koh chang

from bangkok we took a night bus to ranong, an overnight, ten hour affair on an air-conditioned bus. hardly an ordeal, but i did wake up a number of times during the night with an extraordinarily greasy face and forehead. luckily, two times throughout the trip a woman handed out moist towelettes, presumably for the greasiness. the following day i found my feet to be aching, and quite bulbous. they looked like inflated latex gloves. at first i thought i may have been bitten by something, but then realized they were probably the result of having had them dangle for ten hours on a greasy aired bus ride. they would continue to ache and be bulbous for the whole day, forcing me to sit with them elevated while i stared at the sea, occasionally suffering the twenty feet to go into the ocean to ease my pain with the tepid saltwater. only by my iron will did i survive.

we got to ranong at six in the morning before the day began to break. by the time we made it to the pier we still had a few hours to kill. i read the lonely planet, watched one male dog try hump another for a while, drank some instant coffee, watched three little puppies eat another dead puppy etc. 

after an hour and a half boat ride to the island, we arrived at our bungalow. the island is remote, and save for a number of  basic accommodations, has nothing on it save for the beach, and some rubber and cashew trees. electricity comes from generator power and all supplies, even ice are delivered from the mainland.  for the next four days i proceeded to sit around, swim in the ocean, eat, walk on the beach, and read. at first i was concerned i would get bored, but i found myself to be surprisingly adept at living a lazy, if not slovenly island existence.