Paradise continued…

The past week or so has been an awesome time. Meeting great people, eating delicious food, and soaking up this gorgeous island. Within just a few days, more tourists have started to arrive here. It’s been interesting to watch the locals prepare for the high season.

I spent three nights at a well-advertised bungalow resort before moving next door to a much more friendly, small, family run resort. I’m so glad I did! I've met and spent some time with some really great people here, including a skiing/snowboarding instructor couple from the UK who chase the snow around the world together, an aspiring writer who is traveling from the UK, and some hilarious Germans who were here on their holiday. Our time has been filled with a lot of laughter, music, and fun. I think one of my favorite parts of traveling so far has been the people - both locals, and other travelers. I only get to spend a short time with each other, but I find myself connecting on some level with a lot of the people I’ve met. Being on the road alone, these connections are like honey to the soul. Here are a few snapshots of our island exploration.

So there’s this bar made completely of drift wood on the beach called the Hippy Bar. The guys there said it’s taken nine years to build and it’s still being added to.

Regina on the slackline

Surfing!. I gave it a shot, but wasn’t able to quite stand up. These guys had much better luck…

Charlie making it look easy...

Didi bringing it in for the night

A beach on the southeast side of the island looking toward the smaller Kham Island

the golden Buddha by the Temple Pier

even Buddha needs a shower

steps down from Buddha. there are monks who live in tiny little huts and take care of the grounds right nearby

another killer sunset

Regina and Didi from Munich - these girls are a hoot!

when the sun goes down... this was pretty much every night :)

Charlie playing a tune

Monkey beach

so clear!

another breathtaking sunset. every night is amazing!

Looking back at our bungalows

Leo’clock: the time at which one begins consumption of one of Thailand’s finest “non-premium” beers

we named this sweet girl Scraggy

Laura and Gaz with Moew - another name we assigned :)

it was great exchanging German and English slang with these two. we covered a multitude of terms - again, mostly inappropriate.

Charlie, Regina, and Didi left a couple of days ago. As always, I am sad to see them go but looking forward to the next leg of the journey. I leave this hidden gem on the 28th to spend one night in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat - a much anticipated site.