Two Months Off

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NOTE - I have just finished writing this blog and its pretty long. I've had 2 months to cover and although I've skipped a lot of the details its still pretty big. Didnt want to miss anymore out just for the sake of keeping a record so this is almost as much for me so I dont forget anywhere I went. But just a warning.

Staring at the Sun

Okay, update time! When I finsihed my last blog my intention was to do another within the week to get me up to date but clearly 5 weeks on that hasnt happened and I'm way months behind again.... Hopefully now I'll get up to date with everything I've been up to in the 2 months and be caught up officially! The last blog ended with me crossing the border to leave Laos and enter Thailand at the start or April in time for Songkran, which is the Thai New Year and giant water festival. Well that happened fine and I'm still in Thailand now nearly 9 weeks later. I've been having a great time on the whole although the pace I've been traveling has definatly slowed down since leaving Lisa and Rick as you will see.

Chaing Mai - Stayed here for 10 nights, the first few with two guys I'd met, Ben and Damien. We had a great night out the day we aqrrived but they both had to move on before Songkran so the rest of the time I stayed in a room on my own. As planned I met my mate Dizzy who was there for the week of teh festival with her mum as they were both visiting her brother who lives in Thailand and his new born baby. Basically Songkran is amazing. 5 days of a giant water fight on the streets where its literally impossible to stay dry if you are walking on teh streets. Everyone has free licence to soak anoyone else at anytime, its fantastic and I had a brilliant time! After 10 days there (which was the longest time I'd stayed anywhere since being away) it was def time to move on and I had decided to head down south to Koh Phangan (which was the first stop of my trip way back in Jan when we flew out) for another full moon party. This gave me a couple of days to stay in the small northern town of Pai before flying down for teh party.

Pai - very quiet and chilled out town where I stayed for 2 nights. Not too much going on here except quite a big live music scene so lots of bands playing everynight. It was really nice there and just what I needed after the crazyness of Songkran. Here I also met Lisa (not my original one but a Norwegen girl who we had originally met on teh hell journey from Hanoi to Vientiene and again a couple of times in Laos) She was also heading down for teh full moon party but eth day before me so we agreed she would find a room for us and I'd meet her when I got there!

Journey to Koh Phangan - I got up at 5:45am to head to teh airport from Chaing Mai where I was due to fly to Bangkok and then change onto a flight to Surat Thani before getting and coach to ferry station about 90mins away and then a 3 hour boat journey to Koh Phangan. It was a long day, made worse by the fact the bus drivers were so disorganised at Surat Thani airpoirt that we were delayed for half an hour there and missed the ferry by 5mins so had to wait for 3 and a half hours hours at the pier for the next one. (Also because there were too many people on my coach I had spent the whole time sitting on a broken plastic childs chair in the isle, not the most comfy ride)

Return Koh Phangan - I finally arrived at the room to meet Lisa at 11:30pm, 19hours after leaving my guesthouse in Chaing Mai. Here began 5 amazing days of drinking, dancing, partying and generally having a fantastic time every night and day on the beach watching teh sunsets and sunrises. We met up with Ben, who we both knew from Laos and 10 of his mates who were out visiting him on holiday as it was his 30th birthday. Had a brilliant time with all of them and just generally enjoyed myself! The full moon party itsself was again, as in January, awesome, and although a bit quieter still crazy!

Return to Koh Tao - After finally escaping from Koh Phangan after 5nights I headed to Koh Tao. The first night I met up with Ben and all his friends again and had another good night with them dancing in the sea! After then i spent 4 days pretty much in bed as it chucked it down outside and I got ill and got an ear infection. Went the docs and got some pills before deciding it was time to leave and head over to Koh Phi Phi where I spent 2 days with MArk back in January. To do this I took the overnight boat which was an interesting was to travel. It was essentially a giant floating dorm with loads of matresses all lined up next to each other so you end up with a row of 20 people squashed in sleeping next to each other. I was between two guys as well and didnt come anywhere near to getting a minute of sleep. On this jouney I did meet a girl called Michelle who I had met breifly in Chaing Mai but forgotton about. She remembered me and as I will come to we met up again on Koh Phi Phi.

Koh Phi Phi - I love Koh Phi Phi. I ended up stayed in here for 2 weeks, partylu coz I got ill again, partly coz I wasnt really sure where to go next and couldnt make a decision and mostly coz its great! Here I met up with Ben again for some more good nights out before he finally headed back to England after 12 months away and also Michelle the Irish girl I had met on the boat. Through her I head about a volunteer organisiation she was thinking about working for up the coast of Thailand where you spend a few weeks teaching kids in the local schools. As I didnt really have anything else planned and it sounded like a I good idea we signed up for it togther to start the follwoing week.

Railay and Krabi- After 2 weeks on Koh Phi Phi I finally managed to escape and spend a few days at Railay beach a beautiful secluded village resort you can only reacvh by boat. It was really cool although I was ill again and it rained hard on 2 days so no storys really. From there I spent 2 nights in Krabi town where I saw an ear specialist who put me on some new medication which finally sorted me out once and for all coz it had been doing my head in. Next stop from there Khao Lak, the town where we would be volunteering!

Khao Lak - So this was 2 and a half weeks ago and I'm still here now. I'll do a full write up on the place when I finally leave but its been great so far.

I've wirtten loads now but will just mention my thrid and final return to Ko Phi Phi last weekend to meet up with my old mate from from work, Adam "Jacko" Jackson who was there on holiday with his girlfirend Tori. To keep it short but sweet I had a brilliant weekend with the two of them back on the island, although I did lose my wallet which was pretty annoying. A good few drinks, a huge catch up session on everything thats been happeneing back in England and Leeds and at the old office etc which was awesome and just generally really cool to see someone from home.

Okay, I'm finishing here, have written way too much as usual but at least I'm more or less up to date. As always, as always, as always thanks for reading. Still the same story, I'm having a brilliant time but do miss everyone from back home. Keep filling me in on news, gossip, banter and general nonsense and speak to you soon.

Andy x

P.S. There is no way I'm gonna re-read this now so apoglepis for any splnielg or grmemar mkietsas, I'm sure there is tonnes!

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Comments

[Michelle]

im the token irish girl
OOOH actually i was on that long long wait going to koh phangan too, before i met ya- but i NEVER knew why we were deserted to eat that flea infested food on the pier for so long. and whats that lark about you forgetting me from Chaing Mai!? Im looking forward to how you describe Khao Lak... and your on stage performances!!! Safe travelling. See ya Sept 5th-dont be late! From the irish lassie who detoured you to Khao Lak- well worth it ey?