Day 8, Tuesday 29 October 2013 - Satun

Langkawi departure..... I'm awake before 8 am but have made no provision for breakfast, the coffee will have to do for now. There's still time, so I continue adding to my blog. Then I'm soon packed and there is just one job left on my list before I depart for the jetty. I'm down to just 105 Ringgit, but I need 10 Ringgit at the jetty on top of the bike deposit to pay for the ferry to Satun. I need some cash for lunch but the rest I can use at the duty-free shop. I've spent a week in Malaysia on the money I cashed in Bangkok. I've not only calculated that right, but I've secured a good rate of exchange, better than I could get on Langkawi. Collecting my duty free, I can now head for Kuah. As I near Kuah, I remember the route I took a couple of days ago. It was a mistake then but near a junction I bought my lunch from a mobile cafe. It works for me again. I can eat my chicken and rice in the terminal. I arrive in plenty of time for the 1 pm ferry departure for Satun. I have no phone I can use here, but I get help to contact the owner of the motorbike. This time the real owner turns up in a black sedan. Huh! Everything's OK and I get my deposit back. Now where do I get a ticket for Satun? That's easily sorted too. With so many touts around I can kick them into touch by mentioning Satun. They can do nothing but direct me to the ticket office across the road behind KFC. With just 30 minutes left to departure there is no activity near the immigration post which bothers me but with 20 minutes left the booths are manned. Probably no more than fifty people queue for boarding and within no time, I'm aboard waiting for departure. Like the Penang speed boat it is an all cabin affair with limited views. The crossing is about 75 minutes and I sleep for probably half of that. The only sign the jetty is near is the throttling down of the marine engine. I'm back in Thailand!
Tammalang Pier..... One of the consequences of my losing an internet connection for three days is that I haven't been able to plan ahead my stay in Satun Province. I decide to do the logical thing and head for Satun itself. It's 11 kilometres from the jetty here at Tammalang and normally it's 30 baht by songtheaw. However I drag my feet having to fill in the immigration papers by which time waiting songtheaws have already left with arriving passengers. I've no choice but to negotiate a higher price to get into the city but at least I'm dropped off at one of the hotels in the city.
Sinkiat Thani Hotel..... The songtheaw driver has given me a price for the hotel of 650 baht. That's about par. The rooms are spacious and ticks all the boxes except one. There is only an internet connection in the lobby. That's OK if my computer fires up, so I'm keen to check that first. Fearing there are problems with my computer, I'm almost in shock as the machine fires up with email service restored as if nothing had happened. That throws into question the service provided at Cenang Valley Inn.
It's still only mid-afternoon and with an hour gained I can now relax at last but by the time I venture out for an evening meal my attention is well and truly fixed on plans for tomorrow. I believe I'm heading out to sea again; destination, Koh Lipe. I head for the night food market and familiar food but at least it's cheap. I return to Sinkiat Thani Hotel where I'm finally able to upload my log covering the last few days. It's great to get news from home too. Before I settle in for the night I'm curious about the whiskey I bought from the duty-free in Langkawi. Turns out to be a very smooth drink.
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