But... Lonely Planet never told me of this...
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2008
1
37
62
Trip End
Aug 07, 2008
Surat Thani,
Thailand
Thursday, July 17, 2008
We didn't think the bus would get too crowded, but then millions of Thai school kids got on. They had to sit 2 to a seat. One sat next to me and she was lovely... it was exciting because I got to use a new Thai word (sooai, meaning pretty, in regards to the picture she held in her lap)
On the bus, iPod-ing and journaling
. I had never said the word outloud to anyone before, just remembered learning it, but she was able to understand and respond! Fantastic. Right now I have about 30 words/phrases in my head but am behind on my 1-per-day goal.It turned out that Simon, Magdalena, Barbara, Liz and I were not only on the same 2 buses, but also on the same overnight ferry to Koh Phangan, so we all became friends. We all sat together at the night market, eating a bit, talking, waiting. I tried a fried banana pancake, made for me at the food stall on the street.
Something funny: we realized that Magdalena and Barbara had both been at K Guest House in Krabi (same as us, and for the same 3 nights)... and then both been at Jinda Guest House in Ao Nang (same as us, and for the same 2 nights)... and they didn't have anywhere to stay in Koh Phangan, so I gave them the number of the guest house I found, and they got a room there as well! Destiny. They're a 24-year old and 22-year old special education teacher and university student, respectively, from Austria.
The weird thing was, though, when we got on the ferry, was that there weren't any chairs or anyplace to sit
Our night ferry
. This is what my "WTF, Lonely Planet" blog title is in regards to. I would have thought they would have described this. There were just two long mats, lined up, on each side of the boat, with tiny pillows and numbers written above each pillow. I was "berth" #46, which meant I had a tiny space to lie down and sleep in between Liz and Barbara. We had all been assuming that there would be chairs to sleep in, sort of like the night bus, but no... night ferries are completely different. It looked like a massive sleepover, but with 100 strangers. In cramped quarters. It was laughable. Liz and Simon were on the ends of the 5 of us, so they both had to sleep next to strangers. Again, we all had to go to sleep in our day clothes and contacts and etc., as there was one tiny bathrrom on board with a squat toilet and no sink at all, but it was fine. The ferry left at 11 pm and lots of people were really rowdy for a while, but I fell asleep... woke up a few times, then woke up for good at 5:40 am when we docked in Koh Phangan.
I somehow managed to get off the ferry on the tiny gang plank with my suitcase, the 5 of us gathered, and then caught a mini bus to The Last Resort (the guest house). Sebastian, the owner, doesn't take reservations--I had just found the place on lonely planet.com (http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com/hotel/Ko-Phangan-The-Last-Resort-P1000351173.html), written him an email, and he wrote back with some qustions answered and told me to call him the day before.
So I called him while on the bus from Ao Nang to Krabi and he said sure, he'll keep a room for us. So now the 5 of us all have rooms, which is nice, because I see travelers wandering the island streets with their big backpacks, looking for accomodation, and I do not envy them at all. Off to go explore!
Comments
Travel Genius !
Katie- You are such a travel genius! I've been reading and enjoying all that you've been doing. I'm so glad you are with your friends, sound like alot of fun. love, Mom.