January 13, 2007 Railay, Thailand

January 13, 2007
Railay, Thailand

For the first time in a while I slept in. I stayed in bed all the way until 10:00. By that time I was starving and made my way to the resort restaurant for some breakfast. It was the first time I have ever had poached eggs. Not bad.

After eating I returned to my room and did some R&R&R (Rest, Relaxation, and Reading). I puttered around the room until about 11:45. At that point I decided that I had better get outside and enjoy the day because I could hear some love making going on between Paul and his lady friend...

My first destination was Diamond Cave. After accidentally exploring a large part of the island, I found it. I paid the 40 Baht entry fee and investigated the cave. I was most impressed with the glittering walls (hence Diamond Cave…). After only a few minutes in the cave I took off and decided to do some more exploring.

As I meandered down the path I saw a ladder leading up into another cave. I decided to be adventurous and check it out. Unfortunately, it was not very cool. It turned out to be a dark room that locals use to store wood…

At this point I realized that I did not have my sunscreen with me. I headed back to the resort. As I passed by the restaurant I ran into Matt and Lisa. I joined them for lunch and then made my way to my room to get my sunscreen.

I then headed back out and continued my exploration of the island. I walked all the way down the west beach and came to a rocky area. Somehow I found a well hidden path and began climbing. It took me over the rocks and through the trees. I ended up on a neighboring beach.

The entire area was filled with rock climbers. People were climbing everywhere I looked. I was fascinated by some of the more brave individuals who were climbing the tallest peaks. Still, I continued on.

I walked all the way to the end of this beach and wanted to keep going. Unfortunately, the only way to keep going was to start rock-climbing. Not having the appropriate gear (karabiners, harness, etc.) I turned around and headed back to Railay.

By the time I made it back to the beautiful white-sand beach I was hot and tired. I jumped in the water and swam around for a while. I then sat under a tree and finished “Extremly Loud and Incredibly Close”.

Once I was done reading I crossed to the other side of Railay and headed up to my room. I showered and then went through some pictures.

In a little bit I will try to meet up with the couples for some dinner. We will probably take it easy tonight and head to bed early.