Ko Toa baby!

Stef and I have been on Ko Toa now for 4 nights. Two facing one direction in our bed, two facing the opposite way. Both are equally uncomfortable. Luckily, all is forgiven because the view from our bungalow is nothing short of spectacular. Photos to come I promise. The place is very 'hippy'. Whatever that means. It is quite secluded and offers basic bungalows on the boulders and a little deeper into the jungle. Martin, the German who runs it, teaches tai-chi here and his wife offers full on 2.5 hour Thai massage. Stef and I both agree our chi is flowing better after one of those! We have booked in for another on our last day here. I think this place will be a perfect transition into my retreat on Koh Phangan.

I have adopted a doggy and it sleeps on our balcony. Stef is convinced it has mental problems and I think she is right. It rubs itself up against things as if it is a cat. It perches itself on boulders and stares out longingly at the horizon as if it is a bird. It tries to get into our bungalow as if it is a human. And the identity crisis is not its only problem. It stinks. Bad. The reason I coaxed into our area was because I herd it crying, I think it got hurt trying to launch itself off a boulder. In the process I think it got poo on itself somehow. Perhaps it thinks it's a dung beetle.

We have met some really cool people here. Patrick is an Australian who has travelled more than anyone I have ever met. We get along really well. He is relaxed and new-age, but not in a selfish way. Reno is Austrian, we met when he offered me a lift back to the bungalows on his motorbike. He is warm and generous. Naomi is an ex-Intrpid guide. She has spent a lot of time in India and Nepal. The ideal person for me to bump into. She calls Koh Phangan, Ko Gang Bang.

We waste hours here chilling on our balcony. Playing cards and reading. Telling doggy to go back to his bed and not rub up against us.

The weather here has been crazyf. On the first day it was fine and sunny and then wham. 99% humidity, lightening, thunder, torrential rain and gale forced winds. For 3 days straight. The roof flaps up and down and we can see the sky between gusts of wind. I made the mistake of doing all my washing on the morning the storms came. I think they got wetter after I hung them out to dry even though they were under cover. Stef had to hang the clothes from her suitcase out to dry, and they hadn't even been washed! Crazy times. The sea got rough and because we don't have beach where we are staying (we have boulders were the sea meets the land) it is a bit dangerous to go in.

I went in yesterday though. Patrick and I attempted some snorkeling as there is some great reef right outside our resort. The visibility was poor but I had an awesome time. I saw a fish like Nemo. The sea was rough and when on the surface I was a bit scared. But under the water it was calm and peaceful. A very cool experience and I think better than if it had been calm. Getting out was tricky because I kept getting pulled of the boulders then pushed back onto them. But it really was part of the exhilaration of it.

Some creepy crawlies have invaded our bungalow to escape the weather. Including another big lizard! Larry's long lost twin perhaps? A huntsmen fell out of the toilet roll into my hand the other day. I thought I was tough until Patrick said "I'll see you a huntsmen and raise you a python". Yes, he had a python in his bungalow. Stef and I console ourselves with the fact that his bungalow is deeper into the jungle than ours.

The main beach towns here are a bit gross. Very western and extremely touristy. There are lots of dive and surfy shops. Stef and I found a restaurant that plays movies and we watched 'Night at the Museum'. Hilarious movie. And I am convinced Owen Wilson is gods gift to women. As is Andrew (:

Tonight Stef, Patrick, Naomi and I are having a fish bbq. Yum yum.

Last day on Koh Phangan

This morning I was sitting cross legged on a straw mat at a beach front restaurant. A coffee sat in front of me on a low, thai style, table. The view was breath taking. The sky and the ocean were different shades of the same brilliant blue. Paper lanterns around me blew gently from side to side in the cool sea breeze. Sand glowed and people glowed back. Whilst I sat I jotted down the following:

...Today is our last day on Koh Phangan. It is a bit sad to say goodbye. Stef has told me she will miss it here and I suspect I will as well. It is hard to explain exactly how intimate it is here. The particular beach we are staying at is about as far away from the main port of Koh Phangan as you can get. It is personal here. Everyone (except for the transvestite who runs this internet cafe - sorry but its true) is generous with their time and their smiles. The staff at the restaurants Stef and I frequent recognise us, and they greet us warmly when we sit down. The small size of this particular beach has made it cosy. So quickly we settled in...

But, as much as I love it here I am ready to leave. I'm a little restless and Ko Toa is beckoning. Yesterday I got so excited about the prospect of diving that I dreamt about it. Although I also dreamt about the lizard in our room falling on me - not so enthusiastic about that happening.

We have met a few people here, although only a couple I feel I have really connected with. Most are the kind of people you can drink with but that is about it. Stef claims we have met the most cliched English backpackers in Thailand, I agree. But they are good value (: One thing I am particularly sad to leave is the awesome restaurant we have just discovered. As if the food could have gotten any better. They even serve a cocktail called 'Bloody Hippy'. Chris Van der Poel, that one is for you.

In summary...
Highlights - The giant lizard, Larry the lizard, who lived in our room oh too briefly. Drinks and sunsets (not the death by chocolate cocktail - I was sorry about that the next day!).

Low lights - Our toilet getting blocked (and I mean blocked). Death by chocolate, see above.

Funny lights - Sea kayaking, including the trying to get in part (this was probably even funnier for the men watching us a laughing).