Ko Tao-Hua Hin

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We walked to Naoori India but it was closed. We found the next closest place which happened to be an Australian pub and ate there. It was ladies night so all food I ordered was half price. We started with these amazing handmade fries. Soooooo good and then my sweet and sour chicken arrived. Which was not sweet or sour at all and tasted like chicken cooked in ketchup. My worst meal yet. At least the fries were good. And the banana pancake place in Ko Tao was the best yet. Mmmmmm bananna nutella pancake. Anyways, after dinner we found some live music to listen to and had a few drinks at the beach. I call this island the Jack Johnson island. Everywhere we seem to go Jack Johnson music is playing and the hippy vibe is undeniable.

The next morning we took a longtail boat to Nangyuan island. The boat ride was only ten minutes and it was beautiful. The two parts of the island were connected by a sand bar. There were walking paths around the island as there was a mini mountain the middle of the island. We decided to hike up to the top. After a sweaty climb we were waiting our turn to climb up to the rocks to the top. This is where Tyler spotted a giant spider. It was as big as your fist. Of course he didn't tell me at the time as I would have ran down that mountain so fast. He did take a couple pics though and show me later. When it was our turn to climb up we waited for everyone to come down and then started climbing up. Two Japanese tourists decided to come down as I was headed up. I told them "I don't know where you want me to go can you wait?" but of course they couldnt wait. They proceeded to climb down and used my body as something to lean on to help them down. Which is how I ended up with a scraped ankle and blisters between my toes where I was trying to clutch onto my flipflops for dear life. I got mad and went down the mountain. Sometimes people can be so ignorant and idiotic that I wish I could just punch them in the face. After I calmed down Tyler and I took a boat back to Ko Tao and went for a swim in the beautiful pool. We decided we really wanted to try that Indian Food place so we went back to see if it was open.

We had Indian food at this small restaurant on the beach. It was our most expensive meal yet about 700 baht (about 23$ for both of us) but well worth it. We had a couple of beers with dinner too so $23.00 really isn't so bad.

After dinner we went for a walk and I was able to find some great authentic Thai souvenirs. My bargaining skills are probably not up to par but I tried and had fun! We then nestled into some bean bag chairs and watched the fire show over a couple of drinks. We also bought a Thai Lucky Balloon. I always called these giant paper lanterns. You make a wish and light the disc at the bottom on fire. You then turn over the lantern and hold it for about a minute while it fills with air. You let it go over the ocean and good luck will come to you.

Our last night in paradise was a little bittersweet. I was excited to see someplace new but this hotel Tyler had booked us in was absolutely breathtaking. I found myself wondering, "hmmmm if I sell my home in Calgary do you think we could buy one of these cabanas? Get mom to fly down with our pets and we can get mom a bungalow too. She can winter here and summer at home?" Tyler informed me that he loves his job and is not ready to move out of country.... yet. So much for my big dream of becoming an island beach bum.

So after much coaxing we finally checked out and boarded a boat ride to Chumporn followed by a bus ride to Hua Hin. I was a little nervous about not liking Hua Hin as much as the other places I had visited. After arriving I immediately fell in love with this city and deemed it the city I would be most likely to retire in. The city is the perfect size. Not too big and the people are not too pushy. I also loved the beach and the night market. It seemed like I was in my element here. Unfortunately being on a tight schedule and having to fly home on Monday we were only able to stay two nights.

Our first night in Hua Hin we spent walking around and taking in all the hustle and bustle of the night market. I loved it immediately. We had dinner at a place called "Rod Fai" which we of course laughed at and had to eat there for all the Fai sisters and family. The food was great. The following day we woke up and checked out a beautiful Wat called Wat Huai Mongkol . The grounds were absolutely beautiful. I wish I had someone to ask all my questions to about Buddhism. There are obviously many customs here with the offerings and what seems to be a blessing with holy water of some sorts. There was also a giant Buddha seated on top of a pyramid with many stairs. It was beautiful. On our return to Hua Hin after the temple visit we asked our Taxi driver to drop us off at the downtown area of Hua Hin. He did not seem to understand this. So we started naming the shopping malls in the area. He still did not seem to understand. So Tyler tried with "KFC?". "Ohhhhh KFC!" he says "Of course". Apparently everyone knows the colonel.

After going in several shops we decided to take a dip in the pool at our hotel. I hate to complain about the heat but it really can be quite stifling hot here during the day. So we went to the hotel and cooled off for half an hour and decided to head down to the beach area. On the way to the beach we passed by many very nice boutique shops. I immediately was drawn to one store. After entering I was explained how the shop works. It was like "Ten Thousand Villages" but for artisans in Thailand. The man who worked there was originally from England and explained to us how they buy crafts for Fair Trade from artists all over the country. They works with groups that are infected by HIV as well as womens groups and all types of people who are in need. I was immediately touched by the stories in the same manner I was when I bought all my Christmas tree decorations from Ten Thousand Villages. I immediately got a basket and began filling it with all the beautiful crafts. After a pricy day of shopping we headed to the beach for a beer.

That evening we hit up the night market again. I absolutely loved it there. We ate at a place called Green Mango and I had Mexican Fajitas. They were amazing and even came on a sizzling skillet. Tyler had the panang curry which was also good. We found a small ice cream shop that was pretty crazy. They had a plate that was -30 degrees. They poured the liquid onto the plate and scraped it across the cold plate til it was ice cream. Tyler ordered one and it was delicious and tons of fun to watch him make the ice cream for us. We went to bed early as we had an early morning transfer to Bangkok.

Right now we are on our transfer. A minivan bound for Bangkok. Upon arriving in Bangkok we hope to get a transfer right away to Ayuthaya. We will spend one night in Ayuthaya and then return to Bangkok for one night and then fly home.

Until next time.

Jill

xoxoxoxo

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