LAND OF RAINBOWS, MANGROVES AND SEA GYPSIES

I wonder if they knew to look for the pot of gold.

Not to be put off by the monsoonal weather we set out once more into the magnificent Phang Nga Bay which lies tucked in between the holiday island of Phuket and mainland Thailand. Our first day on anchor had all the right signs with this majestic rainbow embracing the sky.

Wrapped in rainbow!

We have a saying on board our boat when things are going well. "We're going to pay for this!" There's a ledger you see, finely balanced with negatives and positives, red and black. Too much into the black and the bills start coming in. Too much into the red and there's got to be a rainbow coming our way.
Anyway we got the rainbow, now we had to pay. On this trip into the bay unprecedented winds blew with great ferocity from the north west sending mighty bullets into the most protected of anchorages. The anchor dragged, the wind howled and the rain came down, not in sheets but blankets.

Pan Yi or the Sea Gypsy Village as it is known, promised us a reasonable anchorage. It was with great curiosity that we motored cautiously up through a fairly deep channel which threaded its way through the shallow waters of the north of the bay. We were keen to see this unusual village that we had heard so much about.

Approaching Pan Yi ,commonly called The Sea Gypsy Village

As we dropped the anchor we were amazed at the size of this town built almost entirely over the water. There are 360 families or 1,600 people living in this floating fishing village. It is a Muslim village with a beautiful mosque that glows like a second sun in the morning light. On this trip of rainbows we were lucky enough to see the domes lit by the sun and a rainbow that appeared to point to the largest of the minarets.

Blessed by a rainbow

The origin of the village makes an interesting story. In the 18th century three nomadic Malay fishing families made their way north  from Java in search of good fishing grounds . Legend has it that it was agreed that if one of them found a good place to settle they would place a flag high on the hill. The name of the village is "flag" in their original language. The inhabitants are originated from those first three families.

Fishing is still important in Pan Yi

Today fishing is still an important part of village life, but tourism also contributes a huge income. In high season, November to March there can be 3000 tourists daily! There are numerous restaurants facing the water and further into the village there are narrow lane ways crowded with stalls selling tourist nick knacks.

An island with a fur bonnet!

Stall holders selling clothes, jewelry and food stuffs clamor for your attention

As we wandered through the back streets of the village we discovered the amazing mosque, still under construction or renovation, we couldn't tell, and people going about their lives as we all do, all over the world. Some houses looked quite suburban with pot plants and picket fences. It was easy to forget that it was all suspended over water.

The mosque is a place for prayer and a meeting place. Its grandeur reflects  the devotion of the people.

Quite suburban, apart form the huge limestone back drop and the water lapping under neath. 

Some of the footings were wood like this, but some were concrete.

After our exploration of the village we felt like a bit of adventure and ventured forth in our little dinghy with its 3.3hp motor in search of a famous cave that was supposed to be nearby. Our directions were a bit sketchy, but we thought we would just go in the same direction as the tourist boats. The cave was to be found at the end of mangrove tunnel. How hard could it be? Remember the old ledger? Well....

This could be the mangrove tunnel we're looking for.....

 We bravely turned into a tunnel that looked promising. It twisted and turned this way and that. It got narrower and darker as the mangroves leaned in to block the sky.
 "It's got to be just around the next corner surely?"
 "Maybe just around here?"
We could see where we needed to go, or thought we did , but each corner took us in the wrong direction.

Maybe around this corner?

It was getting late in the afternoon and we were getting further away and deeper into the dark mangroves. Mangroves that stretched out for miles and miles. We started to say half joking
 "Lost in the mangroves. Never to be seen again!"
(nervous laugh)

Putting on a brave smile while thinking OMG we're running out of fuel!

 The little motor was running hot and running out of fuel. We had a small jerry of fuel, but no radio, GPS, water, food or mosquito repellent. Finally we gave up, and although we had come miles we decided to retrace our steps and hope the fuel would last the distance. It would be a long hard row all the way back to the boat if we ran out.

At last we saw open water through a gap in the mangroves. We were back into familiar territory.!

Light at the end of the tunnel!

Before long we were in the wide open river with the tourist boats zooming past. We never did find the cave, but it didn't matter. We'd seen enough mangroves to last us a long time!

Tourist boats constantly ferrying people to see the sights.

On the way back we could see the other side of the village with its legendary floating football field, school and hospital. The football field started with some kids desperate for some flat ground to play football. Originally they started putting together floating bits of wood, but now it is much more sophisticated with floating plastic buoyancy. The Panyee Football Club now is one of Thailand's strong youth teams.

The other side of Pan Yi snugged against the huge limestone island,

The football field

This house is for tourists to stay, we think.

The hospital. Accessible only by boat, of course.

Rob was quite taken with this house with its picket fence and two car (boat) garage.

We had never been happier to get back to the boat. the little motor did a great job ad the fuel lasted. You would think after all these years of cruising and boating that we would be a little more prepared! But then it wouldn't have been half the adventure.

From Pan Yi we explored more of the northern end of Phang Gna Bay, but found the anchorages difficult because of swirling winds and waters. We happened to have hit spring tides so the boat was in a constant battle between wind and tide. Koh Yai Noi was the best as it wasn't as steep sided as the other anchorages, so wasn't subject to wind bullets. There is still plenty to explore in this area and we still think the wet season is the best time to do it. I can't imagine what 3000 tourists at Sea Gypsy Village would look or feel like!

Diana

Phang Gna Bay Thailand in Pictures



Koh Muk

Here we are anchored on the island of Koh Muk. It looks peaceful now but later that night we were hit by a localised tropical storm that had the boat swinging madly from side to side on its anchor.


This part of Thailand is famous for its "hongs" which means room in Thai. This one is called Emerald Cave and is entered by swimming or paddling through a dark tunnel.

 

 

The end of the tunnel opens up to reveal a small beach and jungle garden fully enclosed by towering rock walls.

Out again into the open sea.

 

Same island but a different side. We joined cruising friends in this beautiful bay. Good food. Good company.

 

We went exploring and found this great little coffee shop.

The famous Phi Phi Island which is beautiful but.....

 

crowded with these phizz boats that bring hundreds of tourists to swamp the island

 

Ao Chalong

The main port for Phuket Island.

This is where we take our passports and boat's papers to clear in to Thailand.

 

Our anniversary bay.

We took the dinghy to this little bay with drinks and snacks. Unfortunately a very large male monkey had ownership of the beach and demanded food in a very threatening way, so our celebration was a bit hasty!

Exploring in our dinghy.



Koh Lanta celebrates Songkran or the Thai Water Festival. Everyone goes out onto the streets and has a great time spraying water at each other. No chance of staying dry, but it doesn't matter because it is so hot!



We visited a school on the island of Ko Po......

 

 

Oral hygiene seems to be a priority. 

Village on Koh Po

Koh Po kids having fun

Old Koh Lanta Town is a lovely laid back town with a few touristy shops and good restaurants overlooking the water.

Koh Lanta Old Town

 

 

Koh Lanta restaurants would rival many five star restaurants for location.

 

 

 

 

Koh Lanta is quiet enough for even me to venture on the roads by bike

But the road hazards are not what we are used to in Perth!

The anchorage at Koh Lanta Old Town. A sombre sight for a yachty. 

Rob doing a good impersonation of Gilligan on Koh Rang Yai.

The arduous 10 minute walk across the island of Koh Rang Yai to the restaurant on the other side.

Watch out for falling coconuts!



 

 

The tourists had only an hour to enjoy Koh Rang Yai whereas we could be there indefinitely.

Ahh! Tourists all gone. Time to relax.

Back in the big smoke of Phuket Old Town with its beautifully restored Sino Colonial buildings

 

A girl's day out exploring Phuket Old Town.

The back lanes of Old Phuket Town.

On anchor in Thailand

A misty and rainy Phang Nga Bay

Hi folks. We are at last back on anchor in Phang Nga Bay and it's been something of a trial to get here but here we are, rocking gently from side to side under the leaden skies of a typical wet season day. The last blog had me up this way sneeking a few weeks on the boat in between check ups. Well, I flew back on the 27th of April and had the biopsy and then waited about 2 weeks for what were pretty good results. No sign of anything unpleasant down the oesophagus and next check up in 4 months. All's clear at this stage. So it was then a mad dash to book tickets, tidy up the Busselton house, catch up with family and friends and get my back side on the Air Asia shuttle we are getting to know so well. Diana rang and said we are short on Twisties and milk powder. You cannot buy Twisties in Thailand which  is a national disgrace and the milk powder is sweetened and quite foul. So I ducked down to the supermarket and I also bought 6 months supply of my reflux medications which amounts to about 360 tablets. So you can appreciate my slight concern as I approached the luggage xray knowing I had 6kg of packages containg a white powdery substance as well 360 tablets of supposed reflux medication. No probleemo friends. The only other possible headline waiting to happen involved the Twisties. I had them in my overhead locker and when I went to get my kindle from said locker I noticed the twisties had all filled with air and were ready to burst. I sat back down and waited for the series of muffled pops to go off while airline staff assumed terrorist attack mode and requested an emergency landing. You could imagine their surprise as the anti-terrorist -squad carefully opened the overhead locker and were showered in Twisties. What a waste. Anyway, the Twisties packets hung in there and were enjoyed along with a cold beer back on the boat in Yacht Haven.

Motley and Diana had to vacate to a nearby condo while a "little" paint job was done

Diana had been busy while I was away and it was great to uncover all the impovements she had done on The Doc. A new toilet in forward head was perhaps the best improvement as anyone who has lived with a dying pump action variety can testify to. There was a new paint job down below, leaks sorted, patches of rot gone, stainless looking like new, topsides shining, new bow shades and the list goes on. She is certainly a can do girl.

Hazan putting on a coat of varnish on the toe rail

Our exit out of the pen was delayed due to a tropical ulcer type thing I had on the back of my leg. I should have got it sorted in Perth but time ran out and we decided to get it looked at in Phuket. We found the Phuket Bangkok Hospital and basically were seen straight away. Anyway, long story short, the dressing needed to be changed every 2 days so we had a week in Phuket we weren't expecting. There is an area called old Phuket town and its full of classic sino-chinese style restaurants that serve all types of food. It is quite near the hospital so it made sense to call in for lunch. The best was Dibuks and we highly recommend it.So it was quite nice to have the week to just poke around Phuket. We hired a car for the hospital days and by the end of the week were finally getting into the "driving in Phuket' mode. It's mad. It's like driving along Leach Highway at peak hour without any road rules and surrounded by a 1000 year 10s on mopeds. I kid you not. It takes a day to recover. We were looking forward to just getting away from the crowds and out into the space and breeze of Phang Nga Bay.

The marina supplies boat boys who help in your exit and entry into the pens and as it happened, we needed them big time. Just before we left, Zara, the marina manager had come by to have a chat about looking after Motley. As she left she asked when we'd had our prop last cleaned. I said just before we'd come in and she looked kind of concerned and said, ummm, might be pretty bad. No worries said I, we'll do it out on anchor. Diana backed out and the boat boys guided our stern around with their inflatable and it was all too easy.

" Rob.....got a problem.....plenty of revs but not much forward motion......Damn", we thought, barnacles on the prop, maybe we can shake em off as we go. Well we got out of the marina and headed down the channel against the tide, and we were going nowhere fast. I put the revs up and it made no difference apart from some ugly vibrations pounding through the hull. The decision to turn back is never an easy one but this was dangerous so we radioed up and headed back in. The boat crew were waiting and helped us tie up, and after a quick chat one of them was volunteered to go over with scraper and do the deed......for 1000bht, about 33 bucks. Not a bad deal as that's probably his weekly wage for half an hour's work.
 

Approaching rain squall

The prop was cleaned and with the tide easing to slack water we made our way easily down the channel and into the first of many squalls. Its wet season up here so you have to expect some weather. We finally made it to the anchorage which is behind a 300 m vertical limestone cliff face. Soft grey misty clouds cover the tops and its like being in the Scottish highlands except its 30 degrees and you're wearing bathers. Rain squalls appear and disappear in a matter of seconds and apart from some roll its very pleasant. We'll be here for about a week and then its back to the marina and then down to Penang for a visa run. Till next time, bye for now. Rob

We're back

Resort near Talaga, Langkawi

 

 

Greetings dear blog followers and a warm hullo from steamy Thailand. Well, this is my first blog for almost a year and so a short update is called for. Diana and I left the boat in Rebak Malaysia last year around the end of May and headed home. We moved into our place in Busselton having declined the tenants' request to extend their contract and what a good move that was. The original tenants as per the lease were a lovely couple from Perth who had a family crisis and were in need of a new start. Well, lovely couple from Perth get jobs driving across Australia as wide load security drivers and invite their son and his mate as our new tenants. A long story short the house is quickly deteriorating in the hands of these two and Mum's weekly visits arn't really helping. So we got back in time and the lesson is be very careful when putting your house in the hands of property managers who have 300 or so houses on their books, they really don't care.

So it took a while to sort out repairs and in no time it was July 23rd and Diana was booked on a flight back to Rebak, the boat and Motley. I was going to stay in Perth and get the house ready for short term rental and then fly back in October. As it happened, the process of preparing for short term rental is more complicated than it appears and so I was still in Perth when Diana flew back for Christmas 2013.

 

We had a lovely Christmas and were all ready to jump on a flight back to Rebak on January 16th to resume cruising when life threw your proverbial spanner into the mix. I had been using my time in Perth to get a comprehensive health check done and a little problem popped up. I remember it was January 3rd or 4th when I started seeing the gastro about sorting it out and I asked him could I still make the flight on the 16th. He looked at me in his pleasant and reassuring way and said, "you might have to put your plans on hold for a while". Anyway, long story short, it was a couple of spots of early stage cancer of the oesophagus but we got it before it had developed into sub mucosal stage and therefore before radical surgery was required. Once things had become clear Diana flew back to take over Motley minding and I was to come up within a few weeks once the all clear was finally given.

That, however, wouldn't be until late in April. April is a big month for us. We have our anniversary on the 6th and then on the 26th it was Diana's big, special birthday that ends in a 0. The only clue I can give is that now bus travel will now be cheaper for one of us. So I asked Dr Spiro Raftopulous if we could postpone the check up till the end of April and he said fine, see you on the 1st of May.

So dear readers, on the 11th of March I did the old Air Asia horror back to Rebak with the aim of getting the boat out of Rebak marina and to at least have a taste of Thailand. Which we have done. And now I'll tell you a bit about that if you are still awake.

 

Back on board

It was quite a joy to steer the Doc out of the marina. What had, at times, looked like a closed chapter in the great narrative of ones life had now flipped open to a new page. The Doc was in great shape and all praise to Diana who had been busy keeping up maintenance and adding improvements along the way. After refuelling in Telaga we poked our nose out around the island and were met with a 20 knot headwind for our run to Lipe and the waters of Thailand. So we did what all smart sailors do and we headed back and dropped the anchor. Next day we had more pleasant conditions and well before lunch we dropped anchor on the west side of the southern bay on Koh Lipe.

 

 

Koh Lipe is one of those islands in the run from Langkawi to Phuket that has got the tourist infection. The beachfront along the southern bay is a mess of bars, backpapers, bronze flesh and muffler free long tails. There is a strip of restaurants, massage joints and tourist junk shops leading up from the beach and it runs for about half a kilometre. We were sitting in one of the restaurants under what must be one of the great inventions of all time, the electric fan, and surveying our welcome back Thai menu. They are mostly photographic by design and have plastic sleeves which you thumb through doing your standard mental arithmetic at the same time. OK, divide by thirty. Main course 150 bht, salad 80 bht, cold beer 40 bht.....total 270 ht..... oz dollars about 9...The servings are big and the value is excellent. Welcome back to Thailand we said and clinked our frosty beers. Coming up........Koh Muk and the emerald cave.

 

Motley crew getting back into the cruising life