Railey is a small beach snuggled between high cliffs. If given the chance, the jungle would envelope it. Railey was far more discovered and up-scale then I had expected with cell-phones, honeymooners, and babies. Best discovery in Railey was Mama's: a shack of place with best food in all of Thailand. Her veggie-burgers are a must with every meal. Adam and I had came here for the rock climbing, but the monsoon strikes again! The best experiences here came from our interactions with the Thai people; from harmonising shop-girls to climbing gurus.

Accommodation in Railey is high priced and crammed together, but shockingly booked-out. After an exhaustive search we decided to splurge for our last few nights. We spent 1700 baht ($40 US) a night on the best digs in Railey, The Railey Beach Club. Not the best because it had t.v., hot running water, or room service...none of which it had. Its most precious commodity was serenity....and it was clean too!

In pursuit of outdoor activity and good old fashioned cash, we borrowed a couple kayaks and set out for Ao Nang. We leisurely paddled our way over, passing beautiful limestone cliffs. It was warm and the skies were clear. Ao Nang was industrious: cars, shops, and cash machines. After a banana pancake with chocolate, we noticed the sky to the north was getting dark. A storm was coming in, but the southern skies were still blue, we figured we would get back to Railey before it really reached us. 10 minutes into our 30 min paddle, the darkness enveloped us and strong cold eerie wind picked up. We were with out life jackets. We paddled like fiends and made in back in under 20 min. Lesson learned: Beware of the Monsoon!

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart." - Confucius