Bangkok - Ko Tao, Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand Photos




Sunset Bungalows, Koh Tao
Chad and I are perched 300 vertical feet above the sea, looking out at large barges, fishing boats, diving boats, snorkelers, a sunbather, and the tree tops below. The deck we are sitting on makes me nervous. The deck is constructed of 2 by 4s with an inch between each board. There is a 30 foot drop to the rocky hill below. The railing to the deck is wobbly. The steps up to the bungalow have more space between the steps than actual steps. The stairway is attached to the rock with some sort of falling apart concrete mixture. The railing to the steps is half missing, and the other half is not supported by anything. We wonder if it is missing because someone crashed through it. The bunglalow sits on a rocky hill, supported by concrete footings poured many years ago. Chad says not to worry, this bungalow has been here for a long time. But how much longer will it last? And will we be inside of it when it takes its final fall?

I am trying to relax and enjoy the gorgeous view. We picked this bungalow in Koh Tao, off the eastern coast of Thailand, because of its seclusion. Up here, all we hear is the crashing of the waves and some chickens down by the sea. Bangkok was loud, frantic, dirty, exciting. We came south seeking rest and relaxation.

Although our bungalow may lack safety features, it does have its' advantages. Mainly, location, location, location, and price. For $13 a night, we get a million dollar view. Boats, the sea, trees, and the reef are all we see from our private deck and hammock. The uphill walk to the top of the hill where the bungalow sits means we are above all the other bungalows, so we have complete privacy. It is very quiet, and the horizon line is beautiful and colorful, and does not bob from side to side as it did on the boat ride in.

We had lunch at the restaurant run by the bungalows. We sat on thatched bamboo mats lying back on pillows, looking out to the sea as it lapped up almost to the edge of the sandbags blocking off the dining area. There is a very small beach and it is supposed to be one of the best areas for snorkeling. Our heads are too messed up to head out today from the ride in, but we will try tomorrow.

RoughWaters to Ko Tao from Bangkok
To get to this island from Bangkok, we took a taxi, an overnight train, a bus, a ferry and then a 4 by 4 truck. Total travel time was 17 hours. The two hour ferry ride to the island was rough and choppy. At least 50% of the passengers, including Chad, were throwing up into little plastic bags, given out in multiples by the staff.

First the German girl across the table started sweating profusely and turned pale and panicky. Chad took a map and fanned her with cool air. 10 minutes of fanning later, i had my hand on his leg and could feel him sweating and getting hot. I scooched all the way to the very end of the seat so he would not throw up on me! It was all I could do not to lose it myself.

I didn't utter a word for the length of the 2 hour journey. I moved as little as possible, worried it might get worse. My hands were laid out flat clenching the table. My neck was strained to the right, fixed on the horizon as it bobbed above and below the windows. I put to use what i know about Buddhist meditation to keep my breakfast in my stomach. breathe in, breathe out. I tried mantras -- sat nam, sat nam. I tried repeating some of the new thai words i have learned -- kob kun ka -- and focused on the breathe.

For 2 hours, we were wasted by the sea.

Even the thai people on the boat employed the little plastic bags given out by the ferry men. When we leave, we will first check the seas, and remember to take our dramamine, which would have saved us from two hours of sweating, suffering and praying. I think tonight we will treat ourself to a delicious lovely dinner. Chad says, "I feel like i need some nutrients, like maybe some fruit juice or a beer." Chad, beer is not a nutrient!

Bangkok Photos


Bangkok

In Bangkok, we stayed at the Shanti Lodge for four nights, recommended by friends who had stayed there before. A lovely place, but more expensive at 850 baht a night ($26). Our budget for the trip is $60 - 80 a day for both of us, which so far seems to be very comfortable. I hope that this will leave us with some $$ left over, as well as allow for some more expensive endeavors, like diving, guides and tours.

The Shanti Lodge was truly an oasis in a bustling city. It's in an older part of town close to the university and the river. The food at the restaurant was excellent and the room was well appointed. The area was quiet, for Bangkok, but the loud engine sounds of the tuk tuks still kept me up at night.

We spent most of our time in Bangkok getting used to the time zone, the climate, the culture, and spending time with our friend Shane who just moved to Bangkok. Thanks Shane for showing us the town! Bangkok certainly is a city of many choices, opportunities and variety.

We went apartment hunting with him, touring the city along with the cute real estate agent in her mercedes. We checked out some of Bangkok's finer ex-at lodging, complete with pool, security and modern furnishing. Shane will have a KILLER apartment by the time we get back to Bangkok.

We also checked out the Grand Palace, a number of Wats including the largest reclining buddha, the emerald buddha, the tallest buddha, got thai massages (only one so far Holly -- i am just about ready for another down by the ocean!), went to the zoo, road the water taxi, and had a few dinners out with shane and friends. One day, we laid down for a nap at 3pm and slept until 7am the next day. That was terrible! But we needed the sleep after the long journey. We have eaten some AMAZING meals, everything here is so fresh and tasty. I got eaten alive by mosquitos one night at a resturant by the river, i did not even see any of the bugs biting me!

Bangkok River Taxi
The river taxi in Bangkok was very close to our guesthouse, and we took that many times. One day, the boat was very full, and Chad hopped aboard, but I heard the tough thai lady yelling and could not get on. The boat zoomed away with Chad aboard, and me still on the platform. We held our hands out to each other but they would not let him get off, and the boat was too far gone! I was standing all alone on the dock, separated and a bit nervous. 20 minutes later, the next water taxi came on, but it was full.

Meanwhile Chad was waiting on the other end, and that taxi arrived, without me on it. He was worried and did not think i had any money and that that was the last boat of the day. Luckily i did have some baht, and got on the next boat, and arrived safely back to meet him at the pier. It was a good lesson to always have a meeting place and make sure we both have money.

The Weather
The weather has been unseasonably cool for Thailand. Shane took us to a fun rooftop barbecue for a friend's birthday where the thermometer dipped to 65F. The thai girls started a fire in the BBQ to try to stay warm, and all the expats could not believe how cool it was. Every day from 11 - 3 the sun is hot and intense. Chad and I have made the mistake of sleeping in late and having a late breakfast, only to hit the town at 10 or 11, just in time for the hot sun. The sun beats down, sucking the life right out of us. We need to get into a schedule to work around the afternoon, equitorial heat.

Ko Tao, JJ's Resort

We woke up this morning after a very restless night of sleep at the Sunset bunglows. After a great dinner overlooking the bay, we had to use our headlamps to find our way back to the bungalow, about a 30 minute walk through unlit dirt paths. We finally made it back, only to be greeted by crabs bustling about the 2 foot high steps up to the bungalow. We didn't sleep all night because the craps were crawling all over our rooftop. Atleast that is what we think it was. The location was beautiful, but the crabs and the questionably construction quality creeped me out.

We headed back to the main beach, and found a new place to the night. It is less remote, but close to restaurants, dive shops, and the water. I signed up for a yoga class tonight, and Chad is down by the ocean, doing some snorkeling. We are considering doing the intro to scuba diving, as this is one of the premier and most inexpensive places in the world to SCUBA dive.

Until later, I am off to the ocean for some swimming and maybe a massage! Please leave us a comment if you are checking in on our travels, we would love to hear from you!