when the rain comes, they run and hide their heads
first off, sorry folks for all of the profanity in the previous post. i sometimes wonder how it is that i can be so moronic and vented at you, dear readers. for this, i sincerely apologize.
so anyway, samui wasn’t a total loss. i got some business done there and had a sweet beach front bungalow in a place called Shangrilah. you can’t really go wrong with that. things dramatically changed, however, as i was awakened by TERRIBLE thunder and rain storms at about 4am. this hard rain continued throughout the morning and i feared that my 8am ferry back to koh tao was going to be a treacherous ride. as it turns out, the vessel was big enough and the seas calm enough that i was able to catch a few winks onboard without issue. those of you who know me well should know that i am not prone to any type of motion sickness, and so despite the lurching of the ferry i did not feel the effects whatsoever nor have any need for the free barf bags that were passed out by the crew (WTA folks, take note of this kind gesture). i still carry motion sickness pills just in case, but have yet to need to take any.
the outbound ferry to Samui took 3 1/2 hours, stopping briefly on Koh Phangan. i nearly missed the second leg as i had to change boats and got a bit of mixed information from various sources on where my boat was that would take me the rest of the way. fortunately, when someone finally figured out that i, standing alone on the pier watching the boat pull away, should actually be on THAT boat, they pulled her back in so i could board in a fairly dangerous fashion straight onto the fore deck with no aid of gangway, plank or similar. the price was about $7 for the trip. the return trip took about 2 hours and cost nearly twice that, also stopping on Koh Phangan briefly to let passengers off there and also pick up other passengers and cargo destined for Koh Tao. although the weather was uncooperative the entire way, the sea between Phangan and Koh Tao was significantly calmer and i slept nearly the whole way, only waking on arrival.
upon arrival i was able to secure a taxi boat (Thai longboat) to my bungalows and arrived there to find all of my new pals chilling out in the common areas chatting and having drinks. i joined them for a bit and then the rains really began to pummel us. the storm brought high waves up onto our beach and rocks and the winds blew palm fronds all around. everyone sought shelter in the nearby restaurant for the evening until the storm let up. when it did not, much, and was getting late, i decided it was time to retire for the night. also, the beginnings of a chest cold were upon me and rest was needed desperately.
the following morning saw the sun shine brightly and Pong and Pa (my hosts at Moondance) and their burmese employees replacing sand and big stones on the beach to secure the area for future rain storms. Pong says that typically if it rains shortly after the moon changes (the full moon was last sunday) it is practically guaranteed that the rains will continue for a week or two more.
that morning also saw new life in the bungalow next door to me in the form of four very tiny brand new kittens. it seems one of the jungle kitties had recently given birth to her offspring and the winds and rain were so severe that rather than leave them exposed to the elements in some spot nearby, she opted to sneak in to the bungalow between the wall and thatch and planted them one by one on a pile of towels that the human occupant had left lying in a small area behind his bed.
this morning’s discovery made my heart thump with the promise of new beginnings and to put my dealings with bad karma behind me (at least i still have the iPod). because of these four little furry buddies i am again back on track and smiling despite the bad weather and diss stoopid cobe idd by doze.
next thursday is my birthday. i am planning to spend it here amongst my new friends here, those who will remain that long that is, and hope that the weather is good and i can breathe freely, drink copiously and set off a boatload of awesome fireworks on the beach! it just so happens that i share a birthday with a little girl here who will be turning 3. she and i are going to TEAR IT UP!
then on the 2nd, if the hangover is not too severe, i shall at last depart my small island idyll for the jungles of borneo. if my time is too short for that trip before i must return to bangkok on the 12th, i may have to skip malaysia altogether and head straight to bali and the gillies islands and the wonderful dive scene in indonesia that i’ve heard so much about.
Tags: 1, Thailand
karen_shelver
well, I have caught up with your whole blog, and am loving it. Its a great, GREAT work distraction, and am having a great time living vicariously through your adventures. The gilies kick arse by the way, dont miss them (at least they did 8 years ago!).
Again great work on your blog, and you have readers in CT, USA following your trip!