My 4th trip to Thailand.

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So, March 3rd 2009. I have told my new school that I am not able to start until March 9th, so I have 6 days to play with, and I decide to take another trip to Thailand. I would have loved longer, but the Korean school term had already started, so I flew out for 6 days, for £200 return.

Waking up to pouring rain in Seoul was not great, but I knew that I would be getting out of it soon. I had to get myself to the airport bus stop, but the rain was really really bad (it hasn't really rained at all this winter in Seoul .... they save all the rain for the summer monsoon season I think!!!!). So I charged down to the stop clad in a poncho!! It felt really strange not being with Stef to take the airport bus, as we have done this so many times over the past year.

I wasn't off to the best of starts at Inchon Airport. I stood behind a couple at the back of the line to check in and then got told to go to the very back. Where I was standing was not seen as an appropriate standing space and they wanted me to re queue .... at the back of the line behind loads of Koreans. I said "No!" ... I had been waiting all along and I would not go to the back of the line.

Then I make my way to Duty Free. Oh these people drive me NUTTS. All I wanted to do was try on some Estee Lauder make up, have a few squirts of perfume, but you get followed like CRAZY and I cannot stand it. The assistant was following me and following me and I felt like I was about to blow a fuse, so I begun to play with her, walking round and round in circles to see if she would follow me. She did. I then said to her, "Why do you feel the need to have to follow the shoppers round each and every isle? It is very very off putting". She didn't have a clue what I was on about. She then said "Basket?". I said "No, I don't want a bloody basket, I want you to leave me alone!!". It must be the Asian way, but they follow you and follow you, or pick out things that they think will look good on you even if you had the colour or fit of something. It drives me wild!!!!

As I look out of the window, I see that it is beginning to snow a little. I couldn't wait to get out of Seoul.

I get on the plane, and I am always a little nervous. I do everything the attendants say, phone off, mp3 off until it is "safe" to start using it. I get this HUGE Pakistani man sit next to me. He is being highly irritable, then gets his cell phone out and starts to make a video. I am panicking thinking all sorts, then I tell him "You're not allowed to have that on now you know. It'll interfere with the navigational equipment". He goes "Ok" and then turns it off!

As this was a flight out of Korea, they had included Korean items on the menu. The Thai Air food was great, but they had small pots of Kimchi and red sauce on the side to make sure the Koreans were satisfied. I would go as far as saying that 99% of Korean eat Kimchi each and every day and they can not have a meal with out it!!

I had a brief lay over in Hong Kong, then another 2 hour flight from there to Bangkok. Arriving in Bangkok felt like I was going home. I made my way to the bus terminal and got a 150 Baht bus ride to Koh San Road. I have not felt this excited about going on holiday in years. I smiled the whole way to Koh San. All I could think about were the awesome people that I had met in Thailand in 2007.

I had planned to meet Matt and Ben at 7pm and I was early, so this gave me 30 spare minute to SHOP!!! However, I could not get over how much dearer Thailand had got in 2 years. In 2007 it was 70 Baht to the pound and now it was around 50 to the pound. Every thing seemed dear. Clothes seemed cheaper back home in Primark!! I went to an old favourite guesthouse "At Home" where I had stayed plenty of times before in my 3 months in Thailand, but this seemed very dear for what I got, so I left it.

I met the boys and 7pm and I was so happy to see them, even tho I had only seen them 3 days prior in Seoul. Their guesthouse was full, so I made my way to the Sawasdee Guest house, £5 per night - cell like conditions. My mattress was on the floor, the door was a sliding door and there was no bathroom in the room. It was actually the pitts and I haven't a clue why on earth I stayed there? The bath room reaked so bad that I told myself I would not be able to shower until I hit the islands the next day.

I was on a shopping mission. I had a lot of stuff on the list that I wanted to buy, so I left the lads and arranged to meet them later whilst I shopped like a mad woman .... or so I hoped. Like I say, everything was a lot dearer than before, and I didn't get all that much as I knew I could get stuff cheaper at home or in Seoul.

I was happy to eat a fantastic street food Banana pancake tho!!! I still don't know what's better, Balinese or Thai pancakes, but this was awesome!!! 20 Baht.

Koh San Road seemed the same, same "bars" (or should I say stalls sat out on the pavement for people to sit on whilst drinking from a plastic bucket). One thing that did strike me, there was this old Thai man that I had seen 2 years ago selling a net. 2 years on, the same man was still selling the SAME net. You would have thought after 2 years of being told "No thank you" you would change your stock and try and sell some thing else, but no, he keeps on, pursuing tourists, trying to make them buy his net!!!

Later that night, I hung out in the boys room with some of Matt's mates form home and 2 French Canadians. I was amazed at how little English this lass from Quebec City spoke. I had to converse with her in French myself for a short while!

I did not have a mad one in Bangkok as the next day at 8am, Matt and I had to take a bus and a boat to the island. Matt on the other hand had an all nighter and 10 minutes sleep prior to meeting me for the bus!! I had had a terrible nights sleep in my "cell". As I had this sliding door, I thought that there were people entering my room all night, it was horrible, and I was becoming really paranoid!

Ben was on a different bus to us to Koh Chang. He was going to stay in Bangkok and wait for Tom and Stef who were flying out on the Wednesday, but we managed to convince him to join us that day, and he did!!

After an 8 hour journey we finally made it to Koh Chang. It had been a long journey .... and I could have sworn it only took 5-6 hours 2 years ago. During the journey Matt's foot had ballooned for some reason, so I decided he had club foot for then on.

From the terminal, we took a Tuk Tuk bus to Lonely Beach. Even this seemed way longer than 2 years ago. The roads are full of hair pin bends and people going crazy on mopeds. At one point on the journey we see a local and a Westerner had had a collision of some kind and a woman was laying on the floor next to her 'ped. So dangerous. Yet last time I was in Thailand, I went on mopeds loads myself, with Gally and I taking a 'ped out and going the entire way around Koh Samui.

When we got to Lonely Beach, I think the boys were surprised at how "quiet" it was. We had passed the more built up area of White Beach at the beginning of the tuk tuk ride and I guess they thought that Lonely Beach would be like that too. We walked in to the enclosure a little and the huts I stayed in last time were still there, as was their German owner Thomas. So we opted to take 2 400 Baht a night huts. Sun Set Huts had also developed more, he had a few more "better" huts than last time. Our huts had out door bathrooms without a ceiling, so you looked up and could see the sky and the trees above your bath room. Still, these huts were £8 a night .... they used to be £4!!!!

First night on the island and my first CURRY!!! Thai Green curry and it was AMAZING!!!! I told myself that I was going to eat and eat and eat .... even if I wasn't hungry - just so I could try more and more Thai food.

Later that night we went to the Tree House beach bar. A simple place where you sit in hammocks or deck chairs over looking the ocean. Here I befriended a kitten, who chose to sit with me for the night on my lap ..... probably to get away from the stray dogs that wanted to attack it!!!

The next day, at breakfast. I met 2 older women, a Canadian and a South African. They had both taught in Taiwan and still holidayed together even tho they no longer lived in the same country. This gave me hope for Stef and I, that one day, we can still go and travel together as we did so much this past year in Korea. They were very nice women, and were interested in Korea, and couldn't believe that I had also been to Taiwan of all places.

Ben, Matt and I made it to the beach by midday. Peak time to be in the sun. Even after applying vast amounts of factor 20 ..... I GOT BURNT!!! As did the lads (no wonder for Matt tho as he spent about 90% of his time that day in the sea). To get out of the sun for a bit, we went to a beach bar for some food. Here I tried Tom Yam soup. I was a little let down by it tho. It was very watery with too many spices that were added for flavour, but you couldn't actually eat them. So I was still a little hungry even after the meal.

Stef and Tom arrived around 4pm. Then we headed off for massages. 300 Baht for an hour. I wanted an oil massage, but the lass that did it was not very good. It was a lot of rubbing rather than massaging. It wasn't overly enjoyable + the massage area had some netting down to "separate" you from the outside, yet all you could hear were the Thai's out side screaming and hollaring, hardly relaxing!!

By March 6th, Ben, Matt and I were SO sunburnt. It was horrid. I was in a lot of pain and I could not go out in the sun. I had come from Korean winter to hot hot Thailand and my body was not prepared for this type of sun. We had to stay out of the sun all day. We started the day off by going for food .... it wasn't too early, so I had a curry for breakfast!!! Masaman curry and it was so so good!!!

Ben and Tom decided to rent mopeds and Stef, Matt and I went to sit in the shade all day at a beach bar, eating and drinking Singha beer!! As Ben was out on the motorbike, he also had to cover up, and he did so by dressing some what like an "Israeli drug dealer" according to Matt, in his long sleeved salmon tunic.

By the time the sun begun to go down, I was able to venture in to the sea. The sea in Koh Chang is really patchy, one minute you're in cold water and then it's as if you have swum through some ones pee as the water gets warm really quickly around you. We chatted to some randoms down at the beach and had some good times, made me realise how much I did not want to come back to Korea!!!

This was my last night with the others, so we all went to the Tree house for an AMAZING bbq. Stef and I shared Indonesian satay and an awesome Red Snapper. The Thai sauces that the fish came with was just divine, and I could have easily ate another one.

This night was set aside for a beach party also at the Siam cafe. By no means was it to the Full Moon party standard but it was good times nevertheless. We had free vodka red bull vouchers + bucket upon bucket of Thai Samsong whiskey, electro music, so I was pretty happy with that!! Unfortunatley, everything shuts at 2am. Unlike in Seoul where NOTHING shuts. You look at your watch in Seoul and it's 6:30am ..... so by 2am, you're looking for somewhere else to go, but there's nowhere! .... however, I did have to get up the next morning to head back to Bangkok and I had an awful good bye about to happen so maybe it was for the best that it all shut down at 2am.

So, back to the hutts we walked. I thought I'd be fine. I was telling myself, no tears, no tears, but then it happened. Stef and I went in to the hutt, we had a long cuddle and the pair of us were in tears. After 12 full months together, with only 9 days apart in total, the end of our year was ending NOW. It was one of the most emotional nights of my life. Stef may be back to Seoul, maybe, but this was the end of our year and I was so upset. I can honestly say I have a friend for life there, but it's just so sad that we can only be mates through the internet now, as she is American and I am not, so seeing each other will be once every blue moon ..... or in our case ..... in a full moon (party) I hope!!!

So Saturday 7th : after 3 hours sleep, I had to make my way back to Bangkok alone. The boys will be away for 9 weeks and Stef was going on to India a week later .... yet I had to return to Seoul .... to go to work in a new school, on MONDAY morning at 8:30am ...... not a good feeling! I felt exceptionally rough. I had drunk a lot the night before, then had 3 hours sleep, a 45 minute tuk tuk journey to the port, a ferry to the mainland, an hours wait for the coach, then a 7 hour bus ride to Bangkok. I thought I was going to be sick over and over again on the bus, it was not nice!

Arriving back at Koh San Road, it took me an hour to find a guest house!!!! I opted for a 400 Baht a night room with a/c, en suite and a tv ...... kind of felt like the Hilton after the hutt!

I ditched my bags and was out : SHOPPING!!! I did buy a few bits but not as much as I had hoped for. I was happy to have a 40 Baht Pad Thai!!! I love it and think the Pad Thai from the street is the best in the world!!

I was suprised at the amount of beggars there were out on the streets. Also the amount of terribly disabled people, laying on the floor, hoping that some one would give them a few pennies. It was quite distressing. One man with the body the size of a large dog, just layed helpess on the floor as other people stepped over him.

I was along in Bangkok, in the dark, in the night time, yet I felt very safe.

I do like Thailand a lot. I have been 4 times now and have spent many months there. 6 days was by no means enough, and I will go back again, for longer. They are changing the visa statuses now, you can not get as long as you once could.

Sunday 8th, I was up by 6:20. Bangkok is another city that never sleeps like so many Asian cities. There are always people about doing something at all hours of the night.
I felt very sad to be leaving, just as my vacation had got started. Still, it had to be done.
I had text my mum saying that if she told me to stay out back packing then I would have sacked off my new job and stayed out there .... and I would of .... but she didn't say to do that .... so back to Korea I went.

I met up with my friend Norah at the airport, neither of us were at all ready to go back to Seoul.

On the airplane I was appaled at the Korean adjumas attitude. In Korean it is common practice to shout "Yogi Yo" to get the attention of a bar maid, waitress, tender etc. However, on the flight, the adjumas were shouting "Yogi Yo" to the flight attendant, I kind of think there is a time and a place for speaking like that.

So, now I am back in Korea. I do not have any vacation until August now. Unlike last year when I had lots of time off for Buddha's Birthday, Chuseok etc, many of these holidays fall over a weekend this year so I do not get to travel anywhere.

So where to go in August ........ back to Thailand prehaps!!!

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Photos

Lazy Friday.
Just chilling at a beach cafe in the shade.
We ate and drunk here all day. Then later that night this bar was transformed for the setting of the beach party.

Lonely Beach.
Koh Chang.

My Hutt.
Home for 3 nights.