greetings from yet another island! i never posted while on koh pha ngan. we were too busy...living on an island i guess...
koh pha ngan is beautiful. we rented a great bunglaw from a nice family owned resort called Wang Sai Resort. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Located at the north end of the beach on Mae Haad beach, it was a short walk from the beach. our stretch of beach was really nice. Pretty much paradise. We got massages, read on the beach, played cards at the restaurant at our resort and did a good amount of relaxing in general.
We didn't just beach bum though. We rented a motorbike and drive to the national park on the island and hiked up a pretty steep trail to hike along some waterfalls. Unfortunately, the water wasn't really falling, it was more like trickling. Maybe with more rain the water will be flowing. But it was a very sweaty hike in the jungle. Then we signed up to do some diving an snorkeling. Pete is a certified scuba diver and he was itching to do some climbing.
So the next day we met up at a dive shop called Reefers. Awesome folks there- they run a nice little dive operation. Pete did a two tank dive and I just snorkelled. He went about 30 meters and saw some pretty neat stuff. I stayed near the surface and saw some pretty spectacular stuff as well. Fish of every color of the rainbow, striped and spotted fish, huge schools of little fish, baracudas, neon colored anemonies, all sorts of cool stuff.
The culture of Koh Pha Ngan is very laid back. If you are in need of some R & R, that is the place to be. As we left, the resort owners shook our hands and bid us good luck. We both got a very good vibe from the people and the flavor of Koh Pha Ngan.
Now we're on Koh Tao which is dive central! I guess this is one of the most popular places in the world to come diving. There are so many spots to go diving that are very close to the island, so divers can take their pick. Pete will do some more 'fun' dives as their called- diving for those who are certified and more experienced, and I will do a 'discover' scuba class which is for newbies to get a taste of diving. I will do some training in the pool at the resort where we are staying in the morning and then in the afternoon we'll go out on one of the dive shops boats and do a real dive! I'm a bit nervous, but I think the pool practice will be really helpful. I think that if I can climb really high stuff and not get too spooked, I can do diving.
There is also some really sweet bouldering here on the island. Tonight we checked out a big boulder field with lots of fat boulders with lots of problem possibilities. We messed around a bit but it started to get dark and we didn't have crash pads so we didn't want to push it. 'Good Times Adventures' is the only outfit that does climbing here on Koh Tao, and they are really cool and friendly. We might do some roped climbing and we'll get all our gear from them. We'll also rent crash pads from them. They offer everything from scuba to wake boarding to climbing. Pretty cool group. But it felt great to put my climbing shoes on even for a couple hours! I've been lugging them and my harness along everywhere, and now I'm actually going to use my gear!
So the vibe on this island is a bit faster paced, more younger folks carrying backpacker packs and rockin' the knock off ray-ban sunglasses. We're surrounded by more people our age which is nice, but I think I like the pace of Koh Pha Ngan a bit more. I guess we've just off the beaten path a bit more, and here we're right in the thick of it. There are lots of shops, bars, restaurants and dive shops. But, no matter where we've been on any of the islands, the beach is only steps away and I like that. After being by the ocean for a bit now I've definitely been thinking about how wonderful lakes are! I've been spoiled growing up along the worlds largest freshwater lake system, there's a reason they're called the great lakes. So, oceans are vast and amazing, but I like the humility of lakes. I could see myself living on a lake over an ocean when I grow up.
Well, more to come as adventures on Koh Tao unfold. I'm thinking about everyone back home and I've definitely had my bouts of being homesick. I love you all and I hope things are going well! For those of you going back to school or have recently started up again, best of luck in the school year and enjoy the first few weeks of classes.
I'll try to put up pictures soon, or at least make a picasa album and share the link. I'll have a really hard time fishing through all of them to find the best. I'm a Matranga so naturally I take tons and tons of pictures. I hope I can do my family name justice.
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