Day 78- 84 Surin Islands 3/18/14-3/23/14

After an hour long speedboat ride from kuraburi we arrived at the surin islands. Surin is made up of two main islands; on one lives a small clan of Burmese villagers called "Moken", the second consists of two campgrounds, the national park headquarters, and a restaurant. There were about a hundred people camping on the island; half Thai and half foreigners. Everyone camping used the tents provided by the national park. We were happy that we had our own; this allowed us the freedom to camp further away from the crowd. We set up camp at the end of the beach in a selcuded cove surrounded by jungle. Every morning we would wake up to the sounds of wild jungle animals. The calls of horn billed birds and macaques would echo through our campsite. At night we could hear hermit crabs crawling over leaves, and  the sounds of flying foxes taking flight. Before coming to Surin we were told by our friend Mark, who we met on Ko Rok, that we should buy a plastic container to store our food, to keep safe from monkeys and rats. With his advice we arrived on Surin prepared, and were happy we did. Our first morning we could see that the rats had chewed through the most absurd of things, like empty foil wrappers, and sandals. Getting advice from other people before traveling is always a good idea, but sometimes there are things you learn on your own, like never leaving your tent open in the jungle. Our first night at Surin, Ryan and I were lying on our sleeping bags in the tent when he reached for the flashlight to shine it on a fly that was pestering him. When he did this I noticed a huge centipede a couple of inches from his head. We read before coming to Thailand that there were Centipedes, and if you were bitten by one you would swell up severly and be bed ridden for a week. Luckily we saw it before it bit us and we turned into umpalumpas. From that point on we made sure to never leave our tent open. Surin had some crazy insects and spiders, but it was also home to one of the coolest mamals ive ever seen; flying lemurs. Unfortunately we didnt see them while they were flying , but we did see a mama lemur in a tree holding a baby under its stomach. They were fascinating creatures. Like Ko Rok Surin also had water monitor lizards, although they were much smaller than the ones on Ko Rok, they were still fascinating to watch. The island also had cobras and pythons, neither of which we saw. The wildlife on surin was abundant, and even more so in the water.Two of our six days on Surin we joined a snorkeling group on a long tail boat and went further out to sea where we encountered, jellyfish, white and black tip reef sharks, sea turtles, and hundreds of different fish. The snorkeling was good, but in comparison Ko Rok had better visibility and a healthy coral reef. Surin use to be the best place in Thailand for snorkeling, unfortunately the tsunami in 2004 changed that. When we werent snorkeling or capturing centipedes in the tent, we were swimming, exploring the mangroves, hiking the jungle,and playing games. No longer novices to the island camping lifestyle we became pretty good at island life. Not that its a hard task to accomplish, but I will take pride in our innovative island games ,like coconut ski ball. A game we created by drawing circles in the sand, giving each circle a different point value. Then using coconuts that had fallen off the trees, we would roll them into the circles.The first person to reach 21 would win. We played this game everyday, along with our usual Frisbee. At night we would lay on our bamboo mat under the stars and play "would you rather"; taking turns asking each other a variety of thought provoking questions as well as some ridiculous ones, like; would you rather have spaghetti for hair or olives for fingers and toes? For two of our daily meals we kept it simple;dried fruit, nuts, or peanut butter and bread. The third meal we would buy from the restaurant. The restaurant reminded me of a large cafeteria.They offered a few convenient amenities such as free water, both hot and cold, and a few power strips for people to charge their electronics. With a hundred people on the island,using the power got pretty competitive. There were times when Ryan and I sat for an hour, waiting for an open outlet to charge the gopro. The hour wait was worth it; considering how many amazing memories we were to capture because of it. Like the rest of our vacations in Thailand our time on Surin was unforgettably amazing.

Day 74-78 Phuket and Kuraburi 3/13/14- 3/17/14

From Koh Lanta we took a three hour ferry to phuket. Learning from past experiences we didnt book a hotel in advance. When we arrived at the ferry port in phucket we hopped in a taxi van and told the driver to take us to a cheap hotel. Within minutes we were dropped off in old phuket town at a cute boutique guesthouse. The price was reasonable $17 a night with free coffee and toast in the morning. I was happy to be in phuket town as opposed to other parts of the city; from what we've  been told it can get very dirty, dangerous, and overall not very pleasant. Phuket town was different;the architecture had a portuguese influence, and the streets were decorated with Chinese style lanterns and colors. It was clean, quaint, and inviting. Our main goals while in phuket were; buy a cell phone, get food for surin island, and figure out how to get to surin by public transportation. To help us accomplish our tasks we rented a motorbike. We had become accustomed to the easy riding on Koh Lanta, that riding in Phuket was a bit intimidating. The streets were busy, the lights were confusing, and no one followed the rules. Our first attempt at navigating the city was successful. We took out a tourist map provided by our guesthouse, and found a tesco lotus supermarket. We memorized our Path; left on the main street, take a right after a gas station, four turns after a temple, etc. The thing about navigating in Thailand, is that even if there are street names on a map, that doesn't mean there will be street signs on the road. The easiest way to navigate is to look for other landmarks. The drive was nerve racking, and I had to close my eyes a few times. When we got to tesco lotus I was relieved. We were able to find about half of the things we needed; instant coffee, tea, pasta, and dried fruit. From here we road to Big C's supermarket where we found the rest of our things. While in phuket we ate the most amazing Thai dish. It was by far our favorite meal in Thailand. We had tempura morning glory topped with fresh squid, shrimp, and a spicy sauce. It was so delicious that we went back two days in a row and ordered the same thing. Near the restaurant we came across a cell phone shop and bought a prepaid thai phone for 1000 baht. We were happy to find out that international calls home would only be 3 baht a minute. Having a cell phone was necessary for planning the rest of our trip. The information we couldnt find online, we were able to find out by calling phone numbers. One of those numbers was for surin. Through conversation we learned that you couldn't cook your own food on surin. Unfortunately we learned this after we bought cans of chili and bags of pasta. We ended up returning most of our food at big C's and keeping a few items like dried fruit and nuts. On our last day in Phuket we decided to take a ride to find the bus station that we would be leaving from the next day. We looked at the map and memorized the route to the best of our ability. Our navigation skills were a little off and we ended up taking a leisure drive. During our ride it began to rain. The rain turned into a down pour, at which point we pulled over until it subsided. Almost everyone on a motorbike did the same. We pulled over in front of a large outdoor market. We decided to use this opportunity to look around a buy some snacks. We ordered delicious fried shrimp and pineapple. When the rain stopped we decided it was best to head back to our hotel while we still remembered the route. The rain stopped but the roads were wet. This was our first time experiencing rain in Thailand, and unfortunately it was while we were riding a motorbike.  On the small road parallel to the market traffic came to a stop, and we slowed down to stop at the light, when the motorbike slid out from under us and we skidded across the lane. Luckily there was no damage to the bike, and besides a few scrapes on our bottoms, we were untouched. A little shaken up, we got back on the bike and road extra cautiously back to our hotel. Once at our hotel we did some last minute research tying up loose ends for our trip. The next morning we checked out and walked with all of our gear to the city bus station. Like most things with us, we got lucky and arrived when the bus was ready to take off. We hopped on,road through town for 15 minutes, and arrived at the main bus station. From here we walked up to the counter and asked the woman for two bus tickets to Kuraburi. Once again our timing was perfect, the bus was to depart in five minutes. We bought our tickets, hopped on the bus, and three hours later we were in Kuraburi. The no reservation, go with the flow, loose plan thing, seemed to be working out for us, so we decided to stick with it. I was glad we did. When we got off the bus in Kuraburi there were two men standing at the station asking where we wanted to go, we told them that we were going to Surin to camp. They couldn't speak English very well, and weren't able to answer my questions, but within minutes a woman in an suv arrived at the station. The Men had called her and told her where we wanted to go. Her English was good, and she told us that we could stay in a bungalow in kuraburi for the night and catch a speedboat to surin the next morning. We accepted her offer, put our bags in her car, and hopped in. She took us to a run down building with a hand painted sign that read "Am and Tom tour", where she answered all of our questions and gave us specific information on Surin Islands. She drove us across the street to a small field with a wooden hut. The accommodation was as basic as it comes; a bed, mosquito net, toilet, and cold shower, but it was only 280 baht a night, so we couldnt complain. She told us that we would be picked up at 8am to have breakfast and then be taken to the ferry where a speed boat would take us to Surin. The rest of the day Ryan and I spent exploring the town. Considering the town only consisted of two streets  this only took about twenty minutes. There was a seven eleven, a small bus station, and  a few small hole in the wall places where you could buy the most random of objects. Fortunately we did most of our shopping in Phuket. The town didnt have much options for buying food but we were able to buy some bananas and oranges at a tiny outdoor market, as well as bread and nuts at seven eleven. Back at our bungalow we packed up and went to sleep to get rest for our new adventure tomorrow.

Day 68 -73 Lanta Round two 3/8/14- 3/13/14

After our amazing week on Ko Rok we returned to the island of  Koh lanta. Leaving Ko Rok wasnt as difficult knowing that we were heading back to Lanta, another beautiful island. This time around our accommodation on koh Lanta would be the budget travelers way.The pattaysia speedboat drop us off at Klong nin beach, a five minute walk from the mong bar. Still in our swim suits, with a weeks worth of sand in our hair, and all of our camping gear strapped to our backpacks, we made the half mile trek in the blistering heat to the mong bar. When we arrived at the sandy little shack , we spotted Mong in the side yard painting his handmade advertisements which read "Mong Bar, In Bud We Trust" and  "Mong Bar, Your Ticket to the Moon".  Mong greeted us with a smile, and led us to a small little field behind his bar, where we set up our tent. Camping at the Mong bar was a funny experience. To the left of the mong bar was a farm with a cow that had the most disturbing mooing sound. Every morning we would be woken up by the sound of this cow that sounded like a baby crying. In addition to the natural calls of nature were the sounds of two of mongs ducks. One of them was a normal duck, that did normal duck things, and the second one was an aggressive and overly horny duck. The second one would chase the other around and step on its neck, causing a disturbing screeching sound. Aside from the ducks and cow, the only other crazy creatures at the mong bar were the customers. There was one regular named Carl. He was a middle aged British man that reminded me of a sloppy version of Vince Vaughn. Every night you could find carl sitting at the end of the bar with three or more empty beer cans, a joint, and talking someones ear off. Carl was a nice guy, but definitely one of those people you start to tune out after 30 minutes of conversation. Our days on Koh Lanta were spent at the beach, and coffee shops with wifi since the mong bar didnt have internet; not a surprise since they didnt even have a shower. joints. At the coffee shops we skyped with family and did our research for planning our next adventures. One of our days on Lanta, Ryan and I went to a cave and waterfall. The hike was short. The first trail brought us to the waterfall. There wasnt much water since it had been four months since the last rain, but it was still a beautiful sight. Close to the waterfall was a small cave where we could see hundreds of bats. This little adventure was a nice break from our hours spent planning our next trip. The second night we were in Lanta we went to the 13th annual Lanta Lanta Festival. This was a lot of fun. We rented a motorbike and road to old koh lanta town where the festival was held. For 5 hours we walked around and ate delicious street vendor food, saw various performances of traditional thai dances, fire shows, and a concert by our new favorite Thai reggae band ; Job to Do. The festival was decorated with brightly colored lanterns and art decorations. Most of the people at the festival were Thai, and to top it off there was no admission fee. Lucky for us we were accidentally in Koh lanta for the festival. This is one of the many things that happen to fall into place and work out for us on our trip. Another very strange coincidence happened while staying at the mong bar. I was sitting on a lounge chair by the fire at the mong bar,Ryan was in the bathroom, and the bar was empty when two motorbikes pulled up. Two couples got off of the motorbike and walked up to the bar. As they were approaching I recognized one of them. It was an old friend from Santa Rosa that I hadnt seen in a couple of years. At first I was skeptical, thinking that the chances of it being him were so slim that it couldnt be possible. I stared at him wanting to make sure that I wasnt mistaken. When they sat at the bar, I got up and followed them; sitting adjacent to where they were. We made eye contact, and instantly he said my name in disbelief, getting up and hugging me. Neither of us could believe it; here we were,half way across the world, on a small island in thailand, at an empty little bar shack, and we run into each other. I was in shock by this completely serendipitous moment. Elijah and his friends hung out with Ryan and I by the fire for the rest of the night. They told us of their traveling experience through out South east asia, and we did some reminiscing of the past, with a few interjections to talk about the strange coincidence of running into each other. Early that day Ryan and I bought bananas and chocolate to cook on the fire. I wrapped up six, and cooked them on the fire to share with everyone. I didnt think that the moment could have been any more ironic or comical, until Elijah told us that they were at the mong bar earlier in the day and met Carl, who told them that there were two Californians camping in the back of the bar. He said they are "Amber and Ryan from California, maybe you know them?" He jokingly laughed and said "yeah, because everyone in California knows eachother". Come to find out, we did know each other. It's situations like these, that make you realize how small the world is, and how connected we all are. Our five days on Lanta were full of unexpected and unplanned adventures and coincidences. Although we only spent ten days total on Koh Lanta, we felt like that place began home. We got to know the island very well, made a few new friends, ran into old ones, went to a festival, drove around the entire island, saw two concerts, and created a life time of memories.

Day 60-67 Koh Rok Island 3/2/14- 3/8/14

The Ride to Ko Rok was a smooth one. We hopped on the Pattaysia boat,next to our hotel at 8am. We were the first passengers on board. From there we picked up twenty more at various stops on Koh Lanta. Around 10am we arrived at Ko Rok. The boat dropped us off at the ranger station, and then took the rest of the passengers out to snorkel. At this time Ryan and I found ourselves a spot to set up our tent. There were about 40 tents already assembled; for 100 baht a night you could rent one from  the ranger station. It was a good deal, and the few people that camped took advantage of this offer, but we didn't need it since we brought our backpacking tent from home. Within 30 minutes we set up our tent, hammocks, and unpacked our things. Around lunch time the Pattaysia boat along with six other boat companies came rolling back to the island with loads of tourists. Each company provided the same lunch; chicken and potato curry, veggies, rice, watermelon, pineapple, and water. We joined the Pattasysia group and ate our free lunch. The men working for the company were very generous; they invited us to join them every day for a free lunch. By 1:30pm all the  tour boats left the island, leaving the Rangers, a few campers, and Ryan and I to have the island to ourselves. We spent the rest of our day exploring. The island was a true paradise. The water was warm and relaxing. The color was beautiful; baby blue and turquoise, with perfect clarity. I felt like I was swimming in a heated swimming pool;It was an incredible spot for snorkeling as well. The serene calm water, made it easy to swim. The view under the ocean was even more exquisite than above. Colorful coral, black tip reef sharks, Angel fish, Clown fish, sword fish, sting rays, sea horses, sea cucumbers, and bioluminescence, were just a few of the many creatures we discovered.With so many amazing things to see and explore, the days went by fast.At times we would unknowingly swim the entire length of the island,completely immersed in our  exploration of the Andaman Sea; for this we were glad we had the gopro, to capture some of our amazing footage.In addition to the incredible sea life, the island was home to the second largest lizard in the world; the monitor lizard. These fascinating prehistoric creatures are around 6 feet long. Everyday we would  see them wandering around the campgrounds lazily looking for food. Although they are pretty docile, if you get too close to them they would swing their tail in defense. Aside from all the wildlife exploring our time was spent; playing Frisbee, collecting beautiful sea shells, lounging in our hammocks, and hiking. All of our days followed a similar routine. We would eat breakfast around 8am, oatmeal or dried fruit. After breakfast we would swim, play frisbee, or snorkel. Around 11:30am the Pattaysia boat would arrive with lunch, and we would join them.From here we would sit on the beach and watch the tourists do their photoshoots. Everyday it was the same scenario; the girl posing a million different ways, and the annoyed boyfriend or husband playing camera man.The photoshoots would end by 1pm, when all the tourists and boats would leave. At this time we would have the island to ourselves, and we would spend a few hours snorkeling. After we would cook an early dinner; pasta, potatoes, or canned chili. Then to help digest our food we would go on an evening hike. Our twenty minute walk down a very long tile path, followed by a steep flight of tile stairs, would bring us to a cliff overlooking the andaman sea. We later found out that the path and stairs were put on the island in 2001, when the first French version of Survivor ,named  "Koh Lanta", was filmed on the island. I thought this was an interesting fact. At the view point we would watch the most beautiful sunsets.Afterwards,we would take our time walking back to camp, stopping along the beach to watch the hermit crabs. Back at camp we would end our night with tea and chocolate bananas cooked over the fire. For seven amazing we followed this routine. During this time we made two friends; Bell and Mark. Bell was a gay thai man from Bangkok, with a great sense of humor and friendly personality. He camped on Ko Rok two of the nights we were there.Mark was a middle age man from Denmark, who smiled a lot and spoke with great passion about traveling. The four of us had some great conversations. Mark told us of some amazing places in Thailand and south east asia that we need to visit, and Bell gave us his cell number and email so we could contact him if we ever need him to translate, or if we plan a trip to Bangkok. Making two new friends on the island was a fun unexpected surprise. One of the many highlights of our trip was seeing the bioluminescence. On our last night at Ko rok we put on our swim suits,grabbed or snorkeling gear, and swam in the water. The experience was magical. Every time we waved our hands, stomped the ground, or moved, blue lights would swirl in the water.It was an incredible sight. I was having so much fun that I couldnt hear the park rangers in their boat, as they politely yelled "excuse me". I was swimming right where they were trying to park their boat. The rangers were nice guys.They were always intrigued by what Ryan and I cooked. They would come over to where we were cooking dinner and look in all of our pots, point at the food, smile, and nod. They didnt speak English, so all communication was through body language. Our dinners were very different from theirs. Every night they would bbq their daily catch. One night they gave Ryan and I bbq squid and tuna, it was incredibly delicious.Our Ko Rok camping experience was remarkable. Everyday it felt like we were playing the role of mermaids under the water, and adventure explorers on land. The setting was relaxing and romantic. It felt like we were on our honeymoon. The entire experience was a dream come true and one I will always remember and cherish forever.

Day 59 Monkey thieves 3/1/14

This morning we woke up and caught a ride to our motorbike. From there we road to the Southern part of the island to get breakfast. We ate at a delicious little cafe, that served amazing omelets. After breakfast we road to the National park at the Southern most tip of the island. The national park was beautiful. There were hiking trails, beaches, a light house, and wild monkeys. Unfortunately our time at the park was limited since we had to return our rented motorbike by mid afternoon. Our first stop was the lighthouse. It was a short walk to the top and well worth it. The view was beautiful,you could see all of Koh Lanta and the Andaman sea. After some great photo ops, we waked down to the beach where we saw adorable monkeys. Within a few minutes of watching them; they stole an orange from a man and a pink glittery wallet from a woman. Luckily, Ryan and I did research on the national park before coming and read the comments about the klepto monkeys, so we were prepared to not carry anything on us. After watching the monkeys we went on a short hike through the jungle. We only had time to go a  portion of the way, before we had to leave the park to return our bike. On our ride back,we stopped at a produce stand and bought; potatoes, onions, bananas, mangoes, and a few bread rolls. From here we rode straight to the rental place next to our hotel and returned the bike. When we got there the guys working inspected the motorbike with a fine tooth comb. They pointed out "scratches, and dents" that were supposedly from us. They didnt speak any English, which made communication almost impossible. We ended up paying them 300 baht for "damages". We reluctantly paid, and left as fast as we could, before they could find anything else to charge us for. The rest of the day was lazily spent on the beach near our hotel. Before bed we packed our things and made sure we were set to go for tomorrow's island adventure.

Day 58 Reggae Party 2/28/14

2/28/14 Reggae Party
 Throughout Koh Lanta were posters advertising a reggae concert on the beach .  We looked up the bands on you tube. There were three reggae bands; two thai and one Malaysian. We decided to rent a motorbike and check it out. The concert didnt start until 8:30pm, so we had all day to ride around and explore the island. Our first stop was the rasta baby bar to buy our tickets for tonight's show. The tickets were only 300 baht. After buying our tickets we got lunch at a restaurant on the beach; veggie sandwiches and smoothies. The food was good and the view was incredible. The beach had beautiful white sand and the water was a beautiful baby blue. From here we rode the motorbike around the island. The ride was gorgeous. We drove through jungle, beach cities, and farm towns. Along the way we stopped in Old Koh Lanta town, which reminded me of a small pirate town. The buildings were wooden and many had piers in the water with small fishing boats. We stopped in a local coffee shop and ordered lattes. After our quick stop we hopped back on the bike and continued our ride. The drive was an easy one. There was one main road that looped around the entire island,and it was well paved. The roads were mostly empty, and the drivers were a lot less aggressive than the drivers in Chiang Mai. We stopped a few times to fill up on gas. There were a few main gas stations, but most gas was sold in glass bottles on the side of the road.  It was an interesting set up. Most of the stops were set up in the front yard of someones house; It looked like little lemonade stands all over the island, with a homemade wooden sign with "gasoline" painted on it. Gas was 40 baht a liter. When the sun set we made our way back to our hotel to drop off our things and change for the Reggae Party. We arrived shortly after 9. There were a few people inside at the bar, but most people were outside. The outdoor area was sectioned off with a green mesh net.There was a stage for the bands, an outdoor bar for coctails, and a large open area for dancing. The first band that played was a Thai reggae band with great instrumentals and voices. Their style of music was a little slow, so most people stayed sitting. In between the first set and the second band, Ryan and I walked down the street to the Mong bar. At the Mong bar, the owner greeted us warmly, recognizing us from the day before. He served us a drink, and told us he would be at the concert later. After we finished we headed back to the Reggae concert just in time for the second set. The next band played happy upbeat music, which brought everyone to the dance floor. The last band was amazing. By the time they got on stage it was almost one in the morning, and the place was packed with Thais and foreigners.  Although we couldnt understand the majority of the lyrics, we could feel the music. Thats the beauty of music, it is a universal language in which everyone can appreciate and feel its power. It was a magical experience, to be on a beautiful beach in Thailand with a melting pot of people from all different cultures, dancing, and enjoying the night together. At the end of the night, we took a walk on the beach under the stars. The water was beautiful; we saw bioluminescence. It felt like we were in Avatar. Every footstep in the sand left behind a trace of blue light.We had fun watching the blue lights. Before we knew it, it was three in the morning and we were exhausted. To be safe we left our motorbike at the venue and caught a tuk tuk ride back to our hotel. The ride was entertaining. About ten minutes into our ride, we came across another tuk tuk full of people. The driver ran out of gas, so we drove him to the nearest gas station and brought him back to his car. The rest of our ride, was loud and crazy. Our driver was blasting music, with neon flashing lights on the roof of the tuk tuk, and he pulled down a screen to play a strange music video of dancing skeletons. The ride was comical. Everyone we passed stared at as in amusement. I felt like we were in Vegas on a party bus or in a strange circus show. When we finally made it back to our hotel, we passed out immediately.

Day 57 Mong Bar 2/27/14

Today we decided to explore the island by bicycle. The long road that stretches from the northern tip to the southern tip of the island made it easy to navigate. We packed a small bag of sunscreen, swimsuits, and towels. The ride was beautiful. We passed many cute communities with beachfront bars and restaurants. Along the way we stopped at a few deserted beaches and took a dip . The weather was perfect; 85-90 degrees with a cool breeze, and almost no humidity.  Although it never felt too hot, we religiously lathered up with sunscreen .Koh Lanta is directly on the equator and the intensity of the sun is very strong. We rode almost to the end of the island. Our last stop was at the Mong bar; a fun, laid back bar, off the side of the road. The place was small and simple, with great vibes. There were hammocks, outdoor lounge chairs, a fire pit, Rasta tapestries, and signs for  magical brownies and shakes for sale. The owner of the bar was a middle aged Thai man. Shirtless and barefoot,  he greeted us with a smile, and asked if we wanted to see elephants on the moon. We laughed and told him we were good with banana smoothies. We sat and enjoyed our smoothies. I asked him if he knew of a place in Koh Lanta where we could camp. He said that we could put up a tent in the field behind the bar. He said he charges backpackers 100 baht a night to camp, and that we could use the bathrooms and shower. Stoked by the cheap price and convenience of his location we told him we would take him up on his offer after we returned from ko rok. After our relaxing break at the Mong bar, we rode back to the bicycle rental shop near our hotel to return our bikes. The ride took forever. On the ride back Ryan's bike decided to break down. The gears weren't working,making a simple ride into a strenuous one. We took turns riding the broken bike until we reached the shop. After returning the bike we went to the beach near our hotel and spent the rest of our day swimming, exploring, eating delicious fruit, and relaxing.