Building up the sleep bank while lazing on White Sand Beach on Ko Chang - beautiful
It was love at first site. I saw her, I knew I had to be with her.
Unfortunately common sense prevailed and I realised she wouldn't fit in my carry on luggage, so I had to settle for sneaking into the drivers seat for a quick photo.

A 45 minute speedboat ride to Cai Bae beach on Ko Chang (I'm getting soft – what happened to budget travel Cameron? Why don't you take the slow slash cheap boat?!!) and I had the taxi take us straight to my favourite bungalow on White Sand Beach only to fall to the ground in tears upon discovering that it has closed down. Never fear, Sai Khao Inn (kind of opposite the mammoth Ko Chang Kacha Resort) had a beautiful triple room with fridge, TV, free wi-fi, and quiet grounds... except for the rooster. Oh the rooster – why won't you let me sleep in?!

Ko Chang doesn't have the clearest or bluest water on the planet, but White Sand Beach is wide, long and great for swimming with small waves and, importantly after coming from Ko Mak, no sandflies. Also, when I get sick of being covered in sand it's easy enough to 'accidentally' end up in the pool at Kacha Resort :) The restaurants that set up on the sand in the evenings as the sun sets over the ocean all offer a wide range of Thai or western foods at reasonable prices (anywhere from 50/100 Baht for a small/large Thai dish, to more than 800 Baht for a steak or seafood dish at some of the posher establishments). Unfortunately my favourite restaurant closed down too, but Dr Love pharmacy was there to fix me up :)

I get the feeling that there's a limited number of movies which have been on rotation in the buses of Thailand for the last couple of year – the bus trip from the pier on the mainland back to Bangkok gave me one of the Transporter movies, for the second time - and yet again I could only catch half the words. Maybe it will be third time lucky on another visit...
Speaking of lucky, I was allocated the “Sofa” as my seat on the bus and was able to lie at full stretch for a couple of hours power nap. Note to self: Always request the sofa!

Bangkok:
“No no, not here. Taxi mafia here...” says the taxi driver, refusing to give us a lift until we had walked to the end of the street. Always a scam in the making in Bangkok. Don't stay too long Cameron.

Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) Airport. Why are airport prices for everything double? Why, despite my best planning to avoid needing to buy anything at an airport, ever, do I always seem to be hungry as soon as I arrive? If I was one of the hundreds of people stuck at Suvarnabhumi for 10ish days a couple of years back (when there was some kind of protest going on) I like to think I would have donned my tights (tight tights) and Robin Hood-ed it up by leading a bunch of marauders to reclaim the food outlets for the good people of the world. We want justice! ;)

Righto, with sleepy goodbyes said to my last friends from home at 4am this morning, I'm now on the plane to Kuala Lumpur to board for Trichy, India. By the next time I write I should be the proud owner of some kind of two wheeled monster...

Just quietly, as a teacher it's almost impossible to escape your students, even on the other side of the world. A couple of hours minding my own business in transit at LCC KL airport and it was nice to bump into one of them, Jesse:

Notes on costs:

TRANSPORT
Ko Mak – Ko Chang (Cai Bae) speedboat and taxi to anywhere on the island: 600 Baht, 45 minute
White Sand Beach – Pier Taxi: 50 Baht, 25 minute
Ko Chang – Khao San Road (Bangkok) Ferry and Bus: 400 Baht, 6ish hours. Also available from other operators for 300 Baht
Silom road area – Airport Taxi: 350 Baht at 4am. Cheaper to use the meter.

ACCOMMODATION
Ko Chang, Sai Khao Inn Guesthouse: 1200 Baht for a triple (discounted from 1500 because we stayed four nights)
At the south of White Sand Beach, on the jungle side of the road.
Air con, Fridge, TV, Free Wi-Fi, toast and coffee/tea in the mornings. Very comfortable beds.
9/10 on the Brookesy Scale of value for money budget accommodation.

Bangkok, Swasdee Guesthouse: 280 Baht for a single
Off a road near Khao San Road, huge establishment with many different standard rooms.
Tiny room with fan, shared bathroom. Quiet because the room was in the centre of the hotel
6.5/10 on the Brookesy Scale.