A Down Day in Krabi
By Lauren Gerzina & Justin Hayes
Bad Hats, Monkey Mischief, and Gluten-Free Beer
After taking our time getting ready for the day and making some plans for the week, we headed to a nearby breakfast spot called Shatterbox Coffee. The café advertised outside that it had gluten-free and vegan options, so we figured we’d give it a try.
We ordered some coffees and bagel breakfast sandwiches; Justin’s was on GF “bagel.” The GF bagels we have had here have been interesting – usually made out of rice and/or seeds, not really gluten-free bread like you’d get in the states. Still, it was good.
After breakfast, we decided to walk down toward the beach to get some supplies. We got some cash and water at 7/11, then headed down to the main strip in Ao Nang to look for some hats and a dry bag for the upcoming boat trips we had planned.
We found a few shops and Lauren haggled them down on price for a sun hat for Lauren, a bucket hat for Justin (which Lauren absolutely loves, btw), and a dry bag.
After shopping, we headed down to the beach and walked by all the long tail boats on shore on our way to the monkey trail at the other end of the beach. When we arrived to the monkey trail, there were macaque monkeys everywhere. The older ones were chilling, looking to see if anyone walking by had food, while the younger ones were wrestling and playing.
We took some photos and walked around them for a bit, then decided we needed a drink to cool off from the heat and our walk on the beach. Also, the monkey trail looked pretty steep, so we thought it would be best to be hydrated. We each got some watermelon juices at a drink place nearby and felt refreshed.
We then headed back to the monkey trail to begin the journey up. As we reached a narrow section of the trail, there were some tourists stopped/bottlenecking the trail. Lauren had gotten by them, but Justin was stuck. While he was standing there, a monkey must have smelled something in our backpack and climbed up on Justin’s side onto the backpack, attempting to open the zipper. The other tourists were just standing there laughing, but Justin wasn’t amused. Lauren came back and shooed the monkey off the backpack before he was able to steal anything. Fortunately, Justin didn’t get scratched or bitten, or else we would have had a fun day at the ER.
We walked to the top of the monkey trail and were each drenched in sweat. We saw that the walk back from the other side would also require climbing up a steep hill, so we decided to turn around and head back down. It was just too hot.
Again, we encountered the same problem calling a Grab, so we walked to the Starbucks so we could cool off in the A/C. Eventually, we got one to pick us up and take us to the hotel.
Back at our room, we swam for a bit, which was very refreshing after venturing in the heat for so long. We then took some showers and got ready to head to dinner.
Justin found a place called Diver’s Inn Steakhouse that had good reviews and GF beer! So we headed there for dinner. It was owned by an expat and his wife, who was Thai, and she was very helpful in navigating the menu and letting us know what could be made with Justin’s allergies in mind. They were able to make a duck with an orange sauce that was delicious. Lauren got a steak and some red wine. It was a lovely dinner.
On our way back to the hotel, we had the same issue getting a Grab. This time, our driver told us to stay away from the tuk tuks and taxis and to meet him in an alley near the restaurant. Very sneaky.
Time to hit the hay again to rest up for our busy few days ahead. We were very excited for our upcoming boat trips over the next few days!
