Day 4, Friday 7 February 2014 - Koh Por

Krabi departure..... Today my attention turns to Koh Lanta as I head across to 7-Eleven for something to eat. I still have the Honda auto till after lunch and consider filling in the morning with a final trip out. There are a few possibilities including Tiger Temple (Wat Tham Sua), but I decide to sacrifice these to get an earlier arrival in Koh Lanta. I've picked up that there maybe be problems in finding suitable accommodation this time of year. It's also the start of the weekend. In the event, I pack up and order a van for 11 am, but first I need to return the motorbike. There is initial panic as the bike doesn't start on the electronic ignition, so I call the office. They suggest I jack up the bike and use the manual kick-start. Panic over. I can now return the bike and they drop me off at the van pick-up point not far away.
Booking directly with the office has saved me money. Someone paid 350 baht for the trip. It has cost me 100 baht less by bypassing agents. More than any other province I've visited, Krabi adopts a dual-pricing policy, one for Thais and one for Farang. I understand Thais can travel for 150 baht. Krabi has a product to sell with huge demand, so I guess it will continue if they can get away with it. The price though includes hotel pick-ups. The only advantage to me by arriving at the start point is that I can choose my seat in these often cramped vans. After the usual round of pick-ups the van wastes no time in heading south towards Trang Province.
Two ferry crossings..... Before Trang the van turns right onto the 4206 heading for Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is a large island off the southern coast of Krabi province. It actually is two islands located one after the other requiring two ferry crossings. From the mainland the larger crossing point services Koh Lanta Noi while ten minutes later a shorter crossing services the main tourist base of Koh Lanta Yai. During this crossing I note that initial construction works were in progress to build a bridge joining the two islands. The main town on Koh Lanta Yai is Saladan just a couple of kilometres from the jetty. It is presently overloaded with tourists. It is at Saladan I thought to end my journey, pick up a motorbike then head on down the island till I find something I fancy, but I get distracted by another passenger. This lady has connections in Krabi Old Town much further down the island but curiously with a small island off the south-east coast known as Koh Por. Here she explains they offer homestay, a system in Thailand where you share in the lifestyle of local people. I'm curious but apprehensive. This could be a golden opportunity or a can of worms.
Por Island..... If I stick to my original plan there would be very little I could add to these webpages. It would simply be another holidaymaker's personal blog. Ever keen to try something new, I bypass the obvious destinations on Koh Lanta and head for Lanta Old Town, a quant collection of traditional wooded buildings which remind me of Chiang Khan on the Mekong River in Loei Province. Here I make some enquiries regarding accommodation but as I expected the accommodation in invariably full. I've burnt my bridges and fall into the hands of the local lady who is set to order a boat to Koh Por. I'm confused as to the set-up of homestay accommodation as the boat heads out to this small island. When I arrive there is little evidence of development of any sort. At the pier the village seems frozen in time. What am I in for? This predominantly Muslim community carries on with their lives as they have for countless generations. There's no clear indication of where I will stay and nothing that remotely indicates there are facilities for tourists. The homes are predominantly primitive wooded structures the likes of which are found all over rural Thailand. In one of the homes a meal is cooked and I'm invited to join in but far from resolving my concerns my guide is keen to give me a tour of the island including the local school. It's as if I've been invited to join the community however temporarily. Whatever else, I won't be short of material today for my blog. I do appreciate this is a rare opportunity for many people but is it for me? Finally, I arrive what looks to by a resort of sorts, but it's just a few bamboo huts. Am I missing something here? Well yes! Oh what a magnificent view of surrounding islands right off the beach. I even identify Koh Ngai and Koh Muk in Trang Province, featured in my visit to Koh Kradan late last year. It's another island paradise but at what cost?
I negotiate a price to stay here, but it will be a struggle. Like Koh Phayam in Ranong Province the island has no mains electricity. The communal generators deliver power only between 6.30 and 10pm each evening. I'm obliged, as at Paradise Lost on Koh Kradan to rely on the resort for everything I need.
No misgivings..... A family from Switzerland in the bungalow next to me has no such misgivings. The lady joins in the cooking anxious to learn and the man makes a necklace out of seashells. And what do I do? Well, write this blog of course while eating on the beach. I manage to get an internet connection via the resort android phone but more importantly need to charge the battery on my computer. This task is made easier owing to an extension to the normal cutting off the power supply. There is a festival underway nearby with music which runs over towards midnight. Inevitably that keeps me awake but at least the fan is running. Then, 'BLACKOUT'.
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