Phang Nga

  Here are some pictures from my weekend trip to Phang Nga.  This first one the "port" where our longtail boat departed from.  We then proceeded up the bay.

 The following three pictures are of some of the beautiful limestone cliffs/islands that line bay.  They were majestic.

  The fifth picture is of some paintings that were on the ceiling of an overhang where the water had eroded part of the limestone cliff away.

  The next four pictures include Koh Pannyi.  This is a sea gypsy villiage built on stilts into the by with one large limestone island protecting the rear.  The villiage has a mosque that we visited.  I was also gyped by some gypsies after taking a picture with their monkies.  100 Baht for a photo with a monkey sounded good, but after the picture was taken the price increased.  I think it was because another gypsy threw his/her monkey in the picture too.  Note: I write "his/her" because I am still not sure of the proper term for a ladyboy, which this gypsy is.

  Past the village, we went through a mangrove forest.  It was peaceful.

  After the mangroves, we went through a tunnel in a limestone pillar.  In the photo you can see that there are huge pieces of limestone hanging off of the main piece.  I hope that I am not around when they fall.

  The next three are at the famous Koh Ping-gan, also known as James Bond Island for its guest apearance in the movie "The Man with the Golden Gun."  The first of these three is the very famous limestone pillar that seems to be on everything tourist-related in this area.  I had this bright idea of taking a picture where I looked like Bond with the island in the background, but decided against it when I saw that everyone else on hte island had the same bright idea.  The next is of a stalagmite that had formed inside of a cave on Koh Ping-gan.  The final of these three is of a moniter lizard that I saw swimming along the island.  I have to guess that it is a white-throated monitor lizard because it was virtually identical to the one I used to own.  I thought about picking it up, but decided against that as I rememberred how violent my "tame" one was.

  The final picture is of a waterfall in a national park on the mainland of Phang-Nga.  My battery in my camera was low at this point, so I stopped taking as many pictures.  All in all, it was a very good trip.

  In case you were wondering, I am still doing good.  I am alive, and I am well.