Plenty actually. thanks to the visit of Jure and his friends from Slovenia, i decided to meet them up in the tropical island of Koh Tao. mind you, the journey there was full of hiccups. due to the language barrier, i was brought to one travel agency to another, each trying to sell me tickets. i missed the bus from Hat Yai to Surat Thani because the bus i was taking from Kuala Lumpur stopped at five times in between journey. due so, i was 45 mins late.
I stayed the night at Hat Yai at a hotel recommended by a tour agency. it cost me 400baht and i was awake most of the time because i didn't feel at peace at the place. the next morning i took the 8am mini bus (400baht) to Surat Thani, only to be stopped at another travel agency. i had wanted to go to the pier to buy my ticket but again the driver, who didn't understand much English, dropped me at the agency. the lady at the counter told me i could get a boat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao, which would allow me to reach the island at 6pm on the same evening. i believed her and found myself rushing like a mad woman to Koh Samui only to find out there was no such boat. disappointed, i went back to Surat Thani by boat and finally gotten the ticket for the night boat to Koh Tao. i reached the diving island on Monday morning, two days after i departed from Kuala Lumpur.
Despite the hassle, i had a peaceful time. jure injured his feet a day earlier so he couldn't go swimming so we ended up getting on a bike and rode around the island over the next two days. there was many wonderful sceneries especially those on higher grounds. Koh Tao is a small island with limited facilities. electricity is only available from 6pm to 6am everyday. on certain days, there would be water rationing.
Nonetheless, it didn't stop the diving enthusiasts from flocking the island. it wasn't peak season when we were there but even then, it was crowded. everywhere i go, i see gwailos around me.
Food is priced on the upside but similar to KL standards so i didn't feel the pinch too much. since i spend most of my baht on transport, jure had to pay for my expenses on the island. the exchange doesn't accept RM. hm ...
On the first night, jure, doman, milita n me spent the evening together on the balcony enjoying some local fruits ie mango, dragon fruit and papaya. after that, we drank some Laos gin that the guys bought. i drank mine too fast so after 45 mins, i was drowsy and couldn't stand properly. i slept like a baby that night.
We went for oil massage on the second day i was there. it was alright. nothing much to shout about since i'm not exactly a fan of massage. i just feel odd to have a stranger's hands running on my naked body. i probably was too tensed up cos the massage didn't make me feel more relax at all after that.
It rained on Sairee beach on the second evening but not at where we were staying. we went for homemade Thai cuisine which was really good. that was my best meal on the island.
The next day, we checked out early and spent the day walking around Mae Haad town where the pier is located. our boat was at 2.30pm so we had some three hours to spare. It was just cool by me that we simply laze around doing nothing.
The trip to Bangkok was non-event. we reached the capital about midnight. went to Budget Guesthouse at Khao San road to stay the night. it was a clean and central place and cheap too --> 180 baht per person.
Khao San is like the main street for tourists. it has everything one needs to buy, be it from tailor, groceries, shopping, etc ... my friends bought each bought two pairs of suits including matching shirts to go with them and they paid less than 350Eur at Papa Jim the Tailor. for women, there are lots of stalls that sell dainty accessories, beachwear, colourful pants and darn-cheap tops.
My trip ended when i took the AirAsia flight back to KL. the 6 days trip was indeed a memorable one; not just because i caught up with some friends but also the fact that it's a reminder that i can never be a too experienced traveller cos every country has its own knick and knack ...
