*****
So, with the delights of Bangkok and the lonely nights of Kanchanaburi, I found myself on a sleeper train, traveling down the Thai peninsula to'ord Suran Thani. After waiting, as the only farang at the train station, I finally boarded - well, struggled and heaved under my ever-heavier luggage - the train, easily finding my 2nd class bunk. The cramped surroundings, cacophonic snoring and quiet weeping had me in mind of a troop transport, shipping brave young lads off to the Front. As has already been discussed with Matron, I was on the top bunk but the pros and cons of this were not fully evident until I saw at the end of the journey that my bunk mate bellow actually had a window. I did not. I had a coffin.
It is then, with some concern that I say I slept better that night than any other since arriving in Thailand, though I think this had more to do with the heavy duty air conditioning than any particular affection for the life and style of the undead. The chap below me was an unassuming Thai who I at first thought was Japanese, to which he laughed with some increduality. In my defense, his shirt had Japanese characters on it. He spoke excellent English, though, and I am sorry I did not know this at the beginning of the trip, or I might have had some interesting conversation to pass the time with. The final thirty minutes involved a swapping of stories, of planned travels and appreciation for the beauty of the South, with interjections of "Are we there yet?!?", somewhat panicky, from yours truly. In comendment to the efficiency of the Thai State Railway, the bed maker was along in short order, when many of the passengers had barely managed to shake off their sleepiness and vague nightmares of being buried alive. I was filled with some concern when he came to mine, since I had just spilt half a bottle of water on the mattress, which created a fairly impressive imitation of incontinence. No words were said, as I whistled most innocently, and he carried on about his business, only inspecting the suspicious stain for a second before tossing the sheet aside.
Another embarrassment averted.
(Pictured, leaving the harbour, near Suran Thani, heading over calm tropical seas to Koh Samui)
So, next the coach journey from the train station to the dock. A wholly dull affair, as Suran Thani is little more than a Stop-over town. I slept some more. Arriving at the ferry port at around mid morning, we were made to wait until our vessel arrived to whisk us away to Paradise, complete with Theme bars and middle-aged men in short-shorts on choppers. After a somewhat queasy sea journey - which might have had more to do with starvation and the single pineapple bun and coke I ate at the port - of about two hours, we arrived.
Like something out of a Bond movie, my driver was waiting, signed paper held high for me to read, as I walked ashore across a rusted, wobbly gangplank. I don't know his name but like all young Thais, he smiled a lot and spoke decent english. I'll call him Pep. After shaking hands with Pep, he informed me there were two others he was supposed to pick up and, with the nervousness of a novice, he searched the crowds in vain, struggling to pronounce the English names and looking only vaguely flustered when he could not find them.
(Pictured, the mainland coast. I think that's water tower, by the way. They're everywhere)
With that, I was on my way to the ' Lamai Chale't '. Driving with terrifying albeit confident skill, Pep drove us through the midday traffic of Nagon town in the dark-tinted, icy-cool mini-van, whilst he drove with one half of his brain and burbled down his mobile at some unfortunate with the other. Setting aside any concerns for my safety, as one can only do as a mere passenger, I took in the tropical island whizzing by the window.
I saw white sands, blue waters, green palm trees, caramel-skinned Thais, kaleidoscope mopeds (everywhere!), glossy Japanese pickups (also everywhere!), a surly looking ape - the scowl he gave me, as we passed! - atop a van full of coconuts and lots and lots of sunshine.This was Koh Samui.
**
Well, my creative juices are apparently lacking a bit right now and this email is lacking some spark, so I'll continue the rest of island life later today.
(Yarr! Land ho'! It be Koh Samui, Cap'n! Off the star..no, port bow! I mean, starboard bow!)
That's terrible to hear about Nannie worrying like that. There's no need to worry. I am safer amongst these easy going people than I am on the streets of England. As for mixing, what medication does she know I'm on? As for mum writing, she'll only get faster with practice and there's no rush for her to finish it, if she writes it - and saves it - in WordPad. I am ok, though. I miss mixing with people my own age, like in Kanchanaburi but there is plenty to see and do here, for a couple more days, at least and I'll be going to Ko Tao soon, where there should be like-minded people. It's smaller and quieter but has more backpackers. Or I could go to Nagan. That's where they have the full moon parties. Now those are something for grandparents to worry about! I'll see about editing in future. Or I could just send it to you, you can edit, and then forward it to N & G. It'll cost you less than me, that's for sure!
Stopped for speeding, eh? Oh dear. Thankfully for me, they don't seem to enforce any speed limit here. I hope she wasn't too shaken up about it but it's good to hear that she's finally seeing the doctor about her dicky blood pressure. How did you manage to convince her of that? Never listened to me about it!
I went around the island again today, the opposite way. I hadn't intended to but I went to see a waterfall, which proved unreachable in mere sandals, and then headed for some breakfast on the north of the island, at Ban Tai, run by a friendly, grungy French guy who likes bandanas and shredded jeans. Very nice little bar. Just a bugger to reach, since it's a long way from my hut. Good pancakes and bacon, though. As it was, though, they weren't open yet when I got there, so the drive had been for nothing, so I carried on going, back to Lamai. As for the roads and terrain, I think they would cause a real UK driver to go into fits. The road surface is tarmac...but it makes Norfolk roads look possitively metropolitan. The rule of the road is, make way for cars, on a moped, which isn't so bad, since they have a hard shoulder thing here, that the scooters use to get out of the way. The terrain itself is flat for the most part but also has some devilishly steep hills. Testament to Gerie's (my scooter) moxie, the moped has little trouble climbing them but coming down the otherside is more than a little unsettling. No real scares, yet but I did drive off from the French bar with my foot stand still down - my mind was filled with remose over the lack of pancakes! - but thankfully a Thai girl pulled alongside as we sped along at fifty mph and informed me of my error. The Shi-Tsu sat in her lap rolled it's eyes at me. Or perhaps it was the wind in it's cheeks. Anyway! I'm getting ahead in the telling! This is just for answering queries and allaying fears.
My sunburn, and other stuff, is quite sore but not unbearable. I am wearing my long sleeve shirt today, though, to give it all a break. Good to hear that you've got a good map, now. I'm staying in the southern end of Lamai. It's also good to hear that my trials and tribulations and travels are entertaining the local community, too. Finally, you'll have a chance to bore Ray to tears, now, rather than vice-versa.
As for Bhurma, I was only about a hundred miles from the border when I was in Kanchanaburi! I'm moving up in the world of Thai cuisine, now. Last night's coconut chicken soup - in an Australian themed bar... - was excellent. I even saw the cook later and heaped some kudos on her, to which she seemed very pleased.
As for the coarse language used by mum, it's not as if she actually even said anything. She censored it. That kind of defeats the object of using words like that for intensity and emotion.
By the way, I'll be sending home some photo DVD's soon. I'll need you to watch them and make sure you can read the photos off them. Then I can wipe my memory cards when they get full (which the two big ones are nowhere near being).
I hope you're all doing well, and I'll write the rest of Koh Samui later.
- Jamie
xxxxx
(Pictured, Na Thon port, the main route of escape from Koh Samui. I would later use it begrudginly but in time would agree it was the best exit I ever made)
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