Day 7 - A stunning view and a sand fortress

Day 7 (March 13, 2023):

Our first full day in Thailand started at 7 a.m. After a small breakfast of sandwiches at 7-Eleven, we rented a scooter again. With this, we headed towards Drangon's Crest Mountain. There, we wanted to hike the Ngon Nak Nature Trail to the summit of the mountain. For the originally 3-hour hike uphill, we only needed two hours, of course. It was still exhausting, as there were countless steps and some climbing passages to overcome. On the way to the summit, we met two other backpackers with whom we completed the last stretch together. We got along quite well with Jack (from Liverpool) and Vincent (from Leipzig).

The exhausting hike paid off. Not without reason, Drangon's Crest is considered one of the most impressive viewpoints in southern Thailand. The view was overwhelming.

After enjoying the view of the landscape, we started our way back. Jack was struggling a bit and slowed down our descent. In general, Jack didn't seem to be the fastest. We couldn't understand that and also his attitude towards sun protection (he only uses SPF 15 sunscreen). So we arrived back a bit later than necessary with a sunburned and completely exhausted Jack. Luckily, there was a small stream where we could refresh ourselves (Ann-Sophie stumbled and unintentionally got completely wet).

Since we got along so well with Vincent and Jack, we decided to have dinner together afterwards. We found a small restaurant right on the beach. There were seafood, curry, and rice.

From there, we went back to the hotel. After a short break, we went to the beach in Ao Nang, where we were meeting Jack and Vincent. Thanks to Jack's slowness, we had to wait alone on the beach for 45 minutes. Conclusion: British people live slower than Germans and even slower than Erik.

Together, we spent the evening with cold beer and street food on the beach. It was a welcome change from the exhausting morning.

As boys sometimes do, they come up with strange thoughts/dumb ideas (Ann-So's opinion). During the walk on the beach, Erik enthusiastically caught a small crab (Crabby). Quickly, Vincent and Erik became friends with the little creature, although this friendship didn't really reciprocate. Full of enthusiasm and dedication, the two (now 8 years old again) built a "fortress," including a throne, for Crabby. Ann-So didn't find this project quite as exciting, but still found it amusing. However, Crabby valued it even less and took the first opportunity to disappear back into the sea. Thanks for nothing.

However, the boys still had some energy left, and to Ann-So's delight, nighttime wrestling in waist-high water was on the agenda (the boys still 8 years old).

We finally sat together on the beach until shortly before midnight, enjoying the summery atmosphere. Happy and very, very tired, we drove back to the hotel.