Thailand II

A few days adjusting to the climate and experiencing their daily life was just what I needed. The dreary chill of Washington and weary routine of work quickly faded from my mind.

Our first spring break destination was Koh Chang, an island off the coast of Thailand a few hours south of Bangkok. To get there we started with a 15 hour train ride from Chaing Mai to Bangkok. When I was 7 we travelled through Europe and took an overnight train through Germany. I remember the steady swaying of the train gently lulling me to sleep. This trip was like a ship on the high seas at times, pitching and bucking in a way that tested your sea legs. Either the journey was actually rockier or I've just gotten old...

Disembarking in Bangkok, we made a beeline for the cafe. (can you disembark a train? Or is that term specific to boats? ...moving on) A 4 hour bus ride lay before us. Even in the comparative cool of the morning my face was already damp with a film of sweat. The combination of suncreen, bug repellent, and sweat makes for an unpleasant sticking coating.

We loaded up in a double-decker bus and wound our way through downtown Bangkok. A little way out of the city the bus started to vibrate in a way that felt like a flat tire. We slowed down and pulled to the side of the road, but kept going in the slow lane. We passed one exit, then another. Either the problem isn't as bad as it sounded or they had a favorite tire place. We finally stopped for our lunch break and they openned up the engine. Out came a chewed up plastic fan and an hour later its replacement arrived to be attached by force, including a good dose of hammering (very reassuring). Then we were back on the road for the remaining 3+ hours to the coast.

<- this is NOT the boat we took.

The ferry ride to Koh Chang is quite similar to Washington ferries. The cars load up on the main deck and there's seating on the upper two levels. It's a smaller ferry, though, and all open air. The view was a little different, too. Deep blue water surrounded us and the islands were covered with lush vegetation.

Once on the island we found a song taew (taew is pronounced like the first part of "towel") to take us to the resort. A song taew is a pick-up truck converted into an open air taxi by adding benches down the sides of the truck bed and putting a roof with a low railing over the top. Luggage is tossed up and strapped to the roof, while passengers settle onto the benches or in the coveted airconditioned seats in the cab of the truck.

I don't believe the island is a volcanic formation. It's more like a mountain of sand covered in vegetation. The road wound up and down along the edge of the island, reducing the passenger-laden song taew to a crawl at times.


We stayed at the Chang Park Resort and Spa (Chang means elephant). The place is beautiful! Not bad for something picked at random on the Internet. An expanse of lawn sprinkled with palm trees stretches between the main building and the pool. A small hedge on the edge of the pool is gradually blocking the otherwise unobstructed view of the beach and ocean. Our bungalow was part of a cluster of huts off to the right.

...to be continued.