[Railay, Thailand] Warning! This post is a bit nostalgic.
Well the bungalow is still standing in spite of the borer (or whatever it is). Perfect blue skies and baking hot sun for the first time in ages! Today we decided to explore the peninsula so that I could take a stroll down memory lane and share some of this place and my memories with V. We headed from our bungalow over to Railay east and along the mangroves to the far northern end of the ‘waterfront’. A lot has changed here (actually a LOT has changed everywhere). Shacks and ramshackle bars have mostly been replaced by large concrete resorts and very fancy private houses glued together in typical Thai style by those familiar little stalls and alleyways.

After a quick bite we headed for the ‘Muay Thai’ and ‘1-2-3’ crags at the far end of the waterfront. The place was busy with the mornings guided climbing tours but not as busy as I remember it. It was wonderful to stare up at the climbs. I can still pick out the first route Al, Andrew and I tried in Thailand along with the 6b+ that kicked my butt, the 6a+ that Andrew bailed off because Al wasn’t paying attention and the 7a that was my best redpoint of the trip (I can still remember the moves!). It was just brilliant even though everything seems smaller – possibly it shrank after the tsunami.

From the crags we headed around to the trail that leads up to the viewpoint. The scramble was steeper than I recall and slippery after the recent rains but worth the effort as I’m sure Jackie and Shane will remember 😉 The views are amazing. What a spot. We passed a few others on the way down managing to escape with less red-clay splodges than most (our climbing skills hard at work). Following the path around brought us to the still perfect Pra-nang beach with it’s crowds, crystal clear water and towering limestone cliffs. After a walk along the beach past Happy Island we took a short dip. As I got out a storm cloud rolled in sending us looking for cover and some lunch.

The path from Railay East to West is now a twisting concrete ribbon between the fancy renovated resorts. No more tree-houses or shacks. I was however able to recognize, behind a mountain of concrete, the bungalow (and palm tree) at the Sand-See resort where I stayed 10 years ago but it looked disused – possibly to be rebuilt soon to the higher standard of the rest of the resort. We ate again at the Railay Bay resort restaurant next to the palm under which Al, Andrew and I collapsed when we arrived (the same palm under which we scoffed dozens of Ola ice creams). The little shop has been replaced by a swimming pool but the sad looking tree under which we spent many a lazy afternoon is still part of the restaurant. Plastic tables and chairs have been replaced by fancy wooden ones. Waiters have uniforms and food orders now arrive together. It felt good to be ‘back’.

V and I spent a lazy hour soaking up a little afternoon sun on the beach while people watching. The place has a different vibe. I guess it’s not the peak season yet but it feels empty and more about holiday makers with babies and pushcarts than climbers. We headed over to the end of the beach and the scramble over to Tonsai. Again memories were flooding back. ‘The Lion King’ the 6c+ that beat us every time and Al’s favorite route (Pan Talod) which V and I plan to climb – as an homage to our friend.

Dum’s kitchen (the dodgy little spot where eating could seriously affect your climbing for the next few days) is gone, replaced with rough but reasonable looking bars and tour offices. The rest of the beach all the way down to the stagnant water at the end is completely different. The thick jungle, up against which we camped, has been hacked out to house a string of bars, shops and bungalows extending hundreds of meters back. The area is far more ‘climber/backpacker’ than Railay but now instead of the empty beach where we prepared oats and washed dishes you can get a beer while hooked up to high speed WiFi. V and I sat at a bar near the one of the trees that looked familiar (possibly where we camped) and enjoyed the view of Tonsai and Railay with its Thaiwand wall.

There is now a new path linking Tonsai with Railay. It is a long route around the back of the peninsula but V and I decided to check it out. It wasn’t much fun. A long schlep through the jungle chased by more of those genetically modified mozzies. We arrived back at our bungalow hot, sweaty and, in my case, very itchy! It was a long day out – a complete tour of Railay, Tonsai and some of my very rusty memory banks. We miss our friend very much and the time Andrew and I spent here with Al will never be forgotten.

[Pictures: From the viewpoint over Railay. A typical longtail shot on Pra Nang. Could this be my old tree ?]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi