Today we travelled back to Bangkok, ready for songkran, although we almost didn't make it!
We got up and had planned to get a taxi at 9am, giving us an hour at the ferry port but instead decided to have some breakfast and get one at 9.30 instead. So after eating we found a taxi and asked to go to the pier. The driver helped us into the back and then walked off to have a chat with some nearby shop owner. We sat for 15 minutes, starting to have concerns about missing the ferry when we asked him why we hadn't left. Apparently the taxis are more like buses and only leave on the hour and we should have got the 9am if we wanted to be there before 10.30. He eventually agreed to leave 3 minutes early and after another group getting on we headed off, stopping to pick up more people on the way, including another guy rushing for the same ferry! We eventually arrived at the pier, ran to the ferry and sat down just as the boat pulled away! It was so close!
The ferry only took half an hour this time and on the other side the bus left 15 minutes early, meaning the rest of the journey went quite well, apart from the European girl sat in front of me reclining her chair so far back I had no leg room for the 6 hour bus ride!
We arrived in Bangkok at 6 and headed straight to the d&d and the nicest room we have had in a while! Our first stop in Bangkok was the Lompraya offices to book our ferry to Koh Tao, which we are glad we did as they are closed over the whole of songkran. We then had some food a couple of buckets at chart and then headed to bed.