Bangkok and Koh Phangnan, Thailand

Koh San Road

Snails Bite? Who knew?

Hammock Time, or where I could usually be found

Solstice Dance Party with a view

Boats

Lonkan

Pumpkin

Mangosteens and spiky fruit

Koh Phangan Sunset

[I promise I'll get to the rest of Cambodia soon, but it's taking forever to write, so skipping temples for now, and I'll get it out in a few days]


Day 30 and onwards, now no longer counting days and just moving as the whim takes me.

Well the tour was fantastic, and I did enjoy it, but it's also nice to book into a room and know you could be there for more than a day or two. I could stay a WEEK if I wanted to!

In Bangkok it's about $28/night for a nice small room with a private bathroom and twin beds. Julia (who I met in Hoi An) is sharing it with me, and I am a bit tired of the play by play blog posts, so lets make this one a bit different. :) 

Bangkok is crazy busy traffic from 6ish am to 10 am and 4pm to 7:30. Crazy, walking is faster by far. Many taxi's simply won't take you at certain times of day, you have to keep asking different ones if you really want a ride. (6th's usually the charm)

The shopping here is great, for cheap junk, or even some not quite so cheap, maybe original stuff. I'll be buying stuff before I head home for sure. Especially the insanely huge Weekend Market that Julia and I wandered to and explored. People set up stalls on the streets and sidewalks for a few hours, then pack them up and take them home. Many streets you have no idea how wide they actually are due to the "encroachment" :). Koh San Road is pretty crazy foreigners partying and loud music and cheap eats 24 hrs a day.

Fish is tasty. (I spend quite a bit of time not thinking about where it comes from). I especially am growing fond of whole fried fish. Mmmm.. 

I am developing a love affair with lemongrass. So need to find a nice bar of lemongrass soap (or 10) to take home when I eventually go.

The pollution is pretty bad, though it has been pretty windy the whole time in Bangkok so far, helping with the heat as well. Still very glad we have AC in the room.

After much shopping and hanging out and eating of tasty. tasty foods. (plus a few temples, and Many massages) I booked a bus ticket (the train is full, and flights are prohibitive this close to date) to Koh Phangan Dec 21st. Overnight, on a crowded, somewhat cramped bus. Oh well. It's worth it. Arrived at the ferry terminal (ticket included) at 4:30am and had to wait till the 6:30 boarding, wheee.. then a VERY choppy 2.5 hr, plus stops ferry ride to several islands then the one I wanted. Ugh. I would guess almost 1/2 the boat got sick on the first 1hr leg. :( It's pretty grey but still beautiful.

Arrived to be met by S! Yay! Hugs are AWESOME. Balancing my big backpack while on the back of a small motorbike on windy somewhat bumpy roads was an experience. It's been relaxing. Spent most of the first day here chatting with S in side by side hammocks with the kittens occasionally coming by to say hello. Fantastic massages then dinner, fruit at the market (got to try a bunch of new ones, plus the mangosteens are in season. mmmmmmm). 

New fruits (to me): 

Lonkan (not Longan) these look similar to longans, but are somewhat spotted yellowish, have segments, and taste somewhat between a lychee and a grapefruit. Very tasty. 

Z?? (spiky brown fruit) tastes slightly fermented. Not to my taste.

Not new to me, Mangosteens (oh god better than I have ever had, sooo in love) Mango, Pineapple, Pomello (turned out too dry, boo), Passionfruits, and Coconuts. Mmmm. Fresh coconut juice/flesh here better than I have had so far, worth drinking/eating.

The Pumpkin here is amazing, you can eat the whole thing, skin and all, and buy it by whatever sized chunk you want.

Much Island time (hammocks, with occasional lap kitten). A solstice dance party up at a place with a fantastic view. 

Lunch of barbecued Baracudda, Xmas party and bonfire. Breakfast shakes, more hammock time. Dinner SALAD, noodles with "pumpkin" and miso, delicious. Tea (several times) at a neat place called Art Cafe (with a library of books to read while there and free wi-fi), internet time. More fantastic homemade food, Sean's an awesome cook, the mashed pumpkin was to die for, and many, many mangosteens. Walking on the beach. A brief hike to a waterfall fed pool with nibbly fishies! Oh so pretty.

Tara keeping the Hammock warm

A bit of rain, but mostly relaxing with kitten time, it's pretty here.