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Published: September 3rd 2008
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Right now I am on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, in the Gulf of Thailand. After spending two days on Koh Sumai, we boarded a ferry to come to Koh Tao. Koh Sumai was nice, but I like Koh Tao a lot more. In Koh Sumai, we stayed at The Wave, a nice backpackers hotel and library. The airconditioned room at The Wave was 850 Baht per night, or $25. Food in Thailand is super cheap. Cat and I have been splitting an order of Pad Thai and Curry each night for a grand total of about $7 per meal.
During our first night on Koh Sumai, Cat and I watched some Thai boxing. There are interesting rituals that the Thai boxers go through before each match. They get on their knees in the middle of the ring and do some sort of praying. They bow to and pray to each side of the square boxing ring while sitting on their knees in the middle of the ring. The fights were each 5 rounds. During the fights, there are groups of local Thai men that are placing bets among each other and shouting for their fighter to
win. It was an interesting example of the local culture.
The next day, for $6 Cat and I each rented a moped. We drove all around the island in search of beautiful beaches and waterfalls. The one thing that made the day a bit dangerous is that in Thailand, you drive on the left side of the road. One time I found myself on the right side of the road with another scooter coming at me...oops. After that incident, I kept singing Beonce's song in my head "to the left, to the left." This helped me stay on the correct side of the street.
We hiked to two different waterfalls. They were nice, but nothing like the waterfalls of Costa Rica or Hawaii. There were elephant trekking companies at each waterfall, but I didn't ride an elephant...yet. I did however feed an elephant some corn and bananas. It is great...you hold out the banana and they pick it from your hand with their trunk. They then bend their trunk and place it in their mouth.
On Koh Tao, we are planning on doing a lot of diving. Cat is going to get her open water certification and
I am going to get my advanced certification. There is supposed to be amazing sea life in Thailand. Whale sharks live here and if I am lucky, maybe I will see one on one of my dives. I will be completing a night dive, and at least four other dives. Two deep dives, and some fun/adventure dives. I can't wait.
The water here in Koh Tao is crystal clear and calm. The Gulf of Thailand is sheltered from open ocean swells. The hotel that we are staying at is chill and has a great vibe. It is called Big Blue Dive Resort...but it is not a resort as we might think of a resort. Our room is clean and has AC and only costs $15 per night when you dive with them. The restaurant in front of the hotel on the beach plays reggae music from 4pm on and fire throwers dance in front of the restaurant on the beach. Last night Cat and I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant. We sat right on the beach (no chairs). There was a mat layed on the sand and pillows on the mat. Our table was about three feet off
the sand, so we could lay down and listen to the music before and after we ate ....it was perfect!
Today we are going to take a taxi boat to another beach on Koh Tao (Turtle Island). We might rent kayaks too. There is a lot to explore here....and Cat and I are both on the same page when it comes to traveling. We like to keep it simple, explore, and go with the flow. We don't make plans or reservations in advance, rather we search for accomodation when we arrive to our next destination. We don't plan activities far in advance, we just do whatever we feel like doing in that moment. We are great travel buddies!
I have a lot of great pictures that I would like to upload onto this blog, but the internet cafe that I am in doesn't have a drive for my camera memory card...maybe next time. If you want to see where I am, just google Koh Tao. It is quite impressive and peaceful. Most of the travelers here are Australian, European, or Asian. I have not met a single other American yet. We did meet a few athletes who are traveling after competing in the field hockey competition in the Olympics...pretty cool. Oh and the Bangkok belly is a reality here...trust me.
Until the next time.
Nikki
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Lyn
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Fun, fun, fun!!!
Hey Nikki - It's so great to hear from you. Sounds like you are having a GREAT time! I too spent some time in Koh Sumai - and the moment I saw a Starbucks I left. Sounds like you experienced the island a bit and then fled to more remoteness! I'm glad you are having a great time - thanks for the update! Can't wait to see pictures!