Cha Am - Lets get out of here!

Sunday - 18 May 08

Well what a nightmare! We were up early this morning and couldn't wait to get out of this fleabitten hole. We didn't get much sleep we were so wound up, besides the hotel and town being a shithole and being ripped off on the hotel.

So we decided last night after searching the net that we would drop Koh Tao from our inventory and head south to Koh Samui. It has more accommodation and we know the island and the best areas to stay. This morning we checked out of the shithole and caught a taxi back to Hua Hin to the train station. We were lucky and managed to purchase two of the last three tickets available on the second class, air con train to Surat Thani for 11.11a, for the 5 hour train ride.

As we were there early we had an hour or so to kill before the train so just sat around the station waiting. The station was crowded with people waiting for the train back to Bangkok and there were just hundred of hung over (Thai) teenagers who had been to the music festival in Hua Hin all weekend. Thank god they were going the opposite direction to us.

As usual with any transport in Thailand, nothing runs on time and no one is in a hurry. The train was an hour late (whats new!). It finally left Hua Hin at 12 noon and I must say it was a long but much better trip than the train to Nong Khai and all the buses we have caught. We are 'over' using the transport system and are considering flying to our other destinations. If we can get cheap flights thats what we will do. It takes too long to get from A to B on the transport system and we are loosing too much time and seem always catching something.

We arrived in Surat Thani at 5pm and decided we would have to stay a night. This time I wasn't even off the bottom step of the train and a taxi hawker had me by arm. Was I pissed off! You bet! I shrugged him off in no uncertain terms and stormed off and waited for Rick. We hadn't booked any accommodation so thought we would have a look around for a cheap hotel close to the ferry terminal so we could catch the first ferry to Koh Samui in the morning as there are only two a day. One in the morning and one in the arvo.

We walked outside of the station to have a smoke and the hotel hawkers were everywhere, they pounce on you like vultures. One offered us a hotel, cheap but good and near the ferry terminal, so off we go with other tourists and almost an hour later end up at this hotel. 450baht a night, air con, internet & hot water. The room wasn't much but an improvement on the shithole in Cha Am. We figured we are only staying one night. The guy booked us on the 8am ferry to Koh Samui for tomorrow and said the bus would pick us up at 7.30a, be ready.

We checked in went to our room, showered and then went for a walk to get milk and cold drinks to get us through until dinner. We walked around and then realised this hotel was in the middle of a residential area with no restaurants or cafes and no where near the ferry terminal. What a freakin joke!

We hung around our room until late and then decided to go out and try and find something for dinner, we asked reception where the nearest KFC was she said about half an hour away and we would need to catch songteaw. So off we go, hail a Songteaw and half an hour and 100baht later we were sitting in KFC for dinner. We left and caught a Songteaw back to our hotel which was 200baht, same distance, go figure? By this time we were hot, tired, pissed off and once again ripped off. Decided this was the last time. To make matters worse, internet server was down and couldn't use the internet card we had purchased. Great hotel!!!!!!! When travelling to Thailand avoid Surat Thani and especially the taxi and hotel hawkers at the railway station.

The rest of the night whats left of it is sleep. Its been another trying day. One thing I'll say about this trip, its been an education and we have learned, tomorrow we will be that little bit wiser.

Until our next adventure tomorrow!