Back to Bangkok (Nov. 17, 2014)

Today I woke up at 5:00 am to pack up my stuff and head to the boat. It left the pier at 6:00 am, but was just down the street, so I didn’t need to rush. It was sad to walk through the Crystal Dive Resort, on my way out but I think I’ll be back. It was such a great experience. I stopped at 7/11 to buy a yogurt and some crackers for my trip then made my way down to the pier. It was so quiet, and the only thing I heard in the streets were the roosters who were crowing back and forth to each other.

Once everyone loaded the boat, we were off. I took the Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran again, but this time, the water was super bumpy. We would surf way up a wave, then drop down again to water level, and continue in this fashion. It felt like a ride at the Ex. Soon into the trip, I decided to take a preventative Gravol pill just in case. I didn’t have a nauseous tummy, but figured I might pretty soon. Well, either I took the Gravol in good time, or I didn’t feel seasick, because nothing of any issue transpired. The crew walked through the cabin very early into the trip, handing out little black plastic bags, though, as I guess with rough water such as it was, many people got sick. I don’t know if anyone did get seasick, but if so, they weren't around me, which was great. The trip took about three hours because we stopped at a couple of other islands, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, to drop off and pick up passengers.

Finally we arrived at Surat Thani pier and disembarked from the boat, where a bus to the airport was waiting for us. I climbed up to the top level and promptly fell asleep for most of the two hour ride. It was nice and cool, and not very bumpy or windy so a nice trip. I guess the Gravol made me tired, but it was ok, as I just needed to kill time anyway. The buses are very comfortable and two stories tall.

Bus that I took to get from the pier to the airport

I arrived at Surat Thani International Airport, and did a self check-in at one of the Air Asia kiosks to get my boarding pass. It is great travelling with only carry on luggage. Then I found a cute little coffee bar and sat down to have a cappuccino and check my email, before it was time to board for Bangkok. The coffee place was really sweet, with free WiFi, a TV, and comfy little tables to sit at and chill. They had some yummy looking treats as well, but I wasn’t hungry.

View of Surat Thani Airport

Me, airport bathroom coming back to Bangkok

Coffee shop in airport

Treats at coffee shop

Cappuccino

Air Asia Check-in Counter

                   

   

Surat Thani International Airport from the plane

The flight to Don Meuang Airport in Bangkok was good. It was about an hour, and I was able to catch the A1 bus on the lower level, which took me to Mo Chit Skytrain station. From there I just took the SkyTrain to Sala Daeng station and walked to my hostel. It was good to see the city and though a little bit warmer here, the food, action and vibe of Bangkok is exciting. 

A cool restaurant that I saw from the Skytrain platform

I didn’t do too much else after getting my stuff put away and chatting with Ian, the guy who works in the iDeer Hostel. He’s the one that suggested I try taking the Dive Courses, as he did, because it was fantastic. He was so right, and was excited to hear about my adventures and how much I loved it.

Later on, I walked over to Soi 8 where I have been before, and came across a street food stand where they were barbecuing chicken livers on skewers. I asked how long until they were ready, and went to sit and people watch while I was waiting for them to be done. I picked them up, and came back to the hostel to munch out. They were so tender and cooked perfectly, with a sweet spicy sauce that the girl gave me, in a little bag. What a great dinner. Sorry, no pics, they seemed to have disappeared before the camera found its way out of my purse. Oh well, I’ll just have to get some more for the sole purpose of taking a photo…..lol.

I think I might go to a Snake Farm tomorrow, that I saw on TripAdvisor. It’s within walking distance from me, and looks really interesting. They handle and work with a variety of snakes that you can watch being fed and listen to information about the snakes, from the handlers. It looks like a cool thing to do, so I think I will go and check it out. I have to say, the WiFi here is so much better than in Koh Tao. Not that it's a deal breaker, but posting my blog with the pics is super speedy! Have a good day all, or a good night if you're reading this later on.