Alone in Thailand

I’m back in Bangkok, all alone.

I have not written in a while because I have been so busy with traveling from Koh Ko Pha-Ngan to Koh Tao and then back to Bangkok and finally wishing Robin adieu.

Koh Tao was all that I had hoped it to be. I only hoped that I had had more time to indulge in its pleasures.

Robin and I organized a ride on the Lompraya high-speed boat to Koh Tao, but found out the day before our departure that the boat was full, so we opted for the next best thing, which was a whole 100 Baht cheaper, Songserm. We soon discovered that this only slightly sea-worthy wooden vessel of diesel fumes would be packed to the brim with sunburned, sweaty, bodies looking for cheap scuba diving certification. We started in the belly of the boat, but had to come up for air, after I started to get light-headed from the fumes after only 20 minutes. The boat creaked and splashed through the ocean and I was amazed when we actually made it to the pier at Koh Tao.



Robin and I had reservations at the AC Resort. A resort, it was not. We decided to head down the road for sweeter pastures and eventually settled in to the Island Dive Resort. We paid a lot more than we wanted, but we were right on the beach. Can’t argue with that.

That night we got our first real Thai massage. After an hour with a couple of smiling, STRONG, Thai, women on the beach twisting and turning us every which way, we resembled a couple of bowls of Jello. If you ever get a chance to try a full Thai massage, I highly recommend it. Just make sure you’re good and warmed up first.



We did end up changing bungalows to a place a little more affordable and just as charming. Though it was not on the beach, the local cat decided to adopt us as the best petters around. (I think she could sense our missing our own kitties.)



We spent most of our 3 days in Koh Tao kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, and just floating under the sun in the sparkling blue water.



The underwater world is kind of the main event around Koh Tao. There are more places to get your scuba certification for a couple hundred bucks than you can shake a stick at. There are world-renowned places you can boat out to all around the island. But, even just a few feet off the shore in front of our bungalow was good enough to keep Robin and I entertained with little fish and colorful anemones.





We ate on the beach, napped on the sand, and watched every sunset. We really tried to not try to do anything (if that makes sense), and by the last day, we were pros. We finished up our Koh Tao trip with another Thai massage and a good night’s rest to prepare us for the long day of traveling we had in store.

The next day, we took a truck taxi to the pier. We boarded the Seatran ferry: a high-speed, padded chair, luxury (after the Songserm experience anyways). We got to Koh Pha-Ngan in about an hour this time, waited for more folks to board and then sped off to Koh Samui. From this pier we rode a mini-van to another pier on the other side of the island, so we could catch another Seatran ferry to Donsak. Whew! From there, we got in a bus that took us 70 miles to Surat Thani. When we got to Surat Thani, we got in another taxi that took us to the train station (a mad taxi driver, if I do say so myself, as he sped down the road at frightening speeds with us in the back of the truck).

I’m not finished, and it wasn’t even dark yet!

Once at the Surat Thani train station, Robin and I had a few hours to kill, so we wandered down the road to a fabulous street market. We got some great stall food and ate it on a bench in a shady park.


(A note about stall food. It’s cheap, interesting every time, and the yummiest! I have yet to get sick and by now, I think my stomach has adjusted nicely to the Thai diet.)

After the park, we wandered around the market gawking at the wares while some of the Thai gawked at us. I think Robin’s height is pretty impressive. At 6’3”, he has to duck down a lot in Thailand, or get smacked upside his head by the ceiling.

On the way back to the train station, we saw an amazing sight. As it was getting dark, a man was riding an elephant down the road past the mini markets and family stores. I ran over and bought some bananas to feed the elephant. I got to get up close and personal, and I felt honored to feed the respected creature. They are really magical creatures. One cannot help but be in awe of their presence. All of the Thai were getting a real kick out of the elephant too, snapping photos with their cell phones, laughing, and watching. I will never forget seeing that elephant walking past the 7-11 in Thailand.



Once Robin and I got our supplies (beer and crunchy snacks), it was time to board the overnight train to Bangkok. The train was very noisy and not the smoothest of rides to say the least. We arrived in Bangkok early this morning, very ready to exit its confines. We had our own little room with two bunks like in the movies (but a little more real and dirty) and the whole experience was really kind of funny, romantic, and well, neato.



I don’t really know how to share my experience of saying goodbye to Robin at the train station, but my eyes brim with tears at the thought of it. I have a whole mixture of fear, excitement, sadness, and joy. I am afraid of the challenges I may face being a lone traveler in Thailand, excited about the CELTA course and Chiang Mai, sad to see Robin go, and joyful to still be in Thailand.

I miss you Robin.