Author Archives: Eric

Passage from Phuket, Thailand to Port Blair, Andaman Islands

Posted on by
3

On Sunday, the moment of truth came where we realized we could no longer put off chores. Eric changed the generator oil and filter and the air filter in the main engine and on engine fuel filter while Christi cleaned and did laundry. We also both did some major re-organizing. No matter how much stuff we move around, we never can seem to put it all away. We always have something sitting out on the living room floor that has no home. And when we find a spot for it, whatever was in that spot goes to the living room floor instead. Someday we will get it all put away… Maybe… Mike went to the hospital to have his bandages changed. We are pleased to report he came back with slightly smaller bandages, which is a very good sign, indeed. In the evening we went out to dinner with a family we had met on the kayak trip.

Monday morning we took a taxi back to Ao Chalong bay to check out. We were supposed to Continue reading →

The Hawngs of Phang Nga Bay Part 2

Posted on by
1

Continued from yesterday”¦ We piled back into the trawler and in a couple minutes were at another cave on the same island called Diamond Cave. Golf made it clear this is a completely different hawng with no connection what so ever to the first cave. This cave is much narrower and lower. It was only a couple minutes before we needed to lie down again. Not only did the ceiling get ultra low, the cave also got ultra narrow, and the kayak barely squeezed through the opening. Once we got through the low, narrow stretch, we could sit up again. There is a portion of the cave covered in calcium carbonate that sparkles as if someone threw glitter all over it. It is pretty.

imgp3446-small.JPG

This hawng looks much the same inside as the bat cave hawng, which is spectacular, with clear blue water, 600 foot walls and foliage all the way to the top.

imgp3433-small.JPG

And, like the Bat Cave, it also has a bay within the bay. Here is Continue reading →

The Hawngs of Phang Nga Bay

Posted on by
2

One of the things we were really looking forward to was seeing all the hawngs around Phuket. Several cruisers who have been to Thailand in the past on yachts just raved about how great they are. Someone gave us the coordinates of about 30 or so in Phang Nga bay at the north end of Phuket Island. And there are tons more than just the 30 up there. The consensus was Continue reading →

Beaches, Bangkok Visa Runs and Thai Dancing

Posted on by
Reply

Eric got up at 0700 to take Mike to shore. He was going to the airport to try to catch a morning flight into Bangkok to try to get his visa situation fixed. Eric returned to Kosmos and immediately went back to bed. For some reason, both Eric and Christi were very tired and had a hard time getting up. We finally reluctantly dragged ourselves out of bed only because we were so hungry that we could no longer sleep.

We had a big, long list of chores and errands that needed to be accomplished today. But, as we ate a late breakfast, the beach beckoned to us, calling our names and telling us we needed to come and play in the surf. We spent hours boogie boarding, body surfing and swimming. Playing in the surf is so much fun. We haven’t done it since we left home since most of the beaches we were at had too much coral or too strong of a rip tide.

Mike, meanwhile, arrived in Bangkok and got to the embassy at 1300 (1:00 pm). They told him Continue reading →

Visas, Boat Lagoon, Floating Dinners and Emergency Rescues

Posted on by
1

Last night when we were visiting with Mike, we asked him about his visa for the Andaman Islands. The Andaman Islands is part of India, and you can’t go there if your Indian visa doesn’t have a special stamp saying you are allowed to visit the Andamans. Mike did not have such a stamp. So, the first priority of the day was to get the visa situation rectified.

We got a taxi and went to Phuket Town, several miles north of Ao Chalong. While in transit, we gave the taxi driver the address of the agency we were going to and he said he didn’t know where it was. He instantly flagged down Continue reading →