Journey South to the Islands of Koh Samui & Koh Phangan

Support group and loved ones!

It has been a crazy couple of days since I last wrote! I keep finding myself writing emails to you all in my head several times throughout the day, but I haven't had the time or internet means to do so- which means I have a lot to tell you :)

Lebanese dinner with new friends

Tuk-Tuk ride to our train

Train Station

So jealous of their sleep.

Our provided breakfast: A roll, a cake, and instant coffee.... 

The friends I met in Bangkok ended up being exactly the people I needed to meet. The day after I met them, we all purchased tickets on an overnight train together to get to our ultimate destination which is an island in the southern part of Thailand called Koh Samui. Koh Samui is neighbors with an island called Koh Phangan, which is where I wanted to spend two weeks doing volunteer work at a yoga and wellness center. The journey, which was supposed to be a train, a shuttle to the ferry, and the ferry ride to the island, ended up being quite a stretch. Very, very, very long story short, after a cockroachy and horribly uncomfortable train ride, we took a bus, to another bus, to the ferry, to a taxi, and finally got to the hotel. This hotel wasn't mine, and I hadn't planned on staying with my new friends, but they insisted that I stay. Little did I know that the hotel they booked was actually a private villa,  and had rooftop pool overlooking the top of the jungle, not to mention many other incredibly lavish qualities that I was not expecting to have at any point in my trip to Thailand.

The Villa

Enjoying our pool

Big Buddha in the distance

Birds of Paradise

 We had a great time and went into town the first night there and found some food. OH the food. The food I have eaten with these people has been nothing short of amazing, as well as cheap. The night before we left for the train, we went out for Lebanese food and it was nothing short of wonderful. I stayed the night at their villa, and the next day (aka today) I woke up and- I am very proud to say- arranged my own transportation to the island of Koh Phangan. In the two days I spent with these guys, I have really gotten a good idea of how to get around here. Much less scary than I thought. 

Around noon, I said goodbye to my new friends (they were staying on that island for the rest of their vacation) and took my taxi to the ferry. A word about these islands- they are absolutely beautiful. The water is the most amazing color of teal, all the way into the ocean. It just keeps being that color. The humidity, which really isn't too bad with the breeze, is killing my hair. Meanwhile, the rest of the world around me continues with their silky-haired selves....ANYWAY.

It was really nice being around those friends so that I didn't have to endure my first week completely alone like I had planned. It is nice, however, to be on my own again. They were very much on vacation, and I am not so much on a vacation. They were ready to spend money and kick back with drinks like people who are on vacation should. I am here for completely different reasons.

When I boarded the ferry it was the first time I was on my own again since I got here. So, I did what I haven't done since I got here, and put on a song that makes me feel teary (we all know those songs, right?) and had myself a good cry. It felt good. I let my heart miss the people I left a week ago and sobbed openly on the boat. 

I pulled myself together before we reached the dock and got ready to get back to my solo adventure. Feeling a little lighter, I stepped onto the island and found myself a 100 baht ($3) taxi to my hostel.

The thing I am really loving about Thailand is that everything can be planned the night before, if not the day of. This morning I was at the villa with my friends with no idea how I was going to get to Koh Phangan, and before 11am I had arranged my taxi, ferry, and booked my hotel that morning. Wonderful.

Boarding my ferry to Koh Phangan

My hotel really is a great little place. It's beachfront, has a pool, restaurant, and my own little hut with a mosquito net, all for around 500 baht. (15 bucks) I put my stuff in my room and decided to walk 5 mins into town to do a little shopping. I am a little mad at myself still for packing so much, mostly because stuff here is cheap and I don't really feel comfortable in most of what I brought. So today I snagged some cute plastic sandals, a skirt, a tank top, and a dress. All for about 25$. I also wandered deeper into town and got more chicken on a stick (so much better this time!!) and snapped some pictures. I wandered back to the hotel, dipped my toes in the ocean, and sat down at the hotel restaurant for a coconut shake (Btw Ev, I owe you big time for tipping me off on the shakes here- the fresh coconut one I had this morning was delicious, and was also served in a coconut- as if I couldn't enjoy it any more.) Shakes are not what you think- no ice cream here, just fresh fruit, ice, and maybe coconut milk blended together. I also got some papaya salad that was really great but super spicy. I think my tolerance is getting better already though, cause I ate the whole damn thing without a problem. 

Bugggggs

My hotel's view. 

I always wondered where pomegranates came from.

This place is littered with kitties- my heaven.

My hut

Papaya salad

The streets and markets of  Koh Phangan

So here I am, it's about 10pm, and tomorrow I will be going to the retreat center to sign up for my volunteering. I will be working for the center doing things like gardening and cooking in exchange for free accommodation, 2 meals a day, and free yoga and meditation time. I hope to spend two weeks here doing that and then need to make my way back to Bangkok to apply for a tourist visa before eventually making my way to Northern Thailand's Chang Mai. That is the part of the country where I would like to end up teaching so I want to check it out.

While in Bangkok I took an afternoon to read The Alchemist. If you haven't read it, it's about following your own personal life path. It talks about the importance of not ignoring your path, and to trust in the direction that live points you it. I have only been here 6 days, but I feel like I have been here for weeks. The part of this whole thing that made me the most scared is the fear that I am not capable of doing it. I no longer have the knot in my stomach that I carried my first 4 days here, and I am feeling strong and very much willing to take what I need from this trip.

Love you all- H