Howdy everyone. I figured it was about time I penned a few notes about the ol’ travels. Andy’s done me the favour of writing about Bangkok and Koh Samui already, giving me more time to lounge around and nurse my hangovers and diminishing wallet. I enjoyed Bangkok, most of the time, and despite the very ordinary feel about Koh Samui, I had fun there too. But, today’s lesson is all about Koh Tao, so pray silence…
Jumping into a pimped-up, air-conditioned mini van, Andy and I were sped from Lamai beach in the south of Samui up to the port in the north. Here we caught a slow boat to Koh Tao. Sat up front (the bow, to all our pirate friends out there) we rode the gentle waves up the Gulf of Thailand, making a solid start on our tans/sunburn and keeping our ears open for any juicy ideas for fun on Koh Tao.
Koh Tao is the scuba capital of Thailand. Most visitors spend their days submerged in the crystal blue waters surrounding the island, and Andy and I indended to do just that. We arrived in Mae Hat ready for action. Alas, the first scuba school we registered with left a sour taste in our mouths after the Del-Boy of a manager sent us to a different guest house for the night after over-booking. It was getting dark and the place was quiet…too quiet for my liking. Feeling less than impressed with the place I took a walk in the evening, heading north towards Sairee Beach, and the impressive array of Pad Thai stalls, bars and street-side vendors made the place come alive. Things were looking better.
Rousing Andy from his book, I picked up a deck of cards and headed for the local (only) Indian resturant for a few beers and a review of the seemingly dire Koh Tao situation. Enter Junia, the lively waitress who was about to change our Koh Tao experience into an unforgettable one. For the next nine days Junia took us to the best night spots, the tastiest noodle stalls, and the most sublime beaches on the island.
In just a short time, Koh Tao was beginning to feel like a home away from home. Each day we rented a moped, and went mobile around the island. Our favourite spot was down at Shark Bay where the water was warm, the breeze cool, and the frisbee court smooth beneath the feet. Speaking of feet, it’s a convenient point to talk about my first significant injury of the journey:
Our first night in Koh Tao found me in a local club with Junia, drinking Redbull and vodka from a bucket and staring out to sea. I spotted a string of lights in the water trailing away from the club and wondered why they were there and where they went. Within minutes I’d stripped to the waist and plunged into the cool water with Junia on my back. After just ten paces I discovered exactly why the lights were there; coral. I had successfully walked across some of the sharpest objects that the sea had to offer. Cue nine days of intesive bandaging and plastering of my feet. All good now though.
Thankfully there are no other injuries to speak of, despite Andy’s cavalier approach to moped driving, the cornerstone of which is “why go around the huge rocks in the road when you can go over them”. Our first ride nearly ended in disaster when Andy accelerated uphill over a rather large boulder just when I’d decided to shift my weight on the back seat. For a minute Andy was steering with my ankles over his shoulders…At least his driving skills improved though. My driving was consistantly shocking!
And that’s about it. I could talk for days about all the different people we met and the bars that we drank in, but I’ve already overstayed my welcome in this post. Suffice it to say, we stay in touch with Junia who continues to be our guide through Thailand, and if all goes to plan I’ll be heading back to Koh Tao before flying out to Aus. Oh, and we never bothered with the scuba diving; too much fun to be had.
