So me and Mike were sat in a cafe deciding where to go and decided on Ko Tao and I say, 'so where do we organise transport', I turn my head to the right and walk five paces and I'm inside a travel agent. You don't have to shop around in this area because they're competing with each other so fiercely already.
'You come back at seven thirty'
'Ok'
A little Thai man whisks us off and collects a couple more people from an agent on the way - they've only just booked on the trip that minute. The bus is waiting and we're off. About 8 hours later we're on the island via a coach and boat ride. Kho San Road in Bangkok is a living breathing money-extraction machine, running 24/7, 365 days a year. When that little man was leading us off it became apparent just how efficient the whole thing is.
Not exactly the travel experience I was looking for, but then what did I expect? I knew it would be a bit like this, but now I'm here, it's staggering just how touristy the beaten track is, here.
I'm here on Ko Tao having booked onto a dive course. I have my accomodation, a scooter to run around on for about 1.50 sterling a day. There's free wi-fi, cheap food and if I walk out of the little resort here straight away the street is lined with internet cafes, laundrettes and food shops, 7/11's. NOT exactly challenging.
Had quite a funny experience in a pharmacy yesterday. I had a sort of rash on my lower leg and thinking it might be some sort of fungal infection I figured I'd best get it sorted, so I went and got the pharmacist to look at it.
"Is is fungal?"
"You have illitation or no illitation?" (irritation)
"No irritation"
At this she suddenly becomes quite animated, "Illitation good, no illitation BAD!"
"Ok I have irritation I have irritation!"
"No illitation, you leave this it will come whole body!"
"I don't want whole body!"
She takes my arm, "Look, if I open skin here..."
"No don't open my skin!"
"No no, just as example!"
Not sure what she was on about at this point but she carries on, "look at picture! If you leave, this will happen!"
She directs my attention to some pictures of some backpacker with big boils on their legs and another with a nasty looking rash on the back of their knees.
"If gets like this, very hard to treat!"
"Ok ok I won't leave!"
"You take these 3 times day and this 4 times day. Rub in cream til ALL GONE! ALL GONE!"
"Ok I don't want whole body no!"
"You take this!"
"I will I will!"
She gives me the pills and cream and I leave breathing a sigh of relief and apply the cream immediately, just in case she's watching.
