So, umm, our plans have changed again...shock! After experiencing the absolute bread sandwich that was Ko Lanta, we decided to sack off the Andaman coast and head to the Gulf of Thailand. Our trip to Ko Samui was certainly an experience: Em-squared sharing one seat = Gilbert with a seatbelt up her arse, Billsy practically sitting on the driver's lap and the most awkward crisp sandwich ever eaten!
We decided to avoid the infamous Full Moon party of Ko Phangan and instead spent the evening on a local beach in Ko Samui, celebrating the Festival of Lights. The sea was shimmering with floating flowers and candles and the sky was alight with hundreds of lanterns and fireworks. It was a beautiful evening and all in all a much classier way to celebrate the full moon.
We arrived in Phangan to witness the aftermath of the Full Moon mayhem. There were crutches, neck braces and neon paint EVERYWHERE. Thankfully we had booked ourselves into a little wooden hut off the beaten track. Unfortunately, it rained the whole time we were there so we were forced to chill in our hammocks over looking the sea, sigh. It's a hard life! We also met a lovely couple who treated us to lunch, and not just any lunch... We're talking pies, mash, gravy - the full shebang! Yes mate!
We went from a high to a low when we arrived at our next hostel on "Charm beach". Although it was beautifully situated on the beach, we encountered far too many creatures, including 3 limbed crazy dogs, a mentally ill monkey chained to a tree, a frog on the toilet seat and a cockroach which Billsy tried to gas out with hairspray and Gilb eventually trapped in a cup!
Our next stop was the Hilton Phangan (or it might as well have been). We were greeted with cold flannels (we must have looked like we needed them...) and ice cold Lime and Soda. We were staying in a small bungalow, with a pool overlooking our private beach... perfect for sipping cocktails and watching the sunset. We met loads of nice people here and on our last night found ourselves surrounded by Norwegian and German men. According to one mental German guy, Shakira and Einstein have the same IQ. Well you learn something new every day.
On our last morning we found ourselves in a Thai church - we didn't understand a word but everyone seemed friendly enough. We all ate lunch together and even a spider joined in on the action by hopping in to Gilbert's rice bowl...yummy. After packing our pretzels and chocolate spread (try it - you'll never look back) we said goodbye to Thailand for the next few weeks. 22 hours, several games of 'spot the lady boy', many attempts to find Billsy's non-existent shoulder blades and numerous inflicted injuries on the poor man sharing our bunk on the sleeper train later, we eventually arrived in Malaysia! Hurrah!
For those of you who don't know, we have managed to bag ourselves voluntary teaching jobs in Chanthaburi, Thailand, starting in January. We will be there for 2 months and the jobs include a free house and food. If you want to know more visit the website http://www.goodchildfoundation.com/About-Us. We don't want to give away too much but Em-Squared may be making their TV debut appearances soon, so stay tuned! We are really excited!
Anyway.. peace out, stay reem and enjoy your cold weather and Christmas shopping!