We are in the small seaside town of Prachuap Khiri Khan, away from the tourist buzz. The little, plain, cheap ($7) Attichai Hotel is on the main downtown street a few blocks from the  sea, the night market and train station. The town is on one of two pretty bays defined by huge limestone towers and islands. Took a walk to a fishing village which was really colorful, stinky, and fishy. It is one of the places where traditional boat building occurs. We've really enjoyed our stay in town, The people are friendly, the streets are clean, and it feels like old Thailand. 

Early morning we take the train to Bangkok and start wrapping this trip up. We'll have a day and a half to see a few things we missed.

Hot and humid and really nice.

serious hammock time on Ko Chang

Contex beach from the veranda and restaurant.

Ko Chang paradise

Sometimes things work out really well. We caught a longtail ferry to Ko Chang (ko=island) and found a simple eden on a tiny island (about 2x6 miles). Contex bungalows are on a small beach about a 1/2 walk from the "main" beach with more bungalows, but people come here to hang out because there is nothing to do. The resident population of 250 raise coconuts, cashews and rubber and run bungalow operation. We walked on the narrow roads and paths, swam, read and ate wonderful Thais food prepared by the sisters who own and operate. It has really been refreshing. There are no real bars, and only a small store.

Then, this morning on our bus ride to the next stop, after a 5 hour drive the driver and his sidekick neglected to tell us we had arrived. I realized something was up and sure enough they dumped on the highway 8 or 10 miles past our destination. So we started walking, and then a couple in a pickup stopped and happily took us into town. Just got here and have a room for 7$ in a clean little hotel. Gotta go to the night market now to eat.

a flying lizard

The view from our bungalow at Khoa Sok

we found a little haven not overloaded with tourist or motorbikes at Khoa Sok NP. Our little bungalow is in a forest setting overlooking the Sok River. It is very nice and peaceful. We took a grueling hike in the jungle yesterday, 16K total, about 10 of it was on what is generously called a trail. Up and over, along ledges, climbing rooks, picking thru roots, but is was pristine and beautiful along the river, and nobody around. We could hear monkeys calling. Today we are doing the first day in a month of doing nothing but hanging around, reading, laundry and such.
tomorrow off on another adventure to a small island. Starting north towards Bangkok.

Fishermans shrine at Rai Lai beach. This is a animist shrine having nothing to do w Buddhism or Muslims.

At rai Lai beach, near the fishermans shrine