I've moved south from Bangkok to sunny southern Thailand, and the famous Thai islands. I'm currently on Ko Pha-Ngan. The idea is to have a rest, and enjoy the beaches a bit.
My journey down here began on Tuesday night when I caught a bus outside Bangkok's Hualamphong Station. It took 13 hours to reach the port of Surat Thani, and a further four hours on a ferry across the Gulf of Thailand, first to Ko Samui, and then to my destination Ko Pha-Ngan. It took me longer to get down here than it took me to get from Heathrow to Bangkok believe it or not.
For the past two nights I have been staying in a quiet bay called Hat Khom on the north side of the island. It's been a very restful couple of days, and I've done very little except swing in a hammock whilst watching the waves of the Gulf of Thailand hit the shore. It was just me and the owner, plus his cleaning lady - who couldn't speak any English. I managed to get through a hefty chunk of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' whilst swaying back and forth, and communicated just enough with the cleaning lady to get her to wash all my clothes.
Rested and relaxed, and in a clean shirt, this morning I decided to head down to the southern side of the island, because this is where all the activity is. I arrived at Hat Rin about an hour ago, and suddenly I'm back full throttle into the world of commercial tourism, and internet cafes, and Bob Marley bars. I've got quite a nice room at a dirt cheap price, and it all feels nice and easy, so I think I might hang around in Hat Rin for a while.
2 comments:
Hey Charlie! Sounds like you're having a great time. Have you and "the cleaning lady" developed a "special relationship" yet? (It's Salima in case you're wondering who this is)
No we didn't have a 'special relationship' thank you very much. She was a washer woman double my age. Also, no deposit laid down on a mail order bride as yet either, but watch this space for developments.
Post a Comment