Pit Stop

An 18 hour bus ride from Penang to Bangkok is not my idea of a good time, so I broke up the journey with a brief stop in Krabi. Krabi is a gateway to many of the beautiful islands of southern Thailand. But the town also has it's own charm, with karst moutains shooting straight up from the earth, tidal waterways, and natural mangroves. The pictures here show the main waterway at low tide (note the sandbar) and the longboats used to shuttle people to the islands.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to explore the islands, since I needed to get to Bangkok. I will have to return to visit the islands another time. I instead used my half day for adminstrative activities such as laundry, email, guidebook reading, journaling, and booking a bus to my next destination.

Along the way, I have been eating local food and engaging in local activities, but I did indulge in a little bit of western comfort at a local expat bar. The decor was a slice of home, with Guinness ads and dark wooden tables. I had a very good burger (need to keep those beef-eating enzymes active) and watched old episodes of Tom and Jerry while listening to The Stones. It was just the little respite I needed before heading to busy Bangkok.