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Published: December 18th 2010
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Seeing I have plenty of time I decided to slowly make my way down the coast, stopping off at a few places on the way to Ko Tao. Firstly I went to a popular destination for Thai holiday makers, Cha-am. I stayed two nights and really enjoyed the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of the place. There were only a few western tourists (mainly Scandinavian package tourists), and not that many Thais either. Admittedly it is not one of the best beaches in Thailand, but it is still fine for swimming. It has a nice breeze coming off the sea, ideal for walking along the beach or just sitting in a beach chair under an umbrella. Also I had a great choice of cheap accommodation which mainly caters for the locals.
Next I made my way to a popular tourist destination for westerners, Hua Hin. It seemed quite busy coming from Cha-am to this place. It has heaps of restaurants and a very popular beach. I spent a couple of days just wandering around and playing pool at night in a couple of the bars.
My next stop was Prachuap Khiri Khan, which has only a handful of tourists floating
around. I only spent one night here, but found it very enjoyable to see Thais going about their everyday business. I was amazed at the number of stray dogs in the streets. There must be hundreds of them. Luckily they seem quite friendly though. Early this morning before I caught the bus, I walked up to a temple that overlooked the town. They must worship the monkey at this place because they were everywhere on the hill and along the stairs. Because I don’t like monkeys too much, and wasn’t sure how aggressive they were, I grabbed a long stick for the walk up. I felt like a bit of a wimp though because they kept their distance and left me alone.
I have just arrived in Chumphon, after catching two very slow minibuses. So far I am finding this town very cheap. My hotel is very nice and has all the mod cons(fridge,aircon,cable,and free wifi) for under $17. I thought I would eat at a nice little restaurant that I thought would cater to young middle class Thais. I was pretty hungry so I ordered fried rice with pork and a cheap small sounding cucumber salad. After a
couple of minutes a plate with cucumber,green beans, and morning glory was put in front of me. I thought this must be my cucumber salad so I started nibbling at it. Then my real cucumber salad appeared which was a meal in itself. A few minutes later the fried rice came out. I did my best over the next 15 minutes to finish as much as possible. I ordered a guava juice, and they also put a glass of ice and jug of water in front of me. The food was some of the best I have had so far. I estimated that it would all cost me about $3, but was pleasantly surprised when they put a bill in front of me for $2.40. Bargain. The staff were ecstatic when I gave them a dollar tip. I am loving the food here in Thailand and trying different dishes each day. I have to have an early night because I have to get up very early to catch the ferry to Ko Tao.
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