Ranong - Fishing Town

Woke up about 7:00, lounged and went for breakfast about 8:00. Didn't do much today, packed and read while we waited for the 1:30 boat back to Ranong. Paid our bills at the bungalows.

The boat came around about 2:00. Mrs. Lek gave each of us a big hug, she's so friendly.

We got back to Ranong about 3:15.

Ranong is totally a fishing village. As you come in along the river, there are hundreds and hundreds of fishing boats, and businesses and industries that cater to the fishing industry all have buildings along the river. Naturally, the whole town smells of fish.

I checked back into Blue Crab Resort, the same place we went when we were heading out to Koh Chang. I was able to get a cheapo room this time, 250 baht. Alexa and Katrin are taking a night bus to Bangkok, then going their separate ways as well. They met on the dive boat, didn't know each other before that.

We used the internet for a couple of hours, it's so cheap at this internet place, 15 baht for one hour. Normally you'd pay 40-60 baht for an hour in a more touristy place. All the local kids come and play Counterstrike or other games at this internet shop too, and they pound on the space bars while playing. None of the space bars work, and it's frustrating to keep having to backspace and smash the space bar to get spaces.

Katrin has been living and working in Bangkok for 3.5 years with Siemens. She was working on a project, but it's finished now, so her job is done. She's doing some travelling, then heading back to Germany. She speaks some Thai.

Alexa is in between studies. She was born in northern Italy, her dad is German, mom is Austrian, so she carries both Austrian and German passports, but makes Austria her home right now. In the summer months, she takes American kids around Europe. While I was travelling with her, she received the details on this summers travels with the kids, so was busy trying to book flights to the start of that trip.

After internet, we walked back to the Blue Crab, Alexa showered in my room, me and Katrin had a drink outside, Alexa joined us a bit later. About 6:00, went to a small restaurant and had supper. Shortly after 7:00, I walked with them to the taxi stand (bus stand) and saw them off.

I went back to the internet, hoping to find a computer with a space bar that worked, but couldn't. Back to the guest house and inquired about the bus to Chumpon. It's at 8:00 tomorrow morning, and he gave me instructions on how to get to the bus terminal. Pretty much go to the same taxi stand that Alexa and Katrin waited at and get blue taxi #6. Incidentally, a taxi here is really a bus, which isn't a bus, but a songthaew, a pickup with two rows of seats along the bed. Alexa told me the songthaew takes its time, so make sure I leave early.

I went back to my room, watched some Thai Animal Planet on the TV, then fell asleep.

And, hey, it's April Fools Day. Just wanted everyone to remember the ultimate April Fools joke I played 5 years ago, when I was travelling in Vietnam.
http://toddcourtnage.livejournal.com/2003/04/01/