Ko Pha-Ngan

Time to leave my happy little home. Noooooooo. Okay, okay I'll recover. I had my last breakie in the restaurant and watched the boxing as Floyd Mayweather became the new champ over Oscar Del Lahioa. I know I spelt that wrong! Not a bad fight but Oscar's days are over. I farewelled my staff there and quickly checked my emails.

The taxi arrived on time but I feared that me and my stuff wouldn't fit with everyone else. It was a shared taxi, not what I was expecting. He had two more people to pick up so wanted all of our bags on the top. Mine got pulled up but the others in the taxi refused. I asked if they were to be tied down but was ignored. I then joined the fight with the others and said that 'if they can have theirs inside, I want mine inside too'. He wasn't happy but it came down and one of the girls grabbed it for me. In just a few minutes we had become a united group.

So off we went...very fast. I mentioned that I must have pissed him off. They assured me that he was driving like that before which is why the kept their luggage with them. There is no way that my bag would have stayed up there. It would have flung off at the first corner.

We arrived at the dock and he rushed off to get his other two people.

We hauled our crap over the road and took seats waiting for the boarding. This is where I got to know Karen a bit, the one who had grabbed my bag for me. She's an English lass 'about to turn thirty'. I assured her that as I am thirty seven, it's never too late to start something new. She was travelling solo and had lost her job just before coming here and was debatting on her future. She was in IT but then tried her hand at Media. Now she would like to try Conservation but not too sure on the four years more study at Uni, hence the age comment.

When we boarded, she and I sat together along with Richie to me right. He was another UK resident who worked in Iraq. I asked what he did there but kind of got the feeling he was not to discuse it so after he told me a broad answer, we moved on. He gets 90 days off for holidays per year. I compared him to a teacher. He smilled at that.

The three of us chatted the whole way and Karen was the only one with definate sleeping arrangements. Richie walks for as while, stops for a beer, then looks some more. Basically he continues this way till he collapses somewhere. Karen was booked on at the Coral and had a taxi coming to get her. I had my eye on one place but no booking. We got off at the dock and I had given Karen my card and took Richie's advice on where to buy a sim card. I grabbed a taxi and headed to my resort. Well first impressions weren't great and I'm pretty sure that the bungalow they showed me was the one they use to try to entice people to pay more for something better. Tough, I took it. The fan doesn't oscelate and the bathroom needs some serious mould treatment but I can see the beach and it was the cheapest.

I went for a walk to the 7 Eleven to get the sim card and found that everything here is within really close walking distance. I like that, it makes life easier. I tried to call Nanna from the pay phone with my phone card that I bought in Phuket but it wouldn't work. It kept saying that the number was not in there system. I tried some others and none worked. It was supposed to be an international phone so not sure what was up there. Sorry Nanna, I am trying.

I put the sim card in the phone and thought I had set it properly. No, apparently not. I keep getting messages in Thai which pisses me off and can't seem to change it. I bought a recharge to try that, and it said that the system would be down for two hours. The messages kept coming so I turned the bloody thing off. Invasive bloody company's. I just wanted to use it the way I want and that it was made for. Not to be harrassed.

I found a place that sold DVD's and figured some good old shopping theropy would help. I snavelled eighteen more but not a couple I did want. A couple that was in the store with me said that once you chose your movies, give them to the store lady and she let you know if they were good or not. Apparently she has been spot on with them so far. I took their advise and walked out with all but those two she said weren't good. Wild Hogs was one of them so bummer.

I had gone into another store to look for another bag for the extra stuff I have accumulated already. It's actually souveniers I got for myself, but haven't come across a convienient Post Office yet. Anyway, the sales girls completely ignored me and concentrated on the girls looking at the clothes. Well that gave me time to really check out the quality of the bags and I walked out empty handed. The bag I liked had a bit of a shonky wheel and wouldn't pack down easily for when I didn't need it, so I left it. If a sales girl had been there with me, I probably would have gotten it. Their lose.

I really wanted it to rain. It was hot and muggy and I wasn't feeling the best about my shitty bungalow. It did. It poured down with lightening and thunder. Bloody fabulous. Just one hitch. This place has to make it's own power so every now and then it cut out and all went dark and the fan went off. Pretty amusing and I would have been pissed about it if I had paid for air con. The night started to get better.

As my bungalow does back directly up to the road, it was noisey but it didn't really bother me. The one bit that was fun to listen to was really late and had a Thai girl trying to hook herself. She said that could not do for free but only 150 Baht. A bloody steal really. Not sure what she looked like but at that price you would have thought someone would have taken it. No such luck for her. She was out there for ages. Eventually I noded back off.

I don't think I'll be staying here long. Initially it had a good vide and has many good things about it but I can't be bothered moving just for one night so will suck it up and make the best of it. There's always Koh Tao to look forward to and hope that it's better. I think I'll lay out a few more dollar this time and spoil myself a bit. Air con, give me air con!!!

6 May 2007

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