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Ko Smaui
The beach from out hotel on Lamai well we have not been to the internet in over a week. A crazy week it has been. We took the minibus to Suratani on the Gulf side of the peninsula to catch a ferry to Ko Samui. It was pouring down rain in Suratani and we were taking our chances with the sun on the islands, but we did not want to spend a nite in the armpit town. We booked a hotel, ferry and train ride back to Bangkok from the island and later discovered we were scammed on everything. Everything they told us was a lie. First lie, öh you will be on the island eating dinner by 7:30! After a tuktuk ride to the bus station, a bus ride for an hour, a ferry ride for 2 hours, a taxi ride for 30 minutes we arrived at the Magic Hotel. It was magic alright, did a disappearing act with no lights on, pretty sketchy. This was not the hotel we had requested, they pulled the old bait and switch on us at the tourist office. Lies, lies more lies. A guy came out of his house and said they were closed. We said we had a reservation
Gulf of Thailand
View from the ferry from Ko Samui to Suratani and suddenly they were open. We took one look at the flea bag room and said no thanks. So we found another place on the beach with lights on and hoped we could get our money back in town. It was 10:30 by this time and we were exhausted.
We awoke to sunshine and were stoked!! Sarah finally got her tropical vacation on the beach she was looking for. We laid in the sun all day, walked the beach and played in the ocean that felt like bath water. The water is so green here! There is an infamous rock on the island that is very phalic and they call it the grandfather rock. Lamai beach was nice and quiet and not so much farong. We met a nice german girl, christiana, who was traveling alone. We had to be at the ferry the next day for a 12:30 departure and wanted to go see this big buddha on the northern part of the island. but the sun and ocean were beckoning as we ate breakfast on the veranda, so we said screw the buddha!! let's worship the sun god today!!
we arrived at the ferry to find
Bankok Nite Train
The train agent and the Irish guy sharing a beer. out it left later, another lie. We finally boarded a smaller ferry boat and headed back to Suratani where we were to catch the nite train to bangkok.
while we were waiting in Suratani, Sarah discovered her wallet was missing/stolen! not sure where it happened, but it sucked. At least we were together. We decided to deal with it in Bangkok where services were better. The nite train was interesting to say the least. We got second class with sleepers as it was a 13 hour ride to BKK. the sleepers run pararell on each side of the train, built in the 50s i think, complete with psych ward green paint and green curtains. the hall runs the middle of the car. Sarah and I both had the upper beds across from each other and there was a fan to stay cool. the train agents were harassing an irish guy about his ticket and trying to get more money from him. he resisted and they finaly gave in and let him stay. as we lay in our bunks with no windows, it felt like a rolling prison. stainless steel toilets and all! A drunk german guy kept roaming the
Bangkok Nite Train
Sarah and Jenn playing train agent on the nite train! halls of the cars swearing up a storm, looking for his bag. Sarah told him his bag was at least 3 cars down!! and he went for it. Most people were sleeping, incluidng a young mother and her small baby below Sarah. I'm sure it's difficutl to travel with such a small baby. We had bought some Sangsom, a rice rum/whiskey and befriended the train agents, who drink on the job apparently. At least they are not driving the train! they invited us into their car and shared some homebrew whiskey, which tasted like anise and was VERY strong. they also offered us rice, cigarettes and gave me a small buddha coin made of incense. They did not speak much english, but somehow we communicated. At one of the many stops, they jumped off and bougth some beer to share and even stuck it in thier ice chest! We finally went to bed and slept until about 6 am. As we woke, they rolled up the windows and shades. Small villages rolled by with shacks along the railroad. Women and men bathed in the ponds and prepared for the day. As we neared the city, business people boarded the train.
Wat Pho
Bi Buddha I offered to watch the baby of the young Thai woman below Sarah so she could use the bathroom, as she had not gone in 12 hours!! i think she thought i was crazy at first, but then she asked me and i sat with the sleeping baby. i think she was grateful. she smiled as she got off the train.
We arrived at the central train station and booked our trip to Angkor Wat. They tried to charge us 28,000 baht = $600!! i laughed and said no way. we finally booked a hotel in bangkok, the minibus to Siem Reap in Cambodia and 3 nites stay there.
Bangkok is a large city with high rises, so many bikes, motorcyles, cars. there are food stalls all along the streets, not sure how they make money if everyone sells the same thing. there are so many tuk tuks also. As we headed toward the river for a boat ride, a tout approached us about his long boat for 700 bt each. we told him no, that we were riding the water taxi, which only cost 11 baht each. he told us it was only for thai people!! Hah!we
took the river taxi to see Wat Phro, where they teach Thai massage. Inside is a HUGE buddha lying down and he is completely covered in gold! pretty amazing.
The constant harrasment from touts, tuktuk drivers trying to get you to hire them, trying to charge you way too much is a bit tiring. Everywhere we turned there was someone in our face. not a good experience thus far in thailand.
BUT, we did find a silver lining. It was the last day of a one week sale, no export tax, at the wholesale jewelry stores! we met this canadian and dutch guys who had bought some gems and gave us the low down on the whole process etc. so off we went to buy some sapphires!! very exciting! We found some real beauties!!
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