I would save the video camera from being ruined. The vests were strapped to the side of the boat and weren't required for passengers. I thought of how very useless they would be if we sank...and how pathetic it would look for the rest of the passengers to be floundering around in the water (I didn't take them for the swimming type) and me trying to save the electronics.

We arrived and walked on an underground plank through the shallow waters to the shore. The tide had receded quite a ways, and most of the beach was now mud. The waters were much too shallow for boats, so you had to walk into shore with your bags. Our first move was to check out the western shore, which is known to be more beautiful than the eastern shore. It is only a short five minute walk from one side to the other. A huge resort, Railay Beach Resort, has primo real estate in the entire midsection of the "island." We checked in to Ya Ya Resort (everything is a resort, but not everything is a resort). For about $10, we got a small fan room with no sink, but we are used to cheap options and didn't think we'd have any problem with it.

We had a nice dinner at the Diamond Cave Resort, but the mixture of cocktails and pain killers left me quite tired and a little woozy, and we went back to the resort early. On the way back, I dropped my camera case in the dark and in the mud, and we had to go back and look for it. We danced on the beach too...by beach I mean mud that used to be under water, and by danced I mean Derek held me up while I wobbled home.

Neither of us slept. He had tonsillitis and I had cramps...we were both hot and sweaty and in the morning, we woke up to ants making homes on our things. We decided - that's IT. We've had it. We're checking in to someplace with a real sink and windows. So, we got our stuff, had breakfast at Ya Ya Restaurant and checked in to the Railay Beach Resort. We spent the day lounging on their beach chairs with their fluffy towels, right on the edge of the western bay. I got a small sting from a jelly fish on my leg (a baby one - it looks like a huge water droplet), but otherwise we had a spectacular time. We swam in the pool and took many pictures. It was overcast, so for once Derek wasn't sweating like crazy. We had appetizers on a candle-lit mat on the beach and Bud's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (heaven in scoop form). We ate at the Railay Beach Restaurant where they carved tomatoes and cucumbers into flowers.

That night, we lived a life of luxury. We soaked up every possible benefit of spending 10x the amount that we did on the room the night before. We got free soaps, tooth brushes, sewing kits - we took them all, even if we already had it. We used the whole thing of bubble bath and I got to BLOW MY HAIR DRY. I remembered days when my hair looked good, if only for a brief moment. We watched television and walked around in the free bath robes and slippers. We slept very well.

The next morning, breakfast was free, and bountiful! Derek loves hotel breakfasts, so he just about wet himself when he saw the spread in front of us. We both ate way too much, but we were getting our money's worth.

We met Bailey at the docks to board the ferry for Phi Phi Don, and we were on our way to further explore the beauty of southern Thailand!