BEACHES!!!

Trip Start Jun 13, 2005
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6
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Trip End Jul 27, 2005


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Flag of Thailand  ,
Sunday, June 19, 2005

Sooooooo much to write, and the c key doesnt work so well, so bear with me. After i last wrote... beth and i grabbed an early dinner in Bangkok, and headed to the train station (after of course the requisite haggling with the tuk tuk drivers). We were told the train station is deff. a place to keep your wits about you, so we did just that, and all went smoothly... well, not the reading thai part, but slowly and surely we found our platform. After a some brief confusion finding our proper sleeper car (involving getting stuck in a battle of chicken with an uber-sweet Aussie who somehow managed to squeeze his well over 6 foot frame and attached huge backpack through a tiny doorway to let us through... though he got stuck, and it was rather funny and ackward... he seemed all befuddled and moved with urgency to let us "lovely ladies" pass). Our sleeper class was 2nd class, no aircon... it was a mix of thai people and backpackers, and while the beds were comfy enough, by ocd was in overdrive looking at all the dirt... but its thailand, and we were on a 2nd class sleeper train, so surprise. In our trusty sleep-sac nothing can harm us (or so we keep telling ourselves). I didn't really sleep, i guess a combination of the heat, dirt and wa nting to keep an eye on our things. Our train pulled into Surrathani at about 7am, where the ENTIRE backpakers brigade piled off and made our way onto busses to the ferry station. At the ferry station they marked us with stikers indicating our island destination... Beth and i were on our way to ko samui.

the ferry ride was MISERABLE, had it not been for the beautifull scenery and interesting company it would have been even worse. It was insanely hot, and the bakpaks were piled up at the rear of the boat about 8 feet high, people were sitting and standing on any piece of anything they could fine, scurrying up the enormous pile of backpacks, onto the roof etc... Sunburn, thirst and hunger soon set in, and there was NO escaping it. im not sure how many hours that ride was, but eventually we disembarked at the pier in Ko Samui. we had booked witha lady at the first pier for a hut on the beach for the first night, and a van was waiting for us as promised. We got to our hut (new hut it is called) on lamai beach (the second most happening beack in ko samui... not quite as commercial as chaweng). the place was quaint, and only a couple of bucks. we immediatly ran into the ocean and sat in a foot of water to cool off. We grabbed some food at our place, and chilled and read for HOURS. it was great. Then we decided to walk up the beach and check out some places for diner/ maybe somewhere less icky to sleep the next night. we finally ended up going back to our place for dinner and then sleep in our less than par accomodations. We woke up at 7 this morning, and checked into a place we had found the night before... we decided that with mosquitos nad such we would splurge on a 10$ a night place (our entire food/lodging budget for a day), but with one huge buffet meal included a day, airconditioning, a pool, and a fridge in the room it seems very reasonable. This way well only have to pay for one meal a day, and well just buy groceries to keep in the fridge nad eat in the room... plus we are saving a ton of money not flying anywhere, and sleeping on overnight busses and trains... so still on track with budget. we checked in, ate our fill at the buffet, met a really interesting guy who was doing what i thought was taichi on the beach (i was informed it was infact chigong), he just spent 3 months studying eastern medicine in china, so we got alot of information from him for the next leg of our trip. Then it was back to our beautifully ariconditioned room to read for another few hours (avoiding sun as much as possible these next few days), and showering... though its merely a trickle of cold water, and the eastern style bathroom... ie the entire bathroom is the shower, they just add the shower spicket somwerher in the room. We then caught one of the loca lopen air taxi's (ie pickup truk with benches) to chawang beach, where i sit now. Well be here for another few days and then probably to ko pha-ngan... home of the infamous full moon parties. Tonight were going to see a Mui thai kickboxing championship match... more like im dragging beth to a kickboing math, teehee. Tommorow waterfalls and elephant trekking probably... yay ELEPHANTS!!! My times running out at my overpriced internet cafe, so know we are both doing well, and having an amazing time. love to all!
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