On to the Andaman Sea

I am glad I had a taste of the beach – I love the beach. I could have spent a month on the beach! A beach isn’t just a beach that could be anywhere – different beaches really do have different characters. That’s what travel is all about! So, as I stare at the surf of the Atlantic from the South Fork of Long Island (which ranks right up there with great beaches of the world, if you ask me), I can reminisce about my last morning on Ko Samui, where I went for a walk along the beach and then for a swim, and then I spent more time in the hammock until it was time to go. It was hard to leave – I really liked the feel of it and of the Free House. It would have been nice to get around a little more, maybe circumnavigate the whole island – but it didn’t even occur to me to think about renting a car or other motorized vehicle. I may have foregone Peace Corps budget travel, but was still adhering to that Peace Corps rule! Then again, had I stayed longer, I might have just spent more time staying where I was!

Good thing I was going to another beach! And good thing I was flying rather than spending another travel day crossing the peninsula – Thailand looks skinny but I know it would have taken a while. As a bonus, I was able to spend some time at Bangkok Air’s Ko Samui boutique airport. It had some nice shops; I still hadn’t done a lot of shopping. If I’d have known, I might have left for the airport earlier!



It was a short flight to Krabi – I am glad I decided to get a taste of both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. I then took a shuttle bus to the Krabi bus station, where I bought a ticket for the overnight bus for Thursday night – that had been part of the original plan and there really wasn’t a reason to change it. Then I took a taxi to the pier, where I waited for a while for a longtail boat to Railay (there’s no schedule – they just leave when there are enough people) – not an island but a part of Krabi that is accessible only by boat, and one that Lonely Planet gave high marks to and Rough Guide said had the nicest beaches in the area. While I waited, I made a friend.




Again, off-the-beaten-track, though well-known for climbing. Still, not a lot of development – a few hotels and restaurants and shops, but quiet. It was a short walk across the neck from East Railay, where the boat dropped me off, to West Railay, where the nicer beaches and hotels are. And the beach was stunning – a quiet cove framed by tall limestone outcrops. I stayed in a resort that I’m sure the books would say is popular with families – that is, it was populated with families! Ko Samui had that island vibe, but Railay had it beat in the scenery department – I took pictures with my cell phone and sent them to family and friends back home. Breathtaking. I took a walk along the soft sandy beach, went in the calm, clear water, watched the setting sun, had dinner by the water, did a quick internet check (the more off-the-beaten-track you get, the more expensive it is – I let everything that could wait until I got back to Bangkok wait!) and then had a Thai massage.

Ko Samui - Island Exploration

I stayed on Bo Phut Beach in Ko Samui – a quiet beach with some hotels and restaurants and not a lot of people on the beach – and from there took a half-day excursion so I could see other parts of the island (for longer stays, a full-day excursion to a marine national park would be cool – sea kayaking or hiking –but I always think of my trips as scouting trips, where I get a feel for a place and then make a mental list of things to do when I return. In Hawaii, I actually had a chance to do those Next Things on the List. Will I get back to Thailand? To Ko Samui? I feel better thinking that I will than that I won’t – though there are so many other places in the world to see (and, realizing that being there gave me pangs for St. Maarten, maybe I need to go back to St. Maarten sooner rather than later!). Well, you never know (my philosophy of life – after Joaquin Andujar said, “I can sum up baseball for you in two words – you never know.”).

The half-day trip really took most of the day but it was fun; I especially enjoyed talking with the other people who came along. Highlights included:
A Big Buddha:

A temple with a gold Buddha:

A viewpoint:

Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks, that look like (well, maybe you can see for yourself what they look like; this is a G-rated blog):


A monkey show and coconut juice:


A mummified monk:

I got blessed by a live monk at the temple where the mummified monk is – he sprinkled me with water and then tied strings around my wrists. You’re supposed to wear them until they fall off – or for at least three days. I am still wearing one of them – the other experienced gone unfortunate proximity to orange juice, but fortunately it was after the three-day period.

A hike to a waterfall in the interior:

And Chaweng, the hub of activity – lots of stores and restaurants (no pictures; we drove through but did not stop). I am glad I had a chance to see it and glad for my choice to stay in Free House on Bo Phut beach!


I had the van drop me off at Fisherman’s Village, which had shops and restaurants. I had been waiting since my arrival in Thailand to buy some fisherman’s pants (a fellow PCT in Morocco had some); I also had lunch at an Italian restaurant by the water (hadn’t had Italian for a while) and walked back along the beach. I spent the rest of the afternoon by the beach and/or in the hammock, content.

Ko Samui - Island Destination

I had decided early on not to stay in the Lonely Planet low-budget places. The medium-budget ones were still inexpensive enough – but, no longer a PCV, I decided to forego shared bathrooms and to spring for air conditioning. The place I chose in Ko Samui was called Free House Bungalow and it was wonderful. When I arrived after my all-day travel day, I had a BLT, onion rings and carrot juice – weird combination, I know, and not very Thai, but it has been a while for all of the above! Right by a quiet beach, each bungalow had its own hammock – I spent my evenings there in the hammock, reading. The Free House’s restaurant was good, and there was internet on site, so I could make my next plans. What more did I need?


Softly swaying in the hammock, it occurred to me that I felt really happy. Maybe the happiest I have ever been. There I was by the beach, in a peaceful part of the world, in no particular rush to get home, and not at all worried about what I was going to do when I got there. When I was in the dunes of the Sahara I realized I am almost never in the moment – I am always reviewing or planning ahead – and there I was truly able to let all of that go. I felt in the moment in Ko Samui as well – and in Southeast Asia in general. Maybe it was the Buddhist culture. Maybe it was where I was in my life. Or maybe it was the water. Or maybe it’s the whole region. I did find myself wondering how and how soon I could get to back – and maybe that is why the Universe is sending me back there.


Ko Samui might be the next Phuket – I chose not to go to Phuket in favor of more off-the-beaten-track places, so I can’t really compare. Not that Ko Samui is roughing it by any means (the island where the Canadian guy went, for a five-month yoga retreat, is slightly more off-the-track – and is known for its all-night full moon parties – so maybe all of Thailand has been discovered already); it was first developed as a budget traveler’s paradise but now runs the gamut from budget to luxury. It’s been a while since I’ve had an island vacation, and I thought about St. Maarten and all of my trips there. There’s plenty to do there for a week – see different beaches, try various restaurants, visit little towns each with its own character, venture into the interior. Ko Samui was just like that – next time could I go for a week?

East End Action

We interrupt this travel narrative to discuss some recent activities on the East End of Long Island. I like it here – I could see myself living here. Though it doesn’t seem to be the best place for a single person – maybe I can live here at some other stage of life. And after seeing all the work that goes into this house, I don’t know if I can ever own a house by myself. When I was in Morocco I had this fantasy of liking it here and finding a tiny cottage for myself and being a writer. Well, the tiny cottage may be a little condo – or a rental! It’s fun to look (from the outside) at the houses for sale as I ride my bike around the village and environs. There are some very nice houses out here! In addition to having a wonderful beach, there’s good energy here. And it’s close enough to New York that I could get a dose of the big city when I need to. This is St. Andrews Dune Church, one of my favorite buildings to ride past:


I love having a library card – I ordered a couple of just-released mystery books and I am impressed with all the programs they have, though I haven’t been to any yet. I think I will offer to give my Peace Corps Third Goal presentation after I debut it for the Princeton Club of Chicago next week. And last week I made my way over to Tate’s Bake Shop, known for its cookies, where I discovered delicious peanut butter squares. Now that the weather is nicer, I ride into town more and walk up and down the shopping streets – mostly just window-shopping but it’s still fun. I discovered a nature path just off the road between the house and the village. And I’ve been walking on the beach more.


Southampton also has two museums within walking distance, and I went there Friday a couple of weeks ago. The Parrish Art Museum had an exhibit of art by East End artists, and the Southampton Historical Society has antique furnishings and is located in the home of a former whaling captain.



This weekend I ventured farther afield. Saturday I went (with the caretaker here, his girlfriend, and a friend from out of town) to LongHouse Reserve, a gallery/sculpture garden/arboretum in East Hampton. In addition to being a beautiful place, it has an interesting mission and has interesting programs. Read more about it at http://www.longhouse.org/index.ihtml. In the small world department, founder Jack Larsen is a textile designer and recently accompanied a LongHouse Reserve trip to Southeast Asia, including the Jim Thompson house. Here are just a few views from Saturday….






Yesterday, I went to the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum – yes, there’s a Native American reservation within biking distance! A slice of the rich history of the region (and quite a contrast from the LongHouse).

Of course, were I to live here I would need a car. It was nice to be driven out to East Hampton – through Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, downtown East Hampton, and Springs. When I thought I would be here indefinitely I thought I might rent a car and drive to Montauk and Shelter Island – both have been on my list for a long time – and to Sag Harbor (there, I have been once, but I think I have to go through it anyway to get to Shelter Island) and also the North Fork. There are many other East End places to discover. Now that I am a short-termer, those may wait until I get back, but they are still places I would like to visit!

Travel Day - All Day

Sunday, December 14, was my day to experience Thailand budget travel and compare it to Moroccan budget travel. Note that I say my day, as opposed to my first day, or one of many days – but I get ahead of myself. Come along and experience it with me from the comfort of your computer chair.

After another breakfast of fried pineapple and banana and some final moments on my Jungle Hut balcony, a van picked me up at 9 am for the five-hour trip to Ko Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. That is, when I booked it, the excursions banner said leave 9 am, arrive Ko Samui 1 pm. I arrived in Surat Thani – the town of transfers – and waited. I read parts of my travel books. I had some yummy fried rice. I read an entire magazine. I did crossword puzzles. People dribbled in in other vans, from various locations. So Surat Thani is not only a transfer point but a consolidation point. We then were loaded into a songatheuw – the moral equivalent of a grand taxi. This is a pickup truck with long benches down both sides of the back, fitting as many people as possible (and their luggage – or should I say backpacks?).



We were driven to the center of town, where unloaded, waited, reloaded, and were driven somewhere else. I had a Magnum bar and waited, talking with some folks, including a nice (and cute) Canadian man who, alas, was headed to a different island. We then got onto a bus that was already about half-full and with our group was full. The bus ride took about an hour – I napped – and we got to the ferry at about 3 pm for the 3:30 ferry. The ferry ride was nice – I sat outside and looked at other boats and islands in the gulf (alas – the Canadian man stayed inside to watch “Don’t Mess with the Zohan”). I finally got to Ko Samui in time to see a lovely sunset – could have waited for some public transportation but found a taxi instead, so I could get to my destination before it got too dark. So – my five-hour trip took from 9 am until 6 pm. It wasn’t bad, really – it was an adventure – but one of the first things I did was get on the internet and book a plane to get from Ko Samui to my next stop – I wasn’t in a rush per se, but I didn’t want to spend another day getting from here to there. This was my beach time!



Again, not the most picturesque blog post so here are some more images:
Typical picture of the King:



Floating market (or rather, a picture of a poster of the floating market) – iconic, but I didn’t get there:

More of the Jungle

I had a couple of informal guidelines for the trip – no stays of only one night, so that I could have at least a full day wherever I was going, and no all-day excursions – I didn’t want to plop my stuff down and be gone all day. In Khao Sok, the most popular excursion, to a nearby lake surrounded by beautiful karst mountains, followed by caving, is an all-day one, but I opted to stay closer to where I was. Next time! I wanted to go on a hike to see the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia, found only in Khao Sok and an adjacent wildlife sanctuary (though it has cousins in Malaysia and Indonesia). This plant has no roots or leaves of its own; it lives parasitically. It forms a football-like pod and when it blooms, the 80-cm flower gives off a potent stench to attract pollinators. The hotel guys called around – no flowers in bloom. So no hike to see them. The picture is of a display in the visitor center – so at least I know what one looks like.



I could have taken a guided hike, but decided to stick to the paths on the park map. I had bought ice cream just outside the park boundary the day before (a single Magnum, not a double Magnum, but still, a Magnum), and the operator there said nobody had ever gotten lost following the main trails. So no guided hike. I fortified myself with fried pineapple and banana for breakfast and resolved to have that again. In the park, I saw lots of plants and trees along the river and a couple of waterfalls; I didn’t see any wildlife (which is supposed to be amazing there) but it was nice to go at my own pace. Back for a green curry lunch, I talked with the children of the owners – they didn’t know much English but they did know, “one more,” and they kept asking me to take one more picture. Then I sat on my treehouse balcony for a while, enjoying the sounds of the river and the view of the mountains. Then I went tubing – I had been told the river was a bit low, but I saw plenty of other tubers (people in tubes, that is, not potatoes of any sort) float by, and it looked like fun.



Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring my camera (the pictures in this entry are from my hikes), but picture a quiet river, with lush green banks – at times steep, at times lined with banana or rubber trees, at times with overhanging trees. I had a guide with me, who pushed or dragged me along when the river got slow, but more of the time we floated together and he pointed things out – different trees, a troop of monkeys (more macaques! Longtails, these), a snake (I didn’t see the one he was pointing at – that’s okay). That was one of my favorite excursions (hm – when I think about it, many of my favorite activities were water-based. I guess that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise; I’ve always liked those things!). I could have gone on a night wildlife hike but decided (in part because the book warned of leeches and I didn’t have closed-toe shoes – it was dry season so they told me there weren’t as many, but why press my luck?) to have a Thai massage instead (this one with oil, for something different) – a massage every few days turned into another informal guideline!

Into The Jungle

The train arrived at Surat Thani – which looked like a place where you get off the train and get on to a bus to keep going on to somewhere else – and touts were herding sleepy travelers in different directions. I was one of few going in my chosen direction, to Khao Sok National Park, but I chose to trust the touts and go with them – first the bus was going to come in a couple of hours, and then it was going to come in a few minutes, and then it was going to leave from here, and then I was rushed over there. Once I got on the bus I felt better – and had new appreciation for my mastery of the system in Morocco. I reminded myself that Edie’s brother Andrew said Thailand was easy for women traveling alone – and Linda had said it was easy too. I guess that wasn’t hard – just momentarily stressful. The countryside flew by, getting more picturesque as we approached the national park – lots of trees, some mountains – and then I was dropped off. I had a hotel name, but there was a man who met the bus with a handmade sign and a friendly manner (and a promise to bring me elsewhere if I didn’t like his place) – so I went with him, on to Khao Sok Jungle Huts. I had an individual hut by the river, with a steep staircase (glad I left the big green suitcase behind!). By this time the light snack I had had on the train had worn off, so I had a second breakfast at the family-run dining hut – a shoes-off area, as are most Thai homes.


Next, I went on an elephant trek – I didn’t know then that I could have done this at several other destinations in Thailand; it made sense to me that elephants would be in the jungle. Elephants used to be an important part of the logging industry but now there’s no more logging – the elephants can’t go back to the wild so often they and their mahouts (a trainer/handler/caretaker – each elephant has its own person) go into the tourist industry. It is extremely cool going through the jungle atop an elephant. When I returned, I walked along the road from the Jungle Huts to the park entrance, noting restaurants and other trekking options, found an internet café (being whisked away was all well and good and I was happy with where I ended up, but now I wanted confirmed reservations for the rest of the week), took a shower and had lunch. Then I went into the national park for a short but steep rainforest hike. Per Lonely Planet, the Khao Sok rainforest is a remnant of a 160-million-year-old forest ecosystem that is much older and richer than the forests of the Amazon and central African regions. Then it was back to the Jungle Huts for dinner – the food was great, and it was really dark out there, so why go elsewhere? It occurred to me that the mosquito nets in the rooms were more than decorative – right by the river, in the jungle and all – but if there were any mosquitoes, they stayed on their side of the net. I had had to jettison my white noise machine in Rabat, but for the most part I slept well on this trip – fans and/or air conditioning made a noise that I found soothing (and of course made the air more comfortable as well).