Last days in Land Thai

The last night in Thailand went really fast. The last day however, very slow.

The last night we checked into our hotel, Chaweng Blue Lagoon,  and then headed to dinner for our last dinner. Of course it had to be a good one! So we choose a seafood BBQ.  For 1400baht (roughly $45AUD) we had 2 cocktails, an amaretto sour for me and a green f&%k for Gemma and a huge, delicious meal consisting of…

-a large lobster BBQ’d in garlic butter

-fried calamari

-10 tiger prawns in soy and lemon

-2 crabs cooked in yellow curry

-500g steamed mussels and clams with garlic in white wine broth

-BBQ’d corn, roast potatoes & salad

Amazing meal, we could hardly eat it all!

Gemma got up and went to Phuket early in the morning as it was the only flight available and I got to stay home and nap as my flight wasn’t until 6pm. I got up late and enjoyed the hotel… a nice hot shower, big buffet breaky and lounged by the pool until midday when I had to get up to pack my gear and check out.

I headed out for my final massage. 

I walked in to a salon where I had had a good massage and this mean lady was at the door and I thought, ‘I hope I don't get her she looks mean.’ Then she was real careless doing the bed and towels. I hop on the bed and she stood on me, which is unusual for a thai massage. It hurt so much I actually asked her to stop. She replied ‘this thai massage’ and looked really mean before resuming. I asked her to hop off. She kept saying ‘no this Thai massage’ and putting all her weight on me so I rolled over so she couldn’t stand properly. She goes ‘wha you wan then?!’ and I demonstrated using my hands just a simple back rub with her hands. Not feet. She leaned on me and began massaging but really rough so I asked her to be softer (again, something I have never had to do) she go ‘wha, this thai massage.’ Such mean eyes. So I said ‘well I don’t want your thai massage’ and got up and left. That’s new for me. I don’t like disturbing the peace too much, but she was just so mean!

Next massage was lovely. A 1.5hour long back and neck massage from an older thai woman. Just what I wanted.

I then went for lunch, my fave noodles with spring rolls, a coconut, a coke and a water. Not sure why I over did it on the beverages. Just wanted everything I guess! Was only about $8AUD.

I wandered around the markets for a bit and ended up searching for my favourite crepes. I found a stall but there was a line and I couldn’t be bothered waiting so I thought I’d find another walking back to the hotel. Never found one. Prob for the best. So much butter on those things, terrible for my health!

I got to the airport and flew to Phuket to meet Gem for our flight to Perth. She was practically translucent she was so pale. Poor thing had been stuck in a Phuket mall toilet all arvo being sick.

I started to feel sick just before the flight. I noticed something was up coz I wasn’t hungry. I’m always hungry. Hopped on the plane and the dreaded tummy pains started. Unfortunately our flight was packed so we couldn’t even lie down. 10hours, mostly sleeping but I was sick twice. Swapped planes in Perth to transfer to Brizzy and sick again. Got home, sick again. Fast forward a day and I’m sitting on the couch writing this after being sick again. Let’s hope it goes away soon!

First World Problems

Ha! Found this on my friends BLOG and it cracked me up so thought I would share.

I particularly like the pizza/pants one.

Right now I am making bacon and egg pie but I can't eat in coz I'm sick from Thailand. I'm also lying under the fan as the aircon in broken. First World Problems :) ?

Paradise

Yesterday I found paradise.

We hired a water taxi to take us to a neighboring island of Koh Tao, Koh Nuangyen. Our little taxi driver was hilarious, cracking up at who knows what the entire time.

Only 20mins by long boat and the water is perfectly clear. As you pull up alongside the wharf you can see tropical fish darting everywhere. I love fishies!

We hired some snorkels off our crazy water taxi man and told us to come get us in 3 hours.

The place is gorgeous. White sand, crystal clear water and the best coconuts I've had in Thailand this far.

We thought we would trek to the view point first off. Get it out of the way. Think walkways a child could make to their tree hut. Boards of would planked roughly together with branches along the sides as guides. In a few places the entire path had broken into the water and you had to make your way across the rocks as you made your way along the island.

Then you get to the stairs. Bloody thousands of tiny stairs. They demonstrated how unfit I was and how stupid it was of me not to have the initiative to buy some water before we went up top!
Finally you reach what you think is the top bit it's really a whole bunch of massive rock boulders you have to climb to make the point. No rails. Just you and the rock.

Somehow we got up and the view was literally breath taking. Poor Gems couldn't stand up as she wasn't loving the height. But we managed to get a few awesome pics.

For some reason rock climbing makes me feel like a child again. So the idiot I am started jumping around them and climbing them. Coming back down I slipped and skidded down a semi vertical rock face. Scratched up the back of my calf and made a decent indent in the back of my heel. Luckily it was quite forceful so it went numb! So sticking to my jandal from the blood we made our way back to the main part of the island. That's when I got feeling back. The sea water stung like a bitch.

Waters all round and a coconut for me (natures' electrolytes) the best one I have has in Thailand.

We had a snorkel in the bay and saw some cute fishies. Parrot fish, flute like fish, stripey fish, angel looking fish and a sea cucumber. Always makes me think of Jack Ass. Anyway I was already tired out from hiking that massive hill so lay out on the beach. Time went too quickly and all too soon it was time to head back to Koh Tao for lunch and check out ready to take the ferry back to Samui.

Considering I had an early night I crashed out straight away on the ferry! Don't know what it is about big boats but I just can't keep my eyes open. I put it down to the rocking.

Another hilarious experience with a taxi driver was had.. He thought we said Burger King... Not Blue Lagoon? Haha he couldn't stop laughing. 'hehehee ahh no Burger King.. Hehehe BLUE LAGOON!! Hehehe' lucky he was funny coz I was hungry as and wanted to be at my hotel like yesterday lol.

Koh Tao sunset

This was so gorgeous, really glad we made an effort to get down to the beach and watch the sunset!

Here are some pics I took. I have more on my real camera that I will add at a later date!

From my iPhone:

From my camera:

Walking zombies

The last two days have been a bit of a write off really!

New Years day was spent mostly hungover in bed, until about 4pm. We made it to the hotel restaurant for lunch and that was about it!

A friend of mine from Brisbane, Aaron and his Canadian mate Mike had tried to come up to be with us for NYE but missed the ferry to Koh Samui by 10mins so spent the night shacked up in a hotel with nothing to do. So they arrived and all of us girls met them for dinner and drinks. Nikita was also supposed to meet a friend but his 2 friends came to tell us that e had gone home sick so they ended up joining our party too.

We had dinner on the beach, with fresh banana daiquiris followed by drinks at Ark Bar and a whole heap of other random bars. Needless to say we didn't go home till the wee hours.

My poor friend knocked on my door at 3.30am upset as she had gone for a swim in the ocean and someone had taken all her stuff. Cards, phone, even her jandals.
Moral of the story, don't leave your stuff unattended on the beach when you can't see it.

Gemma rocked up at 4am with a cheeseburger (thank god as I was starving) and wearing a sequin red boob tube dress! Not what she had gone out in. She had met some random guy who was dressed up as persuaded him and give it to her! She also had bought me home a friendship bracelet, her and another random guy had also bought one.

Our pick up for Koh Tao was at 7am so we were up at 6 after 2 hours sleep. The next 4 hours are a blur. Transfer and ferry to the island.

Once we arrived at Koh Tao, a beautiful diving island 3hours ferry from Samui, we promptly checked in at our hotel, had lunch, and went to bed for a 'nap'. 30mins we said. We woke up 3.5 hours later. In our defence we did try to do a tour but there were none available just for the afternoon.

When we finally woke up we explored the island and had a massage.

We made an effort to head to the beach and watch the sunset. So glad we did. I will do another blog with a whole heap of pics. It was gorgeous.

Dinner was pretty funny, they completely stuffed up our order about 3times.

Then we were off to bed for an early night!

A Thai New Years

We spent NYE day shopping and having massages, foot scrubs and pedicures. Nice and relaxing so we would be all ready to party the night away at the Koh Phagnan New Years Full Moon Party.

The other 2 girls came over at 3 to start getting ready as we had booked to be picked up at 5pm from our hotel. That way it would still be daylight on the speed boat over to the island.

Come 5pm we were sitting in reception all ready to go. That's when the storm started to hit. It poured down so heavy that the path between the hotel and the rooms immediately flooded. The hotel had already sandbagged out the front by the ocean. Should have really taken that as a hint.

Long story short, we waited and waited and the transfer was over an hour late due to the weather. On the drive there we had to stop constantly due to flash flooding. There was thunder and lightening, it was getting dark but the sky was already cloudy and black.

When you arrive you have to sign forms and pick up your tickets. Rosie and I both didn't sign and weren't keen to go. Gemma wanted to go and Nikita was on the fence.

Finally we decided it wasn't worth risking the boat trip in the dark, in the storm, in an open boat where we would be soaked. Turns out they cancelled all the boats going over just after anyway. Curious to know if anything happened to the other ones.

So instead we headed back to Chewang and spent all our remaining boat money on seafood! Lobster, crab, garlic butter mussels, soy prawns. Amazing. We met some English people, joined their party and did shots for every time zone - NZ, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Needless to say we were half cut and I still hate tequila with a passion!

Fast forward some drinking games and we headed back to Ark Bar. Realized it was 9pm and we were all well and truly half cut!

No idea what we filled the next 3 hours with.. Drinking and dancing in the beach I think.

Fireworks were awesome. Beautiful, right over the beach. After the countdown I was starving so went and had some Thai. Gem was pretty wasted and sleepy after eating so she went home and we kicked on at Green Mango until 3 or 4.

We all slept in one room, the 4 of us girls. Was great empathy for our roaring hangovers that we were all sporting.

An awesome way to see in the new Year!

New Year Resolutions

Thought I'd give resolutions a go this year! Keeping them very reasonable and achievable...

Learn to make Gyoza - Done! 10/13
Learn to make udon noodle soup

Go to yoga at least 3times a month
Go for a decent walk once a week

Eat well

Stay at home more -do not over commit socially

Do not fret bout work so much when at home

Start painting again

Save more, spend less

Happy New Years Everyone!