What a beautiful day! and day! and day!
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
82
319
Trip End
Sep 02, 2009
Koh Chang,
Thailand
Monday, December 22, 2008
Now today was as I had expected it would be. We are up just around 7, not too many guests here and so the staff, who live behind where our room is, don't have to get up early. The kitchen area is below and out front so we can hear them talking and preparing for their day. I think most of the staff live here and they all seem to eat here throughout the day.
After breakfast on our balcony we go down to the water. Len goes for a snorkel (no snorkel just his goggles) and I am doing some stretching and am trying to remember the Pilates I took last spring and do what I can remember.
The tide is out so I walk out in the water, it is clear and not too many stones on the left side. I think the next posh resort beside us used most of the stones to make a retaining wall out into the water to for a water-break. Len came back from his long swim way out and tells me of all the little colourful fish he has seen. We are talking and I said there are little white and black fish here. Then he says something has nibbled his toe, and I think I feel something so I make a dash for shore and Len puts on his goggles and has a look. He didn't see anything or feel any more nibbles.
Then sitting and reading by the pool for the rest of the morning. What a life! And what we were hoping for. We watch the gardener helper, he is clearing out the empty paint cans from the deck they just built a couple of months ago, he goes to the edge of the property and chucks them into the bushes on the vacant land between here and the next property! Did about 12 cans over the hedge. He they cleared the dead brush and leaves in that area and burnt them. There always seems to be fires going here, I guess that is how they get rid of all the dead fall. We then hear a bang and he comes back to have a look. We think that maybe there might have been an aerosol can in the area. He goes away, then he comes back and is now putting a fire out in the bushes beyond where he started the fire. There is a blue plastic boat that is filled with water (doesn't leak) and he is taking buckets of water from the boat to put the brush fire out. Our entertainment for the morning.
Lunch is on the balcony and then we decide to play cross crib. I won most of the games, but we are out of the wind and it is getting warm so back to the pool. We have a wander along the beach and Len goes for a swim. I was looking for sea shells, but didn't find any, just a couple of pieces of coral. Picked up a beer bottle and a broken neck of a bottle and took them to the garbage. Not any plastic bags in the water here.
We have the pool to ourselves for most of the afternoon. We meet a new guest, he is from Ireland and has been traveling for the past 5 weeks. He tells us about his travels and the funny story of where he was staying with an uncouth big lug as a next door neighbour, hence his move to here. We talked about the new 15 day visa and he was saying by some mistake he has ended up with a 90 day visa in his passport and he is leaving tomorrow. His fellow travelers were envious of his luck. There is another couple here, they went by on the beach this morning, he is covered with tattoos all over and wild and big things in his ear lobs. His girlfriend looks quite a bit younger than him and out of place as she looks plain. The two English fishermen come over for a drink and dip and they have one of their neighbours also here who orders a drink and they all talk about the young man's injuries, must have fallen off a motor bike as he has a bad knee sore and red all down his under arm. The fishermen are going out on a fishing boat tomorrow.
They all leave after their swim and the young chap goes out on his motor bike. So we are left alone to eat. They have fried chicken as the special, but want so much for their prepared meals. I was thinking of a hamburger and chips and Len has his spicy noodles and pork. It was all very good, but again, Len's dinner wasn't quite as good as it was the other night.
We go for a walk to the road and have a look in the stores, we were going to get some rum and make some imitation Bailey's with the rum and coffee flavoured milk over ice. We could only find amber rum so just got a Pepsi and chips. We put on Bloomberg, or the Russian business channel, those are the only two in English. We did get on line, but had a hard time keeping the connection.
December 22, 2008
Much the same as yesterday. We did tell Tip at registration, we would be staying until January 3 and could she find us the busses going from the pier to the airport. Right away she wants to sell us a tourist bus ticket. She said she would tell the manager Dundee, they do want us to leave I think before then, he keeps saying he will be booked for the holiday - that is New Years here from what I gather the 29 of Dec to the 4 of Jan. We go for a walk down the road looking for other accommodations, just in case. We found the place next door where the fishermen come from. It is all new, they are in the process of putting in a pool, it includes breakfast and she has a room for long term.
We head back to our place, Len is off for his swim and I begin my exercises. Talked to the chap from Ireland about the Bangkok airport and when and how he is going today. I told him about our little laptop and he is now going to check them out before his flight that is at 2 am on the 23rd. He is a social worker in Dublin and is, I think, happy to be going home to celebrate Christmas with his family in Northern Ireland. He did have an incredible travel experience, his first time traveling and has gotten over his fear of flying and long flights, met so many people from all over as we have and already planning his next adventure to South America.
I did get back to my Pilates and Len came from his swim. Then time to read, I'm just at the end of my first book, I think Len is on his 3rd. Up for lunch on the balcony and then cards, but we are playing around the pool today. We both ended up with having killer cribs in two separate games, but again, I came out the overall winner.
A dip in the pool to cool down and then I finished my book and began a 2nd one. There were lots of young people coming and looking at the rooms here, he is even giving them a welcome lemongrass drink. I said to Len maybe as they go by us we should say "GIN" while playing cards. I don't think they will come back, not much action here and then seeing two old fogies sitting playing cards, not lively enough for the younger ones. Maybe the older man with his Thai guide might come back.
For diner Dundee was cooking an assortment of surf, lobster, river lobster, crabs, scallops, prawns and fish. We chose the river lobsters and scallops. They were good and fresh, no drawn butter though. The scallop presentation wasn't the best as they were just barbequing them as opened, they didn't take any of the sinew or eggs off or add and garlic butter to cook them in. The river lobster were tasty, but maybe overcooked as the ends were mushy. I did enjoy the baked potato again.
After diner we went out for an ice cream and then walked through the posh place next door, they have a Christmas tree up at the reception area. Down to the beach and then along to our deck where we sat and watched all the shrimp boats out shrimping with their lights on. We could see about a dozen or more lights on the horizon.
December 23
Another day in paradise and it begins the same as yesterday. Except after lunch I slept most of the afternoon away. When I woke I didn't feel to perky so I laid down in our cool room for a couple of house. We had dinner and then I went back to bed for the night. Len read, did su-do-kus and went for a walk to the beach.
