Sea Kayaking...on the Adaman Sea

I am just back from 2 days overnight on Hong Island...It's a Thailand National Park, so we were the only ones (other than the park rangers) staying on the island over night.....

I was under the really weird impression before I came to Thailand that those awesome tall limestone islands were few and far between. NOT SO! there are about 1000 of them. And of course, I am taking pictures of every one I see. Eventually, I'll put some pics up...so far, too busy...Yesterday morning, we kayaked again in the mangroves around the island...What is a mangrove you ask? Well. I hate to disapoint but there are no men AT ALL except for those in our group. They are trees who's roots are in the water, and we kayak through them. And...little known fact, mangroves are now a protected plant in Thailand after the tsunami. Because the roots are in the water, and so deep, they saved many people when the tsunami hit, and they needed something to hold on to. I know...depressing. More on the tsunami later....

The monkeys came out to see us while we kayaked by, supposedly they will come onto your boat and bite the head off your water bottle. Ours were a bit more timid. We kayaked again, til the low tide went out, and then had a great lunch (seriously, I haven't eaten this well in my life!) and off to Hong Island. We went in a long tail boat for about a half an hour, then arrived on the idyllic island. The first night we had a front row view of a HUGE thunderstorm with a fire on the beach. Yesterday we kayaked to Paradise Island, where we fed fish. I keep having these interesting experiences, I see fish and plants that I recognize. But at home, they are called 'tropical' fish, and 'tropical' plants..heh heh, here they are just plants :) If you threw bread into the water, the fish went nuts, all quickly going after them...We ran into a ton of jellyfish. Maybe it's my life on fresh water lakes, but this was my first jellyfish experience. They are so beautiful, and scary! Ben, one of my trip mates got a minor sting while we were kayaking...We kayaked for a few hours, then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the sun. We saw a monitor-lizard, it was HUGE! I made Ben take pictures, I was too much of a wimp...

The sun. Oh the sun taunts me. I have water blisters on my right arm and look bright pink. So much for tanned suave Kim...My suntan lotion seems to suck. While kayaking I seemed to have a trail of suntanlotion coloured water around me. I am taking a break today from the sun, hiding in my guest house, and writing to you in the hottest hours of the day...I'll get the hang of it :)

Anyways, last night we had a barbecue, where we ate squid that was caught while we kayaked (okay, admittedly, I'd rather my calamari deep fried), and all turned in by about 9pm. ANIMALS I tell you! But not before there was a big crisis. Seems..that our tents were accidentally situated near the nests of fire ants. Seriously, there are a lot of dangerous bugs out here. Fireants, are little red ants that bite, and g-damn they hurt! they are about 1/5 cm long, and red...and if they bite, they borrough their heads into your foot and take a big chunk out of your foot. I only got one bite, but man that hurt. Anyways, much chemicals later, and a tent move...alls well ends well.

This morning we left camp, and returned to Ao Nang, where I have been abandoned.. No, not really, my cohorts are off to Sura Thani to catch the overnight to Bangkok, where they are on their way home. A note about the red-shirts protests. Yes, it was getting better, then someone got shot (a big wig in the higher ups of the redshirts)...so it's still dangerous. Just in case anyone was wondering, I am /was staying nowhere near the demonstrations. The thai are very clear about where you should not go...I have seen the army, but have come nowhere near danger, and that is where I expect to stay :)

Tomorrow I am off to Ko Phi Phi for a few days, I am hoping to find a guest house that is a little bungalow on the beach where I can drink Chang, and read books. Then I take another ferry to Phuket, and then off to Ko Samui. All by myself! The plan is definitely coming together, and I am excited to slow down for a little while.

Well, I am off to find some street food...Pad Thai on the street costs 90 cents, and I am HUNGRY!