ThaIsland-Hopping

Man it has really been a while since I have posted a new blog! I'll get right into it!

So when I left off Danny and I had just arrived in the paradise that is the Thai Islands (or ThaIslands as I like to refer to them), starting at Ko Phangan. So after the epic Half Moon party, Danny and spent the entire following day just relaxing on the beach. We ate an awesome breakfast and really just enjoyed a nice day to relax and recharge in the sun and in the water. In the evening we set off into town to see what was cracking. On our way to the beach, we ate at this burger place that Danny's Lonely Planet travel guidebook had mentioned, called Same Same Burger. To understand the history of the phrase "Same Same," please click here:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=same+same+but+different

Please disregard the offensive third entry. Same Same Burger was by far one of the best burgers that I have not only had in Thailand, but in the world! Danny and I were dying laughing because the burger bar grill guy, among many other ThaIsland citizens, spoke with a very Australian-influenced accent. As he said, "The-eh's something quite propah abayout it," we were certain it was just a regurgitation of what he had previously heard an Australian say about the savory, greasy sandwiches. After dinner, we enjoyed a few drinks on the beach while watching a couple locals spinning FIRE BATONS! It was so crazy and they were throwing them right over us in the audience! Even a little kid was showing off his skills!

The next day, we awoke early and caught a boat over to Ko Tao, where we snorkeled and checked out all kinds of fish! At one point, I was literally surrounded by THOUSANDS of them! I have never seen such fluorescent, bright, speckled, striped, glowing, funky fish in my life! It was like swimming through a kaleidoscope of wild shapes and vibrant colors. We also saw the most awesome views of jungle-covered islands and ginormous rocks from our dive boat along the way. Danny's scuba instructor, P., informed me that I absolutely must get my scuba diving license while in Australia, describing how whales migrate through the Great Barier Reef throughout February and March. So now I am determined to get certified! That night we dined on some ultra-classy street vendor pancakes which pretty much lived up to the title as "the best pancakes in town." The guy flipped them right in front of us, adding sliced bananas and drizzling sweet chocolate sauce and condensed milk over it. YUM!

We made it to Ko Samui the next day, where we stayed at the Lucky Mother, a beachside bungalow hotel. Lucky Mother seriously had the BEST Pad Thai that I have had yet. It was so great, in fact, that I had for lunch and for dinner! The beaches of Ko Samui were absolutely gorgeous! The whole time I kept asking myself, "what am I doing here?," thinking it was just a dream. When nightime kicked in, Danny and I had finally gotten the right idea and strolled over to 7 Eleven to purchase beer, so we could avoid getting ripped-off at the bars who charge like 3X the price! We chilled on the beach, people watching and joking about the crazy adventures we had experienced in such a brief amount of time. We finished the night by rolling over to Green Mango, a techo-hyped club.

From Ko Samui, we jetted over to Ko Phi Phi, which was recently dubbed as "the most beautiful beach in the world." Boy was that an understatement! I think this title should be changed immediately to "the most beautiful beach in the GALAXY!" This beach was a gorgeous lagoon of endless knee-deep crystal water surrounded by the most beautiful sights of green peaks and plateaus. It was like straight off of a postcard... marvelous. I think I may have been a little too relaxed because I managed to get one of the most scorching sunburns in my entire life... we're talking swollen and flaming skin. That was surely some sort of experience. Also, the island was very small with high-end resorts but also cheap, crappy hostels for cheap backpackers like Danny and myself. It was also cluttered with many more vendors and motorcycles. I don't think that I even saw a car anywhere on this miniscule vacation hotspot of an island. This definitely added to the serenity of the island because you could enjoy the relaxing silence, calm lagoons, and beautiful sights.

The party continued right on to Phuket. Now, Danny and I had heard that there was nothing that special about Phuket from other travelers, but boy were they wrong! Danny and I had a blast on the bar street of Patong beach! We played pool and checked out what seemed to be the most epic festival of funky bars, suggestive ladyboy shows, and probably the most incredible magician I have ever seen! This guy was straight up telekinetic! He was wowing the audience with his skills by making money float around his body, through the air, and into his hand!... So sick! Later, we played Connect 4 at Tiger Bar, where you would play the bartender girls for drinks. Of course, they were all Connect 4 geniuses, so my competitive nature lost me about $20 in baht way fast. But I would say it was totally worth it because I stole one of the game pieces as a keepsake! We finished the night by busting a move on the crazy dance floor at Tiger Bar, and celebrated the end to a wild and roaring Southeast Asian backpacking adventure! I may have lost all of my shoes and broken my camera there, but I gained so much more. Righteous memories, phenomenal photos, and a straight-up once-in-a-lifetime experience! I will definitely be traveling through South East Asia again in my life!

P.S. I have updated all of my previous blog posts with URL's to my facebook photo albums from the trip! Check it out! I will be making my Australian post ASAP!