The Turtle Island

The day started out nicely by a rendezvous with Tilmann at Koh San Road. How weird it feels to see a familiar face so far away from home. Together with his travel companion, Devin, we had some good Thai lunch at which we chatted about life in Hongkong, and travels through Thailand, which involved a long bamboo bong and a neck-ring wearing refugee tribe from Burma. While I had some plans for the afternoon (4 of the main sights), everything was closed when I was done setting up this blog. I ended up finding a useful map of Bangkok, though, so I am prepared for my return. I realized that Bangkok is too big of a city to be really manageable without some concrete ideas of what to do and without a good plan to carry out.

So I decided to head straight to Koh Tao where I have the very concrete plan of doing a diving course. Unfortunately the train I meant to take was fully booked (as were all those going to Chumpuh, the place where the ferry leaves), so I ended up taking a bus.

The Bus ride was as comfortable as you can expect a 8 hour bus ride to be that starts at 7 and ends at 3 in the morning. I didn’t get any sleep, partly due to the exquisite selection of films that I was allowed to watch (both starred Sylvester Stallone – ‘nough said?). The time between 3 and 7 when our ferry left I spend with some French people playing card games. In the end I was rewarded with million-dollar shots (although money certainly cannot valuate them) of the sun-rise over some islands off the coast.

Once I got to the island immediately rented a scooter, which is pretty much the only reliable transportation on Koh Tao. Two French girls recommended me a superb hostel in a cute little bay, which is not only much more private but also much cheaper than the rest of the island. Given these facts I might actually be able to afford the diving course that I have planned for tomorrow.

In the afternoon I went around the island visiting countless bays. After a few my camera’s battery died I ended up exploring the hidden parts of the island. My favorite spot remained unrecorded and consisted of a deserted bungalow complex which I arrived by a totally overgrown path through the woods. Constantly expecting the owner to show up I managed to sit down and read a book in a fantastic atmosphere (the surf breaking on the rocks below and the crickets chirping like an orchestra). One of those rare moments when you feel like you had an infinite amount of time to do anything you want.

However to give you an idea of the beauties that I encountered, here are some photographs I took on the way.