Eff the serious life... In Thailand

Two weeks in Thailand has flown by. 

There were periods of feeling lost and defeated, broken by buckets and the mystery bruises which accompany them. And there were times when I wanted a moment to be an entire lifetime.
I kind of ballsed up with my travel plans, got stuck on Phi Phi and its' addictive party scene and managed one on Koh Lanta before spending my last day on buses to make it to Kuala Lumpur in time for the flight to a new life. But first let me tell you about Phi Phi. 

Koh PhiPhi was exactly how I remembered. Heedy, hedonistic, riddled with parties and Mosquitoes, entirely beautiful, the warmest water, coral reefs filled with fish, cliff jumping opportunities every where and hypnotic sunsets. A hard place to pull yourself away from. Everyone is so friendly, local, holiday maker or backpacker. It's easy to make friends with anyone, just say hello. 

I met some guys who had been traveling for seven years, one was 32 and simply lived for it. He had so many interesting stories and had been to so many places. I wished so hard I could have brought a voice recorder out with me; in comparison I felt like an amateur beginner backpacker for sure. 

That's the thing about South East Asia, and really, traveling in general: you meet so many wonderful and sometimes strange people that touch you in such different ways, that you're sure you could never have so many varied experiences without being right here, right now. And it hypnotizes you, your guard goes down and everyone you meet gets under your skin. Blame it on the heat. I wasn't being a romantic soul to all humanity, I was just thirsty! 

Floating at sunset off Koh Phi Phi bay

Just make sure you bring deep pockets with you to these islands. As they are on the tourist trail, the accommodation, food and alcohol are all going up in price. Even though I was only Koh Lanta for one night and therefore, hardly an expert, I noticed the difference in price over a Chang. 70 Baht for a small bottle, and it was only sold in the bars. Whereas on Phi Phi you could get a large one for the same price at a shop. However I was able to get a lovely bungalow on the beach for the night and a fantastic Massaman curry, even if I did have to kill the largest spider ever seen by a scared English girl. 

Ladies please note, when traveling/living on your own or even just wanting to maintain a level of self respect, you have to deal with evil looking grobblies. Screaming and jumping on the bed is of course expected, but if you have no other option, then look at that eight legged monstrosity in the face, call him Colin, and get rid of the thing. I called him Colin as Bob was already taken by a shark I saw back on Koh Tao. 

Spiders and missing new friends aside, the one night I got to spend in Lanta was tonic after the craziness of the previous six nights. Four of us sat in reclining cushions, listening to the sea rolling in only 20 feet away. The owner of the bar (Monkey bar) was a crazy Thai guy with a Swedish girlfriend who had moved down from Bangkok 7 years ago. The more I talk to Thais, the more I like them. They just have the best sense of humour. They have resigned themselves to our ever present white, loud-mouthed existence in their country and decided that it would be more fun to take the piss out of us. They take enjoyment in things we are too self conscious to consider, and if you take the time to actually talk back, you'll be treated to the biggest warmth, gentleness, humour and maybe even a little peep hole in to understanding their country more as they do. 

It's unfortunate I missed Koh Lipe, but the way I feel about saying goodbye to Thailand the way you say goodbye to a friend with whom you always have coffee. Thailand I'll be back. Having said that though, I will not return to Hat Yai. There is nothing there to tempt a traveler, unless you count an overriding sense of fear and expectation of being robbed among a big cluster of dirty concrete buildings. Although this is the nicest bus I've been on in Asia, and that includes the reclining bed buses in Vietnam. Well, almost.

Monkey Bungalows, Koh Lanta