Day 9: Saw a Crab in Krabi

Time to leave the treehouse resort deep in the north rainforest and head south 1200 km - about the same distance as Toronto to Halifax - to Krabi. it is near Phuket, from what I can see, it is the Carribbean of the south Asian seas.

What a travel day. First we got picked up by pickup truck and sat in the back on boards with our bags at our feet. Down a steep washed out road to a riverbank where we were transferred to a long, skinny river barge with 2 hp motor and a long propeller shaft. A couple nautical km later, we were schlepped into a canvas top open back van which took us via highway to the airport. As unsophisticated as they were, the modes of transport all linked together seamlessly. Katy and I several times have felt like we were on the Amazing Race!

Two airplanes later, we arrive at Krabi airport. Then, guy in a white suit is holding a sign saying "Katy Unger" and we are whisked to modern luxury van and driven many miles to a marina with resort. Cool, we thought, then in the dark, we her a chug-chug of a boat coming around the pier. Oh no, we're still not there!

Another boat! 

The night is one shade lighter than pitch black and this punt has no lights. Across some open body of water to a floating dock where some kid is waving a flashlight; that is our beacon!

A wobbly walk up to solid ground to a scooter with a sidecar freight cage duct taped securely (!) to its side, in we pile. After traversing two more km of narrow pathway with Katy perched atop the luggage, we finally arrived.

"Mr Big" greeted us like it was Fantasy Island.  We did not meet Tattoo until we hit the cabana bar later. A giant pineapple coconut drink symbolically punctuated our ten hour 1200 km journey from north to south. That's like going Toronto to Halifax.  Except that trip would not involve seven separate modes of transit!

A late night stroll through the high-tide surf revealed a scurrying crab too quick for a photo, but at least I saw a crab in Krabi!  If you are of the generation that recalls life before 7-11, before Beckers, to the original Mac's Milk Convenience stores, they once had an ad campaign that went, "I never met a man named Mac at a Mac's Milk store!"  I guess I find alliteration funny.