Taking it easy in Ko Tao

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Day 16

Every goodnight has its peaks and weaks... Our weak was waking up. Reality sunk in that our cell phones had been stolen. It was more about the pictures on the phones that we would never see again that bummed us out. Luckily it was only 2 days of photos we lost...but those were some pretty spectacular photos. It took Lindsay half the day, a couple pharmaceuticals, and Kemper's support to get over it but we both eventually moved on. After Lindsay drugged herself with anti anxiety medicine, we took advantage of the dreary day (both physically and emotionally) by doing some therapeutic shopping. We waked into a few local shops and it was clear that the depression of losing the cell phones had started to fade. As we shopped, Lindsay might have almost knocked a few things over and might not have cared that it was pouring down rain. She was feeling so good that she didn't really notice all the motorbikes swerving around her. We were back on track and ready for the next big adventure. Arriving back at our cabana mansion, we both got into bed to write the blog and relax for a bit before going back out. This was around 7-8pm and we ended up falling asleep until the next day. Wow, so much for thirty something's proving they can hang.

Day 17

We woke up well rested and hit our mediocre breakfast buffet. Boy did we miss the Anatara breakfast spread. They didnt have a cheese buffet or smoked salmon... And that was just wrong. Originally, we had planned to leave for Bangkok the following day. We needed to dive though and we were really feeling Sairee beach. This island had become our new favorite place and had way more to offer than our previous destinations. So the number one mission of the day was to sign up for scuba diving. It was something that Lindsay knew she had to do - being an avid scuba diver and being in one of the best places in the world to dive. It was also one of the things Kemper was most afraid of. The mantra of this trip was to say "yes," so with this spirit we charged forth to sign up for a day of diving.

We went to the comforting and familiar "Big Blues Diving School" and met the most engaging Australian employee, Steve. He set us up with a day of diving and told us to be back at 10am. We were on our way and ready to embrace the rest of the day. Per the usual, we were hungry and thirsty. We found a lovely oceanfront spot to eat, drink, blog, and recap our adventures thus far.

Here is what we have learned of Thailand thus far....

1- you have to ask for the bill at a restaurant and be ready to pay it right away. They will uncomfortably stand there until you pay them.

2- the bathrooms are hit or miss. If you are lucky, you will find a toilet that provides toilet paper. Otherwise, you can use the hose and hand method. And when things are really bleak, you will find a bucket of water next to the toilet with a community cup for rinsing. We strongly suggest carrying tissue with you everywhere. We sure did!

3- always take off your shoes before entering a temple, home, place of business, and just about everywhere. The Thai think the head is the most sacred part of the body and the feet are the most offensive. Be careful where you point your feet and never touch a person on their head. Kemper was always afraid someone was going to steal her shoes, and sometimes she brought them in her bag with her. Lindsay was always afraid she was pointing her feet at the Thai people.

4- Thailand has unusually large spiders. Even Lindsay agrees.

5- the tomatoe sauce and ketchup in Thailand tastes different everywhere. Sometimes it is a little funky.

6- pizza is everywhere in Thailand, and it is basically served on thin crackers.

7- The ocean in Thailand is green and see through. Not as clear as the carribean, but still gorgeous.

8- the Thai people in general are very nice and love to smile. It was shocking to come across a local who was not adorable and willing to help.

9- the Thai drive a hard bargain, but are always willing to negotiate. Never settle for the first price, but never take advantage. Negotiations with the Thai are always friendly.

10- there is a plethora of lady boys in Thailand. Some more fortunate than others. They are all harmless, but Be weary if you're not into that type of thing.

We stayed at our oceanfront spot well after sunset. As it started to get late, we payed our bill and made our way back towards our cabana. We did however hit a bit of a roadblock on the way back. We swung by one of our favorite little beach side bars, The Lotus, and ran into the Friday night pub crawl crowd. There were quite a few repeat offenders and we were tempted to join them. But knowing we were going to dive the next day, and a persuasive talk or two from Lindsay, we left our pub crawl friends and the sweet tunes of Lotus to head back and get some sleep.

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