A Trip to an Island Like Paradise and then some cool Ancient Ruins
Hey Everyone
So this weekend was really fun. On Friday after class I got all packed up and went with everyone to go get some taxis. We all needed a ride down to Bangkok and one of the bus stations there. We eventually found two taxis willing to take us so we all hopped in-----
then we realized that my car, along with another guy and 2 girls (one of whom is Alex from the Bres, you might know her), had no one with a map or anything and that only the taxi driver knew where to go. Great. Then we realized that our lady was not the man pictured on the taxi license near the steering wheel. Wow, another great event. That however is not uncommon in Thailand. Yet, when the lady started driving Alex pointed out that she obviously had no clue as to how to drive a taxi,especially a taxi that was a stick. Anyways...Alex basically called every issue that happened. Soon the car smelt like burning...the belt was burning. Then Alex said that the car would stall as soon as she came to a complete stop...we soon got off the road because the taxi driver knew something was happening too. We came to a stop and soon enough...bam...stalled. And then we hailed another taxi and our first taxi driver told him where to take, at least we were hoping! (That all could have been averted if we could have explained to the first taxi driver how to drive a taxi !).
Then we went with our next driver and that was kind of fun. You know...traffic and stuff.
Then we met up with everyone at the station and it was PACKED. So many people and stuff...and like a hundred buses. We eventually found ours and boarded. Getting ready for our 12 hour bus ride to Koh Samui. The night was uneventful and I was in light sleep for most of it.
The next morning we awoke to mountains and ocean...then we came to Donsak Port and took an hour and a half ferry to the beautiful island. We got in a taxi and looked for hotels FOREVER. I got so angry that I told everyone if we did not get a hotel, because every hotel we looked at was essentially the same, I would sleep on the beach! haha...i know I get angry. Anyways they eventually picked one ( and yes it was the first one we looked at!)
Then another girl and I went into town to try and buy bus tickets for the return journey...we were leaving eearly so we could do something with the kids that stayed in bangkok on monday. Soooo to make a long story short...we got lost...andlost some more...but finally found a travel agency and bought a ticket. It was kind of fishy...but we were going on faith.
THen back to the amazing beach to lay out and swim for a couple of hours. Made some friends with some Finnish kids and just chilled. Then we all got showered and went out to eat. WE went to an Italian-Thai restaraunt. It was great to have some familiar food...not as good as my moms of course. Then the eight of us went out for the night because there were bars and clubs everywhere.
The next morning woke up at six and went to the beach. Jogged for a bit and then layed out. Got a massage for an hour from a local lady and it was on the beach. It was GREAT. Then feeling very relaxed showered, and checked out. Then went shopping for a bit. Then me and 2 others went to the bus station to board.
We boarded a rickety old bus and took it to the ferry. We were all going on faith here, we could have ended up in China for all we knew! haha. Then we took the ferry across and almost got peed on by a baby. The parents found it very funny. lol...!
Then we boarded the next bus. Now we knew we had to stop in another city but we were not sure if it was going to be a switch of the buses. We drive for about an hour and end up in Surrathani...one of the workers points to me and my two friends and motions for us to get off. The bus is still moving. So then don't look at him hoping it was a misunderstanding. Then he keeps motioning! We eventually come to a stop and we get off...going into a travel agency.
They tell us our bus will be there in about and hour. This was all so weird. Then a German girl, who had been on our last bus, gets to the place and we think it must be legit. Also we are all wearing name tags...we have no clue what they say because they are in Thai! We think they say "I payed and I dont speak Thai, so PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME" haha. Then we eventually get on our bus...but there are only like 8 of us.
There are us 3 Americans, 1 French Guy, 2 Norwegians, and 3 Germans. I told everyone that we are definately going to be ransomed. But, at the same time we were acutally able to sleep because we all had two seats to ourselves. The bus ride was ok and we did end up in bangkok at 7 the next morning!
Then we taxied over to teh apartments and woke everyone up who had stayed. Then we all went over to the Ancient city of Ayudhya or Ayuthaya (everything has a million english spellings in Thailand) and we toured that place. Saw some ruins and elephants and all that fun stuff. Got a lotta cool pictures to show everyone.
Then we bused back to the Nowanakhon area...but sadly no taxi driver would take us for less than 100 Baht or about $2.15. We had only payed 60 baht to get to the same area. THIS ENRAGED us and they were breaking the law because we demanded the meter and they would not do it. Anyways, we all banded together and stood as testament to the great American resolve to never suffer such injustice. It was about 4 miles or 6ish km to get back...WE WOULD WALK
haha
So we walked a bit and a taxi came and then we took it and he used the meter and it was 61 baht.
God Bless America and the values about never paying more than you should.
Haha fun weekend.
Hope all is well with everyone...write my email about how you are doing!
Seeya
So this weekend was really fun. On Friday after class I got all packed up and went with everyone to go get some taxis. We all needed a ride down to Bangkok and one of the bus stations there. We eventually found two taxis willing to take us so we all hopped in-----
then we realized that my car, along with another guy and 2 girls (one of whom is Alex from the Bres, you might know her), had no one with a map or anything and that only the taxi driver knew where to go. Great. Then we realized that our lady was not the man pictured on the taxi license near the steering wheel. Wow, another great event. That however is not uncommon in Thailand. Yet, when the lady started driving Alex pointed out that she obviously had no clue as to how to drive a taxi,especially a taxi that was a stick. Anyways...Alex basically called every issue that happened. Soon the car smelt like burning...the belt was burning. Then Alex said that the car would stall as soon as she came to a complete stop...we soon got off the road because the taxi driver knew something was happening too. We came to a stop and soon enough...bam...stalled. And then we hailed another taxi and our first taxi driver told him where to take, at least we were hoping! (That all could have been averted if we could have explained to the first taxi driver how to drive a taxi !).
Then we went with our next driver and that was kind of fun. You know...traffic and stuff.
Then we met up with everyone at the station and it was PACKED. So many people and stuff...and like a hundred buses. We eventually found ours and boarded. Getting ready for our 12 hour bus ride to Koh Samui. The night was uneventful and I was in light sleep for most of it.
The next morning we awoke to mountains and ocean...then we came to Donsak Port and took an hour and a half ferry to the beautiful island. We got in a taxi and looked for hotels FOREVER. I got so angry that I told everyone if we did not get a hotel, because every hotel we looked at was essentially the same, I would sleep on the beach! haha...i know I get angry. Anyways they eventually picked one ( and yes it was the first one we looked at!)
Then another girl and I went into town to try and buy bus tickets for the return journey...we were leaving eearly so we could do something with the kids that stayed in bangkok on monday. Soooo to make a long story short...we got lost...andlost some more...but finally found a travel agency and bought a ticket. It was kind of fishy...but we were going on faith.
THen back to the amazing beach to lay out and swim for a couple of hours. Made some friends with some Finnish kids and just chilled. Then we all got showered and went out to eat. WE went to an Italian-Thai restaraunt. It was great to have some familiar food...not as good as my moms of course. Then the eight of us went out for the night because there were bars and clubs everywhere.
The next morning woke up at six and went to the beach. Jogged for a bit and then layed out. Got a massage for an hour from a local lady and it was on the beach. It was GREAT. Then feeling very relaxed showered, and checked out. Then went shopping for a bit. Then me and 2 others went to the bus station to board.
We boarded a rickety old bus and took it to the ferry. We were all going on faith here, we could have ended up in China for all we knew! haha. Then we took the ferry across and almost got peed on by a baby. The parents found it very funny. lol...!
Then we boarded the next bus. Now we knew we had to stop in another city but we were not sure if it was going to be a switch of the buses. We drive for about an hour and end up in Surrathani...one of the workers points to me and my two friends and motions for us to get off. The bus is still moving. So then don't look at him hoping it was a misunderstanding. Then he keeps motioning! We eventually come to a stop and we get off...going into a travel agency.
They tell us our bus will be there in about and hour. This was all so weird. Then a German girl, who had been on our last bus, gets to the place and we think it must be legit. Also we are all wearing name tags...we have no clue what they say because they are in Thai! We think they say "I payed and I dont speak Thai, so PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME" haha. Then we eventually get on our bus...but there are only like 8 of us.
There are us 3 Americans, 1 French Guy, 2 Norwegians, and 3 Germans. I told everyone that we are definately going to be ransomed. But, at the same time we were acutally able to sleep because we all had two seats to ourselves. The bus ride was ok and we did end up in bangkok at 7 the next morning!
Then we taxied over to teh apartments and woke everyone up who had stayed. Then we all went over to the Ancient city of Ayudhya or Ayuthaya (everything has a million english spellings in Thailand) and we toured that place. Saw some ruins and elephants and all that fun stuff. Got a lotta cool pictures to show everyone.
Then we bused back to the Nowanakhon area...but sadly no taxi driver would take us for less than 100 Baht or about $2.15. We had only payed 60 baht to get to the same area. THIS ENRAGED us and they were breaking the law because we demanded the meter and they would not do it. Anyways, we all banded together and stood as testament to the great American resolve to never suffer such injustice. It was about 4 miles or 6ish km to get back...WE WOULD WALK
haha
So we walked a bit and a taxi came and then we took it and he used the meter and it was 61 baht.
God Bless America and the values about never paying more than you should.
Haha fun weekend.
Hope all is well with everyone...write my email about how you are doing!
Seeya