Beach, BBQ's and Ladyboys

Trip Start Jan 03, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Where I stayed

Viewpoint Resort

(Ko Tao hotels)

Flag of Thailand Ko Tao, Thailand
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

When I got off of the ferry, I was immediately swarmed with people trying to get me to stay at their guesthouse or to ride in their taxi. I was starving so I decided that I can always evaluate the situation better with food. I stopped off at a food stall and got a banana pancake. By the time I was finished eating, most of the hasslers had left. I ended up meeting these three Germans who were heading back to where they were staying. They told me it was 250 baht ($8) for your own bungalow. So I just hopped in a taxi with them.

I stayed at the Viewpoint resort which was at the very end of Ao Chalok beach. It was built into the hillside which afforded beautiful views. To get to my room, I had to hike up this massive hill. Honestly, when I did it with my heavy pack I thought I was going to have a heart attack. But I made it and it was well worth it. My bungalow was secluded and it had a partial seaview from the porch. The room was very basic (there were a few holes in the walls that were made out of banana leaves) but I didn't care.

During the day, I would go down to the beach to "my spot." I would lay in between these two boulders. It was like no one else was around and I loved it that way. I read four good books over the course of five days. A few times it would rain but I would just run up to the dining room. The outdoor dining room had spectacular views. You really were eating at the cliffs edge.

For dinner, I always walked to the other end of the beach to Buddah View resort which had an amazing barbeque every night. I always got the chicken and veggie skewer with a grilled corn. It was delicious and very cheap. I happened to meet an amazing woman, Majella. She was a Canadian woman who just got done teaching in Japan. We ended up meeting up for a lot of meals. One night, we went to this fancy restaurant, Papa's Tapas. The menu looked a little intimidating because it was definitely fine cousine. Everything we had was delicious! After dinner, we went down to the beach for a fire show. We met this German girl (Claudia) who was by herself to join us for the Ladyboy (aka drag queen) show. It was free to get into as long as you purchased a drink. It was two hours of incredible entertainment. The dancing and costumes were unbelievable. If this show were to appear in the States, tickets would be atleast $30. The ladyboys were so beautiful. I kept thinking to myself "How is it fair that a man can look like that?"

I really enjoyed my time at Koh Tao. It was filled with good conversation, amazing food and lot of fun.