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Published: February 24th 2007
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Koh Chang
There it is - elephant shaped island emerging from the sea before the sun rise. So I took a night bus from Bangkok to Koh Chang, an elephant shaped island, on Tuesday. It was actually quite handy: we were picked up from Khao San Road after 10pm, everybody got a blanket, air con was switched on and the lights off right away, and everybody went to sleep. Luckily I had been prepared with a fleece and a flash light, otherwise it would have been very very cold and impossible to read anything. (Kiitos Kekki, kasimatkataskari tuli nyt heti tarpeeseen!). So I more or less slept until three in the morning, when we arrived in the harbour. The first ferry to Koh Chang didn't leave until seven or something, so I got a bit scared - are they going to throw us out to the night? No, the driver and his assistant just took their own quilts and climbed to the second floor of the bus to have a nap too. So we continued sleeping until six in the bus - and saved one nights accommodation 😊
Nearly everybody in the bus was going to the same beach, called Lonely Beach. That included me as I hadn't done too specific research and it was the only
Lonely beach in the morning
While it still was worth of its name. beach name I could remember. Later I learnt that it was a good choice, as even if it isn’t particularly lonely these days, the beaches are really the best ones on the island. So the local taxi, a pick up van, took all of us on the back of it and dropped wherever people wanted. I couldn't really tell so I just followed a few other girls to the resort that appeared to be very hippie indeed with a closer look. I had a look at their beach huts and thought it was just a bit too basic for me… A mattress and concrete bathroom…The next resort was even hippier: the huts were cute but there were only communal bathrooms with no shower! Just a cup and a water bucket… I can do it in sauna in Finland but definitely not here. So the hut hunt continued. Finally the very last resort brought a desired result: I found a pretty hut on the hill with a wonderful sea view and own bathroom. Well, it was also over a double price but I just couldn’t see myself in the beach parties with twenty (or ten) somethings.
The reason and objective
for the beach holiday was to chill out and really get to the traveling mode - not plan too much and take the days as they come. Surprisingly hard! As a first thing I started to think what all activities should I take on Koh Chang: at least trekking, perhaps elephant riding, island hopping… And then realised that there wouldn’t be too much beach time if I’d do all those things. So in the end I didn’t do anything but slept on the beach and read ONE book. For trekking it would have been too hot anyway - it’s a very hilly island and even one kilometer shop trip was exhausting. Elephant riding I can do elsewhere and why take a boat to go to another beach when you already are on pretty perfect one?
I would have wanted to see more of the island though but that would have required hiring a scooter and with my recent track record in the traffic decided not to risk it when the trip has only just began. Wise choice by the way, as my hut neighbour had an accident with his. Slippery road following a sudden thunderstorm… Luckily the injuries were
worse for the scooter than for him.
So I have finally started to talk to people and made two friends. The mentioned neighbour, a Dutchman called Rob, who invited me for beer at his veranda on my last night on Koh Chang and Scot, an American with whom I traveled back to Bangkok today. So it is true, you meet nice people quite easily while traveling!
The food was lovely - I basically eat fruit in the mornings, ice cream and fruit shakes during the day and grilled fish on the beach for dinner. Never had barracuda or white snapper before - delicious.
But then the nights… I really could have used some company. The hut was just too close to the nature. You could hear every little crash from outside, and there were huge gaps between the floor and wall boards, and my imagination started to race big time. Snakes, scorpions, lizards, monkeys, all kind of animals might crawl in when I was sleeping… So there I lay under the moskito net, a torch ready to flash every time when there is a suspicious noise outside. The third night was already easier, but I still decided
that I have had island life quite enough for now. I know I’m going to dozens of similar places but perhaps it’s easier if I have a few nights in a concrete building in between.
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Tuija
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One night in Bangkok
Hei Karoliina, luin juuri putkeen sun tarinat - kivalta kuulostaa ja kivaa luettavaa, pitäisköhän sun harkita vaikka jotain kolumnistin pestiä suomalaiseen lehteen? Oikeesti. Oot ollutkin viikon varrella mielessä - pumpissa on yhtenä biisinä se One night in Bangkok ja mä aina mietin, miten crazy paikka se onkaan. Odotan innolla uusia tarinoita!