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).

New Years Eve Chaos at Haad Rin

Stef and I are currently at Had Rin on Koh Phangan, the home of the notorious full moon parties. People everywhere are preparing to get seedy. Every second shop has a stall out the front selling buckets of alcohol. At about $10 a bucket it is a very cheap to get drunk! Although, rather than getting me excited, the whole scene is kind of turning me off. We don't intend on hanging around here too late, things are going to get more and more grotty as the night progresses. Stef and I will jump on the back of a ute (I think they're called songthaew) and head back to our beautiful beach for the count down, a local bar is hosting a party, which I think is more our scene. There are some cool bars along the beach near our resort, including one which served Stef a glass of red wine with an ice cube in it. Funny stuff. Tomorrow night one of them is hosting a big barbeque and shooting fireworks off on the beach. We're planning on getting there early and wasting the night under the stars.

The last couple of days have been a bit of a write off. We have been at the beach for most of our waking hours. Each day it seems less and less likely that we will get bored of it! Yesterday we hiked it to a nearby beach called 'bottle beach' as well as checking out a lookout and some waterfalls. What looked like a pleasant stroll on the map turned out to be one of the longest, steepest hills I have ever encountered. It is ridiculously hilly around here, and many of the roads are unpaved. "Eltham on drugs," Stef calls it.

I have met some interesting travellers at restaurants and whilst travelling between beaches in the back of trucks. Some are really offensive, some are charming and down to earth. The type of people attracted to this island is really variable. Some are totally obnoxious - load and insensitive to the culture/environment, all they want to do is get pissed and get a tan. Others seem wise and have considerate open hearts. All are out to have a good time.

Bangkok to Koh Phangan

I find it hard to believe that less than 3 days have past since leaving Melbourne. It feels like weeks have gone by! Everywhere I turn there is a feast of new sights, sounds and smells (not all of which are pleasant when it comes to the latter!). Months have to go by at home for me to experience so many new sensations.

Bangkok was full on. But not anywhere as much as I expected it to be. We shopped and checked out the grand palace and the famous emerald Buddha (photos to come). Shambara boutique hotel was gorgeous and is a good choice for those wanting somewhere quiet to escape the crowds i.e. Andrew.

Stef and I have now arrived in Koh Phangan, an island in Southern Thailand. Getting here wasn't the smoothest ride though, as Stef so succinctly put it "we got nearly fucking fucked!". The main reason being, we nearly missed our overnight train down the coast. It was prety funny actually. Thanks to a tuk-tuk driver with a death wish though, we made it with a bit of time to spare. We are staying in a simple hut about 15 metres from the beach, in a resort called Baan Panburi. It is spectacular here. An absolute oasis after the chaos that was Bangkok. Much time has been spent down on the beach.

On the down side, my pack weighs a bloody ton. Much of my walk from the bus stop to Stef's hotel in Bangkok was spent making a mental list of all the things I'm going to ditch. I got really excited this morning when I noticed that my moisturiser has nearly run out - at the thought of one less thing to carry.

Anyway, I love it here and am settling in already. I love the pace of life and the lack of agenda I currently have. It makes me imagine a life I could lead should I be prepared to make certain sacrifices. I'm not talking about a life living on the beach and not having to work. What I mean is, a more minimalistic life. One without so many distractions, where I have time for my thoughts. I noticed whilst on retreat back home, and even more so here, there is a quiet, subtle voice which becomes overwhelmed and drowned out by my pace of life in Melbourne. It saddens me that this is the case because I feel like this part of me is more accepting of lifes ups and downs, more content to just be. Being aware of this makes me realise how driven and task oriented my life has become - perhaps that is necessary for succes, but I don't think it is necessary for mny happiness.

Let me finish up with a word about the food. Oh god, the food. Andrew you are going to have a fit, it is amazing. The restaurant of our resort is apparently one of the best in the area. It opens onto the beach and has bamboo tables nestled in the sand. Lanterns and tea lights border its edges and the staff are kind and gentle. Last night Stef and I had fish with red curry (Stef) and chilli (me). It was orgasmic. It is not just that restaurant that rocks. Provided you stick to the recommended places, it is hard to have a bad experience. The delicious Thai beer (Chang) that you wash it all down with is dangerously cheap!

packing

In an effort to make my jump on to the blog band wagon a little smoother I've decided to make an entry before I leave. Chances are then, this will be a highly uninteresting post.

I'm packing today and tomorrow, as Sunday and Monday will be chockas with Christmas events. Can I just say I'm appalled at the amount of toiletries and books I am trying to cram into my bag. I'm equally appalled at the lack of clothing. I refuse to believe that I must be either smelly and bored, or half naked.