Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort

... could only read about in old, faded issues of Rolling Stone. Since arriving here, Charlie and I have experienced an interesting privilege of communal living on the property owned by the Thai family we rent from. We often eat together, cook meals for each other, exchange language lessons, and they take us on field trips to orchards and mountains to meet their friends. There are 3 other houses of characters involved in this peacefully eccentric union. The first one I ...

... harsh I fell right to sleep.
Awaking in Koh Tao at 4am was again, a very unique experience. The town was completely shut down except for a 24 hour pharmacy and a drag club where Riley was a big hit as we walked by. By the time all of the shops and hotels were open I was ready to settle for anything that had a bed... and possibly a pool. The accommodation seemed nice on the outside, bungalows lining the hillside ...

... of the three.

Streets are very confusing, they are not simple grids. Plan ahead. I kissed my new GPS when I pulled into the hotel parking.

Paradorn Inn, http://www.chumphon-paradorn.com/ and Jansom Chumphon Hotel are popular budget hotels for overnight stopovers. I stayed at Paradorn, it was bare minimum.
Free concert in your room. Compliments from the bar next block, pumping out laud moronic music ...

... another girl had just finished their elephant trek in a place near Chang Mai. The whole group was very friendly and easy to get along with, so soon after our spicy and exotic street dinner we all headed out to Koh Sang road to check out the night life. The street was blocked off the all cars, yet a few motorbikes somehow made it through. The sides were filled with street shops offering tourists a variety of things ranging from clothing ...

... hop in the truck to go see the house for rent.

7:40 pm to 8:15 pm – we find ourselves at the dinner table of another Thai family. The short, round lady introduces herself and her 2 siblings; Poom, Pom(the sister) and (the brother) Pui. Her mother and father are also at the table. The father has recently gone blind and is still coming to grips with his new challenge. He asks ...

... slowed us down which in a way was a good thing cause we were in no hurry. We eventually pulled into Bangkoks South Terminal 3 and 1/2 hours later (normally takes 2), we were immediately approached by a bird in security uniform repeatedly saying "Where do you want to go?" Its odd because in the UK theres normally just a tramp kipping in the corner but whenever we have been to train stations or bus stations there are people there who are ...

... out with some special Thai potion..........not Thai Balm..........not shy either.......in public view here i am having my 'cheeks' massaged!!.........did the trick too.........but i am sure i will be a little sore come tomorrow.

Right on cue it's time for a visit to the famous Ranong hot springs..........and i mean hot.........can boil an egg in a couple of seconds............we didn't do the full body.........but bathed and soothed legs and feet a ...

... through the bodies, bags and limbs to our own seats at the other end of the carriage. Despite it being third class, the seats were not wooden but equally uncomfortable and for the longer legged person, there was very little room with people sitting opposite you. For the first few hours, the train was great. Outside, endless paddy fields and jungle scenery, small villages of wooden huts and corrugated iron on stilts ...

... the locals on a busy train, strange food is sold by runners that go up and down the carriage and we share some amazing rice cooked in bamboo and get chatting to a Thai massage women I resist the urge to strip off and lay down in the walkway but I am sure she would have been fine with that. People talk to us along the way as one ...