It's come to an end

But if you enjoyed what you read and you feel confident enough to hop continents with us.. well then, I have a treat for you;

www.blondewithblue.blogspot.com

Koh Chang and Bo's

Koh Chang is made up of several beaches - but apparently the best being one of the first 'white sands beach'. We have had Chang in our minds as the last stop as it is very close to Bangkok and comes recommended by our friends Sonya and Toby who stayed there last year at an establishment called Independent Bo's - a true bohemian paradise on the far side of the beach, hidden away from commercial development of the novelty bungalow empire.

For a mere 200Baht a night you can stay in this crazed complex of controlled chaos. It seems that you can paint the walls if you feel the need - and help with this ever lasting mural project that almost has a mind of it's own. It kind of reminds me of the movie 'cube'. Although cube is an insane thriller/horror with massive gory booby traps - the concept behind it was a place that was built by no one -- people were contacted in to do different jobs giving no ownership at the end.

There was one guy running it while we were there called Owen - he didn't seem to talk too much -just grunting and watching TV - but he had the coolest tattoos I had ever seen. All over his chest and back were leaping tigers attacking nipples, arms and rib cages.. a true devotion.

Independent Bo's

It is built up a jungle bank through twisting pathways of hand layed concrete steps, and bridges that are nailed any which way to ensure they hold tight. The rooms are simple - with a mosquito net to stop the ravaging beasts eating you (and you do need it), bed springs that attack your most vulnerable parts, and a simple bathroom with cold shower.
I think the special part is the front deck where you get to witness the raging ocean trying its best to suck independent Bo's down into the fathoms below. As the nights set, bats race about the trees racing in circles, and geckos begin their mad hunt for the prized moth.


We stayed a couple of nights here - enough to be thoroughly greasy and ready for a hot shower down in one of the bungalows I mocked earlier - come on, we're not that hardcore ;)

The beach itself is really interesting. Throughout our holiday we have had calm azure blue postcard like swimming oceans. This one is like a hardcore west coast beach with pounding waves and solid rips labeled with warning signs.. they even hire lifeguards around the wealthier resorts.

As the tide goes out the beach is littered with 1000's of baby crabs digging holes and creatingartwork with balls of sand. They were really interesting to watch as after they dug a hole they would come up and start landscaping their front garden by rolling little balls of sand and building baby barriers around their fortresses.. ok - I had a bit of time to study... maybe a bit too much time.

Proud in Pattaya

Standing proud in Pattaya ?
Well - I couldn't be more ironic. Apart from Koh Chang, Pattaya is one of the closest beaches to Bangkok - and about 50 years ago it became a favourite holiday destination for wealthy Thai and ex pats for their weekends and annual escapes. I'm not sure what happened.. maybe word spread back home from the ex pats that there were a couple of easy birds in Pattaya to be had. What you see now is a town designed for the 'pumping/pimping' sex industry. It is an insanely busy beach with streets surrounding it like a tight huddle. The population ratio on the streets goes something like this;

38% Russian and British males aged over 60 holding hands with 16 year old Thai girls.
50% Thai girls still looking for that perfect loaded wallet in bars, or openly sitting on the side of the road waiting for business.
10% Tourists couples who are utterly confused about their mistake of stopping over.. why.. why didn't they research it first they think.
2% Tourist girls by themselves hiding in their hotel room crying, rocking back and forward waiting for it all to be over.

At the same time it is utterly amazing - when darkness falls, the city lights up with enough fluorescent energy to compete with Las Vegas. There are whole streets devoted to lady bars. One I noted was called 'Boys Boys Boys lane'.. and inside are huge bars divided up into sections..I think it is really just one bar with different zones and different dressed/themed girls.

Enough! Slap your face - let's get back to something cultural eh?

We only have 24 hours here - and we needed to get around town to buy our ticket onward for the next day. Once sorted, we walked the slow way home through some streets that lead away from the beach. We happened upon a funeral for a monk at the temple here. It all looked pretty standard really, just a box on the temple forecourt and loads of people crowding around the coffin trying to take photos of the deceased (possibly to tag in facebook later ;)



Then something quite amazing happened - Some men leaned into the box and lifted the monk into the air on a piece of sacking (yep - wobbling about, he was there for all to see). They transferred him into a bigger box to be cremated in front of the awaiting crowd. We thought that was pretty crazy -and the smell of monk flesh was soon to emanate - perhaps we should move on - but NO - before lighting him up, they got a pair of scissors and cut the monks clothes off of him in small pieces and threw each one into the screaming waving hands before them. It was remarkably similar to that of throwing the bouquet at the single ladies at a wedding - you know how at that moment they seem to be in a fixated drugged state - and will use their animal survival instincts to retrieve their floral chance to be hitched themselves. Perhaps an inappropriate example - so lets' just say it's like the drummer at a good concert throwing the lucky stick into the boiling mosh before him. Still inappropriate?

The following morning we piled into a 12 seater van for a 300km journey to Trat - and then a ferry to Koh Chang for our last Island holiday in quite some time.Oh - by the way - in our van were 3 Russian men with 3 Thai girlfriends playing footsie for 4 hours. The rest were Pattaya escapees.. run for dem hills ladies (take the heels of first) !!!

MacroBugology

Well, not much to report as we wait in Samui until our departure tomorrow for Pattaya and then Koh Chang. I thought I would post some macro shots I have taken since the start ... some bugs and lizards. Enjoy.




This angle reminds me of a helicopter - The eyes are like a perfect glass windshield





This next specimen is really quite special. We were sitting at breakfast this morning when I first spotted her. I couldn't believe my luck as I grabbed the camera quickly!

It is the;

Extremely RARE

60 year old topless lady in the public pool shot.. yeow

Full moon partying on Phangan

Koh Phangan is an Island off Koh Samui - smaller in size but making up for it in its die hard attitude to supply a good party at every turn. Known for the Full Moon party - but really, that has just spawned offspring parties for almost every weekday;
Halfmoon, black moon, shiva moon, pre parties and post parties.. they make it work.

The first night we stayed at some bungalows called Pungjik. They were really nice and simple .. run by a couple of stoner Thais who charge enough just to get by. They had a couple of cute kittens that we adopted quickly. Unfortunately the bungalows were super loud being roadside, so the next morning we had to check out and find some replacements that were beachside.

Desh was really disppointed because we had to move from budget into a very luxurious bungalow situated beachfront by a swimming pool. If you know Desh you know she loves to rough it ;)

Obviously with parties like the fullmoon that attract up to 30,000 people for one night of mayhem, come the massive supply and demand for drugs. We weren't surprised to find out that there is a new chief of police and he is cracking down hard, which is possibly giving the party a limited lifespan. Two days beforehand we were pulled over on the scooter and searched for contraband.. if caught you will instantly go to jail and pay a fine of up to 50,000baht. The main supply line comes from Samui, and the chief managed to catch two boats on the day shipping over 'supplies'. Our bartender at the resort was there in 1992 and said that it was a much different story. . He could walk into a phamacy and buy drugs as a pick n mix >> dipping his hand into a giant jar and pulling out multi coloured vitamins for their mystery effects.

The night of the party was fantastic - we found a very strange roadside bar that was doing a free BBQ if you bought drinks. So we saddled up and became buddies with the Irish, Americans, Thai, Finnish and a random Italian that got really really drunk and only spoke in Italian. . telling random stories and then exploding with laughter. The drinks poured strong with 50/50 mixes Vodka to juice.. and with that we were ready for the party!
The party itself was something I will never forget - thousands of people taking up a small strip of sand going absolutely crazy. Hundreds of guys were using the sea as a toilet with hundreds of swimmers blissfully swimming in their waste.
I'm pretty sure I witnessed a girl die as medics pounded on her chest in a sorry effort to kick start her abused body.
As the hours ticked by the people got crazier and crazier, passing out where they had been dancing, and leaving the beach strip looking like the landing of Gallipoli with the wounded and dead scattered from the shoreline up.

Without a doubt the craziest party I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing - and this is low season - high season attracts 3x the crowd.

Spotted on Samui

As always our trip starts with an insane journey.. and I'm undecided whether you can avoid it if you have money or not??




It's a really long story that involves a 1 hour late pickup, 3 shuttle vans, 1 bus, 1 ferry, 2 frustrating Europeans and 11.5 hours when it was posted as 5 .. but hey, let's get onto the Island instead.

Samui is fantastic - another true Paradise.. once you get away from the rubbish tourist beach of Chaweng you can find many fantastic places to hang out, sunbathe, and plenty of great hotels with fantastic local dining.

We based ourselves at a beach called Cheong Mon. After 2 meetings with the hotel owner (they really love to play the businessman here) we got a great low season rate and a fantastic swimming pool.. metres from the beach. . I don't know why - but when you get a swimming pool it can seem more attractive than the sea. We flipped between them - some days hanging by the pool and some hanging under the umbrellas and swimming in the calm waters.

The pool which is sign written in case you forget where you are.

The beach front, metres from the pool.

I hired a jetski while we were here. What a buzz these wee toys are. The day was pretty rough and I got pretty hammered out there. The funny thing was, they said they'd wave a flag when they wanted me to come in. I must have missed it as they sent a jetski out to come and get me to come in. Desh said the guy on the beach was waving the flag at me for ages.. and sometimes it looked as though I was heading in, but then would bank a turn and burn back out.

Side Story - I must have a case of beach brain - as on one evening we were walking to dinner and while a girl was talking to me from a bar (they always try to hawk business) I walked square into a metal lamppost which rang out a dull noise upon impact. I suffer from loss of pride, internal bruising on my arm (luckily not the head) and lack of respect from Desh who immediately asked what I was on.. oh man.. embarrassing.

We rented a scooter and rode a 100kms around the Island which was an awesome way to see what Samui had to offer. A few beaches down there is a giant Buddha - called .. the big Buddha.. surprising title huh? It is on Big Buddha beach. It strangely resembles a theme park - but that is the Thai way to glam important stuff up.

Here is the big Buddha - can you see me under it?- I love scale like this - Their religion shows you how small you are compared to GOD.. whoever/whatever that is;

Another statue at the 'park' - imagine having all those arms ;)

While we had the scooter we found a fantastic beachfront called fishing village. It is mainly a strip of very elegant restaurants. While we ate, they had a fire poi entertain us, as well as a Thai cover band playing 70s hits - it rocked our boat.

Look closely at this next one - it is a beach resort/restaurant. All of those giant rocks with flowing waterfalls in the background are all fakes - with the naked eye it looks like a resort for the Flintstones - we really dug it.

A bit of bathing

Desh took this shot of a lonely flag on the beach - I love the isolation.

Cruising Krabi

We had just hopped off the Perhentian Islands of Malaysia knowing that it would be hard to repeat paradise. . so we were prepared for whatever.
We arrived by plane and caught a bus past the Krabi township to the beach Ao Nang. In typical backpacker style we didn't know where to stay and ended up with packs on in the sweltering heat trudging up and down the strip. We decided quickly on a bungalow, knowing it would just be for the night. All afternoon and evening we strolled from one side of the strip to the other door knocking on every decent looking hotel. The best part about the low season are low season rates - and all hotels have them when they are pushed. We finally settled on a new resort called the whitesand - for 800baht which is really cheap for a decent place, we got ourselves a finely kitted joint with a rooftop pool to boot, and a view of the beach with the incredible rock that borders the town.

Do you get this shot below?
The image is actually flipped - a reflection from the pool. You can see the chairs in the above image.

The town itself is busy and bustling with the Thailand we knew from our last visit to Phuket 3 years ago - tailors, jewellery, restaurants and clothing vendors.

The Beach isn't bad - not really a swimming zone - but more a get a beer and people watch kind of scenario. When tide is out it is busy with the lcoals collecting shell fish and digging for crabs.

On the last day in Krabi we were walking down the beach when a Thai girl approached us about getting a massage.. well damn.. we haven't done that yet >> and if you go to Thailand, the massage is a must do activity.

Desh decided to go for a manicure instead - but we both ticked up the initial foot scrub. Are you ticklish? We are - and man, what a thing to do for 30 minutes when it feels like someone has a feather in their hand and is intending to torture. To tell the truth, somewhere in my 20s I've lost the ticklish foot nerves - but I got a lot of satisfaction watching the tears rolling down Desh's cheeks.

Getting the Thai massage is something incredible - these people literally climb aboard you with their muscular boney frames and prod every part of your body until it is internally bruised and ready to be dragged back to the hotel. In fact - the police should let go of the old phone book beatings - and hire Thai Masseuses to extort information instead.
The part that had me laughing and crying was the legs. Have you ever seen someone enjoying a chicken drumstick so much that they refuse to let go until every piece of meat had been sucked off? That's just what my massage was like - 20 minutes on each leg picking/digging between the muscle and bone until I was convinced one more horse bite could finish me off.

Once last note - I snapped these chefs at the beach in their uniforms fishing.. I guess what you buy for dinner is fresh after all.