Monday, November 15, 2010

....driving in a convoy









The convoy assembled at the town square apposite the state mosque. 25 vehicles of assorted makes and model and 10 big bikes. All waited for the arrival of the royal patron. Then the flag down and Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) was escorted by police outriders on the right lane and through all the traffic lights to the border town of Black Wood Hill ( Bukit Kayu Hitam).

Through the green lane at the border check point of Danok, Y S and convoy were escorted by the Thai police car all the way through the towns of Sadao, Phatalon and Trang to Aonang Krabi.

It was a drive of a life time, doing between 100 to 140 Kpm, with head and tail lights on and hazard lights flashing all the way . Y S was vehicle # 5, one vehicle after the Tuanku's Land Rover.


This is a land bridge between two islands and accessible at low tide.

This is called " The Chicken Island" by the locals. Anyway, it does look like an ostrich to Y S .

On Y S' motorcycle roam at Aonang, Better Half and Y S stumbled across a Catholic Church hidden among the lush surrounding. We were in time for their Sunday mass. It has 30 parishioners and they usually have tourists worshiping with them. The music for the mass is from CD, no choir. And who says a church should look like a cathedral in Rome ?!

This is a Presbyterian Church we found while checking out Trang where we were marooned for two days while waiting for the flood water to recede to cross over to Phatalon.


Krabi-Aonang is the White Man's / "Orang Putih" playground. Scores of White Men and Women sun bathe all over the beach. You might step on them if you don't look out. LOL Some are reading while others hide their eyes behind thick, dark glasses in the blazing, blasting, grilling hot sun !
They seem to throw caution to the wind, adopt a comfortable position and spread out like the drying of salt fish, with only minimal shading of certain body parts, not from the sun but from prying eyes ! ( Not Y S' !!! Better Half always warns " Look away !! Look away !!! Y S always argues with her, what are eyes for? To appreciate beauty mah ! ) LOL

One unique cave to share with you. This cave has become a shrine for hopeless men and also women, Y S means, in a manner of speaking, men whose flag post cannot hoist their flags properly - maybe half-mast, or three quarter mast or "no mast" at all, would come here to pray for their flag post. Each would bring an offering in the shape of a well carved wooden flag post which is to be placed around the shrine. "Sonless" mothers also pray here to get male babies. By the look of the numbers of offerings, it is quite a popular shrine !

This is the RM 650 room at Aonang Beach Resort that went for a special rate for the Kedah Motor Sports Club - clean, spacious and plush. A hotel room which makes you want to return to.

Sharing a speed boat with 30 other holiday makers to the picturesque islands around.

A dip into the Andaman sea. The corals are a disappointment. They are dark and dead. The water isn't crystal clear as expected. Perhaps the area isn't sustainable anymore with so many tourists dipping in.

This is God's endowment to the Thais , picturesque islands. Together with their gentleness and hospitality, they are magnets to the tourists.
This is the tourist town of Aonang Krabi. It is hard to find Thai food but the whole place is full of restaurants cooking German, Italian, Irish, French etc etc etc food. These are managed by the Thai wives of foreign expatriates who start business after falling in love with the local women and place ! Y S and better Half had a German meal at one joint, and entertained by the German proprietor.


This is the first time Y S drove long distance in a foreign country. The club is planning one more convoy to Chiangmai, North Thailand. Y S hopes it comes soon before his SUV grows older.

A big one out of Y S' Bucket List.









2 comments:

footiam said...

That should be a great playground for coloured people too!

Thomas C B Chua said...

Coloured people are shy of the sun and they shade themselves with the few trees around and umbrellas. The "Whites" colour themselves under the sun.