I picked a winner!

I've definitely found my favourite Island. Koh Tao seems to have the perfect balance of peace and partying. It is somewhere in between party island Phi Phi and insanely chilled Lanta.I feel like there's something for everyone here.

Shortly after my last update in Koh Lanta, I departed, seeking the next sunny destination. It cost lots of money to get to Koh Tao, but I'd heard such great things, I decided to just go for it.
It turns out the trip was well worth the money. I ended up travelling from 11:30am, Thursday morning, until 6:30am Friday morning. Taking two buses and a night boat, waiting hour upon hour in overly-priced, conveniently-placed transfer points.

I had been away from civilisation for about four days, in a paradise prison, where you couldn't really leave the resort on foot, without some serious walking shoes and stamina, since there seemed to be nothing within about 5km of the resort. In this heat, I decided staying in and around the resort, dipping in the resort swimming pool and turquoise sea, sounded like a nicer idea.So, with that being said, it was nice to see lots of people again and re-visit my small talk skills, which have improved massively here, by the way. What I love about traveling and meeting new people is that, no matter how many times you ask the same questions; "How long have you been in Thailand for?", "Where are you going after Thailand?",  "How long are you traveling for?", "Where are you from?", "What do you do back home?" - you always get a fresh set of answers and thus a completely different conversation sparks. Sometimes you find common ground with so many people you didn't expect to have anything in common with. Fabulous.

I digress.. as usual.
So, I arrive in Koh Tao, after what I had expected to be a rough nights sleep on a night boat, that, at first glance, looked like some sort of military base (see the picture below - left). Actually, it turned out to be the best sleep I have ever had on any mode of transport. So I arrived, pretty chirpy and ready for my next island experience.

Me, a Belgian couple and a Japanese girl, Hiromi, all of whom I met at some stage during that 19 hour journey, were instantly bombarded by reps from different dive schools and resorts. This is annoying, particularly when you've only just opened your eyes, you're starting to heat up and sweat again and you're busy trying to heave your luggage on to your back.. but usually they up being very useful. Especially if you're like me and never have a bloody clue about where you will be staying at your next destination.
I had been warming up to the idea of giving scuba diving a try. "Why?" you ask, well, yes, good question. I have a terrible fear of deep water and I'm not a strong swimmer.. very far from it. However, Koh Tao is known for it's diving. It's cheaper than anywhere else in the world and I had heard great things from people I'd met along the way, who also were very nervous about the idea.

Hiromi came here for diving too, so we decided to go to New Way Diving and stay in a guesthouse next door that offered deals on accommodation when doing a diving course. I signed up to do a DSD day course - "Discover Scuba Diving". The next day, I went down to sign the paperwork, get a short brief on the health and safety (which did not ease my mind, let me tell you. I have never seen the word "death" written on a piece of paper that many times in my life) and get sized up for the diving equipment.

The first dive went well. My ears seemed to give me some trouble, but I just thought it was normal, so I powered through for half an hour, looking at the amazing corals and underwater wildlife. Beautiful. Turns out, on my first dive I only went under about four, maybe four and a half metres. After returning to the boat, having a cigarette to calm me down (while it was a beautiful experience, I don't think I will ever feel comfortable with depending on plastic devices for survival) and some watermelon, we went back in the water for round two. My ears started hurting around five metres, but I really wanted to go down further. I was wrong to do so.. I got down to six and a half metres and my head felt like it was going to pop and my ears felt like they would explode any second. My instructor took me up to three metres to try and equalise again, but despite using all the correct techniques, nothing was happening. We surfaced, then tried once more. I got down to four metres this time and my ears felt like we were at six and a half again. I was in agony and started almost hyperventilating (which, by the way, does not feel good when you have only a regulator supplying you with oxygen!) so I had to be taken to the boat and couldn't finish my second dive.
Irritating, but at least I gave it a shot. I used to have sinus issues as a child and I get pretty bad headaches nowadays due to dodgy sinuses, so I was expecting it to be a little harder for me to equalise anyway. But it turns out, underwater is a totally no-go area for me below about two metres!
Regardless, I am glad I experienced it, the corals and fish were gorgeous to see, but I'll stick with snorkeling from now on!

Apart from that, I've been out drinking with new-found island friends and lazing around on the beach some more. I did yoga by the beach this morning (it was so hot, it felt like the Bicrum Yoga I did in Hungary!). I saw a little queue of ladies dressed as if they were going to the gym, so obviously I had to check it out. I've neglected exercise for long enough. I am glad to be doing it again (even if it is a travel workout consisting of water bottles and my packed 11k backpack!) and eating healthily again, even though eating healthily is something that I find extremely difficult (and boring) to do in Thailand. All the Thai food is fried (not to mention delicious) and their corner shops sell cakes, crisps and not much else!

I went out and booked my bus and boat trip (dear god, not again) to Bangkok. I leave tomorrow afternoon and expect to arrive in the city early on Tuesday morning. Yay. I cannot contain my excitement.
On the plus side, I am returning to Nong Khai, hopefully via sleeper train, on Thursday morning, to revisit all of my lovely friends there and to celebrate my 21st birthday on the Friday. Mummy has sent me a surprise package that I have promised to open on Skype to her :)

I am sad to be leaving this little piece of heaven, but alas, it is too expensive down here and I need to last a little longer in Thailand. I'm not ready to leave just yet! Get me back to Nong Khai prices. I just wish Nong Khai had a beach!
Looking forward to a Koh Tao pub crawl this evening with the divers. Should be a good end to my stay and I'll be nice and refreshed (ahem) for my long bus journey tomorrow ;)

Peace in Koh Lanta.

Too many boats over rough seas!! I've been to two different Islands since I last posted. Crazy, right? I was in Koh Phi Phi for a grand total of two days (not because I didn't like the place - it's the most expensive Island and I gotta see some more of the world!) and then jumped on another hour and a half boat to Koh Lanta, where I am now. I'm in another gorgeous Bungalow for half the price, situated about ten metres from the resort pool and twenty metres from the beach. I wish I could spend more time on the beach, but currently, there's about 8 foot of wet sand before you reach the sea, due to the rainy season.

Check the view from outside my door -->

Had an amazing time in Phi Phi, though it wasn't as chilled out as I was expecting. Much more partying than chilling at night from what I could hear on my first night there, when I remained in my guesthouse and skyped my family! On my second day in Phi Phi, I went on a boat tour of the Island, stopping off snorkeling and kayaking to little beaches and caves. It was really an experience. Unfortunately, my pictures are scarce, because rainy season did not halt just for me. It rained every hour or so on the trip, so everything was constantly wet. There were meant to be 14 people on the boat with me. However, because most people would have rather been inside avoiding the rain (pussies), there was me and three others. Then of course, the crew, consisting of Bob, the owner and captain, Mr Bank, his right hand Thai man, and Nick, who was a 21 year old Belgian adrenaline junkie and was there to help Bob and Bank- crazy bastard. Got on with everyone right away.

The water was rough, but the sights were stunning!
The cruise was also very useful, since I made some friends I could go drinking with that night. Nick and Bob took us to a trippy little stoner bar called 'Banana bar', where I had a few beverages and a sneaky spliff.. after being assured it was safe to do so. Still unconvinced, but having craved a joint since speaking to my mummy online, I went for it.As usual, making sure everyone else smoked a little more than me, as I'm rather dysfunctional on the marijuana. (Friends from home scream "NO SHIT!")

This part may shock some, so I'll say now that I'm fine and that the story ends well.
I was walking back from Banana Bar, only 5 minutes from my bungalow and a man grabbed my arm. On first look I noticed he wasn't Thai, he looked Indian..possibly? The tightness by which he had my arm hinted to me that I wasn't going to like whatever he was planning. Adrenaline pumped straight to my head as he pulled me about 5 metres into a dingy little side road (luckily still close to the public street). I thought no longer - I managed to knee him in the small of his back, so hard he lost balance and fell on his knees. He got straight back up - I panicked and kicked him where I knew it hurt. Right in the nuts. Sorry guys, I did it. Had it not been so long since I did karate, maybe I could have done something more elaborate. All I knew is I needed him on the ground. It worked. I ran out of the side road and in to a nearby shop. I started gesturing just in case the owners English wasn't great. Turns out, his English was phenomenal and he called the Police right away while another man working in the shop, ran to where the guy was slumped. I don't really know what happened, I was made to stay in the shop with the lovely owner and his wife. They gave me water to calm me down and some food too. A Thai police officer came in, and from what I understand, the Indian (or whatever he was..) bloke was taken away. I was walked the rest of the way to my Bungalow by the two men from the shop. I honestly am lucky I was so quick, I've really never moved so fast whilst stoned.. ever. It could have ended horribly. While it was terrifying, it also reminded me of why I love Thai people. The kindness and good-will of the shop owners really showed that night. If they see you are in trouble or just need a hand, they will be there, at least from what I have experienced. Maybe I'm biased, because I feel like they saved my life!

It's a shame that happened on my last night.. besides that, I had a sweet time!

Saying that, I felt better stepping off the boat in to Koh Lanta, where it really is "chilled out". I've met some cool people around my resort and I'm just having a proper lazy time for a couple of days! Every day since leaving Phuket, I seem to burn in a different place! Today people, it was my stomach, that hasn't seen sun in about...hmm.. four years? So, I shouldn't have even bothered with my factor thirty in this sun. But I did. Que burnt belly shot :(



Lobsters rock, it's all good. Even if I am sat in the weirdest position typing this..

Think I'm going to spend another night or two here, just chilling, trying to avoid more mosquito bites (seriously.. ENOUGH!) then head over to Koh Tao. My cousin said I'd be a nut job if I didn't visit Tao. I'm expecting good things Jade ;D

10 days til I'm 21. Turning 21 in Thailand - hollaaaaaa!!
Anyway, enough rant for now, I'll check in with you soon. I shall leave you with some scenic shots of the beach and resort I'm staying at :)

Sit next to Thai people on night buses.

I got my night bus from my hostel in Bangkok, at six o'clock yesterday evening and was told I'd be in Phuket at nine o'clock this morning. Try again. What he meant was, I'd be in Surat Thani by nine o'clock this morning, wait for another hour, then take another five hour bus to Phuket.
This time I was armed with a denim jacket, to fight the ever-powerful VIP Air-con, but those fifteen hours could not have gone any slower! At first, I had two seats to myself, half an hour in to the trip, I was joined by a fellow Englishman. He was lovely, until he fell asleep. Snore.. snore..snore..twitch..snore. I wanted to cry after about 6 hours of this, when my headphones blaring were not drowning it out. Dad, how you've lived with a snorer, no matter how wonderful she is, for over twenty years, is beyond me.. seriously. I've noticed if you sit next to a Thai person, they are silent. Best people to be next to for a night bus. Aside from the snoring, just the pure amount of stopping, changing and getting in to buses of all different shapes and sizes, just to get to one destination..unreal. I am now seriously looking in to flying or getting a sleeper train back up North. I was scarily close to insanity last night. Laos buses may have been more cramped and have no AC, but they never messed around!

Back-tracking for a moment; when I was in Bangkok yesterday, I was again subject to all the salespeople at the markets, who didn't really have to persuade me at all to buy more clothes. I've got in to the habit of walking away, exclaiming in broken Thai that I have spent far too much money, even when (most of the time) I haven't. Sometimes they shout "Ok, mam, ok, discount for you.." and partly due to lack of will power, partly due to the fact everything is so pretty here, I usually accept. Bad Nadya, not good for your budget!
So, bearing in mind, Phuket is more expensive than Bangkok, even for the rooms, I am going to try my best to isolate myself on the beach with my 20 baht mangoes and pineapples and steer well clear of markets for a while. This would be easier if it were sunny, but the rain looks like it's making a turn for the worst and I was greeted in to Phuket by a serious amount of grey sky and rain. Upon walking further down the road, me and two sisters from the US that I met on my bus, came in to contact with what looked like a river. With a strong current. Oh, wait, that's the road. We waded through about 1km of Phuket today, I've never seen so much rain on the ground! It was a hilarious situation for us, I'd have been peeved if I actually had to get anywhere important I suppose ;) Unfortunately I was too scared to get my camera out in that downpour! I may be leaving Phuket more abruptly than first thought. But still, there are worse ways to spend your days, right?

I'm now sat typing this in Air-Conditioned luxury, with Resident Evil playing on the TV, in the company of my new found American friends, having taken the best shower I've had since I left home almost three months ago. Oh and the best part - it's so clean I can actually see with my own eyes that it is mosquito free!
I have these American friends to thank for this, as there was no f*cking way I was going to spend 450 baht (almost nine quid) on one of these single rooms. But having the price chopped in half when sharing, seemed more reasonable. Especially since most run-down hostels in the area offer dorm beds for 250 baht a night. Ridiculous!

All in all, until I'm sunbathing in sunny paradise with a cocktail in my hand (the chances of this are looking SLIM, by the way), I continue to miss my Nong Khai family and someone I'll name Prada for now. Every step of this trip so far, rain or shine, has been a massive, hilarious, emotional, fantastic adventure and I never want it to end. But I figure at some point in life I'll have to get serious ;)

<3
  

Welcome to my trip, darlings..

This blog was started to track my progress with Make-up artistry. Since I have halted that for the time being, I feel I should fill my blog with what I am doing now - traveling.

I would fill you in on the last two and a half months, but I think I'd be typing for a week solid, and still not be able to put in to words what an amazing time I've had. Fear not, I have written a small diary by hand (covering my time in Hungary and most of Laos) so I won't forget a thing. However, since I spend far more time in front of a computer than with a pen and paper, I feel I should start a blog for those who are interested.

I have been volunteering for a charity in Nong Khai called Isara for the past three weeks. I wrote a blog for the Isara website, (you can see it here) which inspired me to blog about the rest of my travels.

I left Nong Khai last night (when I say 'leave'..  I don't mean it really, I'm going back in two weeks for my 21st birthday) via VIP night bus. After missing my bus the day before due to a Thai/English language barrier.. it lead to some miscommunication I feel. Though I have to admit, having to spend another night in Nong Khai felt like a blessing, not a pain in the arse, by any means! I love everything about the place. The atmosphere, the people (now named my Nong Khai family!), the food and of course, the Sunday market ;)

The night bus was much more luxurious than those I had experienced in Laos. Albeit, less exciting, but I was more than ready for a chilled out journey, since the destination was bound to be hectic! The air-conditioning, which at first was a blessing, quickly became a pain. I was forced to wrap myself in anything I could find in my hand luggage. Who knew?
As soon as I got off of the bus in Bangkok, which was the temperature of Nong Khai in the day time at 4:00am.. I kind of wanted the air con back. Moan moan.. first world problems eh?

I got off the bus to, thankfully, a phone call from my Thai friend, Prig, who kindly spoke to all the taxi companies that were hassling me. He found out every single taxi was overcharging me by about 300 baht, and told me to get out of the station. This would have been easier, had the bus station not been the size of Bangkok Airport. Anyway, I managed to find the exit and called Prig once more so he could speak to a motorbike taxi man, who, despite working in what I thought was the most westernised part of Thailand, didn't speak a word of English besides "Seven eleven". In the end, managed to get me a half hour taxi ride, complete with a 7-eleven mobile phone credit stop for three quid. Bonus! The guesthouse, despite all my doubts, was open at ridiculous o'clock in the morning and I was safe and checked in by 6am.

Met a few people already in Bangkok.. but everyone I seemed to speak to was leaving this evening.. early evening. Maybe it's a sign I should slow down my drinking. I am currently hiding out in my little guesthouse room, going from my room, to downstairs, back upstairs, to downstairs etc., trying to find some cool people. The only man I have spoken to in the last half an hour had a young, beautiful Thai lady tied to his waist, (not literally- though that wouldn't have surprised me) so I couldn't really speak to him without thoughts of slapping him going on in the back of my head.

Regardless of the lack of company, I've had a pretty nice day perusing the markets, getting drinks (non-alcoholic, just in case you, for some unbeknown reason, thought I drank during the day) at as many cool looking outdoor cafes as possible and of course, getting my beloved lip piercing back. It is now slightly swollen (thought I got away with it second time around) and doesn't really agree with my smoking, but ho hum!

Booked my bus down to Phuket for 6pm tomorrow evening. Another night bus. This time, 15 hours. Dear lord, I can barely contain my joy! On the plus side I am looking forward to seeing my first beach since leaving England! Can't believe I've been on, what feels like one massive holiday, for almost 3 months and haven't seen sand and sea! Hence why I am still so horrendously translucent, at least, the Thai's seem to think so.

Hope the rainy season holds a few of it's showers so I can chill and sunbathe the whole time.

I'll update y'all down there.
Welcome to my trip :) x