An Island of Religious Mixology

Days 412-415, January 13-16, 2011

With my Dive Certification in hand, my job in Koh Tao was finished. I probably could’ve stayed and did my Open Water Advanced course as well and still make it to my train in Chumphon in time but considering that I fell asleep at 9pm the night we were celebrating, I took that as a sign that I was just too knackered to do anymore diving right away.

My next destination was the island of Penang in Malaysia. From Koh Tao it was a pretty easy journey. The trip on the ferry back to the mainland was a lot worse than the trip to the island a few days earlier. The typhoons in the South Asian Sea were causing massive waves up here in Thailand and most of the people on the ship were getting quite queezy from the rolls the ferry was making. We still managed to get to the mainland with lots of time to spare. And the train itself: I’m not sure how, or whether it was just standard on this particular route, but I managed to get a bed in the really new, air conditioned car. It made for a very nice journey.

Ferry to Penang

Going Down in Koh Tao

Days 404-411, January 5-12, 2012

It’s funny how things can change in a hurry. When I was thinking about Thailand, I pictured myself spending week upon week on white sand beaches, hopping on ferries to the next out of the way island to bask(or bake as it were) in the sun. As it turns out, I got none of that, and completely on purpose. Besides the little stint on Koh Samet back in September, Koh Tao was going to be my only other Thai island. And for me, it was strictly business. I was going for my Dive certification.

1 Out Of 4000 Isn’t Bad

Days 379-381, December 11-13, 2011

Located a mere 5-10 minute drive from the border with Cambodia, the 4000 Islands of Laos are, for the most part, peoples first or last stop on their trip in the tiny, landlocked country. At this section of the Mekong, the river widens enough to create dozens upon dozens of islands. Maybe not the 4000 that the name implies, but there are plenty to see. However, there are only three that are usually on anyone's itineraries or radar. Most of the other “islands” are too small or too temporary to hold any sort of infrastructure.

My bungalow

Koh Samet–Bangkok’s Closest Paradise

Days 303-310, September 26-October 2, 2011

Koh Samet(or Samed, I’ve seen it spelled both ways) is a small island not too far away from Bangkok. It is actually the closest island to the city and thus a popular choice among Bangkokians to head over for a weekend away from The Big Smoke. The island isn’t very big, but for an introduction to Thai island living it does a pretty decent job.

And like most islands, it’s easy to get stuck and lost in the whole doing nothing vibe.

Ok, We get it. You’re Pretty.

The following takes place on Days 204-206, June 19-21, 2011

I don’t think I’m really jumping off the deep end here by declaring that I think most people, when thinking of Greek Islands, think of Santorini. The island of Santorini is kind of like that pretty girl in high school. She knows she’s pretty and doesn’t need to do much to convince anyone of that fact. People will flock to her regardless. That is most definitely Santorini. The island is dotted with apartments for rent, hostels, hotels, and resorts. It is like it is built for tourists.

The One Where Kelly Falls off a Wall

The following takes place on Days 201-203, June 16-18, 2011

With the riots officially finished(for now) in Athens, Kelly and I left the hostel early in the morning to catch the metro to the port to grab our first ferry ride of the trip. The closest metro station was in Syntagma Square, where all the problems from the day before were concentrated. As we were walking through the deserted, early morning streets I began to feel a strange tickling in my throat. And then my eyes began to burn. When I looked over at Kelly her eyes were a bright red. The tear gas that had been shot off the day before was still lingering in the air.

Broken glass littered sections of the sidewalk and there was garbage strewn everywhere. At one point I noticed pieces of a wall had been broken off of a building in the square. And considering how much I was being affected by the tear gas this long after it had been released I was quite glad I wasn’t right in the midst of the action. Though, imagine the pictures I would have had!