Day 331 - Flight from Bangkok to Krabi - Minvan Adventure to Lanta Island
Monday, June 3rd, 2019
Today flew to Krabi. I was a little anxious because we were going to leave our big suitcases at the hotel -- again -- but we hadn’t asked if we could. Gregory said "we're not asking them, we are just telling them." No wonder why he always gets what he wants. [Gregory's note: ha!]
Gregory met with his friend Axel in a cafe at the airport while the kids and I went to the lounge (which we call the Beep Lunch, which is how Uma pronounces VIP Lounge). I’m glad I only had a yogurt for breakfast because there was so much delicious food to chose from. I had corn soup, sushi, chicken basil with red curry and steamed rice, fruit, and guava juice! I also grabbed some snacks to go for Gregory. I think we have really taken advantage of my Priority Pass card.
We left at 2:00pm. It was a fast and pleasant flight but when we arrived, we didn’t know how we were going to get to the hotel. Gregory was negotiating with a van service that started at 600 baht per person. I walked to the Tourist Information booth and when I returned, the lady had dropped the price to 400 but Gregory had just received an email from the hotel saying that the shared van should cost only 200 outside the airport. I went to ask the information booth where we should catch that minivan. The info guy seemed hesitant to give me information and also told me that he wasn’t sure about that price. He also mentioned that for the outside vans you need to reserve your spot. We thanked the expensive lady and told her that we would take our chances because she had said that the personnel at the hotel “don’t know anything”.
Daniel's Note: The next couple of paragraphs may make no sense.
On our way to the exit, a lady stopped Sunshine. At first, I thought I had dropped something but when Sunshine made it down the stairs, she said that they were offering her a taxi for 2000 baht. Outside, we found a van and we asked the driver if it went to Lanta. He said, “ok, ok, ok”. I think that’s all he knew in English. When we were leaving, he called a taxi driver who offered us to take us for 500 each and we said no thanks. On our way out of the airport, the expensive van lady came running out and stopped the van. The driver got out and they spoke with a few people for a few minutes before he got back in and drove on. On the way, he got a call, and after that typed 300 on the screen for us. We said no, and he drove on. We ended up at the bus station. When we got there, the driver got out and took our bags out of the van. We were confused because we thought he was going to drive us to Lanta. A lady there tried to sell us tickets for a 5:30 van for 300 baht per person. Gregory said he was going to ask around. He walked to a ticket counter and another lady told him that the price was 250 but that the van left at 5:00.
While he tried to pay, the lady selling the tickets for 300 called the counter selling them for 250 and told them the van was full. Meanwhile, I was telling a driver that we had tickets for the 4:30 [we didn't] but he said that the van left at 5:00. I said, whatever, we will wait here. When I met up with Gregory, we figured out that the sellers were all in communication and were trying to screw us into paying more. We suspected the expensive lady at the airport was in on it, too, since she knew where we were going.
When Gregory tried to buy the ticket for the 5:30 van, the cheap ticket lady told him it was now full. I wanted to scream and yell at them. I could tell they were giving us a hard time on purpose. At that point Gregory started to take pictures and video and saying that he was going to call the tourist police. They finally sold us the ticket at 250 baht each but we were determined to get on the 5:00pm van. When it arrived, I walked towards the driver who recognized me. The van was almost full but the driver was going to make space for us. Gregory saw 4 empty spaces but when we tried to get in, the 300 baht lady started to yell at the driver and would not allow us on the van. I thanked the driver who tried to fit us in but I didn’t want to upset more the lady. By then, Gregory was filming everything and I’m not sure they liked that.
I was really emotional and upset [Gregory's note: and she's admitting it, which means she was really emotional] but we waited for the 5:30 van which came at 5:05. When it came, we all got on. While the bus was waiting to fill up, a ticket lady came out and started to take pictures of Sunshine and me. She tried to take a picture of Gregory but he covered his face with his cap. I said no pictures but she had already taken them. I asked her, why, what for? But no one spoke English. A girl sitting next to Sunshine tried to translate but we could not understand her English very well, so I never knew what were those pictures were for. Somehow, they knew the name of our hotel.
The two-hour drive seemed very long, especially when I had to go to the bathroom and there were no breaks. We made it to the ferry and I was thrilled to use the bathroom. Our new friend warned that they were dirty but I didn’t care. I remembered the ferry that we had taken to Ha Long Bay and I just replied, I know! Unfortunately, this ferry didn’t have a bathroom so I had to hold it, I wanted to cry! I tried to talk to my new friend but with the loud motor and her English, it sounded like Minion!
After 15 minutes on the ferry, we drove 20 minutes to drop my new friend near her home. The van drops you off at your hotel, but the 300 baht lady at the bus station tried to charge us 50 baht per person extra for that service. I was so thankful to this girl for trying to help. I also told her to thank the driver for his honesty.
We arrived at the hotel at 8:00pm and it felt like much later. I was drained with everything that had happened during the day. I asked the hotel manager if she had requested the photo and she said no. I was still nervous about why they took that picture. She did explain that something had happened yesterday at the bus station and maybe they wanted to see if it was us? I don’t know. By then, everyone just wanted to be in a room.
Gregory and I went for a short walk on the beach. Later he and Sunshine went to the 7-Eleven to get snacks but they got stuck there in a huge thunderstorm. The electricity went out, it was pouring, and I was worried about them. Luckily, Gregory texted me that they were waiting for the storm to pass while having dinner at 7-Eleven! Danny and I just kept flashing our flashlights at each other.
They came home later, a little bit wet, Sunshine a bit shook up by the storm but at least safe! What a storm. [Gregory's note: what a way to start a beach vacation!]
Today flew to Krabi. I was a little anxious because we were going to leave our big suitcases at the hotel -- again -- but we hadn’t asked if we could. Gregory said "we're not asking them, we are just telling them." No wonder why he always gets what he wants. [Gregory's note: ha!]
Gregory met with his friend Axel in a cafe at the airport while the kids and I went to the lounge (which we call the Beep Lunch, which is how Uma pronounces VIP Lounge). I’m glad I only had a yogurt for breakfast because there was so much delicious food to chose from. I had corn soup, sushi, chicken basil with red curry and steamed rice, fruit, and guava juice! I also grabbed some snacks to go for Gregory. I think we have really taken advantage of my Priority Pass card.
We left at 2:00pm. It was a fast and pleasant flight but when we arrived, we didn’t know how we were going to get to the hotel. Gregory was negotiating with a van service that started at 600 baht per person. I walked to the Tourist Information booth and when I returned, the lady had dropped the price to 400 but Gregory had just received an email from the hotel saying that the shared van should cost only 200 outside the airport. I went to ask the information booth where we should catch that minivan. The info guy seemed hesitant to give me information and also told me that he wasn’t sure about that price. He also mentioned that for the outside vans you need to reserve your spot. We thanked the expensive lady and told her that we would take our chances because she had said that the personnel at the hotel “don’t know anything”.
Daniel's Note: The next couple of paragraphs may make no sense.
On our way to the exit, a lady stopped Sunshine. At first, I thought I had dropped something but when Sunshine made it down the stairs, she said that they were offering her a taxi for 2000 baht. Outside, we found a van and we asked the driver if it went to Lanta. He said, “ok, ok, ok”. I think that’s all he knew in English. When we were leaving, he called a taxi driver who offered us to take us for 500 each and we said no thanks. On our way out of the airport, the expensive van lady came running out and stopped the van. The driver got out and they spoke with a few people for a few minutes before he got back in and drove on. On the way, he got a call, and after that typed 300 on the screen for us. We said no, and he drove on. We ended up at the bus station. When we got there, the driver got out and took our bags out of the van. We were confused because we thought he was going to drive us to Lanta. A lady there tried to sell us tickets for a 5:30 van for 300 baht per person. Gregory said he was going to ask around. He walked to a ticket counter and another lady told him that the price was 250 but that the van left at 5:00.
While he tried to pay, the lady selling the tickets for 300 called the counter selling them for 250 and told them the van was full. Meanwhile, I was telling a driver that we had tickets for the 4:30 [we didn't] but he said that the van left at 5:00. I said, whatever, we will wait here. When I met up with Gregory, we figured out that the sellers were all in communication and were trying to screw us into paying more. We suspected the expensive lady at the airport was in on it, too, since she knew where we were going.
When Gregory tried to buy the ticket for the 5:30 van, the cheap ticket lady told him it was now full. I wanted to scream and yell at them. I could tell they were giving us a hard time on purpose. At that point Gregory started to take pictures and video and saying that he was going to call the tourist police. They finally sold us the ticket at 250 baht each but we were determined to get on the 5:00pm van. When it arrived, I walked towards the driver who recognized me. The van was almost full but the driver was going to make space for us. Gregory saw 4 empty spaces but when we tried to get in, the 300 baht lady started to yell at the driver and would not allow us on the van. I thanked the driver who tried to fit us in but I didn’t want to upset more the lady. By then, Gregory was filming everything and I’m not sure they liked that.
I was really emotional and upset [Gregory's note: and she's admitting it, which means she was really emotional] but we waited for the 5:30 van which came at 5:05. When it came, we all got on. While the bus was waiting to fill up, a ticket lady came out and started to take pictures of Sunshine and me. She tried to take a picture of Gregory but he covered his face with his cap. I said no pictures but she had already taken them. I asked her, why, what for? But no one spoke English. A girl sitting next to Sunshine tried to translate but we could not understand her English very well, so I never knew what were those pictures were for. Somehow, they knew the name of our hotel.
The two-hour drive seemed very long, especially when I had to go to the bathroom and there were no breaks. We made it to the ferry and I was thrilled to use the bathroom. Our new friend warned that they were dirty but I didn’t care. I remembered the ferry that we had taken to Ha Long Bay and I just replied, I know! Unfortunately, this ferry didn’t have a bathroom so I had to hold it, I wanted to cry! I tried to talk to my new friend but with the loud motor and her English, it sounded like Minion!
After 15 minutes on the ferry, we drove 20 minutes to drop my new friend near her home. The van drops you off at your hotel, but the 300 baht lady at the bus station tried to charge us 50 baht per person extra for that service. I was so thankful to this girl for trying to help. I also told her to thank the driver for his honesty.
We arrived at the hotel at 8:00pm and it felt like much later. I was drained with everything that had happened during the day. I asked the hotel manager if she had requested the photo and she said no. I was still nervous about why they took that picture. She did explain that something had happened yesterday at the bus station and maybe they wanted to see if it was us? I don’t know. By then, everyone just wanted to be in a room.
Gregory and I went for a short walk on the beach. Later he and Sunshine went to the 7-Eleven to get snacks but they got stuck there in a huge thunderstorm. The electricity went out, it was pouring, and I was worried about them. Luckily, Gregory texted me that they were waiting for the storm to pass while having dinner at 7-Eleven! Danny and I just kept flashing our flashlights at each other.
They came home later, a little bit wet, Sunshine a bit shook up by the storm but at least safe! What a storm. [Gregory's note: what a way to start a beach vacation!]
For pictures please click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/H2wrU2aBAauqPHpSA
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