Bangkok

Wow its hot here! Thankfully it has started raining and just as well we splurged on some AC. Arrived in Bangkok just off Koh San Rd at about 4am this morning, just in time to catch the majority of revelers on their way home from any one of a thousand bars.

Haad Rin

We stayed our last night on Ko Phanang at the Harmony Bungalows about 10mins from the main tourist drag and site of the infamous Full Moon, Half Moon, No Moon and any other excuse for a huge beach party that brings travellers from all over the place to the one part of the island where anything goes. We hired a scooter and chanced our luck on the road to Haad Rin (the main beach) for a bit of a look around. Most people seemed to be starting to recover from the previous night and gearing up to do it all again. For us it was a quiet night in with one chang beer, a kiwi shake and The Good the Bad and the Ugly showing in the guest lounge. We made it through to about 10.30 (3/4 the way through the movie) until we got sick of Clint Eastwood's (Blondie) meaningfull dialogue(??) and called it quits for the night. So everyone can fully appreciate the type of accomadation we have had to put up with I will upload a photo from our bungalow window. Needless to say the noise from the ocean lapping at the beach in front kept us awake for some time.

Harmony Beach Bungalows

It was a big day of travell from Ko Phanang to Bangkok and included a ferry via Ko Samui to Surit Thani which was a sort of transit hub of boats buses and trains from the mainland to the islands, The ferry ride was great (about 4h all up), the sun was out and Cath and I got our fair share of it on the front deck. We had time to nick into the markets at Suri Thani and grab some dinner before jumping on the bus. Pad Thai made fresh in front of you, and ordered by various gestures and pointing - 20bht awsome. Really authentic and thoroughly enjoyed. Bus trip was slightly less enjoyable but tolerable until you are kicked off the bus at 4am (2 hours early). We were so tires and I had a really hard time waking up. We buddied up with a girl we met on the bus - Rachel, and waited out the night until we could work out what we were doing at first a bar (cups of tea all round) and then good old Macdonalds where they were showing Miss Congeniality on the flat screen. Made it to a hotel after wandering around checking out rooms before settling on 4 Sons Hotel a block or 2 away from Koh San Rd (rooms were still overpriced and average but we really were stuffed).

Scooter (another safe return)

Today we checked out some future accomadation, checked out some of the markets and looked into tours up in Chang Mai. Really looking forward to getting up there, looks great and very much our style. Looks like we will leave on Thur morning evening (another 12 hr by bus).

Anyway cath should have almost finnished her 1hr Thai massage and I have to upload some photos.

Will report soon. Hope everybody is well, sorry we hav'nt as yet been able to email people personally. Oh and if your one of the lucky few (grandma, Mcstravick clan) then a post card is forthcoming as soon as we find the post office.

Sorry -ran out of time to upload photos - will try to get them up tomorrow!

Si on the ferry

Thong Nai Pan Noi - bungalow

Thong Nai Pan Noi - Ko Phanang 1

Thong Nai Pan Noi - Ko Phanang 2

Thong Nai Pan Noi - Ko Phanang 3

view from bungalow

View from room - Harmony Beach Bungalows