So the journey began from my favourite airport, Koh Samui, on less than my favourite plane, a jet prop. Memories of Myanmar, but I had a little bit more confidence in the Bangkok Airways pilots than those Burmese ones... I am making my way today to the south of Trat, still in Thailand, but fairly close to the Cambodian border.
It's an odd route. The sensible, but more expensive way would be to fly to Bangkok and then take another flight to Trat. The less sensible, but a bit cheaper is to take a flight across the Gulf of Thailand from Koh Samui to U Tapao, the combined civilian airport and airforce base (near the shi***le that is Pattaya) and then another flight (well it's got a flight number and a separate boarding pass) in a Bangkok Airways luxury minibus..... Only 31/2 hours....
So that is what I am doing now. Sitting in my minibus about to partake of my in flight food - yes, I get in minibus food. Now where's that trolley?
But Bangkok Airways strapline "Fly Boutique, Feel Unique" is living up to it's name - I am the only passenger....
But now the backpacking has returned with a vengeance. My flash limo minibus drops me at Trat Airport, where I wait to be picked up by Nit, I know, my head itches just saying the name.... I wait for a while and Nit arrives with his pickup, throws the bags in the back bit and off we go to drive the 85 kilometres or so towards the Cambodian border. I knew the Mairood "resort" was 300 metres from the road, but what I hadn't bargained for was what exactly that 300 metres was. I was about to find out. In my mind it was a slow amble through coconut palms. In reality it was a hair raising ride as a pillion passenger on the back of a small motorbike... On the front goes my by now 23kg bag, then the driver, then me with a smaller backpack and a Coach handbag... well you can picture it, I'm sure. Hanging on for dear life we scoot along smelly concrete walkways not more than a metre wide, me not knowing which bit of the driver to hang on to and saying in my best Thainglish "Honestly, I happee to war..." - all I got back from him was a giggle... What I haven't mentioned is that said very narrow walkways span a series of mucky looking rivery things which make up the local fishing village and he seemed so close to the edge as we scattered pedestrians, dogs and children in our wake. Never was I so pleased to see a destination!
A bit like the wedding, on first glance, I feel that my clothes are not quite hippyish enough for the Mairood Resort. Some bungalows (and I use that term loosely) are set around a small pool, the accomodation puts me in mind of some of the places Ant and I stayed in in deepest Mexico. Slight damp smell in the rooms but all looks clean. The owner is a really interesting guy called Chin who lived in the States for 30 years but has been back developing and running this place for the last seven. It's No 1 on Tripadvisor but having said that, there's not much else around here. It's billed as a place to chill out, hang out in the the hammocks, write a book.... But it is also pet friendly so there are lots of (hopefully) healthy doggies about.
But the good news is, as Chin was in restaurants all his working life the food is said to be amazing and they do have both why why and wifi, Peace Man....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
