We're Fixin To Take This Hootinanny to Another Barn

This is the last blog entry on our Asia trip. Please refrain from crying. After our awesome snorkeling boat trip through the Similan Islands, we spent one rainy day on the mainland and decided to head back out asap to another island chain north of the Similans called the Surin Islands. We don't have any pictures to add because of camera issues that forced us to buy a disposable underwater one. Hopefully we can get those on cd and treat you shortly. After all the people we met who have been really nice to email us some of their pictures along the way (mostly European/Asian/Australian save the Boulder group in Chiang Mai--hoo rah), we didn't meet anyone who took an abundance of digital pictures at the Surin Islands. Besides day travelers and a few campers, the "island hippies," or folks who somehow find a way to sustain themselves while living in arguably the most beautiful, primitive yet habitable set of islands this side of the Mississippi (which side is up to you), are the camera-less people we got to know. Alas, I can use my skilled, Tom Robbins-esque prose to paint you readers a picture of the paradise where we left our pale skin and work ethic for the reef sharks to feast.

The only way to reach the Surin Islands is by speed boat which normally takes an hour unless you're battling the two meter swells that claimed the excited smiles of half the snorkelers on board within twenty minutes. We took it surprisingly well considering my history with seasickness...nasty. Anyway, two bumpy hours later we arrived at our first snorkel spot filled with coral gardens that rolled and peaked and fanned with about every color possible, and under these corals were usually a grouper or two, a box fish, a puffer fish, a moray eel, giant clams, lobsters, or Nemo, or all of them together. I saw two reef sharks, one on each of the first two dives, from a distance further than at the Similan Islands where two meters between you and a shark is going to ruin your breath holding even if they don't have huge teeth. Our underwater digital couldn't hack it with the sharks, so you'll just have to believe me. They were HUGE adolescent sharks...

Everyone saw a banded sea snake except for me. I'm not terribly upset about that except that I have FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out, disorder (as quoted by the Boulder folk Vicky) when it comes to seeing things in the ocean. Banded sea snakes can kill you in about five minutes if you get bit between the fingers, toes, or ear lobe. The Thai guys said they would just start digging a hole for me if I encountered one. Speaking of snakes, we were having a birthday celebration with some British guys while playing Whist with a Twist and came about two feet from stepping on a 3.5 meter python. For those of you who don't speak metric system, that's 11.5 feet. Enough to take me down as an appetizer.

Julia and I did about 8 snorkel trips on the local longtail boats. We started out planning to stay at the Surins for three days and two nights, but after one day we knew it was too awesome to leave in under five days. That happens to some folks, the island hippies, who, ten years later, are still addicted to the islands and think there are still places to see and animals to find underwater. It ended up being cheaper to stay there in our tent on a peninsula waking up to clear water, a long white sand beach in the middle of a bay surrounded by monkey, snake, eagle-inhabiting jungles than it was to stay on the mainland of Khao Lak with a half decent beach and overpriced bungalows. However, if you are going to either the Similans or the Surin Islands, you leave for both places from Khao Lak and you should stay at the Happy Lagoon Bungalows.

After five days of snorkeling all day and eating too much curry and fish, we had to leave. But we befriended the local Thai guys who kept us entertained with an amateur fire show or two and constant jokes and smiles. I HIGHLY suggest going to the Surin Islands if you are looking for a slightly low-budget getaway and have any interest in snorkeling or diving.

We're back in loud Bangkok now getting ready for the flight tomorrow, which will officially end our Asia Adventure. This has been the greatest trip and most rewarding experience I've ever had, especially with such an incredibly responsible, fun, and adventurous traveling partner without whom I'd probably still be looking for half of my lost items. I'm looking forward to getting back to the States but it will most likely be like taking a jack hammer to my stomach trying to adjust back to American food during Thanksgiving. It will be worth it. I love cranberry sauce. I dream about it. And oysters....and turkey.....and stuffing.....and ham... and post Thanksgiving sammiches....

Goodbye Asia. You have taken my wallet, three cameras, my ipod, Julia's ipod, my driver's license (why did I have that anyway??), Harry Potter 7, an inflatable pillow, a dry bag, countless umbrellas, and a large quantity of blood via mosquitoes, but you gave us the best memories, introduced us to the coolest of cool people and spared us Dengue fever. Thank you and goodnight.