...Loving the travelling life. Haad Salad - Ghost Town...

I'm actually traveling, sort of dawned on me this morning. I guess its where I've started moving from one place to the other. I still find it hard to believe I'm actually doing it. However, I still can't fathom the length of time I'm going to be away. Firstly, because this part of the trip feels like a holiday and secondly, I'm enjoying living each day as it comes so much.

Its fantastic I can do whatever I want to do and don't have to live by anyone elses plans or timetable except for transport but thats not a problem as it means I'm going onto another adventure. I can get up when I want, if I want I can read after breakfast I can, if I'd like to go for a wander I can just go and explore. Its great I don't have to wait for anyone, I don't have to chase anyone up, I don't have to hang around and I don't have to over compromise. Its lovely.

However, travelling by yourself does test you, can raise issues you wouldn't have if you were with someone else, forces you to go out and meet people (which isn't as easy as I thought it would be) and most of all at time you have to be very emotionally strong. Today was a day that realy highlighted this.

I headed over to Koh Pha Ngan and contrary to the information I found Haad Salad was a ghost town. Beautiful beaches and a gorgeous hut (shame about the neighbouring builders) but no one and nothing was there. Tried my best to make a go of it but the Thia people up there are not very nice; because they've got a captive audience they make no effort, charge more in shops and take the rise out of the tourists.

To be honest with you this part of the trip is not how I expected it to be. The places in Thailand I've been to are more touristy than I thought - not the untouched, friendly country I was hoping for. After a pretty lonely evening I decided to re-pack (shame as it was the first time I had settled in a room properly) and head down to Haad Rin tomorrow (where the Full Moon Party is held) to try and find a room there. One of the main reasons why I decided to this was becasue they stop running taxis from here at 8pm unless you want to pay through the nose for one. Not a problem if you can split the cost but on my own and no one else wanting to go to Haad Rin its pretty expensive (in Thai terms). Price of independence I guess.

Nicest things to happen to day were the sweet Thai teenage girl who came wanted to play connect 4 with me whilst I had my lunch and the gorgeous homemade ice cream I had, it was amazing, yum yum!

Photo: Haad Salad beach

[Next blog entry: Koh Pha Ngan Wednesday June 27th 2007]