I'm Back

After a lovely 12 days traveling through other parts of Thailand, I’m back in Khaowong and ready to hit the 9-5 grind again starting tomorrow. Who am I kidding? There’s no 9-5 grind here. It’s still a job, though, and nothing can compare to the pleasure of vacationing…like vacationing.

I’ll begin my tale with the first leg of the trip: the beautiful island of Koh Chang. Actually, back up. Before I arrived in Koh Chang, I hopped a ride with my school who was heading to Bangkok for the annual Kanchana Games (kind of like a mini Olympics amongst schools). It’s not a short trek from Khaowong to Bangkok – usually takes 9-10 hours by bus. My school set a new record – 12 hours! Along the way, we stopped 9, yes NINE, times. Pre-breakfast, breakfast, gas, post-breakfast, bathroom, lunch, snack time, etc. Once we arrived in the outskirts of Bangkok, I took a taxi to Siam Paragon, the poshest mall I’ve ever set foot in, to meet my friend Abi. The mall houses every designer label imaginable, plus Ferrari and Maserati dealerships! After spending almost 2 months in a very quiet, non-Westernized area, I experienced a bit of reverse culture shock at Siam Paragon. Especially because it was decked out in Christmas lights and trees with holiday carols playing in the background. Surreal.

Anyway, back to Koh Chang. Abi and I departed Bangkok for Koh Chang the following morning. After a pleasant bus and ferry ride, we arrived after lunch and found a place to stay for the night. I say night, not nights, because we moved accommodations our second day on the island. It was a fine enough place – our own little bungalow right by the sea, but it was terribly rustic (wood-like mattress on the floor, questionable bedding (appeared as though it hadn’t been washed in I’d rather not know how long), bucket toilet (meaning you flush your stuff down using a bucket and water)). Obviously we weren’t on the island to hang out in our room all day, but we decided since it was Christmas, we’d splurge and upgrade to a place with clean bedding and a flush toilet. Plus it was still a little cottage by the sea.

The island was absolutely beautiful. The entire thing is actually a national park, so you can guess how picturesque it is. We stayed near Lonely Beach, the backpacker district. It was like a mini hippie village in the middle of the jungle. I felt like I was living in a tree-house community. If you traveled just slightly up the coast, you’d find yourself amongst high-rolling resorts and spas alongside gorgeous white sand beaches. Before arriving to Koh Chang, I intended to do lots with my four days on the island – snorkel, hike, kayak, zip line through the jungle, get a tattoo (kidding on that last one, however there was a plentiful number of tattoo parlors in a very small square mileage.) Once I was actually on the island, though, beach life took over and I didn’t feel like doing much of anything besides burying my feet in the sand and reading my new book (thank goodness for English bookstores in Bangkok!). Abi and I did find the energy to make ourselves look presentable in the evenings and tried out a variety of international cuisine ranging from pizza to pasta to quesadillas to sandwiches…along with some Thai favorites, too. I was reunited with my old friend cheese – the greatest Christmas gift of all.

We spent a day snorkeling around a few smaller islands in the area. It was a rather international crew of folks with people from Finland, Holland, France, England, Singapore, Italy, and a few others I can’t remember. Several people, including the Thai staff, were surprised to discover I’m American. Apparently not many Americans come through the island. The owner of our first guesthouse was so excited to learn I’m from the States that anytime he saw me, he’d make as many U.S. historical or cultural references as he could. And as always, he asked me the first question any Thai or other foreigner presents me with: “You vote Obama or McCain?” They’re always pleased with my response (Obama).

Overall, Koh Chang was absolutely lovely – a perfect way to spend Christmas (since I couldn’t have it with my family and snow). I think I’ll save “Part II: Chiang Mai” for the next entry. Happy New Year to all!