A belated beggining.

To all of you who I promised blog action beginning the evening of my departure, I beg your forgiveness.  I took me a bit to re-establish my relationship with Blogger and I clearly required a Koh Chang sunrise, cicada roaring their song to the morning, birds of every ilk joining in the celebration let by the village roosters, to find the time to do that.

So, what did you miss?

Travel. More specifically, fourty three hours of travel from Maple Ridge to my rooms here on Koh Chang. Even more specifically, fourty three hours of largely un-remarkable travel - trains, planes and automobiles. We've all been there. Nothing to see here, folks.  Move along. 

Blessedly, the trip did begrudgingly offer one small tale to tell. Once we debarked the ferry here on Koh Chang and, as is required by Thai law, crammed into a windowless, sweltering mini van for the drive down island, I found myself sitting - ok, what's the word; beside, on top of, with intimate knowledge of?; - lets go with beside, a fellow born and raised on Koh Chong, returning from his home in England to start work for the high season as a dive master at BB Divers where I will train. I had already made an agreement with the driver to pay extra for the run to Bang Bao, where the vans normally do not venture, but this fellow - Tia - offered to call his brother from the last usual stop and have him drive us down to Bang Bao. Perfect, says I. Saving money, says I. Three hours, 4 Chang beer and three games of pool later, his brother's wife arrived to collect us.  150 baht extra for the van to make the 10 minute trip to Bang Bao, or 240 baht for the beers and three hours of drinking it for the trip with Tia. I think I came out ahead.

Pictured below is my room. Very nice at $11.84 per night. Mattress provided by The Marquis de Sade (a box spring - coils of steel with two layers of linen to cover. Very chic. Guess what I am finding today?)

Off to find some food, and later, two dives. Updates as required.