Advertisement
Published: December 21st 2008
Koh San Rd.
Nighlife 24 hours a day. Great Pad Thai for 30 bhat (.80) BANGKOK ... YOU CAN HAVE IT!
We never intended to go to Bangkok but it's almost impossible to miss if you're traveling across the country. We decided to go to the backpackers haven of Koh San Rd. It is a madhouse. Think 1 part Flea Market, 1 part Bar/Club scene and 1 part Burning Man. Add 200,000 drunk 18 - 25 year olds. Mix it all together with grime and the smell of rotting fish and you've got Koh San Rd.
The energy completely overwhelmed me (Tamra). Too much of everything. I felt sad, closed off, much inner discord. But, food is good and the beer cheap. Massages were available (as always) and we had a place to stay. We were at an extremely basic guesthouse and fell asleep to the sound of thumping music.
Circumstances dictated that we stay one more night so we switched to another guesthouse (a little nicer) spent some time meditating and in daily love practice, followed with a hot shower and I felt like a new woman. Suddenly the energy of Bangkok was no longer sticking in my body and I felt 10 pounds lighter as we ventured back out. We did
Tuk Tuk in Bangkok
Part motorcycle, part rik-shaw. It's the way to get around. But you need a gas mask because of all the exhaust. a little shopping and found a sweet little courtyard in the midst of the craziness to sit back, have a drink, read and hang out listening to a couple guys practice their guitar and sing a sweet song.
What a relief to be able to drop all resistance and actually enjoy ourselves. We ended the night by having back-to-back massages. That is to say, we had simultaneous thai massage and then said "hit me again" and had a thai herbal massages. NICE!!!
WE'VE LANDED IN A TRAVEL MAGAZINE!
Check out the bus! It was a 6 hour trip with lots of reading and a couple of meal stops until we arrived in Trat. Now a short ferry to Koh Chang. We've had a couple of recommendations along the way about Koh Chang and we felt that there would be fewer westerners down here. We were right. It's the Sunday before Christmas and the place we're staying is only half full.
What a different vibe than Koh Tao. Simpler and a little newer feeling but not too many people and OH MY GOD THE WATER!
We got turned on to a place to stay on the beach
The Oasis at Koh San
Simon in our magical little garden. Who knew such beauty was back through those alleys? and this necessitated getting a couple of scooters (FUN!!!), then tooling down a dirt road. And what to our wondering eyes did appear? But a big, red, ball of a sun setting over the most beautiful, turquoise water and a handful of basic treehouse style huts right on the beach. SAY YES!
Now, we're quite certain if we put our minds to it, we could figure out a way to live here forever. That's how they say one defines a successful vacation you know....if you're scheming to stay, you've arrived.
It's lovely to be parked for awhile. Slowing down, loving, swimming, you know....just the basics.
Enjoy the pics.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.085s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 10; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0512s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
