Visitors from Home

It had been a long time since anyone came to stay onboard Moonshadow. Thailand must be particularly enticing. My younger daughter Inga came to visit the last week of October. Her favorite amenity may have been the mosquito netting hanging down over her bunk at night.
We kept Inga busy the week she was here. She was fortunate to arrive in time to enjoy the strangeness of Phuket's vegetarian festival which I have previously described.

One day we drove around Phang Nga province which is north of Phuket island. We stopped to see the golden reclining Buddha in a large cavern. We visited the wat (temple) with the walk-through dragon and life-sized sculptural scenes of hell constructed by monks. Our favorite place was Sa Nang Manora Forest Park east of the town of Phang Nga where we hiked alongside a river with cascading waterfalls and pools. Another day we hiked to Bang Pae waterfall on Phuket island. Quite a few local people were at these parks cooling off in the water and enjoying picnics.

Wanting to give Inga a glimpse into our life on the water we spend 3 days aboard Moonshadow touring the west side of Phang Nga Bay with its beautiful and dramatic karst formations. We explored Koh Hong by dingy late one afternoon after the tour boats had gone. A hong is a cave with a collapsed roof so you can look up and see the sky.

Early the next morning we motored a couple of hours and anchored near Koh Pan Yi, a muslim stilt village. We explored the narrow pathways between the small homes and shops of this island community. The tour companies like to call this a sea gypsy village but it really is not. There are no cars or motorbikes here, just a few bicycles and lots of boats. In the afternoon we anchor for the night in the shade of a high cliff not far from "James Bond Island." For a spectatcular aerial view of Phang Nga Bay rent "The Man With the Golden Gun."

Inga's visit ended all too soon and we were a bit lonesome after she left. But her presence was required at work and she wanted to get home in time for husband Tim's birthday.

Four weeks later our friend Garry came to see us. Garry did most of the refit work on Moonshadow after we purchased her several years ago so he feels very much at home onboard.

Leaving the Yacht Haven anchorage we sailed (and motored--not much wind here) throughout Phang Nga Bay, dropping the hook at a different island just about every night. We again stopped at Koh Hong and Koh Pan Yi. We anchored at Rai Le Beach west of the town of Krabi, which is on the mainland. After rowing ashore for a walk we ate dinner at a beachfront restaurant. Too many tour boats coming and going through this anchorage for our taste so we leave in the morning and head for Phi Phi Don. We anchored in beautiful Yongkasem Bay along with half a dozen other yachts. Here we could snorkel off the boat in clear water and watch monkeys play on the beach.

Although Phi Phi Don is a popular tourist destination it has a charm to it with lots of nice little shops and restaurants. Stepping into a small bookstore we chatted with the young owner and discovered that he is from Portland. There was terrible destruction and loss of life on Phi Phi Don caused by the Dec. 2004 tsunami. Rebuilding of tourist facilities is ongoing.

Our last day out we finally have a good sail. I may have even relinquished the helm and allowed Garry to steer for awhile. Back at Yacht Haven the next day I get a break from boat talk while Richard and Garry tour Phuket island on motorbikes. The last evening of Garry's visit we go to a buffet and "Lady Boy" show at the nearby Haven Restaurant. Excusing myself after dinner I head for the ladies room. Opening the door I am greeted by a dozen preening young men (?) in satin gowns and feather boas. They smile at me and clear a path to a stall which fortunately has a door.