Welcome to the land where being barefoot is a requirement. Welcome to a culture where massage is as common as buying water at the 7-11 (yes, they are everywhere), and where I seem to lose things more often than ever before in this lifetime thus far.
Items lost:
-1 black dress (bought for this trip, but soon to be recovered from hotel in Bangkok)
-1 lipgloss (why did I bring only one? It has become like breathing air for me, the application of this particular brand and color)
-1 of 2 pairs of shoes that I brought- stolen by a human or maybe a local dog (The latter would make me feel less bitter about the loss of my only non-flip-flop type shoes, very light keens that I bought for this trip as a better pair for walking.)at the Big Blue Dive resort where I stayed last night, gone within 12 hours of arrival.
-ALMOST sunglasses under bungalow at 'the Sanctuary' in Koh Phangan (crawled underneath to retrieve)
-ALMOST toothbrush under bungalow at 'the Sanctuary' in Koh Phangan (see above)
The bad news about these items is that I only brought about 3 outfits so the one dress represented one third of my wardrobe. :) The good news is, it is EASY and CHEAP to buy anything you need here, and any loss of clothing or other objects is just a good excuse to buy something new from Thailand (not to mention I will be getting that dress back).
Anyway, I am writing to you from Koh Tao, an island in the South of Thailand. I arrived yesterday afternoon, after leaving my lodging and my friend Maureen in Koh Phangan at 'The Sanctuary'. The way to get Koh Tao from Koh Phangan is to take a 15 minute boat ride from the local boatmen that hung out at our resort, and you basically let them know you want to leave sometime in the morning, and they tell you they will go once they have at least 3 people who want to go. 200 baht each (about $6) or, if you really need to go urgently, you can pay 600 baht to make the minimum payment for 3 (which is really only $18, but, these things become quite relative once you have been here more than a few days). Paying for three wasn't necessary, as both mornings that I used this boat service, there were at least 3 people within half an hour of my asking the boat drivers. After the 15 minute boat ride (in my case, accompanied by local dog from the island), walk to the other side of the island (10 mins), take a taxi for about half an hour to the main pier, and then take a 2 hour ferry to Koh Tao surrounded by hundreds of college students.
Upon arrival, I was picked up by the resort I had booked myself at Big Blue Dive Resort, (which I now recommend AGAINST) a 10 minute ride away. I suddenly found myself at a very young college-y feeling resort in a dormitory with three early-20-somethings, with music booming all night, and the room smelling like mildew. I suddenly realized that at 32, I am no longer interested in dorm living, even if it is only $6 a night (200 baht). Also, there was an overly-cheerful American type of atmosphere at this place, and, I am looking for more local culture than a return to America!
The moment I woke up this morning, and after dreaming all night about bungalows by the beach, I hit the pavement looking for the perfect place. Every month at Koh Phangan, there are Full Moon Parties, which flood the island itself with thousands of people (especially the college-age crowd), who drink, take hallucinogenics, party all night long- it is a big draw here- and as a result, lodging on all other surrounding islands also get booked which makes finding a place a bit difficult.
Nonetheless, I lucked out this morning, and found a sweet Bungalow for my very own at Sairee Hut Diving Resort where a mainland Thai guy named 'Fix' who has a Cockney accent (spent some time in London apparently) set me up. It is a rustic/basic little bungalow with its own bathroom (bucket flush), and I love it. My next mission was food (I missed breakfast for the first time in probably two years, that is how determined I was to get out of the dorms and into a solo-space). I got some traditional Laab Pork, sticky rice, and Grilled chicken- DELICIOUS! Then made my way for mission #3 of the day- find the perfect motorbike!
I have been warned by many against the renting of these motorbikes due to the dangers it presents, as well as the high costs if any damage occurs to the motorbikes. That said, I have felt a longing and yearning from deep within my heart since my arrival in Thailand to rent one of these famous mopeds, not to mention the streets here are covered by locals and tourists alike on these scooters, and I feel I would be missing out on the local culture if I did not jump in. (Not to mention, I have been riding my own scooter for 2 or 3 years now, and feel quite comfortable.) That said, please forgive me for saying so, but there are, indeed, a large number of douche-bags riding around town which does make the local and also experienced rider shake their head with disdain.
I walked around for what seemed like an excessively long time in search of the perfect bike - the 'excess' being my own pickiness- and just when I thought I was being a bit too particular, I saw it- a gorgeous and super stylish bike, and much rarer find on this island. I rented it inside 5 minutes, and took it for a 1-hour spin around the island. My heart surged with joy as I rode around taking in the local sites and culture, and after getting my fill of the sights, I found myself needing to fill my belly once again, and stopped at a sweet local woman's cart on the side of the road, and got myself some BBQ Pork for 20 baht, and sat down at one of her tables to enjoy this sumptuous snack.
Tomorrow I start diving here through the Sairee Hut Resort that I am staying at, and I couldn't be happier!
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