For Argyll

Probably my last blog entry, from Thailand anyway!

I’ve had a really good week here in Koh Tao, after a horrendous journey…The bus I booked kept stopping and actually stopped for around 45 minutes before we were even out of Bangkok, we finally set off again and I got ready to have a snooze when the couple next to me decided to play their German comedy dvds a bit too loud. So I turned my iPod up a bit and got comfy, when the bus driver decided to share Dolly Parton with us, full blast! I had to pick the seat right under the speaker too, didn’t I?! Eventually Dolly was sacked and they put a film on instead, again a bit too loud, so I decided to admit defeat and just watch it, it helped me get to sleep! Then, after a couple more hours we stopped at a road side cafe for an hour. Then, after what felt like 5 minutes, we stopped at another road side cafe for another hour, by which time I wasn’t the only one getting ratty. We were then told that we were waiting for some more people to get on and would then get back on the bus for 10 minutes to get to the pier where we would then wait for another hour for the boat. When we eventually got the boat (At this point it’s about 7am, I got on the bus at 5.30pm the previous day!) we got straight on and left straight away, I was so glad to get to Koh Tao!

It’s absolutely gorgeous here, the weather was great the first day I got here, then slowly got worse, and worse, and now it’s raining - all the time! We had a spectacular thunder and lightning storm last night and so between the noise of that and the rain on the roof we got very little sleep! Luckily I splashed out on a pair of ear plugs on one of my first days here as the fan in our room is so noisy, but I didn’t think I’d need them anymore as the fan broke the other night, thankfully I didn’t throw them out!

I spent my first couple of days here just wandering around as Lindsey was doing her diving and videography courses, there’s a few nice shops and plenty of places to eat and drink so I got on just fine! I went for a dip in the sea too, and it really was like a bath! I’m glad I went for a swim when I did as I haven’t really had a chance since due to the weather.

By Friday I was at a bit of a loose end so ended up booking myself on to a “Discover Scuba Diving” course for the following day. There’s so many places to choose from here but I decided to go with the one that our resort offers. I went to meet my instructor at 9.30am on Saturday, I waited and waited but he didn’t show up, and when he did show up it was pretty safe to say he’d been partying the night before, and so he got sent home. I was assured that someone else would be with me shortly and so I waited some more, and then was told to come back at 12.30pm, so I went for another wander and then went back to meet my instructor - the same one who had been sent away earlier! So we set off on the boat with all the other people from other courses and it was on the boat that he went over all the stuff (safety, equipment, skills etc.) that we were meant to do in the pool that morning! So we got to the dive site and jumped in, I was expected to remember all the stuff he told me but I’ve since decided that’s like telling someone how to drive a car, handing them the keys and telling them to get on with it! So of course I didn’t remember everything, in fact I remembered nothing and panicked a tiny wee bit when we started going under the water and I forgot I had breathing gear. Eventually I got the hang of it and absolutely loved it, it was like being in a giant aquarium and was so much better than I was ever expecting it to be, I thought I’d maybe see a few fish and some coral but I saw thousands of fish, it was amazing.

On Sunday I went to Jamahkiri Spa, a posh spa on the other side of the island, for a bit of pampering. It was also amazing! I started with a herbal steam room, then an aloe body wrap, apple facial and thai massage, followed by a pot of white tea while sat overlooking the sea, all that at a very reasonable price too!

Monday it was raining! Lindsey and I were stuck for something to do (there’s very little to do here when it’s raining, especially once you’ve done the spas and the diving!) so ended up going for a wander, another massage and then for a look in some tattoo shops! We both really wanted a bamboo tattoo but neither of us could decide what to go for so didn’t bother.

Today (Tuesday) it hasn’t stopped raining! We asked the people in the restaurant of our resort if they would play some movies during the day and they showed us upstairs to the loft where they were allowing us free run of the dvd player. So off we went (with our emergency ponchos on) to buy some dvds……..but because of the rain, all the dvd shops were shut! We were both gutted, and miffed, surely it’s when it’s raining that people (like us!) are going to want to buy dvds?! The shop next door eventually opened and we purchased one that was supposedly a comedy, though it failed to make us chuckle so it was promptly ejected and binned.

So now we’re going to head back to the room to start packing! I’m going to be ruthless and throw out as much as I can, I’m getting the bus back to Kao San Road tomorrow where I’ll hopefully pick up some last minute bargains! I’m so tempted to buy a suitcase and just fill that, we’ll see!

Unfortunately, I don’t have that many exciting pictures to attach. My camera has been playing up again so I managed to get the new pictures on to cd and have since been using my spare camera, but discovered tonight that (I think) I left the cable for the spare one in another internet shop and so can’t get them on to the pc! I’ve been an absolute disaster with technology since getting here!

So, this time tomorrow I’ll be in Bangkok and it’ll be my last night in Thailand! I’ve had a great time, though there have been highs and lows (blisters!), I’m so pleased to have met so many nice people, in particular Lindsey and the crazy Belgians and am so glad I’ve had this experience, though I have to admit I’m looking forward to getting home!

This is probably my last blog, if it is, thanks to everyone who has been following it and for all your comments, it’s been such a good way to keep in touch!

See you all very soon!

Emma x

* It now doesn’t look like I’m getting any pics on at all, the pc doesn’t want to upload them so will have to just try again tomorrow!