big fat sigh as i sit here at my desk after going back to work, after a lame new years in wonju... it's hard to get the world revolving again after it's been on breezy lovely hold.
pictures are forthcoming...
actually i don't have many adventure stories. Here's the beginning:
We got to Bangkok and that day took a plane down to Hat Yai, a boring, but somewhat tropical town with a lot of shady guesthouses and hotels, a higher islamic population ( being near to malaysia) which means there's no nightlife, and everything closes around 10. we ended up back in our overpriced but crappy hotel room watching the end of "Survivor:Thailand". Oh, the irony. I can't believe that horrible car salesman won.
Next day we ate yummy breakfast with some van driver's ( a rowdy bunch, but fun) and took a van to Pak Bara, a port, and hopped a boat to the island of Ko Lipe. According to the good folks selling the boat tickets, the trip would be 2 hours... Well, we arrived at Ko Lipe 5 hours later, after a leisurely trip which included various lengthy stops in the water for no other reason than for the boat drivers to yell at each other and wave and make chit chat. Eventually Steph and I realized that time has no meaning when you'r way out there.
Upon arrival we took a longboat to the island to the Porn Resort. Yes, that's the name. Porn. Our friends recommended it, but how could I have fucking passed up staying at that place anyway? It's Porn for chrissakes. UNfortunaely Porn was all booked up. and we ended up getting probably the crappiest bungalow on the island: bed bugs, centipedes, not even a squat toilet, and a rat ate my underwear. But really, it didn't matter... That night we settled in, searched for some sarongs, and ate dinner twice. We wanted to eat like hobbits, at least 5 meals a day. The food was exquisite. maybe tomorrow i'll post a list of all my meals. Also that night we wandered across the island to a little place called "pooh's bar" and made friends with the local guys working there, Monkey Joe and Fatboy ( he goes by the name "Boy"), had some beers, chatted and ejoyed the evening, the sound of crashing waves, and the fact that we were so far from the trappings of mainland life.
the island: small, you can walk across it in about 30 minutes, white beaches, emerald and blue water. some rocky beaches, others shell, some sand, depending on the side of the island. isolated. the resorts are simply groups of bungalows with a small "restaurant" attached. ours appeared to be run by ladyboys. or at least they were damned pretty.
WHO ARE THE SEA GYPSIES??? The Chao Le people, who are indiginous to the island. They look different than other Thais, and consider themselves a different people. Mellow, kind, darkly tanned island folks always dressed in sarongs. A lot of fishermen. A ChaoLe woman made us the best 2 meals probably of our entire lives. Truly amazing.
whoah. long. more later...
questions? curses? epithets due to your intense jealousy?
pictures are forthcoming...
actually i don't have many adventure stories. Here's the beginning:
We got to Bangkok and that day took a plane down to Hat Yai, a boring, but somewhat tropical town with a lot of shady guesthouses and hotels, a higher islamic population ( being near to malaysia) which means there's no nightlife, and everything closes around 10. we ended up back in our overpriced but crappy hotel room watching the end of "Survivor:Thailand". Oh, the irony. I can't believe that horrible car salesman won.
Next day we ate yummy breakfast with some van driver's ( a rowdy bunch, but fun) and took a van to Pak Bara, a port, and hopped a boat to the island of Ko Lipe. According to the good folks selling the boat tickets, the trip would be 2 hours... Well, we arrived at Ko Lipe 5 hours later, after a leisurely trip which included various lengthy stops in the water for no other reason than for the boat drivers to yell at each other and wave and make chit chat. Eventually Steph and I realized that time has no meaning when you'r way out there.
Upon arrival we took a longboat to the island to the Porn Resort. Yes, that's the name. Porn. Our friends recommended it, but how could I have fucking passed up staying at that place anyway? It's Porn for chrissakes. UNfortunaely Porn was all booked up. and we ended up getting probably the crappiest bungalow on the island: bed bugs, centipedes, not even a squat toilet, and a rat ate my underwear. But really, it didn't matter... That night we settled in, searched for some sarongs, and ate dinner twice. We wanted to eat like hobbits, at least 5 meals a day. The food was exquisite. maybe tomorrow i'll post a list of all my meals. Also that night we wandered across the island to a little place called "pooh's bar" and made friends with the local guys working there, Monkey Joe and Fatboy ( he goes by the name "Boy"), had some beers, chatted and ejoyed the evening, the sound of crashing waves, and the fact that we were so far from the trappings of mainland life.
the island: small, you can walk across it in about 30 minutes, white beaches, emerald and blue water. some rocky beaches, others shell, some sand, depending on the side of the island. isolated. the resorts are simply groups of bungalows with a small "restaurant" attached. ours appeared to be run by ladyboys. or at least they were damned pretty.
WHO ARE THE SEA GYPSIES??? The Chao Le people, who are indiginous to the island. They look different than other Thais, and consider themselves a different people. Mellow, kind, darkly tanned island folks always dressed in sarongs. A lot of fishermen. A ChaoLe woman made us the best 2 meals probably of our entire lives. Truly amazing.
whoah. long. more later...
questions? curses? epithets due to your intense jealousy?
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
I want to go to Lipe.
Tell me about the beaches. although I do want to go to Chang Mai, I must know about the beaches. beaches beaches beaches. sun and beaches. no frat boy or hippies. I live in Oregon, Im around them all the time. I want beaches. cool locals and maybe some non American travelers.
oh and do post what you ate because I love Thai food. Panang..........I ate it tonight!!