As the first monthly three day weekend approached I was only too eager to use the extra day to go on an excursion. Some friends said they were going to Koh Chang, an island off the northeastern coast in the Gulf of Thailand, so I jumped on board! It was quite a trek for a long weekend but I’m no stranger to outlandish travel plans (my days have been full of long road trips). So I set off as soon as school ended on Friday and had a ticket for an overnight return bus that arrived back home an hour before school started on Tuesday (making the most of my weekend for sure).
The last leg of the journey was the ferry to the island. I love the ferry, simply because I adore being on the water but also because it reminds me of summers as a kid riding the three ferries it took to get to my Nana and Papa’s house on Long Island. As we approached the island I realized how mountainous and covered in dense jungle it was. This was even more apparent during the songtaow ride on the treacherous road from the ferry to the beach where our hostel was. There were switchbacks and some scarily steep hills. It was a thrilling ride for sure and I couldn’t imagine it on a motorbike (even though they were speeding past us).
I love the way an island is its own little world. You can feel the sense of community that exists and spot the locals from their familiar interactions. Likewise, it is clear that I’m an outsider and that part of this world is geared towards me and other visitors. Yet a community forms within the visitors as well, the friendly vibe just seeps into everything and everyone. The weekend was full of this juxtaposition and so much fun!
Saturday night as all my friends met up and began to party it was also raining off and on, but I was loving watching the occasional bursts of lightening. We played fusball, met an awesome traveling couple, danced our hearts out and then I topped the night off by dropping my phone in the pool (I jumped in and rescued it in my pajamas). It seemed fitting that while on an island I would also be isolated from all communication. The next day I put my phone out of my mind(and in a bag of rice) and spent the day at the beach. After a fantastic American breakfast while watching the Patriots kick butt in their first playoff game all I wanted to do was relax. The beach was beautiful and the water was pristine. We lounged on the sand and I didn’t even come out of the water when my fingers got pruney. Later we watched the sunset and enjoyed each other’s company by the pool, dreading the morning that meant we would leave the island and go our separate ways again.
Once again, my getaway in Thailand felt like paradise and I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to experience this world and all the beauty and vitality it has to offer.
The Voyager 