Bang Bao Pier & Elephant Trekking

January 5 proved to be a lay-on-the-beach kinda day. I got a lot of reading done of Nelson Mandela's autobiography. Am really trying to finish this monolith of a book so that I don't have to carry the weight back home. Getting close, only another 200 pages to go.

I walk into town for dinner and decide on a place that had chickens roasting on a spit. I order 1/2 a chicken and stir fried vegetables. Seven Russians come in for dinner. They bring their own bottle of vodka and are drinking it straight up. They've also requested bread so one of the restaurant workers crosses the street to Tesco (similar to 7-Eleven) and returns carrying a loaf of white bread. The loaves of bread here are not anything like what we get back home. The bread is thinly sliced, perfectly square and it would equal 1/2 a loaf back home. I've noticed that if you ever order something and they don't have it on hand, they never tell you they don't have it. They simply send someone out to buy it: bananas, bread, milk... you name it, it comes walking in the door within minutes.

Being as I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of time on Koh Chang I wanted to venture off into parts unknown today (January 5). Before coming here I thought 10 days would lead me to boredom on this island but that hasn't been the case. On the recommendation of the house guest from Macao I decided to check out Bang Bao Pier today.

I walked into town and had muesli and coffee at the bakery and then I tried to flag a songathew. I was told to not pay more than 150 BHT to get out to Bang Bao Pier (which is the furthest I have been on this island). Taxi after taxi stopped and I was quoted anywhere from 200 BHT to 300 BHT. Finally, after about 6 taxis... I threw in the towel and agreed to 200 BHT. Within 1/2 mile or so, the taxi stopped for a family of 4. They too were going out to Bang Bao and they were squabbling over paying 100 BHT a piece. I told them that I was paying 200 BHT because I was alone but that 150 was apparently reasonable. They hummed and hawed and decided to take the ride at which point the taxi driver told me he would only charge me 150 BHT because there were now 5 of us going to the same place. Thank you tourists from Tunisia!

The ride takes me past my previous guest house, Lazy Republique. It's too bad that I wasn't aware of Bang Bao Pier when I was sort of staying in the neighbourhood. In any event, I enjoy the taxi ride here, sitting in the back of a pickup truck watching the goings on, on the sides of the road. It takes about 30 minutes or so to get out there, most of the road hilly and switchbacks which seem to be the norm here in Thailand. A straight stretch of road is a rarity for sure.

There's not much of a "town" out at Bang Bao, but the pier stretches for a very long ways and the pedestrian area is the width of your average sidewalk with businesses side-by-side on either side of the passage-way. It's about 11:30 AM and I walk up the pier... many businesses are closed. I don't know if it's too early in the day (nothing here on Koh Chang seems to be open before 10:00, and it's even hard to find a breakfast joint at 8:00 or 9:00 AM), or if it's because it's Sunday. I walk up and down twice looking at the souvenirs but don't buy anything except for water. 

 Hospital @ Bang Bao Pier

 Miscellaneous items for sale.

 Polluted waters @ Bang Bao Pier

 Housing @ Bang Bao Pier

Once I pass through the shops I'm now out on the actual pier on the ocean. It's lovely and kept up very nicely with plenty of areas that jut out off the pier for sitting in the shade. I walk to the very end, it's a long way, and take some photos. This is where the scuba boats and fishing boats depart from.

A few people had told me the Greek restaurant was very good so I decided that is where I'd have lunch today. Honestly, by this point I am really very tired of Thai food. I didn't realize that I was a picky eater until coming to Thailand where the food is so very different from what I'm used to. I've always known I am a very visual eater. So many of the foods here are simply not that visually appealing to me and I've ordered a few dishes where I pick out the veg and chicken and push the noodles aside. For days now I keep thinking about how much I'm looking forward to returning to my juicing when I get home. I'm really missing it.

The Greek restaurant is in fact run by a Greek family. Their restaurant is absolutely beautiful. It's on stilts over the water and the patio area is simply lovely. Feels very natural and a lot of fore-thought was put into the place. Everyone dining there is looking for shade and they have plenty of tables in both the sun and shade. It's a scorcher today with the temp currently sitting at +32 C and no noticeable breeze. I order a pita wrap. Oddly, lamb isn't even an option so I choose pork. It was most likely the tastiest Greek meal I've ever eaten. Delicious and unforgettable.

 Interior of Greek restaurant.

The best Greek meal I've ever eaten.  

There was a shop on the pier that had piqued my interest but it was closed the few times I had walked past it. Closed meaning there was a rope across so you couldn't enter but you very easily could've reached in and taken any of the handmade leather items. I thought it very unusual and interesting at the same time that it was only a rope to keep people out of the place or from stealing anything. I guess that is really putting your trust in the goodness and honestly of mankind isn't it? Anyways, after lunch, the shop is now open. I am blown away by the craftsmanship of all these handmade leather goods: wallets, purses; sandals; jewelry. I'm even more blown away by the prices: 1400 BHT for a pair of sandals. That's about $42 Cdn. I buy a pair of red leather sandals that feel like I've owned them for years already.

It's a long 30 minute wait in the heat for a taxi that'll bring me back to my end of the island. I wait with a Russian couple who have been waiting even longer.... taxis are few and far between this far from nowhere. We get a rookie driver who doesn't have a clue what to charge us. I offer him 200 BHT telling him I paid 150 BHT to come out this way and he agrees. He drops me on the highway by the 7-Eleven and I walk the 15 minutes back to my guesthouse where a cool shower never felt so good.

I don't feel like walking back into town for dinner and I'm getting tired of the selection in town. I go next door to the Panviman Resort Hotel restaurant. Now that I'm inside the entrance of the Panviman I get a get a good look at the place. It is very lovely. I don't know how places make a go of it here. So many large venues are basically pretty much empty. I'm one of about 10 tables with patrons in the entire restaurant which looks as if it has at least 70-80 tables. Many places I've dined, the staff out number the patrons. I have a chuckle because it's a linen and cloth napkin kind of place with candlelight on the tables and it's dark, the moon is shining on the ocean... I realize it could very well indeed be a romantic evening and I'm alone. I smile inside and chuckle at my confidence to dine alone in a place such as this. I order a pre-set menu of pork chop with mushroom sauce, some lovely steamed veggies and fettucine. It was all fine. Not spectacular, but fine. The meal with a glass of wine came to less than $18. I never know how to tip here. I've been tipping 20% most of the time but really have no clue if it's too much or too little. Although in hindsight I realize the hotel automatically charged 18% on top and I left 150 BHT tip to boot. No wonders the two waitresses who barely spoke 10 words of English between them looked at me oddly a few times as they looked at the bill and then me. In the grand scheme of things, the money will do them a lot more good than it will do me. I have no clue what type of salaries they earn here but have only heard they are very low per month.

I have noticed that workers at the guesthouses I have stayed at seem to work 10-12 hour days, six days/week. I left a 50 BHT tip for the "maid" (as the owners call her), when she cleaned my room the first day but she left the money on the bedside table. I don't know if I offended her or if she didn't realize it was for her (I had put it under the pillow). In any event, I just thought it was odd and I felt weird about the fact that she didn't accept the money. I know her husband just had eye surgery this week and their healthcare would not cover the cost so Ian and his wife donated the funds to pay for it. It appears the total cost was about $400 Cdn for the surgery. My room is only cleaned every 3 days so tomorrow will be the second cleaning (and I check out tomorrow). I am unsure if I will just leave some money on the bed again for her or if I will hand it to her directly. She doesn't speak any English so we'll see how it goes.

Tuesday, January 6 is the day I am to go on an elephant trek. Ian, the British guesthouse owner, arranges a pick-up for 2:30 with the original elephant trekking company on Koh Chang. Apparently it's the most authentic as you get to ride through the jungle and other companies keep their elephants within walking distance of the highway. I wait in the scorching +33 C. sun for 30 minutes and ask Ian to follow up. They forgot about me! They tell Ian they'll be here to pick me up at 3:30.  This time, on Ian's advice, I wait under the shade of the deck on the river.  Ian tells me the taxi driver will come up to the house to fetch me.

I get in the back of a pickup truck with 5 others. It becomes quickly apparent that they are just returning from a trek. They are chatting in English and are a Russian, two Brits and two Norwegians. The Russian gets dropped off first and then the four of them discuss their "fear" of Russian women and how assertive and pushy they are (but say the Russian men are pretty nice). I'm dropped on the highway and told to wait for another truck that will take me to the elephant camp. Within a minute my ride appears. Eventually there are about 10-11 of us in the back. It's a 35 minute drive to the elephant camp but I get to see lots of the Island that I only passed through when I came from the ferry terminal 8 days earlier. Back then I didn't process much of what I was seeing. Now I get the lay of the land. Wish I had a day to spend out at the White Sands area of Koh Chang. It looks like a shopping mecca that stretches a couple of miles. Ian, my guesthouse owner, calls White Sands "the big City" and I gather he isn't fond of the area but it looks right up my alley and I probably would've enjoyed my evenings much more if I had stayed on that part of the island. Oh well, live and learn, once again.

The elephant camp is huge. It looks to be multi-generational family and there are kids from 3-months old, a few toddlers and school-aged kids who are just in the midst of returning from school at about 4:30 PM.  Their uniforms are various colours which, I presume, categorizes them by grade level.

Multi-generational housing at the elephant camp.

The camp has been in existence for 21 years. They own 10 elephants, the oldest being 51 years old. Elephants live to be about 100 years old.

  

 Road to the elephant farm

NB:  in 2014, I had no clue that riding an elephant was controversial and is frowned up.  Now that I know better, I wouldn't do it again.

We are greeted with a bottle of cold water and a plate of sliced pineapple. I have to hang around for a bit on my own as I booked a one hour trek and the others booked two hours. I don't know what they did for the first 1/2 hour while I was walking around chatting up the women of the residence, talking to them about their kids... but the rest of the group came back and we all climbed the steps to the elephant stand and got on top of our elephant which entails removing your shoes and standing barefoot on the elephant's back. Kinda scary for me.  Elephant hair is very prickly. The trainer sits on the elephants neck area and it appears that kicking the elephant behind the ears is what makes her walk (all 5 elephants are females). I am on the middle elephant, there are two in front of me and two behind me. We walk through the jungle, through a creek and then we come a point where my elephant departs from the rest as they continue on for another 30 minutes. My trainer says "spider" and I'm thinking "so what, a spider", as the trainer takes his cane and points to a bush at my eye level and says "POISONOUS!" This yellow and black thing with legs that are - no kidding - 5" long is the size of a saucer. I kid you not. The trainer keeps saying "POISONOUS" and I"m saying "Then why are we so close to it?" as we're at a standstill and the elephant keeps bashing into the tree that the spider is on and the spider is about 3 feet away from jumping on me. Finally we move on. Whew! That spider was amazing. I had no idea they could be so humongous. I'm thankful the trainer was looking for such things.  I attempted to capture a photo but all I got was a blur.

All the elephant trainers looks really young (one of them looked like he was 14). My trainer spoke very good English, he wanted to make conversation. I found out that 4 of the trainers all come from the same town in Northern Thailand and my trainer had been working with this company for a year. He says he does six elephant treks a day for very little money. Don't know how true the "little money" part is or if that was his way of asking for a good tip. I didn't even realize I should tip him (although I have tipped guides that Sutthi hired for us), but thankfully the Norwegian in the pickup truck said she had tipped her trainer 300 BHT which was my first heads up that I should probably follow suit. Near the end of our trek, my trainer hops on down from the neck of the elephant and takes many photos of me sitting on the elephant. I thought that was a very nice touch and am appreciative to have some photos of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. I get off the elephant and am given a huge vat of bananas to feed to her. Amazing. That trunk is exactly like a Hoover vacuum. It just snorts up the banana, peel and all, and right away her trunk is out looking for more. Elephants eat all kinds of fruit: bananas, pineapples, pomelos. They eat 5,000 KG of food a day. A truck pulled up and was unloading a huge amount of pineapple leaves (elephant food). The rest of the group returns and we all get back into the pickup for our 35 minute ride back to where we came from.

I was very enthralled by the living conditions of this multi-generational family. Their huge home on stilts is built on a muddy hillside. The little toddlers are stepping gingerly over tree trunks and around elephant dung with no hovering-over-lest-you-should-fall adults nearby. The kids are just allowed to be kids and all that entails. One toddler (she was unsteady on her feet), picked something orange coloured off the ground and stuck it in her mouth and started chewing. No adult noticed. I just smiled... all the adults were probably raised the same way and lived to tell the tale. One thing about Thai people is their clothing is spotlessly clean and these little kids' clothes were too. Surprising given how dusty and polluted Thailand is in general.

I get the truck to drop me at the 7-Eleven and I go to the family run restaurant for dinner that I went to on my first day at this end of the island. I ordered some "crispy noodle" dish but it came with huge wide soggy noodles that tasted like flour & water. I pushed the noodles aside (again!), picked out the chicken and veg and ate those.

As I am just entering the mile-long road to walk back in the dark, about 10 seconds behind me I see a taxi drop a guy off. He is carrying bags and is walking in my direction. I'm excited and say to him "if you're going my way, I'll walk with you because I'm afraid to walk down here alone". He doesn't say anything but he smiles at me and I figure it'll be just fine. I find out he is Dennis from Russia and he is staying at the Panviman Resort next door. He struggles over his English and he keeps apologizing and I tell him "don't worry because I don't speak any Russian" and I am trying to speak super s-l-o-w so he can figure out what I'm asking him. It was nice to have the company and the 15 minutes passed nice and fast.

Friday, January 3 (Klong Prao area of Koh Chang)

Another day of no definite plans. I walk into town to the only place that seems to be open at 9:00 AM which is the bakery where I enjoy an iced coffee and cinnamon bun. By 10:00 I'm back at my guesthouse. Now what? I really would like to canoe up the river but I'm questioning my canoeing abilities. I've only ever canoed with a partner and am not so convinced I can handle that big "Canadian" canoe on my own and more precisely know that if I should flip the thing there is no way I'll ever turn it over on my own. There are 4 kayaks, one of which is a single person kayak. Hmm.... maybe, just maybe I can manage it despite the fact I've never kayaked before. I manage to get into the kayak without flipping it. Success!

I paddle up the river in the direction Ian told me to paddle, past the elephant stand. I paddle way up the river hoping to find the waterfall I've heard about but never came across it. I did, however, paddle until the river came to a rocky bed of an ending. I look up and there are 3 elephants headed my way. I take in the sight. Fantastic. The elephants and their paying patrons sitting atop them pass by me and I turn in the direction from which I came. Eventually I come upon the elephant stand and all 3 of the elephants are there in the water with the patrons atop them. The elephants bow down into the water and the people fall off the elephants laughing like crazy. The elephant trainers are standing on the back of each elephant tapping the elephants with a cane to get them to do whatever commands they're supposed to be doing with the paying patrons. It was fun to watch. I had a lot of laughs and the people were having a hoot. The one thing I noticed is that elephants like to poop when they're in the water. Yuck! That there turned me off of ever attempting to swim with the elephants.  Paddling through it was enough look-see for me.

I'm quite enjoying kayaking and pass on by my guest house and go to the oceans edge to check out Sunset Beach.

After a few hours on the beach Ian calls me a boat from a restaurant across the river. They paddle over, pick me up and deliver me to their seafood restaurant. After dinner they paddle me back.

Kai Bae Beach, Koh Chang, Thailand, December 31, 2013

The shuttle from Trat arrives on Koh Chang and within a minute we are chugging up a huge mountainous switchback behind a bunch of tourist vans. I can't believe the roads, thinking surely there could be no other road worse for hills and switchbacks than that between Pai to Mae Hong Son. I'm mistaken! Now I know why I had read that if you are not highly experienced riding a motorcycle or scooter, Koh Chang is not the island to attempt it. The road looked so smooth that when it rains it must be like a sheet of ice.

Can't fathom how it occurred. The road was completely straight. 

I have just learned that Cambodia is fairly close to Koh Chang. I had no clue. Koh Chang is the second largest of the dozens and dozens of Thai islands, but something like 80% of it is uninhabited jungle. The island is long and does not have "towns" per se, but rather these little enclaves of businesses clumped together along the roadside.

This is the Island where, last May, I could not find 10 nights accommodation in any one place. Now that I've been here for two days, I realize that I am now on the south end of the Island but will be moving to the north end for the last two accommodations. It'll be nice to be able to explore the island more in-depth by staying at opposite ends.

There is a problem checking in to my resort at 3:00 PM. The room is not ready. They offer to store my luggage while I head to the beach. It's only about a 5 min. walk to the beach. 

The first Thai beach I ever set eyes on in person.

Koh Chang, Thailand

I return at 5:00 and my room is still not ready. Seems the guest has been a problem for the past month he's been here and he won't check out. The receptionist says she may have to call the police on him and I reply that yes, she just may have to do that. I booked this room 8 months ago and know there will be no other place easily found on this island. Finally, they get him out. The room absolutely wreaks of cigarette smoke. I'm not happy but suck it up (pardon the pun).

I go in search of dinner at Da Riddem Shack which I had read about on Trip Advisor. It's a Reggae inspired joint that serves up Jerk chicken (and only jerk chicken). I find it about a 15 min. walk away from my resort. I chat up the owner David from England. He's had the business 2 years and is having a tough time making a go of it despite his excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. He told me that it cost him $150 BHT/day to run the business (that $4.50 Cdn), but says there are days he doesn't have a single customer. He is contemplating moving shop down to the north island Lonely Beach area where all the young backpackers hang out. I too think that would be much better clientele for him. I enjoy a couple of rum punch and jerk chicken and walk back to my resort. It's probably 9:00 PM or so but it's not at all scary walking these streets at night as night time seems to be a booming business and the streets are busy and food carts are still out.

Yesterday morning I complained about the stench of my room, how it's seeped into the pillows and it's disgusting. In the morning, I put the "do not disturb" sign on my door when I depart for the beach as I have not messed up the room, have not taken a shower, and there is nothing for the cleaner to do. Imagine my surprise when I return at 3:00 PM and they tell me they have cleaned my room. What? Thankful I had locked up my suitcase before I left and locked my IPad inside. But where the hell is my purse? Obviously I had taken my money, cards and passport with me in my daypack but still.... I look around... they have shoved it inside of a stinky cupboard. I had noticed pillows laid out on a table to air out. Well it seems while I was gone they took initiative and gave me new pillows, removed and washed my curtains (didn't even notice they were gone until they came by to hang them back up), and washed my floors. They had the room closed up tight so I still noticed the stench when opening the door. I left the door and window open until nightfall. Why anyone would smoke inside the room when every room has a lovely little deck with table, chairs and ashtray I have no clue. No offense Kate (my Russian co-worker), but 90% of the guests on this Island appear to be Russian and every single one of them smokes. I have a couple on each side of me both inhaling away every morning and every night. Argh!

Speaking of tourists, with what's been going on in Bangkok (I don't even know what's going on as I haven't followed any news in two weeks), apparently 35 countries put out a travel advisory (including Canada) and 65,000 tourists cancelled out and Thailand is really feeling the pinch. The few hours I spent in Bangkok the other night, I never sensed one iota of unrest.

I didn't notice it on my own but when I was sitting on my deck the first evening, I heard a big noise. What the heck? I went exploring. Right across the street from my resort is an elephant trekking company. I am going to do that this morning. It's 500 BHT ($15) for a one hour jungle trek. Cool! What's nice about this company is the allow tourists just to come by and hang out and watch the elephants. I watched the elephant keepers painting the elephants and that was interesting to see.

Nothing much is open around here too early. 8:00 AM seems to be the earliest opening time a single business which is packed at 8:30 when I show up for a coffee and croissant. It's a bakery with limited selection, they do a booming business in deli sandwiches it would appear. The place was packed and I had to sit inside due to the large patio being fully occupied already. The coffee in Thailand is always very tasty but strong. Most businesses appear to have an espresso machine. The croissant was as good as I've had anywhere. 

After 5 hours on the beach yesterday and one dip in the ocean (not as blue as the Caribbean but nicer than Mexico), I've had enough sun for my first day. There are hawkers on the beach but not nearly as many as Mexico. Perhaps six. They are not relentless, they barely approach you and if you don't make eye contact they don't approach at all. The women are hawking "designer" (knock off) purses. I pity them, each arm splayed out like a display rack with big bags hanging from them.

I walk in the direction of my resort and stop for a late lunch: cashew chicken on rice with a banana shake. Shakes are not made with ice cream but with coconut milk and ice. Then I overdo it (probably) and stop at a cart for a banana and fresh coconut roti. Yummo!

Two hours pass and my stomach starts to hurt. Now I'm laying on top of my hard-as-a-sheet of-cement bed with the door and window wide open. I lay there til it's dark then close everything up and don't even think about showering the salty ocean off of me and crawl into bed massaging my stomach trying to get those intestines doing their job. Finally, a few hours later I throw it all up and life is good again at 3:00 AM.

Today, I move to the north end of the island. Plan to do the elephant trek this morning before I leave this area.

The cold is still lingering on. Thankfully Fisherman's Friends seems to be the most popular cough drop in Thailand.

Happy New Year everyone!