Sunday, April 27, 2003

Back to Thailand

Up at 5:00AM, packed, had breakfast, checked out and paid, then headed to the CAltex gas station/StarMart convenience store, where the bus is supposed to pick us up at 7:00. It picks us up about 7:10, makes a few other stops, then heads out.

Really, really bad road, if it's not very broken pavement, we're driving on a rutted, bumpy dirt road. Along the way, we saw a bridge that had collapsed as a truck was crossing it! They had a crane there, trying to lift the big truck out of the ravine.

We arrived at the border about 2:00. Blistering hot. We had to carry our packs through the border control checkpoints. Upon entering Thailand, we had to fill out a SARS questionairre, and some girl stuck a thermometer in Court's ear.

After the border, we were going to get a tuk-tuk or taxi to the bus station, and catch a bus to Trat, then a ferry or boat to Koh Chang, but as we were walking, some guy approached us and asked us where we were going. He had 4 people wanting to go to Koh Chang, and there were 5 of us wanting to go, so with 9, he had a mini-bus to Koh Chang for only 350 baht each. More expensive than public buses, but much easier, not having to deal with getting to a bus station, swithcing buses at other station, getting tickets for the boat/ferry, so we decided to do it. We walked to the parking lot, and what do we see...an ATM!!! Yes! We withdrew money, then hit the convenience store and bought a fountain drink (first one I've had in months!), and by the time we got back to the the parking lot, two of the people going to Koh Chang had backed out, so it was now going to cost 500 baht each. Oh well.

Coming back to Thailand has been like coming back to civilization: bank machines everywhere, 7-11's, McDonalds, KFC's, awesome paved highways...so nice!!

The mini-bus left about 2:45, and the roads are soo nice here...better than Canadian highways (and that's no lie!)

We can't believe we're in Thailand again, it's very strange that we've travelled Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia over the last two months, and we're back in Thailand.

On the way to Koh Chang, we hit a really big thunderstorm.

I'm feeling better now, no more runs, but still get a few stomach pains, and am getting my appetite back.

We got to the pier area about 5:45, got ticket for the boat to Koh Chang, which leaves at 7:00. We had some supper, and Court bought a couple of shirts.

We took a songtheaw to the boat at 7:00, and boated to Koh Chang in the dark, about a 45 minute boat ride.

Once on the island, we took a songtheaw to Lonely Beach, of full-moon-party fame, and got dropped off at Tree House Bungalows. As we walked in, even in the dark, Tree House looked awesome. At the restaurant/check-in desk, lots of people, very busy, and we were informed they were full, so we had to hike back to the main road and found a cheap dive of a place for only 100 baht (little over $3CDN if exchange rates are similar to when we were here in January.

Went to bed about 9:00.

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