Day 156 – Bangkok, Thailand – 12:02 PM

My intended schedule after departing Koh Phi Phi was four days in Krabie followed by three days in Bangkok before departing for India. A fellow backpacker I met in Chiang Mai recommended Krabie. She told me there were a number of beautiful landscapes in the surrounding area. A multitude of hikes, beaches and rock climbing routes awaited visitors.

However, my plan changed when I mentioned it to Lisa, my dive instructor. She disagreed with a four-day visit to Krabie.  She informed me there was not much to do or see around Krabie. She suggested I travel to Ko Lanta for a couple of days and then continue on to Krabie.  She claimed the beaches on Ko Lanta were more beautiful than those in Krabie.  Unlike Koh Phi Phi, Ko Lanta is much larger and thus does not feel as congested with westerners.  I realized the chances of sinking my toes into a beach in India were slim so I decided to take advantage of potential beach time during my last week in Thailand. I exchanged my ticket to Krabie for a ticket to Ko Lanta.

Last Friday, the day before I departed Phi Phi, I reserved a bed in a four-person room at Lemonade Boutique Inn on the west side of Ko Lanta.  According to reviews, Lemonade was clean, staffed by friendly locals and did not fall within the “party” hostel category that I have tried to avoid during my travels.  Saturday morning arrived; I finished packing my bags and wished my hostel mates from Canada safe travels.  I walked to the nearby pier and looked for the ferry to Ko Lanta.  I walked along the weathered wooden boards and thought back to the previous two days. I traversed those same planks with a weight belt and regulator in my hands and nervous excitement in my head.  My certification dives were now behind me and I had a new island to discover.

I located the ferry and climbed aboard.  I handed my ticket to a crewmember and descended a flight of stairs into a large, air-conditioned room.  A center aisle divided the seating area in half. Rows of four leather seats fell on each side.  I walked to the front, added my large backpack to the growing pile and sank into a seat.  Eventually the engines started and we pulled away from Koh Phi Phi. We were less than ten minutes from the pier when my eyes grew heavy and my head started to roll. I quickly fell into a slumber that lasted nearly the entire journey.

I awoke to the raised voice of a crewmember walking the center aisle announcing that we were arriving in Ko Lanta. I thought the trip was considerably longer and was shocked when I heard his message. I yawned, stretched and prepared to grab my bags and head ashore. With my hostel already booked, all I needed to do once on land was find a mode of transport. The ferry approached the pier and crewmembers tossed lines to staff on land. Once secured, passengers began to disembark. I gathered my belongings and crossed the gangway to Ko Lanta. I paid the $.25 USD entry fee that supposedly aids in the collection of trash throughout the island and approached the waiting tuk tuks. A female smiled at me and raised her hand. I noticed her sitting at the wheel as I advanced. She asked the name of my destination and I told her. She knew the location of Lemonade Boutique Inn and offered to drive me for less than $3.00 USD. I accepted and climbed in the back of her tuk tuk. As we motored out of the parking lot and onto the main thoroughfare I realized this was the first time I rode in a tuk tuk driven by a female.

As we progressed, the size of Ko Lanta in relation to Koh Phi Phi was quite noticeable. Lisa was correct, Ko Lanta felt considerably larger than Ko Phi Phi and thus tourists and backpackers did not seem as condensed. On Koh Phi Phi, it was tough to walk the main street without bumping shoulders with someone. However, as we drove south from the pier I saw hardly a soul meandering along the sidewalk. I later learned that Ko Lanta covers 131 square miles with a population just north of 30,000. Koh Phi Phi on the other hand encompasses less than 5 square miles and is home to 2,500 residents. As a result, there are almost twice as many people per square mile on Koh Phi Phi as opposed to Ko Lanta.

A short while later, my driver pulled up alongside my accommodation. I handed over the fee in Thai Baht and threw her a wave as she drove away. I walked onto the outdoor patio of Lemonade Boutique and stepped out of my shoes. I proceeded to the reception desk and provided the staff member my name. She made a photocopy of my passport information and I handed her the amount quoted for a two-night stay. She returned my passport and handed me a key. She then turned and retrieved a glass of cold lemonade from a nearby container. The sweet taste quenched my thirst and I handed her an empty glass soon after. She smiled and walked me to my room.

She led me through a glass door. Before me sat four beds and four large lockers off to my right. She pointed out two vacant beds and let me choose which I preferred to call home for a couple of days. I placed my bag on the bed closest to the wall and she smiled and departed. As I sat down I noticed the minimal amount of space between each bed. I also observed sheets that hung from the ceiling and could be pulled around each bed to provide an amount of privacy. They looked exactly like something you would see in a hospital room. I sat back on my bed contemplating my plan for Ko Lanta. There were numerous beaches that lined the west side of the island and a motorbike would make it easy to get around.

All these options ran through my head as the glass door opened a short while later and the receptionist appeared once again with my fourth roommate. She smiled, stuck out her hand and introduced herself. She hailed from the Netherlands. We discussed our travels through Thailand and what remained on our itinerary. She was on her way to meet a few fellow travelers for lunch and asked if I wanted to come along. I had not eaten since early that morning and accepted. I grabbed my wallet and flip-flops and we walked into the lobby. We continued out to the street and turned left. We walked for a couple hundred yards before turning left through a parking lot and onto the beach. We walked through the sand for a couple minutes before we arrived at a small, beachfront restaurant. We approached the table and I introduced myself. The other backpackers were from Germany and the United States. I am delighted anytime I meet a fellow American out here on the road. We took our seats and scanned the menu. Over lunch, we discussed our backgrounds and travels. Being the same age, we also conversed about our opinions in regards to being in the older age range of backpackers. We all shared similar mentalities when it came to traveling.

After eating, my lunch mates moved to the beach. They invited me to come along.   I accepted their invitation but returned to Lemonade Boutique to change into a swimsuit and grab suntan lotion. I threw a towel and book into my small backpack and returned to where I left my new friends. I pulled up a portion of sand and spread out my towel. I turned to face the water and walked towards the small, crashing waves. I stepped into the surf and proceeded up to my knees. After a brief pause, I dove in headfirst. The cool, refreshing water felt heavenly against my skin. After a couple minutes I returned to my towel and sat down. The next hours lazily progressed as I sat under the sun while trying to avoid a burn. We remained on the beach as the sun began to fall in the sky. Other westerners gathered with cameras to document the pending sunset. As it approached the horizon, the sun transformed from a yellowish-white to a bright orange.   Even after the sun vanished from view, its colorful rays continued to play on the small, wispy clouds. My first day in Ko Lanta was coming to a close and I had one day remaining before moving along to Ao Nang, a suburb of Krabie.

My final day followed the pattern of the previous. Long stretches of lying in the sand and baking under the rays of sunshine were broken up by meals. Simple as that. In the end I did not see much of the island. Had I remained for a longer period, I would have rented a motorbike and explored a bit more. I was only on Ko Lanta for two days but it was a relaxing two days. I met some incredible people, sat in the sand and swam in the warm waters of the Straits of Malacca. I woke Monday morning and prepared my belongings. A pre-booked shuttle arrived around 10am to transport me to the Ko Lanta pier. I slung my packs and bid farewell to my Dutch hostel mate. I walked to the curb and climbed in the back of a pickup truck. I nodded hello to a fellow passenger and away we went. Just like that my two days in Ko Lanta were behind me. It is certainly an island I hope to revisit someday in the future and spend more than two days exploring its landscapes.

We stopped at another accommodation and three more backpackers climbed aboard. We chatted and I was not surprised to find out all three were from Europe. We traveled north to the terminal bouncing over every pothole and imperfection in the road. We arrived a short while later and unpacked ourselves from the bed of the truck. The driver pointed to a wooden table and instructed us to show our tickets to the man sitting in a plastic chair. We graciously thanked him and moved forward. In exchange for my ticket, I received a small white sticker with the letters “AN” written in blue ink. “AN” stood for Ao Nang, my next destination. The sticker was pressed against my chest.

The five of us continued on and traversed the walkway onto a small ferry. We deposited our large packs outside and descended a flight of stairs into an air-conditioned cabin. We found seats and fell into them. Vacant seats quickly disappeared as more passengers arrived. Before long we pulled away from the pier. The ferry skidded across the surface in a northern direction for over an hour. We discussed our travels and they gave me many recommendations for my upcoming time in Europe. As we chatted, staff members from numerous accommodations in Ao Nang and Krabie roamed the cabin attempting to sell their establishments to guests without lodging. Shortly before 1pm the ferry pulled into port and tied off to the pier.

We stood up from our seats and gathered our belongings. Half of our small group remained in Krabie while the other half was destined for Ao Nang. We all disembarked and exchanged farewells. Myself and another backpacker completed the short walk to a waiting pickup truck and climbed into the bed. Once entirely full with passengers and luggage our driver jumped up front and started the engine. The drive from Krabie to Ao Nang totaled roughly twenty minutes along the major roadway that connects the two areas. Guesthouses and hotels lined the street and sandwiched local shops selling phones, 7-Eleven marts and storefronts able to book modes of transport out of town. The truck pulled up outside Luna House, my accommodation, and I stepped from the bed with my bags in tow. I booked a private room after realizing that all four-to-six person rooms were sold out and unwilling to sleep in a twelve-to-fourteen person room.

I unlaced my shoes and walked into the lobby. A lone staff member manned the reception desk and completed my check in process. He handed me the key to Room 212 and pointed me in the direction of the stairs. Luckily, I only had one flight to ascend before I reached my room. I slid the key into the lock and turned the knob. The door swung open and a queen bed rested to my right. A television sat atop a small dresser and on the far wall I noticed a glass door that opened to a small deck. I sat my bags on the floor and I rested on the bed. With only days remaining in Thailand, I pulled out a pen and paper and drafted a to-do list of tasks. I needed to book a flight from Krabie to Bangkok for April 6 and research accommodations in Calcutta, India for April 9. I debated whether to hike the following morning in nearby Railay or take a break from the sun after getting burnt in Ko Lanta. Either way, I planned to stroll down to nearby Ao Nang Beach, only one mile away.

My first task in Ao Nang was to go through all my belongings and decide what items could be sent home. My hope was to cut as much weight as possible prior to arriving in India. I purchased some gifts along the way; those could be mailed. There were a couple articles of clothing I had not worn; I could do without those. All told I mailed just over seven pounds of gear back to America. My slow method of unpacking, sorting and repacking dragged the process on for over an hour. Before I knew it the clock struck 7pm and dinnertime drew near. I left Luna House and turned left onto the main street that terminates at Ao Nang Beach. The receptionist told me I would find many restaurants walking in this direction. I passed a few whose prices or menu options were not to my liking. Eventually I strolled by another local establishment and thumbed through the menu. I liked the selection and the prices were reasonable. I sat down and ordered yellow curry with chicken and a side of steamed rice. Prior to traveling, I only dabbled in Thai food occasionally. However, after covering this country for the past three weeks or so, I have developed a taste for the local flavor.

I woke the following morning around 8am anxious for the upcoming NCAA Men’s National Championship game between Villanova and UNC. I knew for certain I could listen to the game on a phone application. However, I also thought it possible to watch it on my computer. I quickly powered on my laptop and searched on Google. I eventually discovered a website that allowed me to watch a live feed of the game. Tip off occurred shortly thereafter and I settled in for the next two hours. As most are aware, it was a back and forth game that came down to the wire. Villanova won on a buzzer-beating three pointer. I let out a hearty roar when the shot was made. I can only imagine what other residents thought was happening in my room at that moment. Sometimes, you cannot mask pure joy and excitement.

With the game now over, I gathered up the items I intended to send home and stuffed them in my backpack. I descended to the lobby and stepped into my flip-flops. From prior research, it appeared a DHL was located minutes from Luna House. I walked down the block and crossed the street. Before me sat a DHL van and behind it a recognizable yellow marquee with red “DHL” letters emblazoned in front. I opened up the glass door and walked inside. The employee, a local man in jeans and a t-shirt, turned out to be very helpful in assisting me fill out the necessary paperwork and choose a properly sized box. The process took less than twenty minutes. Hopefully the package arrives at some point.

For the rest of the day, I continued to check things off my to-do list. I reserved a shuttle transport to the Krabi airport for the following morning. I strolled to Ao Nang beach to witness the ongoing activity both in and out of the water. Local Thai fishing boats pulled up to shore and unloaded tourists while others grabbed snorkels and climbed aboard. I walked along the waterfront, past more expensive resorts and watched people meander to and from the beach. Lisa, my dive instructor, was correct. The beaches on Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta were much nicer than those in Ao Nang. After a couple hours strolling the streets, I returned to Luna House to begin packing my things for an early morning flight to Bangkok on Wednesday.

Fast forward thirty-six hours and I currently sit inside my hotel room in Bangkok. The flight was uneventful and lasted just over an hour. Today is my birthday so I decided to spoil myself and book a hotel room. At $27 USD per night it is much more expensive than I usually allot for lodging. But, I can only imagine the conditions I will have to endure in India over the next month so I decided to splurge now. I sit here, with less than 24 hours left in Thailand, shocked at how quick my previous three weeks flew by. It feels like yesterday I landed in Bangkok from Laos. I remember the forty-minute taxi ride to the neighborhood in which I hoped to find a room. I was under the weather, anxious about my seven upcoming rabies shots and shocked at the traffic and cars that appeared around me. It was odd to be in such a location after one month of traversing small towns and minor cities in Cambodia and Laos.

Thailand is now behind me and I move onto India. I have heard many things about India since I began researching this adventure over one year ago. I think it will be the biggest culture shock of any country on my itinerary. That makes me both nervous and extremely excited to see what the next month has in store. Rest assured that my camera and laptop are charged and ready to bring you subscribers along on the journey. Wish me luck!!!!