After 4 full days of wandering around ...

After 4 full days of wandering around Bangkok's air conditioned shopping centres, eating loads, and having as many 7 Eleven 'slurpies' as my head could take,(the old cold head rush got me everytime!)

Koh Samui

I eventually decided to pull my socks up and get out of town, and travel to the Island of Koh Samui. It took at total of 19 hours of travelling in 3 busses, 1 boat, and a taxi to the beach hut.

The V.I.P bus from Bangkok was a half full, and the seat reclined back almost touching the lap of the person sitting behind. It boasted air conditioning, but there was a problem. In Thailand there are 2 settings. 1: on full, or 2: off. They never switch it off. But then the driver was ok, having a thick skiing coat on. After 12 hours of shivering my way down to the boat port, we had a 2 hr wait for it to depart. It was a old looking boat they liked to call "express"

As soon as everybody got on the boat we set off for Samui. As soon as we entered the open water it got choppy. Very choppy. The boat looked like it had gone around the world about 10 times, with metal poles screwed in the floor to the ceiling to stop the wood from caving in. Some of the wooden framework was split from previous trips. This time of year is not the best time to travel to Samui by boat. Because of the wet season/storms, boats can encounter problems. I was thinking that i should have gone by the big ferry. It was too late now. Halfway out to Samui, the waves started to pound the boat, crashing up against the windows. "why didn't i fly to Samui" i kept thinking. The engine kept cutting out, leaving us open to the big waves.

There must have been about 60 people sitting inside the boat, all in complete silence, (you could have heard a pin drop!) just staring out at the windows trying not to look worried. The only sound to be heard was of nearby travellers being sea sick, and the crunching sound of the wood bending as another wave crashed into the side of the boat, letting water seep in through the gaps in the windows.

The engines started again, and i breathed a sigh of relief, then 10 minutes later the engines cut out again. This happened about 8 times.

I did consider putting one of the (what looked like used) crumbling life jackets, but thought that if the boat did sink, there would probably be little chance of climbing out one of the windows anyway.

Eventually the boat made it to Koh Samui in one piece, and i kissed the ground as soon as i got off the boat. The "express" boat was supposed to travel on to the next island of Koh Phangan, but was forced to stop in Samui because of the bad weather.

I got a share taxi to the beach resort of Lamia, where i have found a hut by the beach for 150 Baht a night ($3) with fan and attached bathroom included.

19 hours it's taken to get here, and I'm completley knackered.

I plan to stay here for at least 2 weeks before chancing the trip back to Bangkok.