Have Packs. Will Travel.

Yesterday was an insane travel day. We were traveling from Ko Pha Ngan to Khao Sok National Park and had booked our travel at our lodging on Ko Pha Ngan. The manager of the Haad Gruad Resort handled the arrangements and setting things up literally took us two seconds. We thought, "wow, that was so awesome and so easy!" The plan was to take a taxi to the ferry that would take us to Surat Thani and then a bus to Khao Sok. But unfortunately, that is not what happened. Taxi to ferry was no problem. Ferry, no problem. (The joint ticket operations of bus/taxi/ferry are pretty organized; they stick different colored stickers on your and your bags so they know who is going where and our last bus/ferry journey was pretty effortless.)

However, when we got off the ferry, we thought we were going to be in Surat Thani. But we weren't. We were in a town to the east called Don Sak. So we got herded onto a janky pink bus that had tiny seats with no leg room to travel to Surat Thani.

After we rode that for an hour on the cramped bus (Tys and I weren't sitting together because there weren't 2 seats together available,) we got dropped off at a "bus stop" in Surat Thani which was like a dirt lot with some seating and shelter overhead. I had to pay 5 baht to use the bathroom! We were told we were going to have 20 minutes before our bus left so Tyson went to buy us a few beers. In the time it took him to get through the line, we were being told to get into this transport truck (more on that in a minute) that would take us to the "other" bus stop. We were PACKED into that truck, which is called a sawthaeng. It is essentially a pick-up truck with bench seats on either side and this particular truck actually had the tailgate removed and two additional seats welded on to the back, just to maximize the number of people that you could shove in! Anyway, we and all the other travelers were drinking our beers and thought the whole experience was pretty funny. We were in that truck for about 10 minutes and then dropped off at another bus station with more tables, chairs, food and beer.

At this point, we had made some friends, including a few guys from England and a girl from Sweden. We drank beer and just waited to be told what to do next. Our bus was scheduled to leave at 5pm. At 7 pm, we were finally told to get back into the transfer truck/sawthaeng. And we were in that truck for 2 hours in the dark with 8 other travelers. We are guessing that we were supposed to be in a minivan and that it broke down and they had to take us in that really uncomfortable sideways-benched pick up truck.

It was humorous at the beginning. And then it wasn't anymore. After we got gas for the truck and picked up the driver's girlfriend, we were on our way. The driver was probably 20 years old and was cuddling with his girlfriend, rolling a cigarette, eating a hot dog on a stick, and talking on his phone all while he was hurdling us down a dark, 2 lane, winding road. FOR TWO HOURS. Sitting sideways in the back of a covered pickup truck.

I will admit, it was a little scary. (Mom and Dad, don't freak out, we are safe!)

We did not make arrangements for accommodations in Khao Sok. But we happened to get SO lucky on the ferry. We had met a couple from SF and they recommended a place for us to stay and that is where we ultimately wound up. (We made arrangements from one of the bus stops after a guy that worked there tried to sell us accommodations at his place of lodging and they were all sold out. He also told us it was really busy here and that we'd never find a place to sleep. So not true.) Thanks to our new friends Ellie and Jeff for helping us have a safe landing at the Nung House!

But we only arrived at the Nung House after the transport truck dropped us off at some other lodging (the one that has a "deal" with the transport), then got into a minivan, then waited for our german travel companions to look at lodging, then waited for our driver to get a shirt.

It was insane. Took us about 10 hours to get here. But the place we are staying is lovely and the park is gorgeous and it is quiet and peaceful here and we are almost able to forget about our experience yesterday. We had did some hiking and swimming in Sok River today along with more new friends from England (Nadia and John-Henry) and are heading to Cheaw Lan Lake for trek, boat ride, night on a floating raft bungalow, and general natural beauty fabulousness.

I don't know how we could have avoided the situation we wound up in. There was no way we could have gotten to Khao Sok on the public bus from the ferry in Don Sak. And when we made our plans, it was our understanding that we'd be taken from the ferry to the bus and then delivered safely and happily here. Alas, things here are NEVER what you expect and it's better to have no expectations at all.

We are safe. We are happy. But we are hoping that we do not have another travel experience like the one we had yesterday. We're betting we do. Anyone else care to bet on that?

Here's where we've been so far:


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