3:36 PM 25th June 2006
Hello Girls and boys again.. Here I am writing to you another email from the other side of the world for most of you. At the moment I am writing to you from a little Island south of Thailand called Koh Chang. Why I am here.. Guess! I DID NOT GET THE VISA TO GO TO CAMBODIA!!!! I think that I am definitely going to change my passport to the Italian one soon!!! I don't have a clue what the sri Lankans have done in the world to not give me visa! I can understand not giving me visa to Australia but CAMBODIA????? Anyway the reason was that I need to know somebody there in order to get Visa. I left Chang Mai (North of Thailand around 6pm to come to Bangkok around 5:30 am, I was so excited to go to Cambodia and my bus was at 7:45 but then around 7am I found out that I did not get the visa. So I booked another bus to down south Thailand to an Island called Koh Chang. Was another 6 hour bus ride and 30 min ferry. I have been here since yesterday 6pm and leaving the Island tomorrow morning back to Bangkok.
The Island is very nice, loads of mountains and the beach is just Amazing! I have booked a room, well a Coconut hut (but inside there is TV , fan, Fridge and a very good toilet) for 2 nights. I have also rented a Motor bike for 2 days (only 6 Euros).The Island is not that busy, looks like that it is not the season for tourist. Most of the pubs and restaurants are not busy at all. I had some dinner, sea food! And then roamed around the island with the motorbike.. had to be careful to keep my mouth close as there were various kinds of insect bombardments while going..Loads of tropical forests and jungles.. There is also loads of rain as well in this period of time.
Today I went Elephant trekking in the jungle. Whoa such a adventure.. I got
a female elephant with a Elephant man :P had 1 hour ride, very nice, went through
the jungle, rubber plantation and pompelmo trees. It was also the scariest ride
with the elephant.. There was few times when the Elephant decided to go on his
own rote and then stop for a while and have a snack of coconut leaves. So we
were stopped for few times, stuck in one place on top of a huge giant.. Then
the Man with a metal stick started hitting the elephant and asked him to move..
I had the worst feeling in the word at that time.. It was me sitting on top
of the elephant and there was this Thai man hitting this Huge animal and hurting
him as well as could see scars where the elephant got hit. I was soo scared!!
if the elephant got angry.. What to do????.. I was at a height of 2 meters the
only thing I could do was to jump on to a tree.. but what can be done with the
elephant if he got angry. and the stupid man kept on screaming and hitting the
poor old thing.. . finally after few minutes the elephant started moving in
the right track and I was a big relief but I was also in a hurry to finishes
the Trekking as did not want to be on top of a stubben elephant and a MAD man
controlling him :P But then everything was going all right.. We went through
trees and there were some huge spiders.. The elephant while striding through
the Orange tree plantations nicked here and there an orange or two and ate it..
Every now and then the whole elephant started vibrating ( I thought that She
was getting angry) but then started farting.. We stopped below a banana tree
and the man got off the Elephant and asked me if I want to take pictures on
top of the elephant. I gave him the camera and he took few shots, and then when
he got back on the elephant I gave him a tip.. The tip was rather to keep him
friendly as he was the only one who could control the elephant and we were in
the middle of the jungle with me him and only the elephant.. ahhhh!!
but after the tip.. Everything went quite smooth.. Apart from one incident where
the elephant went into the stream of water and started to cool herself down
by splashing water. but I was amazed to see how the elephant listen to the man..
She looked scared of the man.. but then finally.. To my satisfaction as well
we were back to the finish.
The I took the motor bike and went down south of the Island.. Sow some nice beaches.. all deserted.. no one at all .. Where I had a swim.. Saw also a market/houses in the middle of the sea.. The sea was not deep at all.. and the Thai people of the Island have built a kind of market.. Restaurants, internet cafés and shops. in the middle of the sea.. But the most amazing thing I saw was a Thai kid in the market playing with a Portable Play station, the new one which even I don't have and from the roof of the shops came out huge satellite dishes! In the mean time while I was looking at the sea.. From the horizon could see a huge thunderstorm coming toward the island.. Very nice to see.. This black huge cloud coming with thunder and lightning but I did not want to be here when it come.. so got the bike again and started running away from the storm after watching the amazing scenery for a while and taking few pictures..:) That was the high of the day..
Now just had dinner.. Loads of fish for very cheap. now after writing to you
all I might just go and get into a pub and watch some footy... and hope to meet
people...
If you can manage to travel.. Travel when you can.. but don't travel 4 start
hotels and luxury trips.. Travel cheap and travel to find out about other cultures
and see the amazing sceneries that the countries offer.. Meet the people from
the place, talk to them.. see the way they think.. How they live life and enrich
your life... This trip has been an amazing adventure for me, did not expect
it to be soo nice but I have enjoyed every single bit of it and made the most
out of it.. Some might think that travelling alone is boring but I did not find
it that way, it would have been nice to have somebody but even alone I have
manage to find friends and have a good time...
Time is running out very fast and soon I will be back to Europe but this is
an experience that I will never forget, for the places I have seen and the people
I have met... if you can, travel for a year.. Just leave everything.. And travel
and travel light.. When I get the Italian passport I might do it.. now it is
no use as with the sri lankan passport I can't go anywhere! But I can tell you
that if you like seeing places, meeting people and just living life.. then Travel.
I have met an old man from Israel on the bus from Bangkok to Koh Chang.. He
was on his way to Cambodia.. he had some amazing stories to tell.. People he
have met and the places he has seen.. And what he found out from all his trips
during the years was that all the people are the same.. they think alike and
most importantly have the same heart.. He also said that you can be a player
or single man for a while but get married one day. There is no such joy as to
see the birth of your grandsons and if you don’t get married.. you can
be as happy as you won’t but you will be very lonely in life..
Okie girls and boys.. This is an end of another email from me :)
I am going to be in Bangkok from tomorrow for another day and then on Tuesday
I am off to Colombo (Sri Lanka).
Will write to you more from there..
Have fun and be good :)
from Me :)
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