Finally!

I think the rule goes that you only find love when you're not looking for it. Well Lauren and I were ready to say goodbye to the beach, head up north for some real thai culture and some more laid back peeps. One morning last week we were in Koh Tao, the diving island and we went to this fantastic bakery for breakfast. Lauren picked up the paper and on the cover was a huge photo of Chiang Mai, completely flooded. We went on to try and research, although noone was very helpful, and realized that we could not possibly go to anywhere in northern se asia right now.

Sometimes when you're traveling the only comfort you have is your immediate plan. When that falls apart it's hard to know how to react. So we decided that we would spend a couple more days on another part of the island and figure out what to do. I couldn't stand being in the town we were at anymore, everyone kept asking me if i was okay caus i quit diving...but I was fine! It got really annoying.

So we got in a Songethew (truck with benches...main form of transport on these islands) and went to the next "beach" over...it was hardly a beach. Then we got another ride up this tiny hill (swindled yet again) and walked down into this weird somewhat surreal beach area that was completely isolated and had about 3 places to stay. On one hand it was really beautiful, especially from the water. On the other it was sooo dirty and I couldn't wait to get out. I could describe it in great detail because it was strange, but i'll move on because that was a week ago.

So we stayed one night and got outta there and decided to go to Koh Phangan...the only island in the gulf we hadn't been to. We avoided it because it's known for the full moon parties and the last thing we wanted was another party spot. The full moon parties are insane, tens of thousands of people, like a giant rave...no thanks. But that happened a week ago and all those people left...so we decided to give it a try.

On the boat we had a really good feeling about it, and as we approached there was even a rainbow coming from the island. We wanted to go to a beach we had read about called bottle beach but we ended up going to this beach right before it called Coconut beach. We couldn't believe it when we got there. Bungalows built on the side of a mountain overlooking the water and forests of palm trees. They are clean, bright, comfortable, and best of all the cheapest place we have stayed. it's about $4/night each! Then we went down to the restaurant and there were a bunch of young travelers hanging out and watching a movie. It was like our own private living room. All of the anxiety and stress we were feeling was gone...

So Coconut beach is definitely a time warp. It is over a mountain where you have to go in a large 4wd truck over a very bumpy unpaved road. There is only electrity from 4-midnight and nothing is around. All you do is relax, swim, snorkel, kayak, and hang out. It attracts the exact kind of people we've been wanting to meet. I think we've almost been there for a week, we can hardly believe it. The weather's been perfect and we are so relaxed. This island is so amazing too. We hiked to this waterfall the other day and went to the top of the mountain to an amazing view. Palm trees, coconut trees, the ocean..it was so great.

Yesterday we had to go to Koh Samui, the largest island where we already spent a week, to get our visas extended. It seemed so crazy and built up there now that we've been here where it's so undeveloped. So now we have to leave the country by halloween. The tenative plan is to go to the other coast tomorrow or the next day to meet up with laurens friend and from there fly to Cambodia. We have reversed the order of our trip so we won't be in the areas that are flooded now until december. That should give plenty of time to clean up the situation. We feel so lucky that there is even a place like this with such good weather in the rainy season.

Hope i didn't make anyone drool too much, I just had to get all this out of my head. I'll try and post photos but can't promise it'll work.

thats all for now.