Christmas Eve, it's the day after I got to Kho Phangnang for the second time, and the day before my last day on this island.. A little confusing? Maybe it is. It can even be confusing for me sometimes too.
After yesterday, and my last blog entry, I ventured towards the north of Kho Phangnang, to find the friends who were possibly still on the beautiful Bottle Beach. I got a cab to Chaloklum, the nearest village to the beach. Then I arrived at our local "cafe" and everybody was waving at me, and delighted that I was back. The locals that is. They all remembered me and made me feel so welcome. Suddenly I didn't care that I might be here alone, if the others had moved on..
I sat and took in the atmosphere, the laid-backness of life, the smiles and the community just going about their daily business in an extremely leisurely manner. It was a joy to watch and made me feel so safe. I couldn't decide whether or not to stay in the village for a night or get a taxi to the beach. Then the cafe owner said that there was another person being collected from the village to go to Bottle Beach, and if I wanted, I could get a ride. Too easy I thought! I had to go for it and get moving. So I did. I got a cab, and ended up having a tour around the island, which lasted an hour and a half before finally arriving at at the bungalow resort.
Again, the owners were delighted to see me, and said it was all so unexpected and nobody told them I was coming back. I told them I was going to surprise the rest.. I was nervous for some strange reason, and just hoped that it was all going to work out as I wanted it to. I went to the bungalow where I had been staying..and you never guess what.. All was still exactly as I left it!! David and the guys were still there, the bungalow still had room for me.. I was over the moon! And everything fell so easily into place.
I was still so hyped though and nervous as well. The whole trip, which had lasted 36 hours, or longer - if I take the time it took for me to come up with some answers into consideration - maybe even 72 hours starting in Penang, had been leading up to this moment. So with all the stress and the commotion of everything and without having slept for 2 days, the pressure that fell from my shoulders was huge and it was only natural that the first beer I had, was also the last one.. It went straight to my head. I was beat, I was done in. But it was fine. Because I was in paradise.. And I was going to be surrounded by great people for Christmas. That's what was most important.
This morning waking up in the bungalow, with the sound of the waves, and the sight of the blue sky through the curtains, was amazing. For that moment alone, making the journey back to Kho Phangnang was worth it. So much peace and quiet after a hectic few days. It was now time to chill out. And that's what we're still doing.
The festive season is also underway here. When I say "underway", I mean..the parties will be starting tonight and finishing the day after Christmas. That's all that's on offer here. There are hardly any decorations or Christmas songs (that's only in the bigger cities). Here on the island Christmas is a reason for the tourists to party hard, and to experience a different kind of Christmas atmosphere and vibe which isn't linked to family gatherings or work dinners or gift-showering. It's party time, for everyone. But not for us.. Haha.. We're not up for that at all.. We'll just be eating fish and drinking beer (or whisky) for the next 2 days. And on Saturday morning I have to leave.. What a shame. Kuala Lumpur is where my flight is leaving from on Sunday night, so I have start making my way down..much to my disappointment.
My days of this Asian trip are running out. They are coming to an end and I'm devastated. It feels wrong for me to be returning to Australia. It almost makes me feel a little queasy. Even though there are special people waiting for me when I get back. But I don't know what it is, this feeling of uneasiness. I don't know why I'm so gutted. But every moment of these next days, is so so precious. They are moments I'll never experience again, and therefore I need to savour each one..
So, what better way to end the trip, than to have Christmas dinner on the beach.. I feel like the luckiest person alive right now, even with the pain in my heart for leaving here within a few days..
I wish you all an extremely Merry Christmas.. May it be as magical as can be and may you be surrounded by those who are near and dear to you.. Missing you all, as I always do, but around this time of year, my heart is allowed to tell you all just how much.. Merry Christmas!!! Signing off for now..
Showing posts with label Kho Phangnang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kho Phangnang. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Trading one island for another
12 days of being in Paradise, and my visa was running out. When I entered Thailand on the 5th of December my visa was only valid for 14 days. So the expiry date was the 19th, which meant that I had to out of the country by the 18th.. Much to my disappointment. I really didn't want to leave. Everything was just so perfect. The guys and myself had moved to different beaches, checking out the vibes, all in search of isolation. We wanted so badly to be secluded from the world.. And guess when it was that we felt that we had found exactly what we were looking for and exactly what we had envisioned before coming to this island: On the 16th.. so 1 day before I was meant to be moving in the direction of Malaysia. I couldn't believe how soon it was ending and how quickly I had to get my ass into gear and make my way back down to Malaysia, in order to stay on the right side of the law and to avoid a fine for overstaying my welcome. It was on the 17th I had to get the ferry and start the journey that was to last 24 hours. And all going to plan I was to reach my destination in Malaysia by the 18th. Arriving a day later, meant I'd have to pay..
So 12 days of magic, and I was on my way. It was Thursday evening when I had to get the taxi boat and leave the place that took us a while to find. I was sad to leave, but not devastated. I felt happy to have met these people and to have spent such amazing days just talking and learning and being inspired. Other people we met along the way, were all as nice as ever. Sometimes the smiles that are everywhere in that amazing country, can be fake and you sometimes can't be sure if it's all well-intended, but my smiles weren't fake and my intentions were genuine, so I didn't care either way. It was like, at one point, that we were apart of the community. The different beaches we stayed on, were all in the same area of a fishing village on the north coast of the island, called Chaloklum. At one stage, we had a place where we went for tea in the afternoon, and a place for chicken wings when we were peckish and a place for whiskey when we were feeling cold from the wet clothes we were still wearing after getting soaked by a sudden unexpected monsoon-shower. It was so great and to leave was so strange. Everybody knew us everywhere..
But at I was leaving, I was feeling good, I was feeling blessed and I felt so touched by what Kho Phangnang had given me. So getting on the ferry, after having my last meal from the stalls in the main town of Thongsala, wasn't too much of tragedy. It simply was how it was. This was my time again, to open up to meeting new people and to find out if I wanted to come back to this island or to Thailand for Christmas or New Year. I hadn't a clue how I was going to feel, once setting out on my own adventure again. Maybe I'd wanna come straight back to spend a special time of year with these special people. Maybe I'd feel even better being alone. Who was to say..
Well, I can say, 48 hours after leaving that place of paradise, I still feel great. The journey to the island of Penang off the west coast of Malaysia, which is where I'm now sitting, was so cool. So long, but so great. I got the night ferry to Suritani. And I've never experienced anything like this before. It was the tiniest of boats, with 2 floors. The bottom floor was where the crew were hanging out and where the mechanical side of things happened (don't know quite how else to put it..haha) and the top floor was where we were sleeping. I had to climb up a ladder to where the other passengers were. And it turned out to be a room full of mattresses.. That's all.. just mattresses everywhere.. It was so strange. So I was found myself a spot, and soon I'd met myself a friend, who lay down beside me.. (it's sounds strange to say that, but he didn't sit, because there weren't any seats..just mattresses).. He was from Japan, and it was so nice to chat with him. And meeting some so easily and talking so freely as if we had known each other far longer than 5 minutes, I suddenly felt as if I had placed myself, once again, in a situation where things were going to start happening again after 12days of being surrounded by familiarity.. Now I was making things happen again, and it could go in so many different directions. But it was all my own doing, all my own choices, it was all up to me: How long was I was going to stay in Penang, Who was I going to meet, where was I going to spend Christmas, was I going to go back to Kho Phangnang? Who knew? And who knows now? Not a soul..
All I know is that how the past 48 hours have planned out, has been so great. After a 5 hour ferry ride, sleeping with these strangers, and one new friend by the name of .... Kuni.. I got to Suritani and had to wait until 6am for the bus to Hat Yai..then once I got there, I had to wait another 2 hours for the bus to Penang. I finally got here at 6pm yesterday evening and, how lucky am I.. I found myself some new friends who were also looking for a place to stay. So we joined forces in this unfamiliar city, and found Jim's Place. It's a cheap hostel in the middle of the fuss and commotion of this city and I feel at home once again.. I've mainly been hanging out with a Finish guy called Janne, who is learning English and who I'm now teaching English to.. Not in an extreme way, but our conversations are full of new vocabulary for him to learn and it's a real challenge to make ourselves understood by each other. But he's so easy to be around at the same time. He's sitting here beside me now, updating his own Blog!! It was so cool to find someone else who is blogging, just like me.. We've already treated ourselves today to some reflexology and I have also been trying to get back in with the Malaysian cuisine..after having had a bad experience during my first week of the trip with the food here and after adoring the food in Thailand so much.. It's working though, very slowly, but the Malaysian food and the people are redeeming themselves again!
So, it's now a Saturday afternoon. And time is passing by so quickly. I'm delighted to be where I am right now..even if it is raining more than it was in Thailand.. (right now, Malaysia is more effected by the Monsoons). I'm happy here for a few days, until I've come to a conclusion as to what it is I still want to do before I have to leave and where it is I want to go. For now though, having my own time is exactly what I need. It's just perfect..even after believing that I had left perfection back in Kho Phangang.. I haven't though, I've created it once again and am enjoying every minute!
So 12 days of magic, and I was on my way. It was Thursday evening when I had to get the taxi boat and leave the place that took us a while to find. I was sad to leave, but not devastated. I felt happy to have met these people and to have spent such amazing days just talking and learning and being inspired. Other people we met along the way, were all as nice as ever. Sometimes the smiles that are everywhere in that amazing country, can be fake and you sometimes can't be sure if it's all well-intended, but my smiles weren't fake and my intentions were genuine, so I didn't care either way. It was like, at one point, that we were apart of the community. The different beaches we stayed on, were all in the same area of a fishing village on the north coast of the island, called Chaloklum. At one stage, we had a place where we went for tea in the afternoon, and a place for chicken wings when we were peckish and a place for whiskey when we were feeling cold from the wet clothes we were still wearing after getting soaked by a sudden unexpected monsoon-shower. It was so great and to leave was so strange. Everybody knew us everywhere..
But at I was leaving, I was feeling good, I was feeling blessed and I felt so touched by what Kho Phangnang had given me. So getting on the ferry, after having my last meal from the stalls in the main town of Thongsala, wasn't too much of tragedy. It simply was how it was. This was my time again, to open up to meeting new people and to find out if I wanted to come back to this island or to Thailand for Christmas or New Year. I hadn't a clue how I was going to feel, once setting out on my own adventure again. Maybe I'd wanna come straight back to spend a special time of year with these special people. Maybe I'd feel even better being alone. Who was to say..
Well, I can say, 48 hours after leaving that place of paradise, I still feel great. The journey to the island of Penang off the west coast of Malaysia, which is where I'm now sitting, was so cool. So long, but so great. I got the night ferry to Suritani. And I've never experienced anything like this before. It was the tiniest of boats, with 2 floors. The bottom floor was where the crew were hanging out and where the mechanical side of things happened (don't know quite how else to put it..haha) and the top floor was where we were sleeping. I had to climb up a ladder to where the other passengers were. And it turned out to be a room full of mattresses.. That's all.. just mattresses everywhere.. It was so strange. So I was found myself a spot, and soon I'd met myself a friend, who lay down beside me.. (it's sounds strange to say that, but he didn't sit, because there weren't any seats..just mattresses).. He was from Japan, and it was so nice to chat with him. And meeting some so easily and talking so freely as if we had known each other far longer than 5 minutes, I suddenly felt as if I had placed myself, once again, in a situation where things were going to start happening again after 12days of being surrounded by familiarity.. Now I was making things happen again, and it could go in so many different directions. But it was all my own doing, all my own choices, it was all up to me: How long was I was going to stay in Penang, Who was I going to meet, where was I going to spend Christmas, was I going to go back to Kho Phangnang? Who knew? And who knows now? Not a soul..
All I know is that how the past 48 hours have planned out, has been so great. After a 5 hour ferry ride, sleeping with these strangers, and one new friend by the name of .... Kuni.. I got to Suritani and had to wait until 6am for the bus to Hat Yai..then once I got there, I had to wait another 2 hours for the bus to Penang. I finally got here at 6pm yesterday evening and, how lucky am I.. I found myself some new friends who were also looking for a place to stay. So we joined forces in this unfamiliar city, and found Jim's Place. It's a cheap hostel in the middle of the fuss and commotion of this city and I feel at home once again.. I've mainly been hanging out with a Finish guy called Janne, who is learning English and who I'm now teaching English to.. Not in an extreme way, but our conversations are full of new vocabulary for him to learn and it's a real challenge to make ourselves understood by each other. But he's so easy to be around at the same time. He's sitting here beside me now, updating his own Blog!! It was so cool to find someone else who is blogging, just like me.. We've already treated ourselves today to some reflexology and I have also been trying to get back in with the Malaysian cuisine..after having had a bad experience during my first week of the trip with the food here and after adoring the food in Thailand so much.. It's working though, very slowly, but the Malaysian food and the people are redeeming themselves again!
So, it's now a Saturday afternoon. And time is passing by so quickly. I'm delighted to be where I am right now..even if it is raining more than it was in Thailand.. (right now, Malaysia is more effected by the Monsoons). I'm happy here for a few days, until I've come to a conclusion as to what it is I still want to do before I have to leave and where it is I want to go. For now though, having my own time is exactly what I need. It's just perfect..even after believing that I had left perfection back in Kho Phangang.. I haven't though, I've created it once again and am enjoying every minute!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Pretty as a picture
It's a Monday evening - One week since getting here, to Kho Phangang. And all is so calm and peaceful. The guys I met during the ferry ride from Suratani to this island, are still here. I'm still here. We've been hanging out together for a week now, and life is just simply amazing.
I've been discovering so much, I've been doing so little, but feel like I've been here forever, all at the same time. We ended up staying at the same resort for a week and moved to the north side of the island, where it's more isolated. We weren't too fussed with being in a touristy spot, and the bungalows we found instead, were exactly what we imagined ourselves to be staying in when we first set off on our trip to Kho Phangnang. Except now, to make this trip all the more complete, we also found such great friends to share the experience with. None of us cares for parties, for excursions or for crowds.. Yes, we are a right crowd of "partypoopers" I have to say.. But that's what it clicks so well!
So now, we are staying in a place that's as pretty as a picture. Really it is. The bungalows are right on the beach, there's hardly no restaurants, no people, no noise.. That's mainly because the place we're staying in only has electricity from 6pm until 7am. The rest of the day, there can be nothing but people and their books. It's the perfect surrounding for me to do whatever I need right now. I have space, I have great people that are teaching me so much and the best part of all, for the past week, time has gone out the window; so much so that at one stage we had to ask someone what day of the week it was. Not to worry..
Anyway, even though we're isolated, each day we've still been touring the island, exploring all the little remote villages, waterfalls, beaches and mountains by motorbike. But by forgetting time, I'm able to be so happy every moment and I'm savouring every day..even when it turns out differently than we had planned or expected. The weather has been "touch and go", but still hot. We've had some rainy days, but I didn't mind. Getting into the sea when it's raining, is so amazing.
Such precious days like this are meant to be savoured..because they end so suddenly. My visa for Thailand is finished on the 19th of this month. So I have to leave the country soon. I have a few options: I could do a daytrip to Malaysia, to re-enter the country and get another visa and then stay here on Kho Phangnang for Christmas and then make my way back to Malaysia for the 27th, because that's when I fly back to Oz. Or I could leave the country and re-enter on a new visa and visit some other spot in this beautiful country or I could just leave the country and spend a week in Malaysia before flying back to Oz. I'm not too sure what to do. But I'll have to be making up my mind pretty soon, I've only got 4 more days!
There's nobody here to influence my decision, so it's totally up to me.. Do I want to throw myself into some more adventures for just one week and risk the chance of spending Christmas either alone or with people I don't really know OR do I want to stay in paradise for one more week and embrace each day and be pretty certain that I'll be spending Christmas with these guys who I already class as my dear friends..? It would sound as if the answer is right there in the way I described the two options, and you would ask yourself what is being so indecisive for. But that's me I suppose.
Whenever I loose the days, I forget that I have to make up my mind. And today I was brought back to reality and now it's time for me to make up my mind.. Keep you posted xxxx
I've been discovering so much, I've been doing so little, but feel like I've been here forever, all at the same time. We ended up staying at the same resort for a week and moved to the north side of the island, where it's more isolated. We weren't too fussed with being in a touristy spot, and the bungalows we found instead, were exactly what we imagined ourselves to be staying in when we first set off on our trip to Kho Phangnang. Except now, to make this trip all the more complete, we also found such great friends to share the experience with. None of us cares for parties, for excursions or for crowds.. Yes, we are a right crowd of "partypoopers" I have to say.. But that's what it clicks so well!
So now, we are staying in a place that's as pretty as a picture. Really it is. The bungalows are right on the beach, there's hardly no restaurants, no people, no noise.. That's mainly because the place we're staying in only has electricity from 6pm until 7am. The rest of the day, there can be nothing but people and their books. It's the perfect surrounding for me to do whatever I need right now. I have space, I have great people that are teaching me so much and the best part of all, for the past week, time has gone out the window; so much so that at one stage we had to ask someone what day of the week it was. Not to worry..
Anyway, even though we're isolated, each day we've still been touring the island, exploring all the little remote villages, waterfalls, beaches and mountains by motorbike. But by forgetting time, I'm able to be so happy every moment and I'm savouring every day..even when it turns out differently than we had planned or expected. The weather has been "touch and go", but still hot. We've had some rainy days, but I didn't mind. Getting into the sea when it's raining, is so amazing.
Such precious days like this are meant to be savoured..because they end so suddenly. My visa for Thailand is finished on the 19th of this month. So I have to leave the country soon. I have a few options: I could do a daytrip to Malaysia, to re-enter the country and get another visa and then stay here on Kho Phangnang for Christmas and then make my way back to Malaysia for the 27th, because that's when I fly back to Oz. Or I could leave the country and re-enter on a new visa and visit some other spot in this beautiful country or I could just leave the country and spend a week in Malaysia before flying back to Oz. I'm not too sure what to do. But I'll have to be making up my mind pretty soon, I've only got 4 more days!
There's nobody here to influence my decision, so it's totally up to me.. Do I want to throw myself into some more adventures for just one week and risk the chance of spending Christmas either alone or with people I don't really know OR do I want to stay in paradise for one more week and embrace each day and be pretty certain that I'll be spending Christmas with these guys who I already class as my dear friends..? It would sound as if the answer is right there in the way I described the two options, and you would ask yourself what is being so indecisive for. But that's me I suppose.
Whenever I loose the days, I forget that I have to make up my mind. And today I was brought back to reality and now it's time for me to make up my mind.. Keep you posted xxxx
Monday, December 7, 2009
Welcome to paradise!
Leaving Hat Yai on Saturday afternoon.. After all the fuss and commotion of coming so far, I felt so close to my "final destination": Kho Phangnang.
But, judging by how the trip had been going up until that point, I shouldn't really have been surprised when things didn't go the way I had "planned".
I was supposed to get the nightboat to the island, which was meant to be leaving at 11pm. This was also my bed for the night. But when I realized that I had been "shafted" when I bought the ticket, I couldn't help but laugh at myself.. Because when the minibus finally made it to the peer in Sura Tani (which was the some of the most insane driving I've had to sit through before in my life), the taxi driver told me in the very few words of English he had: "no boat". This is all he said to me. I couldn't believe it.. I asked him questions, I spoke about what I had been told when I bought the ticket, and all he kept on repeating was: "no boat". He then said: "you home?". By this he meant: where is your home, or where can I drop you". This is when I slowly started to panic. I told him, all flustered, that I don't have a home!
Holy moly, it was 11.30pm and he was wanting to drop in this city, that I didn't know and where I had nowhere to stay. I then started having visions of me having to sleep under a bench.. Oopss... I felt frustrated because of not being understood and not being able to communicate and I think it was only natural for me to start feeling pretty sorry for myself. The poor dude started to feel really bad, because he couldn't speak to me and I couldn't speak with him and I had no where to go. But thank the heavens above that we stumbled upon a hotel, where they had a room for me!! And it was the best night sleep I've had in ages. The fact that I had been travelling for 36 hours straight, helped of course. It was so clean, I had my own bathroom, I had a tv!! And all that, for only 440 Baht (which is around 20 euros). Wouw.. I was so lucky. It all worked out in the end, but I did learn from this little hick-up.. I learnt never to get frustrated because of the language barrier, which is what I did. I learnt never to expect them to understand what I'm trying to say or what I'm asking, because they don't. I learnt never to believe a Thai person, when I can sense that they don't understand what I'm saying, because I put my trust in them. I know it wasn't intentional for them to give me the wrong information, and I don't want it to take away the faith I have in the people here. But I'll know better next time.
So the following morning, I booked a ticket for the ferry, I had some time to kill and so I was hunting down breakfast. Well, do you think I could get a bowl of cereal or toast anywhere!! Not a chance. I went into this restaurant and had rice and chicken for my breakkie!! This is what they all have for breakfast, or noodles.. It was the first time I've ever has this, so early in the morning. It was spicy, it was beautiful, and such a great way to start yet another day in traveling paradise. I was excited at the thoughts of what this new day was going to bring, even after all the panic and excitement of the night before..
The ferry was due to leave at 14.00, and thank the heavens above, I made it without any problems. Before I got on, I rang the Sanctuary on the island and was told that there was no vacancies.. I didn't mind though, and was actually pleased for some strange reason and started thinking it might even be a good idea to go back to the bungalow park I stayed at when I was on the island 2 years ago. So with this in mind, I got on the ferry and felt amazing. This was the right thing I was doing..even though the Sanctuary wasn't proving to be the place I was going to end up..after coming all that way. But I didn't care, I was flying so high!! On the ferry, a representative from a resort was offering private bungalows for 200 baht a night! That's 10euro! I was again delighted and totally chuffed and even more so when I met an Italian guy by the name of David who was also going to the same place. Yey! I met me another friend! This ferry journey, went by unnoticed, because me and this guy chatted as if we had been friends for years. It was a crazy meeting and 24 hours later, after having a great night of eating amazing Thai food and drinking beer on the beach, which is also where our accommodation was, we have now moved to another resort with an even bigger and more beautiful beach, with another girl and a guy from Poland. So we've been hanging out ever since and we all get along and fit together so well. It's like we've formed our own little family already..
So for now, until I feel it's time to go, I'll be here. I'm finally chilling out, after 48 hours of being on the go. It's now time for me to take the me-time I'm after. I will be bril!!
But, judging by how the trip had been going up until that point, I shouldn't really have been surprised when things didn't go the way I had "planned".
I was supposed to get the nightboat to the island, which was meant to be leaving at 11pm. This was also my bed for the night. But when I realized that I had been "shafted" when I bought the ticket, I couldn't help but laugh at myself.. Because when the minibus finally made it to the peer in Sura Tani (which was the some of the most insane driving I've had to sit through before in my life), the taxi driver told me in the very few words of English he had: "no boat". This is all he said to me. I couldn't believe it.. I asked him questions, I spoke about what I had been told when I bought the ticket, and all he kept on repeating was: "no boat". He then said: "you home?". By this he meant: where is your home, or where can I drop you". This is when I slowly started to panic. I told him, all flustered, that I don't have a home!
Holy moly, it was 11.30pm and he was wanting to drop in this city, that I didn't know and where I had nowhere to stay. I then started having visions of me having to sleep under a bench.. Oopss... I felt frustrated because of not being understood and not being able to communicate and I think it was only natural for me to start feeling pretty sorry for myself. The poor dude started to feel really bad, because he couldn't speak to me and I couldn't speak with him and I had no where to go. But thank the heavens above that we stumbled upon a hotel, where they had a room for me!! And it was the best night sleep I've had in ages. The fact that I had been travelling for 36 hours straight, helped of course. It was so clean, I had my own bathroom, I had a tv!! And all that, for only 440 Baht (which is around 20 euros). Wouw.. I was so lucky. It all worked out in the end, but I did learn from this little hick-up.. I learnt never to get frustrated because of the language barrier, which is what I did. I learnt never to expect them to understand what I'm trying to say or what I'm asking, because they don't. I learnt never to believe a Thai person, when I can sense that they don't understand what I'm saying, because I put my trust in them. I know it wasn't intentional for them to give me the wrong information, and I don't want it to take away the faith I have in the people here. But I'll know better next time.
So the following morning, I booked a ticket for the ferry, I had some time to kill and so I was hunting down breakfast. Well, do you think I could get a bowl of cereal or toast anywhere!! Not a chance. I went into this restaurant and had rice and chicken for my breakkie!! This is what they all have for breakfast, or noodles.. It was the first time I've ever has this, so early in the morning. It was spicy, it was beautiful, and such a great way to start yet another day in traveling paradise. I was excited at the thoughts of what this new day was going to bring, even after all the panic and excitement of the night before..
The ferry was due to leave at 14.00, and thank the heavens above, I made it without any problems. Before I got on, I rang the Sanctuary on the island and was told that there was no vacancies.. I didn't mind though, and was actually pleased for some strange reason and started thinking it might even be a good idea to go back to the bungalow park I stayed at when I was on the island 2 years ago. So with this in mind, I got on the ferry and felt amazing. This was the right thing I was doing..even though the Sanctuary wasn't proving to be the place I was going to end up..after coming all that way. But I didn't care, I was flying so high!! On the ferry, a representative from a resort was offering private bungalows for 200 baht a night! That's 10euro! I was again delighted and totally chuffed and even more so when I met an Italian guy by the name of David who was also going to the same place. Yey! I met me another friend! This ferry journey, went by unnoticed, because me and this guy chatted as if we had been friends for years. It was a crazy meeting and 24 hours later, after having a great night of eating amazing Thai food and drinking beer on the beach, which is also where our accommodation was, we have now moved to another resort with an even bigger and more beautiful beach, with another girl and a guy from Poland. So we've been hanging out ever since and we all get along and fit together so well. It's like we've formed our own little family already..
So for now, until I feel it's time to go, I'll be here. I'm finally chilling out, after 48 hours of being on the go. It's now time for me to take the me-time I'm after. I will be bril!!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Caution..It's a bit of confusion!-2
By this stage it was 9pm. The bus was leaving KL at 10.30 and I still wanted to check availability, check my budget and check what transport I'd need. So much to do, but we were both so excited. We got on the net, and I managed to find out that the accommodation won't take online bookings and that I can only ring on the day of arrival to see if there's room.. I also found out that it's not at all expensive.. Me and Andy couldn't quite believe how our meeting had turned into something that could be so meaningful. It was amazing.. We said our goodbyes and hope to see each other again soon. But I still didn't have any certainty. I was leaving KL without a proper destination or plan in mind. This was totally new to me!! But I did decide at this point, that I would ring the hostels on Langkawi in the morning, once the bus arrived at the pier just to make sure that there's no vacancies. But at this point, the thoughts of Langkawi felt so wrong, when Kho Phangnang felt so right..
I sat on the bus, after traipsing through the city, and all I could do was dream about being there.. I was so far ahead of myself, it was unreal. The journey to the pier was 7 hours, I didn't get much sleep, and all I did was "daydream" about me being Leonarde diCaprio, starring in the beach.. He was in seach of something different from the normal backpacker scene, he was venturing out into the unknown, he was going to extremes as he was trying to find what it was he was searching for and didn't have a clue if what he was going to find, was what he expected. How amazing.. No wonder i didn't sleep much..haha. When I did wake up from the little sleep I got, last night all felt like a dream. But it wasn't!! It was all happening..as long as I was brave enough to take a chance and see if my meeting Andy was all part of the "master plan"... how cool!
We got to the peer at 06.30am. What was I going to do? Follow what felt right..which was go to check if the sanctuary is all it's cracked up to be, and take a leap of faith..or Follow my initial plan and risk having to pay 100euros for one night on Langkawi.. Twice i stood in line and twice I left the line. I didn't care at the stage that I had no clue of how to get to Kho Phangnang exactly, all I knew was that I had to go somewhere and I wasn't going to pay so much money on being in a place I didn't want to be.. So I hopped into a cab, got the trainstation in a town called Arau where I met the most nicest people and chatted for ages. I was still on such a high from the night before. I got the train to Hat Yai, which is the first town over the Thai boarder. It's also where I"m sitting right now, 5 hours later. I still can't quite believe how I landed myself here.
It's feels so great being back in Thailand again, surrounded by such beautiful people. I"m loving every minute of it! The people are so warm and the spirit in the air is totally different to that of Malaysia. It's so beautiful. The amount of smiles I"ve gotten already, is amazing.. Not like in KL, where you're afraid to smile for fear of what that person might think. No here in Thailand, you give a smile and one is returned!!
So now, my bus is due to leave at 05.00pm and i then have an overnight boat to Kho Phangnang. I get there at 06.00am tomorrow morning. I'll be a zombie and stinking.. but I don't care. I'll have taken a risk, and hopefully I have got to where i want to be. But the funny thing is that when I get there, I still won't know if the Sanctuary has a bed for my wee head.. And even funnier is that I'm not worried or stressed about it all. If it's meant to be, it will be. If not, at least I'll have tried and I'll have met some amazing people along the way and have had some great adventures too..
I'm in the land of smiles now.. so that's all I can do!!!
I sat on the bus, after traipsing through the city, and all I could do was dream about being there.. I was so far ahead of myself, it was unreal. The journey to the pier was 7 hours, I didn't get much sleep, and all I did was "daydream" about me being Leonarde diCaprio, starring in the beach.. He was in seach of something different from the normal backpacker scene, he was venturing out into the unknown, he was going to extremes as he was trying to find what it was he was searching for and didn't have a clue if what he was going to find, was what he expected. How amazing.. No wonder i didn't sleep much..haha. When I did wake up from the little sleep I got, last night all felt like a dream. But it wasn't!! It was all happening..as long as I was brave enough to take a chance and see if my meeting Andy was all part of the "master plan"... how cool!
We got to the peer at 06.30am. What was I going to do? Follow what felt right..which was go to check if the sanctuary is all it's cracked up to be, and take a leap of faith..or Follow my initial plan and risk having to pay 100euros for one night on Langkawi.. Twice i stood in line and twice I left the line. I didn't care at the stage that I had no clue of how to get to Kho Phangnang exactly, all I knew was that I had to go somewhere and I wasn't going to pay so much money on being in a place I didn't want to be.. So I hopped into a cab, got the trainstation in a town called Arau where I met the most nicest people and chatted for ages. I was still on such a high from the night before. I got the train to Hat Yai, which is the first town over the Thai boarder. It's also where I"m sitting right now, 5 hours later. I still can't quite believe how I landed myself here.
It's feels so great being back in Thailand again, surrounded by such beautiful people. I"m loving every minute of it! The people are so warm and the spirit in the air is totally different to that of Malaysia. It's so beautiful. The amount of smiles I"ve gotten already, is amazing.. Not like in KL, where you're afraid to smile for fear of what that person might think. No here in Thailand, you give a smile and one is returned!!
So now, my bus is due to leave at 05.00pm and i then have an overnight boat to Kho Phangnang. I get there at 06.00am tomorrow morning. I'll be a zombie and stinking.. but I don't care. I'll have taken a risk, and hopefully I have got to where i want to be. But the funny thing is that when I get there, I still won't know if the Sanctuary has a bed for my wee head.. And even funnier is that I'm not worried or stressed about it all. If it's meant to be, it will be. If not, at least I'll have tried and I'll have met some amazing people along the way and have had some great adventures too..
I'm in the land of smiles now.. so that's all I can do!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)