My first day on the island was completely uneventful. After disembarking, we took a highly expensive taxi to check out lodging in Sai Ree, but quickly realized that we would not be able to afford a bungalow there. Our taxi driver charged us even more to drive 3 km to the southern part of the island. We found a resort there that was ten times what we had been paying, but it was also the cheapest that was available. I really shouldn't complain about the prices. For a beautiful bungalow with an ocean view, I paid about $20/night. It was a little hard to swallow after our extremely cheap lodging in Chiang Mai, but we were now on the islands and had to adjust. The day was spent alternating between sleep and sun. I know, I lead an incredibly stress-filled life. Such a strenuous day! The one event of the day happened while eating lunch. The main restaurant was above and had a spectacular view of the ocean and another small island. Matthias, Uli, and I were eating when a shout came up from above. We looked over the rail and found ourselves looking into the water. Imagine our surprise when we saw a shark swimming 5 feet from shore. I watched with a horrified fascination as I considered that I was going to swim in the same waters. Uli reminded me that it was a reef shark, thereby squelching the visions of being eaten by a great white while snorkeling. It was still crazy to see a shark and such a great that I was in a national park with rules and restrictions. We were in the worst spot in the world to watch sunset, but the colors managed to come south. We ate dinner in the bar/restaurant right on the water. Our resort was the only one on the shore, so it was quiet and extremely peaceful. I could have sat there for hours listening to the waves crash on the shore.
The next morning, I got up early to stake my claim for a beach-front chair with an umbrella. I loved being able to sit and read while basking in the sun. We rented snorkels and masks, so in the afternoon, I took a dip. The corral started about 2 feet into the water, so I had lots of space to explore. Schools of fish swam around me while I tried my hardest to stay still. I think I could have stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, but then I remembered the shark and got a little scared. I couldn't help my reaction, since the thought of being in the water with a shark is never calming. We had decided to go into Sairee Beach for dinner and a black moon party. The moon parties on Ko Phangan are the big celebrations, but we had heard that the smaller parties were still fun. We ate dinner at a hole in the wall Thai place with great food. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and took in some live music and a couple of fire shows. The feeling of the islands was laid back to the extreme. People sat around talking about the snorkeling/diving/water sports they had tried earlier in the day. We went to a cabaret show featuring some amazing Thai Ladyboys. It was great fun and highly entertaining. After the cabaret, we continued our night of adventures and found The Cave and the black moon party. The tables were set up on the beach and the entertainment involved fire limbo, fire tossing, and fire shows. I opted to watch and not try my luck at the limbo. I figured I am terrible at the limbo without the bar being on fire, so I better not press my luck with a burning bar. The rest of the night was spent hanging out with people we met...all of whom happened to be Canadians from Vancouver. We also learned a valuable lesson. A taxi at 5:30 in the morning will cost you three times as much as a taxi during normal hours. Instead, we walked part of the way and found a reasonable taxi around 7 am. Gotta love those sleepless nights. Needless to say, the next day was spent lounging/sleeping on the beach. We had opted to stay another night before heading to the Western coast.
We caught the afternoon ferry back to Chumporn to begin our travels West. We ended up spending the night in Chumporn and found a lovely guesthouse with a highly friendly owner. He pointed us in the direction of good, cheap food. The "restaurant" was on the sidewalk, but it was a quarter of what we had paid on the island. It was a little refresher for the wallet. Our bus to Ao Nang left at 6:00am, so the shuttle picked us up at 5:30 and we were off. The bus ride was uneventful and we quickly arrived in the bustling, tourist-filled city of Ao Nang. We made our way to the Laughing Gecko to spend a couple of days. I spent the rest of the day lounging in a hammock and trying to finish my book...unsuccessfully. We ate dinner at a place called the Hippie Bar and watched yet another fire show. I'm not sure who told the Thai that foreigners love fire, but everywhere I go there is a fire show for tourists. Our lodging was a family-style bamboo structure with lots of bugs and frogs thrown in for free.
The next morning, we went to the beach and walked into town. The best part was watching the tide go out. By the time the sun set, the tide was out almost as far as we could see. I loved wandering and seeing the creatures left behind by the tide. The sunsets were spectacular in Ao Nang and my favorite part of the day. I also found a little massage parlor that had cheap Thai massages, so I definitely had a couple during my stay. We did opt to do something semi-productive while there, so we went on a tour of 4 islands for an entire day. The islands were beautiful with crystal-clear water. I got in a little snorkeling and a little sunburn. The sun and water wiped us out, so the original plan was to relax and not do much of anything. Instead, I made friends with a bunch of other people staying at the Gecko and we opted to explore the town. It was an awesome group of people from all over the world. I think meeting other people may be on of the best perks of travel. I now have even more people to visit.
The morning came too quickly and with it, our departure to Phuket. The day in Phuket was meant to be quiet and laid back, since Uli and Matthias left the next morning. I couldn't believe that it was already time for them to go home. For the night, our only requirement was that the lodging was cheap and the On On Hotel did not disappoint. The On On was once a regal place, but now looks decrepit and run-down. Fun fact: It was the hotel that was used in The Beach when Leonardo DiCaprio's character stayed in Bangkok. The movie does a great job portraying the dinginess. We scoped out a nearby movie theater and saw the new Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp in 3-D. We needed a little break from the heat of the Phuket afternoon. I was positively melting. We had decided to have a "nice" dinner instead of going for the cheapest thing for our last night together. Uli had scoped out an Indian restaurant earlier in the day, so that was our destination. Dinner was lovely and delicious and a wonderful end to a great 4 weeks of traveling together.
Uli and Matthias left so very early the next morning and I slept late. I decided to check out the colonial city of Phuket instead of going to the beaches. I didn't really have a ton of time before my flight, but I did manage to scope out the old post office and the market. I ate noodle soup for breakfast and Thai for lunch. My dinner was Mango and Sticky Rice, so I ended my month in Thailand right. I got out of the country without problem and arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Now, I have 3 days in the capital before returning to Hanoi. Countdown to home: 7 days.
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