Travelling and Koh Tao

It's funny that when you talk about your holidays and see pictures you never see the tough side of travelling, the long waits, uncomfortable taxi and bus rides squashed in together with bags etc the heat, humidity and sharing each others sweat. BUT this is just as much apart of the journey as is the sitting on a beach etc and actually is what makes up maybe half of the trip. I think that going through those times though makes you appreciate the destination so much more and really its just as much of an experience as any other part of the trip. Travel tip: though its cheaper to get night trains/buses as you save a nights accommodation, you end up wasting the whole next day being tired and wanting to sleep. I think its worth using a day and getting a proper nights sleep so you have energy all the time.

Reclining in yet another bus ride

We pretty much travelled the length of Thailand from Pai to Koh Tao, was a 4 hour windy bus trip to Chiang Mai, 2x12 hour bus trips, with a full day in Bangkok hanging around (just the city takes it out of you)

Fruit shakes are everywhere so amazing

Not happy to be in Bangkok again

Straightening hair in Starbucks

Getting haircuts in Bangkok to pass the time, no English needed surprise how it turns out, actually was pretty good

 then a 4 hour boat ride to Koh Tao a long journey and all of us were very grateful to have a shower, as well as the beach. When you first arrive there are Thai people yelling at you and herding you along the jetty as well as people yelling 'TAXI' or 'ACCOMMODATION' which we are getting pretty used to and learning that you can't always be polite and say no just need to ignore them and not make eye contact. I felt like such a tourist and so much the minority arriving in Koh Tao.

Koh Tao jetty

We spent the first afternoon relaxing by the beach or in the room getting some much needed sleep. There are great restaurants along the beach and we relaxed in gigantic bean bags which are you are always in a good position in just to fall in it. 

Hostel life

We all had a few drinks from 711 sitting on the beach and really got to know each other a bit, even after travelling for awhile we didn't know too much about each other. So it was a drunken but good night. 

We got a some motorbikes the next day and tried to find a good beach to swim in, and relax. Tried to snorkel but the waves were too choppy and the coral was dead, just kept thinking Australia is so much better, i'm so spoilt, the goggles were also too big so spent the whole time holding onto them so they would't leak but ended up swallowing and taking in a lot of extremely salty water in my eyes, horrible. 

ANYWAY back to the hostel to stuff ourselves with fresh Thai style fish and pass out in pain from being full.

This was just $10

I am spending so much money on food and cocktails you think wow its so cheap but eating out every day for every meal and getting too excited by the food its taking it's toll on the bank account. Also I am eating too much and not enough of the goods stuff, tried to buy bran for breakfast but could only find it once and it ran out pretty quick (lets just say my body can't handle too much more rice and bread). We got up earlt to catch the ferry to Koh Phenang, which was the worst boat trip of my life, we started the trip at the front of the boat thinking how amazing in the sun, the sea and heaps of space, but of course when we started the go the water drenched us and the waves were so choppy I had to go to to the back with the rest of the sick people and try not to vomit while everyone around me was spewing over the edge. I ended up laying down not caring to take up heaps of space and fell asleep, and I made it in one piece.

Queuing