Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
We Made It! 36+ hours of travel, woof. Here's a bit of a rundown on our trek from Tanah Rata, Malaysia to Ko Phagnan, Thailand.
17.00 Skep opens up Wrath, Rain, torrents of water. Thunder all around, a bolt of lightning strikes 200m from where we sit. Sound splits the sky.
17.55 Get a lift to bus stop from hostel in a SUV. Rain still pouring down.
18.00 Board BUS to Ipoh. Enter bus one at a time, running from cover to the steps through sheets of water.
19.30 Arrive at Ipoh train station. Weather's dry.
20.10 Find ticket counter. Await counter opening at 21.00.
20.11 Store bags in station master's office.
20.45 Buy 2nd class seats to Hat Yai, Thailand.
21.10 Find food court. Get noodles with chicken. Forced to try fish, still tastes to like the inside of a fish tank.
22.00 Walk around town twice
22.01 Find station bar.
22.05 Nicole and I order beer.
22.15 Andy beat me in pool.
22.30 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
22.45 Andy beats Malayian #2 in pool.
23.00 Andy beats Malayian #3 in pool.
23.02 I used toilet.
23.15 Andy beats Malayian #4 in pool.
23.30 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
23.45 Andy and I team up for a doubles match in pool against Malaysians #1 and #2. Andy sinks 8-ball on 2nd stroke. I admit defeat in pool forever, I just can't win.
00.07 Nicole and I order 2nd round of beers.
00.15 Andy beats Malayian #3 in pool.
00.30 Andy beats Malayian #4 in pool.
00.37 Nicole uses toilet.
00.45 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
01.00 Andy beats Malayian #2 in pool.
01.03 We drag the retired semi professional from the pool table and retrieve our bags.
01.07 Play with the Wiffle Ball.
01.15 TRAIN arrives, we board.
01.25 Nicole and I relax and consume the rest of the whisky and coke (3 glasses total).
01.30-6.30? Sleep as best one can and freeze.
morning at some indeterminate time. Cross border. Watch train leave to refuel.
30 minutes later....Train returns reboard.
12.00 Arrive in Hat Yai.
13.00 Buy tickets on mini bus at 15.00
13.15 Find restaurant. Eat
14.30 Crap my brains out.
15.01 Board MINI BUS to Serat Thani. Driver has serious issues with Le Bete.
20.00 Arrive in Serrat Thani. Dropped off at port.
20.05 Buy tickets for the night ferry to Ko Pha Ngan. Leaves at 23.00
20.30. Find pizza parlour.
20.31 Order beer and large pizzas.
20.45 Gorge.
21.45 Wandered sated back to port.
21.50 Board NIGHT FERRY.
23.00 We leave port
23.30 Pass into a state of dreamless sleep due to total exhaustion and fatigue.
06.00 Arrive in Ko Pha Ngan
06.15 Take TAXI to Hat Rin Beach area.
06.30 Leave Nicole with bags, Andy and I search for cheap rooms.
07.30 Arrive back having found a cheap place.
07.45 WALK back to bungalows
07.52 Rain begins again, we walk through rain as bad as Cameron Highlands (see above).
08.20 Having walked 2 k or so, stagger up from the beach to Rainbow Bungalows.
08.45 Shower
08.50 Sleep
13.00 Awakened by Nicole and Andy.
13.15 Get lunch.
14.20 Inhale.
14.21 Exhale.
Well, that's a rough account of the trip.
17.00 Skep opens up Wrath, Rain, torrents of water. Thunder all around, a bolt of lightning strikes 200m from where we sit. Sound splits the sky.
17.55 Get a lift to bus stop from hostel in a SUV. Rain still pouring down.
18.00 Board BUS to Ipoh. Enter bus one at a time, running from cover to the steps through sheets of water.
19.30 Arrive at Ipoh train station. Weather's dry.
20.10 Find ticket counter. Await counter opening at 21.00.
20.11 Store bags in station master's office.
20.45 Buy 2nd class seats to Hat Yai, Thailand.
21.10 Find food court. Get noodles with chicken. Forced to try fish, still tastes to like the inside of a fish tank.
22.00 Walk around town twice
22.01 Find station bar.
22.05 Nicole and I order beer.
22.15 Andy beat me in pool.
22.30 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
22.45 Andy beats Malayian #2 in pool.
23.00 Andy beats Malayian #3 in pool.
23.02 I used toilet.
23.15 Andy beats Malayian #4 in pool.
23.30 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
23.45 Andy and I team up for a doubles match in pool against Malaysians #1 and #2. Andy sinks 8-ball on 2nd stroke. I admit defeat in pool forever, I just can't win.
00.07 Nicole and I order 2nd round of beers.
00.15 Andy beats Malayian #3 in pool.
00.30 Andy beats Malayian #4 in pool.
00.37 Nicole uses toilet.
00.45 Andy beats Malayian #1 in pool.
01.00 Andy beats Malayian #2 in pool.
01.03 We drag the retired semi professional from the pool table and retrieve our bags.
01.07 Play with the Wiffle Ball.
01.15 TRAIN arrives, we board.
01.25 Nicole and I relax and consume the rest of the whisky and coke (3 glasses total).
01.30-6.30? Sleep as best one can and freeze.
morning at some indeterminate time. Cross border. Watch train leave to refuel.
30 minutes later....Train returns reboard.
12.00 Arrive in Hat Yai.
13.00 Buy tickets on mini bus at 15.00
13.15 Find restaurant. Eat
14.30 Crap my brains out.
15.01 Board MINI BUS to Serat Thani. Driver has serious issues with Le Bete.
20.00 Arrive in Serrat Thani. Dropped off at port.
20.05 Buy tickets for the night ferry to Ko Pha Ngan. Leaves at 23.00
20.30. Find pizza parlour.
20.31 Order beer and large pizzas.
20.45 Gorge.
21.45 Wandered sated back to port.
21.50 Board NIGHT FERRY.
23.00 We leave port
23.30 Pass into a state of dreamless sleep due to total exhaustion and fatigue.
06.00 Arrive in Ko Pha Ngan
06.15 Take TAXI to Hat Rin Beach area.
06.30 Leave Nicole with bags, Andy and I search for cheap rooms.
07.30 Arrive back having found a cheap place.
07.45 WALK back to bungalows
07.52 Rain begins again, we walk through rain as bad as Cameron Highlands (see above).
08.20 Having walked 2 k or so, stagger up from the beach to Rainbow Bungalows.
08.45 Shower
08.50 Sleep
13.00 Awakened by Nicole and Andy.
13.15 Get lunch.
14.20 Inhale.
14.21 Exhale.
Well, that's a rough account of the trip.
posted by Bob Stein at 2:48 AM
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