All I wanted was a quiet corner of the world where I could sit and think... Holy shit did I find it!!

I was having a great time at Shanti Lodge, and it was actually very sad to leave the staff whom I had come to know so well, but I knew that by leaving, I would gain greater perspective on Thailand.

Search for Ban Pu Ko Chang Hotel and take a look at the place I am staying at... essentially a resort by Thailand standards, and costing me the high rate of $35.00 per night (again, high by Thailand standards).

Strange side-note though, if you or anyone you know wants to open-up a veternary hospital in Thailand just for spading cats and dogs... you could probably make a fortune... the dogs here are like the homeless of Venice beach... they are everywhere, and I wouldn't pet them...?...?...you know what I mean...

Back to Koh Chang... sure they are charging me through the nose for internet access right now ($6.00 per minute - EXTREMELY high by Thailand standards), but I am on a beautiful island, and what better way to be reminded of the fact that you are on vacation, than being charged too much for something... (In Bangkok, I was paying $1.20 per minute)

Another little side-note... it is difficult for me to actually say "Thank you" in Thailand, because the phrase to say "Thank you" is pronounced "Krap Kuhn"... trying to appreciate someone, then saying the word "Krap", just makes me stumble... I am so white...

Let's backtrack a minute...I really do not want to talk badly about the cramped conditions with which we were transported from or lodge in Bangkok to this beautiful island (in retrospect, it was a great experience), but I would not be telling the complete story if I did not, so here goes... We had to leave at 7:45am, for what we were told would be something around a three to five hour ride to some costal town near Ko Chang. Then we were to take a ferry to the island, which would take about 2 hours... Well, the large minvan picked us up as planned, but the trip was very cramped/clostrophobic, and took about five and a half hours... no problem so far, just being spoiled that I didn't have more space. Then, we wait in this small costal village for a truck to take us to the ferry... Thank god I got as tetnus shot before leaving LA!!! We get to the boat, to find that it is basiscally full... by US standards anyway... Every seat on the bow seems to be taken, and I start thinking I'll be standing for two hours... then I see Anna, and a few others sitting on the side of the boat... and when I say side of the boat, I mean that small 1 foot wide area along both sides (any nautical experts out there, I am not interetsed in knowing the correct name for this section of boat... my memory is so bad I won't retain it anyway, so please don't email me) of the boat that are normally just for walking... when in Rome I say... and I sit... It was a great experience though... and hopefully you will see the picture I took of Anna sitting on the edge near me for this two hours ride...

Once on the island, the entire boat load of passengers was accosted by 3 or four pick-up trucks converted into taxis by installing two benches in the bed of the truck... we had no idea where they were going, but everyone was getting on, and so we thought we'd better go as well...

Now in the truck/taxi, we discover that there is only one road around the island, so this truck just keeps going until it hits your destination... we arrive at our hotel after about 15 minutes...

The hotel has no record of my reservation, and thinks we may have called the wrong hotel... we panic for about one second, but realize that we will pay whatever it takes to stay at this place anyway... it is soooo nice!

Anna has a buglalow on the beach, so when she leaves her front door, she can walk 40 steps straight to the beach, or 20 steps left to the pool. I am currently waiting for a bungalow, but have been placed in a great second storey room with great view, and one of the most impressive spiders/spiders webs outside my balcony... I will try to take a picture, but I am not sure Jenn will post it for me... she HATES spiders, and this one looks like it is a government experiment it is so big and scary... I keep my balcony door locked at night because I am SURE it knows how to turn doorknobs...

Since my last entry, I did get one more massage... on Monday the 14th, my last day in Bangkok, we had a large group of us go back to the mall for a day of pampering and relaxation. The group was Eric, Danielle (the nice young married couple previously mentioned... check-out their travels at www.emergencyexit.net), Anna, Martha (Anna's friend/co-worker from Japan who has joined us for vacation), Joy from the Shanti Lodge, and Pecharat (Pesch, the girl who works at the Shanti Lodge email shop)... we again ate at that cool chinese restaurant which I think everyone enjoyed, and then went for another massage... this time I got oil (more like swedish, so no pain)... That makes it 8 massages since arrival one week ago(12 left... starting to look bleak though as funds are rapidly depleating).

Lastly, my emotional state has been all over the map recently, but I miss everyone back home, and am confident that a few days at Ban Pu will really help clear my thoughts...