I'm back in Bangkok, safe and sound, still a little shaky maybe. The ride back from Ko Chang was truly miserable as the van had virtually no air conditioning, and with 11 people crammed in there we really needed it. Found it impossible to sleep, too.
So, to recap a bit, last week I met up with a Canadian, Jayden, who had just arrived in Bangkok and was up for anything. We decided to head out to Ko Samet to meet with andrew. We partied all night with a few thais we met, then woke up at a respectable hour to catch our 3pm minibus ride. found andrew had miraculously (or so I thought) caught the same bus, but I guess he had read my website. Together we rode to Ban Phe, the town where the boats to the island depart from. we arrived in the dark at the wharf around 7pm and found ourselves amidst a torrential downpour. the streets swelled and became rivers, and the ferry was delayed for almost an hour. Wet with most of our belongings damp, we set off and arrived very late on the other side. The three of us took a taxi to one of the main beaches and wandered about looking for a room. Unfortunately it was the weekend, and all the foreigners teaching in bangkok, and many thais on holiday, chose to come to ko samet a day earlier - all the bungalows were booked! We finally found a real dive for 400baht, one bed (queen mattress). we left our belongings here and ventured off to find a place to unwind a bit. The rain had subsided and it was fairly calm now. we found a great bar on the beach, full of people, hopping with great music, cheap buckets of drinks. Andrew had not slept much since his third class train ticket (not recommended, he might add) and I was still tired from staying up all night with the thais, so we left 'early' - around 3. Jayden apparently found his way back in te daylight.

The next day we found separate bungalows for a great price; many thais had apparently left while we were sleeping. The next day was nice, I think, and so we caught some sun on the gorgeous beaches. The water is so warm and relatively clear considering the rainfall from the previous night. We partied pretty hard the next four nights, despite the occasional torrential downpour - truly an incredible amount of water! Some days were poor, but remarkably many were great (its the rainy season here, as it would happen). Each morning I would have fresh fruit shakes and scrambled eggs, all while sitting on the whitest beach I've ever seen.
I met a tonne of people, both Thai and Western, and have collected information so that we might meet up down south, or somewhere else perhaps. Two thai girls from Bangkok became good friends with Jayden and I and we ate a huge variety of food that I might not have normally chosen.
Andrew left to go to bangkok and finish the measurements for his suit, and I had planned to meet him in the big city, but I became a bit distracted and stayed for one more day to take in the sun. The next day was also sunny, so I stayed one more... The next day I became very sick with something surely related to the food, and I spent much of the next 24hours regretting eating the foulness. The following morning we (the brits and the canadians) were supposed to go to Ko Chang, but I was in rough shape and decided to stay. Kindly Jayden stayed as well, while the brits pushed onward to the larger island to the east.
Happy for the days rest, Jayden and I set out the next day for Ko Chang with three Swedes we had become friends with. We arrived on the island, which was much more massive than Ko Samet and truly a rainforest, around 4pm. A 45minute pickup truck ride took us to the bungalow where Jamie and Steve were staying, and we checked in just as the sun was setting over the stunning blue water. The beaches here were not as good as at Ko samet, but the water was clearer and the coral on the beach told me that the marine life would be better as well. Unfortunately we were scheduled to leave the next morning, so we enjoyed the nightlife on Ko Chang, though I found it insuperior to the previous nights on Ko Samet. Go Go bars aplenty...
Today we took a 6 or 7 hour minivan ride to Bangkok, true misery! Eleven people crammed into a rigid van, and the air conditioning didn't work worth a damn! A few stops made it easier, but delayed our arrival.
Now I sit on Khao San again, a familiar place now, ponding my next move. The Brits met up with a friend of theirs arriving from the UK (hence the urgency of getting back to BKK today...), they promised a crazy night out on the town, but I feel like I need to take a bit of a break and get a good sleep. I think I will find a cheap flight or perhaps the sleeper train to the south tomorrow afternoon.
Andrew is down south on Ko Samui, and some Slovenian friends are on Ko Phi Phi... so many choices. My next entry will likely be from the south.
Until then....