Koh Chang

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Alright! I've given up the day to day Journals as I'm so far benhind I can't remeber what happen when (a couple night drinking blows everything!) . So, koh Chang. When the loyal reader left us last we were sleeping in a mildew infested Jockstrap smelling guesthouse. oh, how our fortunes changed. we woke early and went on a misson to find suitable lodging. we found indepentdant bo's. This guesthouse was something else. it was an inhabitatable work of art. There was a resident artist who took it upon himself (after taking some seroius mind altering substances, i'm sure) to paint this driftwood build hotel. The entire place is red and green with murals painted on the rooves and walls of the bungalows. I took one look and new we would stay. the atmosphere was friendly, like a big family than anything else. It was perfect.
We headed out that day (I think) to plu Klong, a waterfall in the national park. It was a nice hike and the water fall was incredible. We got to swim in the fall basin. The was was so cold I had to search for proof of my manhood when i got out, but despite the raised octives of my voice it was a refreshing change from swimming in the bath water temperatured sea. The following day we chilled on the beach. that night was the full moon, so we made little boats from banana leaves and sent then out to sea with candles and incense as an offering to buddha. Then we got drunk.
The next day (something is telling me monday) we took a thai cooking class where we learned to make 2 thai soups, Pad thai, green curry and a mango desert. It was a lot of fun and I'm excited to try out my recipes, so when I return home and ajust to the cold and personal space i'll have to hold a big feast.
The following day went went to an elephant camp. If the faithful readers remeber the camp in Phucket I may or may not have said it was a total shit hole. If i didn't say that, it was. The camp on Koh Chnag (Ban Kwan's) was situated in the middle of the jungle and the beasts were treated with the respect a 60 year old 2 ton animal deserves. Our ride was a leisurley stroll throught the jungle that lasted about an hour, after which we fed the and bathed the elephants. The bath was really cool... we lead them down to a river that the beasts lied down in. We climbed on top and gave the a thorough scrubbing for about ten minutes. Then the elephants stood up and we rode them bare- back back to the camp (too many backs). that morning I had thrown my back (there it is again goddamn it) out by sneezing and the elephant ride didn't help any. I wnet back to the beach for a thai massage which didn't really help but was an interesting experience to none the less.
the next day we head to trat and from there to Koh Kong, Caqmbodia. THe own of Bo's was nice enough to set us up with a guesthouse that would meet us at the boarder to help us get sorted out. i was grateful for the help as the boarder was a frenzy of activity and the number of automatic weapons was nerve racking. We left the border with high spirits and light wallets (the border it a place for sellers , scammers, and beggers... I left with two cartons of cigarettes and handed out five dollars in tips and gratuity just to leave). The guesthouse was small and smelly but we didn't complain. We knew we were out of there the next day.

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Comments

[Sharron]

What a ride!!!
The events here make us all wish we were there to experience them as well.....except .....the border.... You are doing a marvelous job as the designated "detail" scribe!! Waiting for the next entry.