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Hello to all, this is my first blog entry so here goes……

Following the regatta Mike, Noah and I made our way down to Koh Chang via a very expensive taxi. In many ways this happened by accident; while we knew that we wanted to leave Pattaya and head south to Trat, we didn’t really have a clear plan for how to go about doing that when we were set to go on Sunday morning. Eventually we decided that the bus would be our best option and, through a few confused conversations with bahtbus drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers, we found our way to the appropriate bus stop; unfortunately we were 15 minutes too late for the only bus for the next 6 hours. It was not long, however, before the man that appeared to be managing the bus stop proposed the alternative option that he would drive us to Trat for 4000Baht and that the 3 ½ hour trip would be far more comfortable than the bus ride that would have taken 8 to 10 hours. Not liking the sounds of the long wait for the next bus and then the long bus ride we agreed to the offer and jumped in the back of his bahtbus to drive back to his place to get his vehicle. Seeing his house was quite interesting as it was the first Thai person’s place we had been to; it was simple but pleasant, with stone floors and a small garden. The three of us got in the back seat, the driver’s wife in the front, and off we went. At one point in the drive we came to a road block with uniformed army personal, as we slowed the driver opened the window, exchanged a few words with one of the men and then handed him a dozen M-150 and we were waved through. M-150 are a drink available in most of the convenience store we have been and Noah had been expressing his wonder as to what exactly they were for days, being too afraid to try one because of their medicinal appearance. Following the exchange with the army man, we really began to wonder. We later learned the block was an old border patrol zone between Thailand and Cambodia that has never been removed because it makes money for the army and that M-150 are energy drinks very similar to Red Bull. From the port near Trat we took a ferry to Koh Chang where we spent a night in a highly over crowded bungalow resort then caught another ferry in the morning to the smaller island, Koh Wai, where we have spent the last 3 days.

Koh Wai has only 4 small bungalow resorts on it and no roads. From what we gather the island is deserted during the rainy season save maybe a few rubber tappers who stay on the other side of the island, though they may leave too. On our first day we rented snorkels and explored the coral reefs off the beach where our bungalow is. Or second day we walked around the island, past the rubber tappers huts, and to the other resorts. It turns out we are staying at what is by far the nicest on the island, run by individuals who put a lot of care into keeping the area free of garbage and junk. We spent today watching the boatloads of Russian day-trippers from Koh Chang come and go, snorkelling in waist deep water wearing their life jackets. We spent this evening discussing global politics, the seemingly more and more depressing social policies of our society, and the environmental garbage hole the earth seems to be headed towards and decided to end the evening with a plate of banana fritters, as has been the tradition over our three days spent at paradise beach on Koh Wai. It is at this point that we realised that over the last three days the concern of most direct influence on our personal well being has been whether or not Noah has already fingered that particular fritter and whether they are cool enough to eat without burning our gums (seriously uncomfortable). At this time it has also been brought to my attention that there have been some comments of recent as to our blog entries, or rather lack thereof, and I feel compelled to inform you all that our time at Koh Wai has been without internet and with electricity only in the evening, so, clearly, we have been roughing it and you should all be feeling sorry for us rather than making impossible demands of us.

Joke aside, tomorrow we are heading back to Trat with the plan to spend a night at the night markets there and then to head north to Chang Mai.

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