As Adi, Sharon and myself waved goodbye to Rafie, Beni and David this morning from the back of a Thong Sala bound Songtheaw was a bit sad. For a group of entire strangers that didn’t know each other from each other before a week ago, we managed to sew us up a nice little friendship. I guess when foraged with sun, sand and great food… all people are quick to make friends. Still, I’ll miss them all.
Last night we had a big goodbye dinner. When David told me about a big fish market in the next town over I came up with this ambitious plan to buy our own fish, cook it on a rusty grill they have outside of our bungalow’s restaurant and just generally have ourselves a little party. Getting permission to use the grill wasn’t hard, and we even discovered a way to pay some Thai people 20 bhat for wood, but when I asked in the middle of the afternoon about the market, I was told it was closed and if we wanted fresh fish we’d have to go to Thong Sala (about a 1/2 hour ride away). But as David, Beni and Rafie were all at some spa on the island, we couldn’t tell them of the failed plans.
Resigning ourselves to the exhorborant BBQ price at the local restaurant (yeah, exhorborant… like a whole $7-10 for a plate of shark or marlin or whatever… just crazy), Adi, Sharon and myself (along with Paul, a cool Londoner who joined our little group a few days ago and whom a little romance had developed between him and Adi… that’s not the only reason you hung out with us was it Paul… and be honest, cute Israeli girls can make men do quite silly things) washed the salt and sand off ourselves and started to head to the restaurant. Just as I was standing in the parking lot waiting for Sharon to walk over there with David showed up on his motorbike with a kilo of beef steaks, a kilo of prawns and a kilo of tuna steaks. Problem… no fire.
So, after a bit of negotiation the BBQ place let us use all there gear, including spices, for 100B and Beni and David flexed their gastronomical muscles and provided us with a feast. It was awesome… and worked out a fair bit cheaper than had we just gone there for the BBQ. It was a nice way to say farewell to one another – nothing makes a memory quite like an incredible meal.
Now, after a drenchingly refreshing (don’t sit on the deck) boat ride from Thong Sala to Koh Samui, I am chillin’ out in my room and about to brave the big bad port city I’m in (it’s actually quite small and cute). I’m alone again and it is a weird feeling after pretty much being assured that I’d have company any time I wanted it for the past two or three weeks since I got to Koh Pha Ngan.
I am heading to Ang Thong National Park tomorrow and doing some camping there for a few days. I think I mentioned this in my last LJ entry, but as it’s not infront of me, here we go. Ang Thong is a series of 42 islands between Koh Samui and mainland Thailand. It is all protected and there are no bungalows or anything on it, so it should be an interesting change from the rest of the beaches I’ve been to which have been loaded with drunkin’ Swedes or oiled up Germans. It also contains an island that’s main feature is a lake surrounded by high cliffs and fed by underground tunnels to the sea water, which was the basis for the island in The Beach book/movie.
David said he might join me on the island, and it’d be cool to have some company as I’m not sure how many people will be there. I bought a pair of the spinning chain things that you light on fire the other day and am getting reasonably good with them. I thought I’d suck from my limited experience on the beaches of Hat Rin leading up to the Full Moon Party – but turns out I just shouldn’t do it when I’ve been drinking. David, having given mine a go, bought a pair, so maybe we can put a little act together and make some money – people pay to see stupid Farangs light themselves on fire right? – BTW: No worries mom and dad, I’m not actually lighting them on fire … yet.
So, only two weeks of this incredible adventure left. Two weeks. Man…
But when I get home in two weeks, it means I’m two weeks closer to going to Australia. Oh, have I talked about this at all? Well… the deal is I can get the same Holiday-maker Visa that I could get for the UK but go to Australia instead. It’s only good for a year – but that’s cool. So yeah, I am going to put the Belfast plans on hold for now and go see about a girl … and the rest of what Australia has to offer. And yes, I’m still going to travel across the frigin’ planet to visit this “girl” who when informed of my horrible, life threatening motobike accident proceeded to write me a reply and didn’t mention it once… maybe I’ll just skip Melbourne. 😉 (in all fairness she has since redeemed herself … she cut off her arm and I ignored all reference to it).
Peace.
Oh, and check out the PHOTOS!
