Greetings from Ko Pha Ngan

Hello everybody. I've had quite an interesting few days. I don't even know where to begin.

Alright, so I spent another two days in Bangkok after writing last. It was amazing. I saw Wat Po, this HUGE golden Buddha that is laying down. It's a 150 feet long and I don't even know how high. Insanely cool. I also went to see the Grand Temple, which is the big attraction in Bangkok. Again, I was stunned at the granduer and intricacies that go into all these temples. I would love to show everyone all the pictures I took but so far all the internet cafes I've been in don't have slots to upload them. Sorry about that. They would have blow all your minds though.

Moving along. I switched guesthouses again after staying in the cheaper one off the Khao San. Just about a block north is a large monastery that has this beautiful red rock-tile street that goes around it. There are many cheap guesthouses and restaurants around it as well. Its like a more laid back Khao San. My guesthouse room was on the second floor and overlooked the monastery and was cheap as well (yes!). The bottom floor of it is a really chill open restaurant. I loved it. Its where I plan on staying before I fly out of Bangkok in August. The only problem I had were the roosters from the monastery woke me up in the morning, which come to think of it, is actually a kind of neat experience.

Bangkok was never in my grand plan for a long stay so after I saw the Grand Temple, I went back to my place, ate, then bargained a taxi to Humplong Station, the main railway station for Bangkok. I purchased a ticket the next morning to Surat Thani, which is a port city in the south that serves as a jumping off point to the renowned islands in the Gulf of Thailand. When I was leaving the station, I negotiated with another driver who offered a much, much cheaper fare back to my area than what it took to get there. Me being cheap, of course I took it. The reason why it was so cheap is it was just for a seat on the back of his motorcycle. Why not though? Well, the motorcycles drive here with different rules than in the states. (Mom, please stop reading now) When we came to our first stop light he turned the cycle left to sneak between the the two lanes of cars that were parked. It was a constant bob and weave through Bangkok traffic. When he couldn't go between cars in our lanes at red lights, he would just go into the oncoming traffic lane then work his way back into our proper lane when it opened up. Too much fun.

I made it to the train station the next morning only five minutes before the train left (8 hour trip) since I didn't realize how bad Bangkok traffic is during normal hours. What took ten minutes on the motorcycle took thirty-five minutes in the morning. The train was an hour late anyway though. I spent most of the trip reading or sleeping, occasionally waking up when a woman in front of me who looked like the female version of Kim Jong Ill kept talking on her cell phone. Oh yea, there were a few monks on the train as well. When they started walking toward the line to get on the train everybody just stepped away to let them on first. One had to trade seats with an American guy since his seat was originally next to a woman. They aren't allowed to touch woman and don't sit next to them to avoid the possibility. He later ended up talking on a cell phone toward the end of the trip. I did not know monks could use cells. Does he text people too? I want to investigate this further when I get home.

Alright, so I'm at Surat Thani and can catch a night ferry to Ko Sumai or Ko Pha Ngan. At this point I'm so tired I just decide to get a hotel to crash at. Since I didn't eat dinner, I walked around looking for a night food stand. Eating was never a problem around Khao San since everybody there selling food spoke some English and would give plastic forks for you to eat your food with. I found one stand open along a pier and ordered by pointing. My chop stick ability is far better than what I figured it would be. It wasn't good enough to keep a couple little girls from giggling at me a table away but I ate everything at an average speed. Go me.

I got my hotel and morning ferry tickets from a guy at the train station. I was set to be picked up by a bus then head to Ko Sumai in the morning. At night I was reading about Ko Sumai and decided it was too touristy for me and would rather just head to Ko Pha Ngan, a smaller island dominated by backpackers just north of Sumai. The hotel staff changed it for me with no problem. By 9:30 at night, I was fast asleep.

In the morning I got picked up by a van and taken to a travel company where I showed them my hotel ticket for Ko Pha Ngan. They lead me to a coach where after an hour ride we were loaded on a ferry. My excitement for Pha Ngan grew as we got closer. The water was a bright turquoise color. Beautiful. After departing I shot to Haad Rin Nok or Sunrise Beach. Its home of the monthly full moon parties where thousands of travellers meet for parties during, well, you know. I took a wrong turn on a street and ended up walking with my heavy pack for about thirty more minutes than what I needed. Not a fun activity in the afternoon sun. When I made it to the beach I got a hut at "Paradise Bungalow". Its right on the beach and cost me a whopping $14. I went swimming for about two hours in very warm water, changed, now here I am. This beach is postcard awesome and the northern beaches are supposed to be even better. Tomorrow, I might do a snorkling tour tomorrow, hire a long boat to take me to a beach on the east or just move to the northern beaches.

Take care all.

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