With at least a week before meeting the parents, I came to the conclusion that the only thing I could do is hit the beach. Ko Samet is a little island within easy reach of Bangkok - I remember going there when I was a kid. Easy choice. So I packed my daypack and hopped on a bus. It was easy as pie because the station is near Simon and Joy's house and everything is written in English! Another reason to love Bangkok over Kathmandu. The three hour trip only cost a little over 5 bucks too, why can't Australia adopt these prices!
I got over accustomed to the bus trip - comfy seats, aircon etc so it was very hard to leave it in the blistering heat of the day. I got off at Rayong, the last stop in the line, where a lady helped me find the "Baht Bus" - a local means of transport that is pretty much a reconfigured ute so there is seats on the back. It was cheap and fast, but the driver stopped every 100m to pick up more fares on the side of the highway. I knew I was meant to get off at Ban Phe, the peir for the boatride out to Ko Samet. Problem was I didn't know what it looked like and there sure as hell wasn't any signs. So I did what I usually do and just jumped off when all the others did, hoping like hell it was Ban Phe. It was, but it took me 15 long minutes to realise it as we hadn't gotten off opposite the peir like your meant to. But woohoo, im going to an island paradise!
The boat trip was uneventful and again I followed the other passengers onto another converted ute that takes us around the island. I knew there was a main tourist beach really close by with a lot of smaller, resorty-type ones. I had no idea when I was meant to get off but I did when I saw the resorts start to thin out into jungle. I was stoked as somehow the National Park Ranger didnt collect my money for an entrance ticket - 6 more beers! Wasnt sure where I was though, so I did a huge wander and decided that if this wasn't the main backpackers beach it was good enough. It was more or less empty but, I figured its because its early in the week. Its meant to get packed out with Thais on the weekend.
I wasn't too happy about the price of accommodation - 10 bucks! Spewing, but I did get my own little bungalow. Very dodgily made, shower block down a different path. Still it was more than the nice little retreat I had hoped for - even came with a double bed (big flat mattress on the wooden floor) and mosquito net! Such luxuries.
I kicked back on a deck chair with a beer (only 1.20) just savouring the peace and quiet of being on a beach - first time in over two months! I had to retreat as it got darker because the dogs came over looking for food and the mosquitos really came out in force. All the restaurants have bamboo chairs on the beach itself so I ordered stirfry with seafood (2.00) and another beer as the staff put half a dozen mosquito coils around me. I just have to remember they are there every time I move my feet! The stirfry was bloody good, plenty of seafood. Paradise!
Back at the hotel they were playing a very odd movie, no idea what it was called but it had Jim Carey and Kirsten Dunst in it. I walked in halfway through so thats probably why it didnt make much sense. When it had finished they put on James Bond, which I'd already seen so I went for yet another wander. There wasn't much point as everything is along the beach so you see it all on the first stroll and noone had really ventured out to celebrate happy hour, despite the encouraging slogans such as "lets get fuckin' wasted". Some of the places even had games such as "beer pong" and of course pool, but with some fun gambles. The pub opposite my resort has a boxing ring on the beach for Kick Boxing lessons. I love this place.
