1 bus, the back of 3 different pickup trucks and a ferry ride later i arrive at Ko Pan-Ngan (pronounced ko pan yang) a southern island in the Gulf of Thailand. the journey has taken 18 hours and was well worth the trek; in 3 directions i see luscious, green trees that cover the surrounding expansive mountains. in the 4th direction is the ocean. the water is a clear, light green and reminds me of my bathwater after a long summer day of bike riding when i was a kid. this is the Thailand i came for, or, at least a sliver of it. its drizzling and there is a bit of overcast, not ideal island weather but the sweet demeanor of Cha who works where i am staying compounded by the elephants we passed on
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