We got to the Ko Tao Ferry fairly smoothly, but about 1 minute into the boat ride we noticed it was really rough water, huge swells, the boat was back and forth the whole way. So for the next 2 hours we hung on and tried to watch the horizon, but nothing was going to help. I never threw up but felt sick but many people were, Ray was even a bit queazy. When we arrived we tried t find a scooter, or anything, and almost everything was sold out, we got a shitty bike but at least we got one. We made our way down to a different spot( Sairee Beach) than the last time we visited, and found very little available and all very pricey. Welcome to the tourist season once again, everything was way more money than our last visit to Thailand.
We found a place, pretty dumpy but a place nontheless. The next morning we ate, then I wasn't feeling very good, ended up in bed all day with a fever, Ray was a very good nurse, you would be proud Al. We took it easy that day, but went and found a better place to stay, with aircon for me. This took me awhile to kick at least over a week after this first day, but slowly it got better.
The next day we took a scary scooter ride out to our last favorite snorkel spot, out at Blacktip Dive Resort. As soon as we arrived the waves looked rough again. Obviously March/April is calmer and cleaner, the water was full of garbage and it was hard to stay afloat, more work to swim out and in. Sort of disapointed but we made our way back to the main part of the island again and tried to find the bouldering company in town. We did but they had no mats, but gave us an idea of where to go and to go check it out befor we rented the mat. The area we looked at was really beautiful, called the Secret Garden. Ray tried a couple befor we rented the boulder mat, they were pretty tough. It's tough work in warm weather and we need to get alot better at bouldering.
We decided after a couple days in that we were not as happy with Koh Tao as the first visit and wanted to remember it the way it was the first time. Quieter, cleaner, and less expensive, so much building has happened there and it is so busy now. Still nice, but not the same feel, so we decide to make our way to Bangkok to decide the next move, which is really up in the air. The boat ride back was not as bad, but the long ride to Bangkok on a stinky, semi-airconditioned bus began. We left at 10:15 'ish and arrived in Bangkok at 9pm. Grabbed a taxi and headed out of Kho San Road toward our Dream Hotel. We missed this place, it is stil very nice, showing a bit of wear but still so great.
We spend the next 4 days, sleeping, eating, shopping, going to movies, researching on the internet and just chill'in in Bangkok. Sorry dad still can't find " Lucy's Tiger Den", though it is our running joke to find it when we get here everytime. We always have one eye out for it just to see if it's true and still exists.
Ray wanted to finish his tattoo with "One" the guy who did his and mine the last time in Thailand so we book a trip to Ko Chang for a couple days and just bring the daypack as we will return to Bangkok after this. So far so good, another fairly long day but much smoother than alot we have done, we are settled in to a new Bungalow and will start his Tattoo work hopefully tomorrow. This island is still nice, was pretty basic befor especially around Lonely Beach but it has improved for the better, bit more here now, and it will be even better in like a year or two I think, and cheap finally!!!!!!! 150 Baht for dinner last night which is like $4 Canadian for both of us.
