Island fever

I’m writing this on a train again. I sure like to write on trains.
I’m on the sleeper train that runs from Hat Yai in Thailand to
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We already passed through immigration,
and now it’s only 10 hours to KL!

Well I don’t have much to report other than that in 2 days I’ll
be back home. I think I’m excited. But then I also worry that
within a couple of days it’ll be like I never left, and everything
will start to fade into something I once did. I don’t like that
feeling so much, so no doubt within a week I’ll be making plans
for the next trip. I’m happy when I’m planning.

So anyways, after leaving Bangkok I headed for Koh Phangan
because I thought I wanted a beach holiday. I aimed for some
beach way up on the north east coast, and boy was it far out.
And I mean that in every sense of the word. I mean, it was the
perfect picture of island paradise, yet the lack of proper roads
meant I couldn't hire a motorbike and explore. So I was pretty
much stranded at the bungalow resort place until it was time to
leave.

So despite it being the most beautiful place I've ever been,
I got completely bored within about 5 hours of arriving.
But I stuck it out for a few nights, mainly because it was
stunning and deserted and the food was delicious. I don't
think I've ever been more desperate to escape a place though;
I always thought I'd love being stuck on a desert island, but
I've defo changed my mind!

Then I decided to make a plan, which consisted of; go to a
detox spa. SO I headed back to Samui, stayed a few nights in
a bungalow by the beach, then checked in to Spa Samui, where
I did a 3 ½ day fast, complete with colemas. It was quite good
actually, and I wish I’d done the 7 day one instead, but it
was way too expensive.

When I went to check out, they only charged me for accommodation.
I took my time paying it, packing my purse away, flicking through
free book they gave me, asking if I was done, and walked out
without paying for the actual detox. That 170 quid is better off
in my sorry looking bank account anyway.

The stupidest thing was, I'd already checked into a cheap
bungalow literally right next door to the spa, and as I left
I told them I didn't need a taxi as I was only walking next
door. So I spent the next 4 nights in a constant state of panic
that they would come knocking on my door!

I spent most of those 4 days driving around on my motorbike,
as it was ridiculously hot and my room had no aircon and
only the lamest fan you ever did see. So the only way of actually
keeping cool was to stay out in the sun all day getting windswept
on the bike! I did a bit of exploring and chased a few sunsets,
and ate tonnes of delicious sweetcorn with salt and butter from
various markets.

Then I got the ferry to Suratthani, a bus to Hat Yai, where I spent
a boringish evening wandering around the town, eating sticky rice
and mango and drinking endless coconuts in an attempt to not die in
the heat.

And now I'm here. I have one night in KL, then a flight back to
England on Thursday! I get the weekend at home, then I'm off to
Longleat safari park, and onto Pembrokeshire with my parents on
Tuesday. And then, finally, I need to get a job!