Hope you all had a weekend full of Halloween revelry and goodness. I am all too aware of my missing both the False Profit Halloween party AND the Brass Tax sunrise party, but I will try to find solace in my banana daquiri.

Jon and I arrived in Krabi after a very long and very late bus ride from Penang. We stayed Wednesday night in the town of Krabi, which is nothing more than a port town from where all the ferries and longboats to the beaches depart. Had a terrible night's sleep which was frequently interrupted by the whooping howl of a resident gecko. Thursday around noon, we arrived on a longboat at East Railay Beach to find that since Jon was here over a year ago, there has been a lot of development and the area has become a bit more of an overpriced family tourist destination. We walked the short path to West Railay, then took another short longboat ride from one cove to the next to get to Ton Sai Beach. (During low tide in the morning, you can walk from West Railay to Tonsai by clambering over rocks.)

The boat pulled up on the shore and I knew we were finally in a place that felt like home. On both ends of the beach, giant rugged cliffs with gorgeous massive stalactites loom over the sand below. A restaurant/bar called Freedombar covered with a large Bali-style canopy is nestled next to the rocks and you can sit on the couch with a drink in your hand watching ludicrously fit rock-climbers clambering in the bouldering cave. Though we are not on an island, it feels like one since we took a boat to get here and are on a small peninsula with a compact network of beach coves and inlets.

We checked into the first bungalows we saw (Tonsai Beach Bungalows... a little over $1 a night) right next to Freedombar, threw our bags in the room and immediately assumed the position on the couch where we stayed for about 6 hours or so until it was time to change out of bathingsuits and sarongs for dinner. While lounging, I met a Thai woman named Phit who is a rock climbing instructor and we arranged for a lesson the next morning.

I got up to meet Phit at 9, she got me outfitted and we headed to 1-2-3 wall, which I shall assume by the name is one of the easiest walls around here. With me belaying, she lead-climbed her way to the top of each route to place the top rope, and then it was my turn to climb. I did four routes, the last of which was the longest but easiest technically. I didn't learn much since the objective of the 1/2 day lesson is to learn the basics of belaying, rope tying, etc. and I already knew how to do all that, but for $17, it was worth it just to have her set the ropes and be a trustworthy belayer for me. I can easily see how so many of the people we've met here spend months out of every year living here and climbing most days. Must be tough.

Yesterday, Jon and I rented a kayak and rowed around the coast and out to some of the small islands nearby. It was a gorgeous clear day and we found some amazing little caves and places to swim. Last night was the Freedombar Halloween Party, where we spent about 6 hours dancing the night away while drinking Thai buckets, a nasty concoction that includes a bottle of Coke, a bottle of Thai Red Bull (a bit different than the American one), and a 150 ml bottle of cheap Thai rum served in a bucket with four straws all for about $4.

Today is a lazy rainy day and I am catching up on email while Jon gets a massage. Tomorrow he is going diving near Ko Phi Phi (where "The Beach" was filmed) and I am going on an all-day snorkeling trip at some more nearby islands. Now I think I'll go read a bit more of my book ("Mr. Nice," which was recommended to me by a Canadian couple on Ko Chang, and which I also highly recommend).

Our aim is to be on Ko Pha Ngan for the full moon party on November 8, so we will probably forego any plans to move from here until we're ready to go there.