Last night sheila and i met up with this guy Nick, who is here getting his master's diving certification. He and a friend went fishing and brought back 6 Baracuda sharks to BBQ. It was so fun! We went to a restaurant that cooked them whole for about 60 Baht eash, less then $2 and then gave us a few different sauces and some salad to eat the fish with. Baracudas have ugly ass faces! Thay actually reminded me of Pike in Lake Wawasee. It was very good but, unfortunatly, we could only finish 5 of the 6 fish, so we gave the last one to some other folks.
I love the food here!!!
Today it rained again, and it is such a relief to have a break in the heat. I've found that i actually do enjoy the rain, apparently Arcata has had an affect on me!
Lots of love to everyone!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Photos at last!
I am too lazy to write today, so I am going to stick a bunch of pictures up instead! I did finish my open diving course and am now PADI certified! On my last dive i saw a white eyed Moray eel and got pricked by a Sea Urchin, which was cool becasue it's a neat thing to say and because I got to watch the blood flow out of my finger at a depth of 16 meters, where the red color is absorbed, so it looked like I was bleeding green!
This is a picture of me with a three legged dog in Koh Pha Ngan. Sheila named him Tre.
the great thing about dogs around here is that they walk around the towns beholden to no one, like they've got their own business to attend to and don't need some dirty human's patting to feel validated. They're very anthropomorphic!
This is Sheila and I on the beach in Koh Pa Ngan, dancing at one of the many nightly beach parties. It;s a great way to forget to go to sleep!
This is me on a boat taxi in Bangkok
And this is the view from our bungalow on Haad Rin beach. all this for about $4 a day!
We're off now to a BBQ with fresh caught Baracuda!
This is a picture of me with a three legged dog in Koh Pha Ngan. Sheila named him Tre.
the great thing about dogs around here is that they walk around the towns beholden to no one, like they've got their own business to attend to and don't need some dirty human's patting to feel validated. They're very anthropomorphic!
This is Sheila and I on the beach in Koh Pa Ngan, dancing at one of the many nightly beach parties. It;s a great way to forget to go to sleep!
This is me on a boat taxi in Bangkok
And this is the view from our bungalow on Haad Rin beach. all this for about $4 a day!
We're off now to a BBQ with fresh caught Baracuda!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Too much Curry
So I am now in my third day on the island of Koh Tao, on Sarie beach. Gorgeous. Today I had my first two ocean dives which were AMAZING! I saw more fish than i can identify, including clown fish, trigger fish, Angel fish, and a cleaner fish which helpfully but painfully cleaned one of my motorbike accident wounds!
Tonight, for the first night since I've been here, sheila and I are actually going to go out and drink and dance for a bit. Having diving classes early in the morning has put a bit of a damper on my night life, but was totally worth it to get certified within 4 days! I have also tried to break up my steady diet of curry for breakfast, noodles for lunch and curry for dinner, by adding some harder to digest food because, apparently, being in all of that salt water acts as a natural diaretic. Whee!
It has also been nice to slow down and stay in one place for a bit. I've gotten to know the people in my dive class quite well ( all 4 of them!) and we've got some really gret neighbors who, even though they stay out until 6 am, manage to not wake me up! Also, the place where we are staying is really, really nice.
There is actually a ton to do on this island, but it seems like most of the people who come here do so for diving. A lot of folks come and stay for a month or two to get their Master Diving status. There's also fishing, kayaking, paint ball, bowling and mini golf. Also, it seems like a lot of folks come and get tattoos in Thailand, because tattoo shops dot the coast line as consistently as internet cafes and motorbike rentals.
Tomorrow I have my last two dives, then a party to celebrate completion of the diving course. The next day Sheila and I are planning to leave and go back to Kho Phan Ngan for a day, then on to Bangkok and Canchantaburry. Apparently there's a monkey school there where monkeys learn skills and triciks like playing basketball. Though it's probably an eregious infringment on animal rights, i can't wait to see it!
Tonight, for the first night since I've been here, sheila and I are actually going to go out and drink and dance for a bit. Having diving classes early in the morning has put a bit of a damper on my night life, but was totally worth it to get certified within 4 days! I have also tried to break up my steady diet of curry for breakfast, noodles for lunch and curry for dinner, by adding some harder to digest food because, apparently, being in all of that salt water acts as a natural diaretic. Whee!
It has also been nice to slow down and stay in one place for a bit. I've gotten to know the people in my dive class quite well ( all 4 of them!) and we've got some really gret neighbors who, even though they stay out until 6 am, manage to not wake me up! Also, the place where we are staying is really, really nice.
There is actually a ton to do on this island, but it seems like most of the people who come here do so for diving. A lot of folks come and stay for a month or two to get their Master Diving status. There's also fishing, kayaking, paint ball, bowling and mini golf. Also, it seems like a lot of folks come and get tattoos in Thailand, because tattoo shops dot the coast line as consistently as internet cafes and motorbike rentals.
Tomorrow I have my last two dives, then a party to celebrate completion of the diving course. The next day Sheila and I are planning to leave and go back to Kho Phan Ngan for a day, then on to Bangkok and Canchantaburry. Apparently there's a monkey school there where monkeys learn skills and triciks like playing basketball. Though it's probably an eregious infringment on animal rights, i can't wait to see it!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Deep Sea Andrea
Right now I am on my lunch break from diving class. After debating it back and forth, weighing the cost against the experience, i finally decided that i would be a fool to pass up such a cheap and amazing opportunity. Or, as i put it to another traveler, not taking the dive course would be a waste of the plane ticket that got me here.
Koh Tao, the island we're on now is smaller and quieter than Kho Pa Ngan. There's a larger variation in the age of the tourists, and a lot more to do besides drink and sit on the beach. Also, it's a lot cleaner and better manicured. And it is full to the over flowing with Sweds. So far, everyone i've met here is either brittish or Swedish, apart from my french dive instructor. But subsequently;y conversation is fairly easy because everyone's English is very good.
I have to get back to class; more to follow!
Koh Tao, the island we're on now is smaller and quieter than Kho Pa Ngan. There's a larger variation in the age of the tourists, and a lot more to do besides drink and sit on the beach. Also, it's a lot cleaner and better manicured. And it is full to the over flowing with Sweds. So far, everyone i've met here is either brittish or Swedish, apart from my french dive instructor. But subsequently;y conversation is fairly easy because everyone's English is very good.
I have to get back to class; more to follow!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thrills and Spills!
Today I woke up early, by backpacker's standards, appartently, because i was about the only anglo walking around! It was great because it hadn't gotten too hot yet, and i could just wonder and inhale the smell of other people's breakfasts. Yum! I think it is fair to say that food is half of my entertainment on this trip!
I went for a short swim this morning and bought some tangerines. Then Sheila and I wandered down into the central part of town to rent some motor bikes. We decided to live dangeroulsy and rent one each instead of sharing, and bargined the woman down to $350 baht (about $10) for both of them, and i got a quick lesson.
NAturally, within about 10 mintues of leaving and before actually getting outside of town, I crashed. Don't worry, no seriouse injuries, but a couple of rasberries here and there and some road rash on my hands. What I was most worried about was the bike. A very nice school teacher came out and helped me look at it, and everything looked okay, so after debating wether I could be trusted to continue on I decided to live dangerously and drive slowly, and we took off on our bikes with a new sense of caution. It was amazing! We drove half way around the island, hugging the coast line most of the time. I saw near by islands and a forest of palm trees heavy with coconuts. We eventually stopped at a beach on the north side of the island of Kho Phangan to rest and enjoy the view. It was amazing to get sucha feel for the scope and size of the island. Also, Once I got the hang of driving teh motor bike it was very easy, although we did keep our speed safely low.
This other beach, Hat Yao, was much quieter than our beach and cleaner as well. While our beach is filled with younger backpacker types and kids looking to party and drink, this beach had a lot of older travelers and couples. The food was more expensive (naturally, Sheila and i waited until later to eat, being the 2 cheapest girls on earth), but the bungalows and resorts looked much nicer.
After a while we drove back and are now in a larger city in the island, the port we came into on our boat just a few days ago. We walked around a few markets and sheila had an amazing dish of aquid and pinapple over rice. As an added Thai bonus, the little outdoor restarant she ate at was run by three transgendered women. I've decided that, by having the best of both worlds helped make the women amazing cooks!
Tonight we are going to lay low, maybe meet up with some brittish travelers we hung out with night before last, and then tomorrow leave for a new Island! As soon as i get my bearings it's time to move, but I'm looking forward to the next island, which will be smaller and have fewer tourists.
I went for a short swim this morning and bought some tangerines. Then Sheila and I wandered down into the central part of town to rent some motor bikes. We decided to live dangeroulsy and rent one each instead of sharing, and bargined the woman down to $350 baht (about $10) for both of them, and i got a quick lesson.
NAturally, within about 10 mintues of leaving and before actually getting outside of town, I crashed. Don't worry, no seriouse injuries, but a couple of rasberries here and there and some road rash on my hands. What I was most worried about was the bike. A very nice school teacher came out and helped me look at it, and everything looked okay, so after debating wether I could be trusted to continue on I decided to live dangerously and drive slowly, and we took off on our bikes with a new sense of caution. It was amazing! We drove half way around the island, hugging the coast line most of the time. I saw near by islands and a forest of palm trees heavy with coconuts. We eventually stopped at a beach on the north side of the island of Kho Phangan to rest and enjoy the view. It was amazing to get sucha feel for the scope and size of the island. Also, Once I got the hang of driving teh motor bike it was very easy, although we did keep our speed safely low.
This other beach, Hat Yao, was much quieter than our beach and cleaner as well. While our beach is filled with younger backpacker types and kids looking to party and drink, this beach had a lot of older travelers and couples. The food was more expensive (naturally, Sheila and i waited until later to eat, being the 2 cheapest girls on earth), but the bungalows and resorts looked much nicer.
After a while we drove back and are now in a larger city in the island, the port we came into on our boat just a few days ago. We walked around a few markets and sheila had an amazing dish of aquid and pinapple over rice. As an added Thai bonus, the little outdoor restarant she ate at was run by three transgendered women. I've decided that, by having the best of both worlds helped make the women amazing cooks!
Tonight we are going to lay low, maybe meet up with some brittish travelers we hung out with night before last, and then tomorrow leave for a new Island! As soon as i get my bearings it's time to move, but I'm looking forward to the next island, which will be smaller and have fewer tourists.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Fun by the Bucket-Load!
This evening, while washing off the day's sweat and sand, i discovered that I did, in fact, get a sunburn after piling on the heavy duty sunblock and then swiming for under an hour. THe sun down here is not meant for the pale of skin!
Tonight, after a very tasty dinner of eggplant with tofu, Sheila and I went to the beach to dance the night away. Well, maybe just half the night. We met up with a guy she met at an internet cafe in Bangkok and his friends, who are all here from Italy. two of them did not speak much english, but one did speak Spanish, so I got the opportunity to practice! YAY!
I learned I am capable of discussing food, but not knee surgery. So know i know what to work on. That and verb conjugation, which i would honestly rather avoid! Before the dancing started, the bar that was 'hosting' the party on the beach (there's a party on the beach every night!) ran a few rounds of musical chairs for grownups, with beer and buckets of mixed drinks as the prizes. I have never seen grown people play musical chairs, but they took it very seriously. I suppose the stakes were fairly high....
I also made froends with a litle Thai boy and chased him around for a while, until sheila took over. Everyone is just so happy and ready to have a good time. It's lovely!
Tomorrow, we are renting morot bikes and going snorkling and, hopefully, to see a waterfall. This sure beats making copies and issuing marriage liscences to 16 year olds!
Tonight, after a very tasty dinner of eggplant with tofu, Sheila and I went to the beach to dance the night away. Well, maybe just half the night. We met up with a guy she met at an internet cafe in Bangkok and his friends, who are all here from Italy. two of them did not speak much english, but one did speak Spanish, so I got the opportunity to practice! YAY!
I learned I am capable of discussing food, but not knee surgery. So know i know what to work on. That and verb conjugation, which i would honestly rather avoid! Before the dancing started, the bar that was 'hosting' the party on the beach (there's a party on the beach every night!) ran a few rounds of musical chairs for grownups, with beer and buckets of mixed drinks as the prizes. I have never seen grown people play musical chairs, but they took it very seriously. I suppose the stakes were fairly high....
I also made froends with a litle Thai boy and chased him around for a while, until sheila took over. Everyone is just so happy and ready to have a good time. It's lovely!
Tomorrow, we are renting morot bikes and going snorkling and, hopefully, to see a waterfall. This sure beats making copies and issuing marriage liscences to 16 year olds!
Sun Burn!
Today is our second day in Kho Pha Nagn, a beautiful island in southern Thailand. We got her yesterday by boat and i arrived with bright red legs after spending part of the trip on the outside of the boat. I sat on the edge of the boat and danggled me legs out into the the air, which was so nice! After being cramped in a buss all night with some very loud Finnish men it was like heaven! I know mom, i should have used more sunblock! Unfortunatly, i think my target brand sunblock is as Anglo as I am, and is not quite up to the task. I have been layering the sunblock on, though. repeatedly.
I had some great Pad Thai yesterday, and last night Sheila and I met up with to other travelers and had dinner down the street, fantastic muslim currt with chicken and potatoes and later on some Thai whiskey. We danced on the beach until the wee hours, and it was amazing! Unfortunatly, I am a bit sluggish today as a result.
Today I've spent a ton of time on the beach, swiming in the ocean. The water is almost too warm at times, and when a big wave comes in I can feel the slightly cooler water from the deeper ocean travel it. I's crystal blue and very salty. I could probably stay in that water all day. Tomorrw i think we are goingt o rent moter bikes and drive around to a more seculded beach, maybe even do a bit of snorkling.
We've planned out the rest of our trip which includes some jungle action and several more islands. While looking at my calader, though, I realized that my trip is about a third over! I really don't understand how that can be, considering I just got here, but i guess that's the way vacation goes; it's all stretched out before you until it's not.
Everything's still quite touristy here, but it's a nice transition. I am looking forward to some actual jungle, though!
all my love and more to follow!
I had some great Pad Thai yesterday, and last night Sheila and I met up with to other travelers and had dinner down the street, fantastic muslim currt with chicken and potatoes and later on some Thai whiskey. We danced on the beach until the wee hours, and it was amazing! Unfortunatly, I am a bit sluggish today as a result.
Today I've spent a ton of time on the beach, swiming in the ocean. The water is almost too warm at times, and when a big wave comes in I can feel the slightly cooler water from the deeper ocean travel it. I's crystal blue and very salty. I could probably stay in that water all day. Tomorrw i think we are goingt o rent moter bikes and drive around to a more seculded beach, maybe even do a bit of snorkling.
We've planned out the rest of our trip which includes some jungle action and several more islands. While looking at my calader, though, I realized that my trip is about a third over! I really don't understand how that can be, considering I just got here, but i guess that's the way vacation goes; it's all stretched out before you until it's not.
Everything's still quite touristy here, but it's a nice transition. I am looking forward to some actual jungle, though!
all my love and more to follow!
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